Brucies Mum

Thought it was time to show my face, not very flattering but you can always print it out and put it over the fireplace.. at least it will keep the kids away from playing by the fire

My user name is self explanatory my budgie is called Bruce and I'm his Mum logical really Bruce got his name because of a suggestion by my husband... We had a dog who was a bit crazy and always in trouble, a bit of a rebel... he was a pedigree Labrador from the queens Labrador kennels bloodlines.. his kennel name was Original Oscar and one of his parents .. was Sandrigham Toss, only dogs from the Queens kennels can use the name Sandringham.. Anyway to cut a long story short I thought as a pet name we would call him Prince because of the royal connotations, he turned out to have just as wayward behavoiur as some of our royalty cough cough and hubby always said he would have been more suited to the name Bruce as it seemed to be more rugged and go with Princes character.. but we wouldnt change his name... Then we got our male budgie and had to pick a name for him so hubby came up with the name Bruce again, as it was what us Brits class as a typical Aussie name.. and budgies being native of Australia it seemed ideal... he is a well behaved Bruce though not like Prince used to be so a good representative for Australia. Oh Kaz we shorten names in the UK as well we have lots of Daz's, Baz's, Kaz's and even a Kez short for Kerry, my name shortened is Liz not quite the same but it does end in Z so can I be an honorary Aussie :hap:

Molly sounds very similar to how my Bruce was, but he was only a baby when I got him. I also tried to finger tame him so I could let him out of his cage, but he didnt want to know, he too freaked out if I put anything into his cage, after a long while with no sucess, I decided it was cruel keeping him cooped up in the cage all the time, so after making the room secure and safe I opened his cage door just like you did, and very cautiously he ventured out. He did a circuit of the room and tried to land on the curtain pole, but slipped behind it and got stuck(more fear of moving than actually stuck), so I put my finger by him to step on which he did , once he was out from behind the pole he flew off and landed on top of a cupboard and sat there for ages chattering away. He then flew back to his cage on his own. I have never put him back in physically, and now he comes on my finger.. head ..glasses any where he wants with no fear. I think he didnt like me entering his domain and felt threatened, but in the open he knew he could fly from any danger, and it was this that helped me to gain his trust, I wasnt a threat, the hand didnt harm in fact the first contact was helpful, and he was never made to do anything he didnt want ie. being put back in the cage, and so our relationship grew, he now has no fear of me either with my hand in his cage or outside of it. It is all down to patience every stage done slowly even if it takes weeks or even longer. I think if only one person does the trust building it is better as well. Too many hands from different people can be un-nerving for them. It took a while for Bruce to trust other people but now he will go on all the family members hands, but he still looks on warily if a complete stranger comes into the house... clever these budgies they know who doesnt belong :rofl: Bruce doesnt even mind me cleaning his cage with him in it now, he watches with great interest like he is supervising me, he even says "clean cage" as I say it to him when I start to clean him out, he almost seems to enjoy it. I also do as Kaz says and remove the bottom of the cage to give that a good clean, Bruce happily sits in the top half while I sort the bottom half out, if I have the windows open and it isnt safe to let him out. So it seems like gently gently and lots of patience worked for me, and it is such a thrill to have won them over, so rewarding when it has been hard going.

I'm not an expert like most members here, but like you I have one pet budgie, so can relate to some of the things you are saying. My normally placid Bruce, who is like my soul mate most of the time, he even screeches after me if I leave the room and appears to be completely attached to me.... yet at certain times, sometimes when moulting sometimes not.. he will not want to come near me, he has even bitten me quite hard a few times. I sometimes wonder if it is not just his moulting but maybe hormonal, Bruce is about 18 months old. Although I see him as my "baby" in budgie terms he must be "Kevin the teenager" by now So I presume he is just as confused by his emotions just like a human teenager gets.. (I have a 17yr old Grandaughter so know how it is :rofl:) this plus the discomfort of moulting must make life pretty miserable for them so we can expect unusual reactions from them. I try to carry on with my normal behaviour to him, and still spend lots of time talking quietly to him, even though he may not want to come close to me, it does seem to soothe him. His moods dont happen often and dont last long. I know how sad you must be feeling almost as if you have been rejected by Bogie, but dont give up on him, I'm sure after he gets through the moult he will settle back to being his normal self. It is great that he has started his talking, this is where the fun begins, if he is like my Bruce with his talking, you have a treat in store for you, they are so funny when they answer you with a sensible answer,you would swear they really do understand. So be patient and keep comunicating and interacting with him as much as he wants and I'm sure the old Bogie will soon be back with you. Just a thought maybe something has happened that he wasnt too sure of and because of his moult it has made him more sensitive and cautious, but by carrying on in your normal ways with him maybe his trust will be returned. (it could have been the simplest of things not something major that upset him) I love the picture of Bogie with his hat on, absolutely adorable.

They are growing so fast it is amazing... poor Maggie having to feed them now they have teeth, as a female my reaction is yikes thats painful I bet they are becoming a handful for you now, full of mischief and inquisitive about everything.. but ohh so cute

Here in the Uk I bought a product from a large chain type pet supplies shop. It is called Beaphar.. Anti Parasite Spot On.. for small birds. It contains Ivermectin 10ug per pippette ( you get two pippettes in the box)and is suitable for use on birds weighing 20-50g. I have only used it once, when I suspected some sort of infestation (black specks on white wing feathers) and this cleared the problem, but it states on the instructions that it's efficacy last 4 weeks after treatment, but there has been no re-occurence of the black specs so I havent used it since a few months ago. This seems like a handy dosage item for people like me with only the one bird. I dont know if this product would be available in Australia or worldwide, it is made by a Dutch company and is distibuted by its UK supplier.

They look like little toddlers who have just finished an ice cream cone just as cute and equally messy

Ohh that is such a shame, poor little man, he isnt suffering anymore so that is one blessing.

Today it is my wedding anniversary... 43 years since I was a blushing bride.(3rd June) I am spending the day on my own as hubby is in the Merchant Navy and is away at sea until the latter end of June. He hasnt forgotten though and he sent me a dozen red roses, I wish he was here though, but I get used to celebrating events on my own, after 43 years of him working away I have had to get used to it, and my family usually make sure I'm not alone on special days. Cant wait for the day when he retires, should be next year when he is 65 but I somehow dont think he will pack it in, he loves the life and will probably continue until he cant go on any more, he has salt water in his veins I think :rofl:

Here is a picture of my lovely boy Prince who we sadly lost in February 2009 Here he is with my Grandaughter a short while before we had to have him put to sleep. as you can see he is looking old in this picture and was paralysed in his back legs, but he still managed to enjoy life until he took a sudden downturn and we had to take him to the vet to be put to sleep as his quality of life would not have been good. It broke our heart.

Hi and welcome from another newbie, you are correct this is a great forum very friendly and informative. Love your pics and WOW so many birds and here is me with just one little pet bird. :rofl:

This is a lovely story, and your dog and pups are adorable. I used to have dogs one a Labrador/ Alsation cross she lived to be 13, then we got a pedigree golden Labrador he was 14 turned when he had to be put down as he had become paralysed. It was after losing Prince that I got my budgie Bruce as he is easier for me to look after now that I cant walk a dog so easily any more. Like you my house wouldnt be a home if it didnt have some form of pets in it. You will have to keep updating us with pics of the pups progress, will you be keeping any of them? I think I would be so upset if I had to part with any of them... I'm just a big softie :rofl:

Awww the poor little thing, no matter how he got in the road it is sad to know how poorly he is. Lets hope all your TLC will bring him back to good health again.

Thank you for your prompt replies, I am still learning even though I have had Bruce for 18 months now, I learn something new everyday about caring for him, thats what I love about this forum so many members willing to offer advice. I must admit I do have to look up some plant names on the net as here in the UK we either dont have some of the plants mentioned or call them by a different name. It all goes to make life more interesting

I have been reading in FAQ about toxic and non toxic plants and noticed that it says in the toxic section Pyracantha - all parts are toxic Then in the non toxic section it lists Pyracantha Just wondered if I am misreading or misunderstanding something here, I am a bit confused.. doesnt take much to confuse me

I started Bruce off on celery tops, he wouldnt eat any fruit or veg to start with but was instantly attracted to celery tops. Once he got used to eating that he then felt confident to eat other veg but is still not keen on fruit except a small piece of apple. Go easy on celery tops though as it can make their poo a bit runny if they eat too much. Another thing he loves is salad cress, this is simple to grow you dont even need a garden, you just sprinkle the seed on a damp unbleached tissue or cotton wool and you have a crop in a matter of days.

Walked passed the fridge earlier and I thought I heard an onion singing a Bee Gee song. But when I opened the fridge door it was just a ch ch ch....chive talking. I know groan groan groan but it made me laugh

Liv you probably wont know me yet as I am a new member but not a new reader of the forum. I have followed this thread with interest and sadness at the loss of the feathers dusters, but also with admiration at their determination and even more so your determination and dedication that gave them such a short but I'm sure happy as possible life. I dont know much about the quality standards of show birds but I do know beauty when I see it and what a little beauty your latest hen is, a very worthy bird for second, if I had been judging she would have been first she is absolutely gorgeous and I hope her success helps take away some of the hurt you must have felt with the loss of the feather dusters.

I must admit I have had the odd bite from Bruce, but this is very infrequent. He has only started to do this since becoming a "teenager" and it is normlly if he has been moulting or once when I lifted him on my finger out of his cage to say goodnight to him. I kiss him every night before bed normally with no problem (I know I'm a big softy), he even looks for his kiss, but this one particualr night he mustnt have been in the right mood and he latched on to my top lip and boy did it hurt. I normally tell him no in a slightly raised voice, not shout and put him back in his cage. He looks at me as if he understands his behaviour was not acceptable. I dont know if its the raised voice when I normally always talk very gently to him or if its the putting back in his cage that does it, but it does stop him for a long while until I catch him on an off day again, but it isnt that often, I think he has only bitten me about 4 times in the 18 months I have had him. I suppose they are entitled to an off day just like we are, but it is up to us to get to know our birds and if they appear to be a bit grumpy dont annoy them any further. Just like GB says respect on both sides.

One way I try to keep the dust, seed and feathers down, and you do get a fair amount with even only one bird, is a small rechargeable Black and Decker dustbuster type mini vacuum. I use this to hoover the cage at least once a day to remove seed husks and feather dander, and it only takes seconds to clean the floor area around the cage as I have laminate wood floors. This is on top of the thorough clean the cage gets every other day. It sounds labour intensive but it really isnt, just a couple of minutes keeps you on top of things, and the vacuum is always on charge for when it is needed, it saves getting the full size vacuum out all the time for a small couple of minute job.

Thank you everyone for your very kind welcome to this lovely forum. I am most impressed with the information available here, and that you dont only cater to breeders but even the people like me who own one budgie as a pet. I think it is equally important that I have the correct information on looking after Bruce as it is for owners of multiple birds, and I certainly get that information here, unlike lots of budgie sites I found, they seemed to concentrate mainly on advice for breeders. It amazes me what a wealth of knowledge you all have, plus of course we all love our birds so that is an added bonus. I do get some funny looks from people who dont understand budgies, when I talk about Bruce, I think people dont realise just how intelligent budgies can be. I know Bruce has amazed me with his cleverness. He knows exactly if I go out of one particular door that I am going out of the house and not just out of the room, he gives little tweets as much to say dont leave me, really plucks at the heart strings But when I come back home as soon as he hears me come through the door I get excited tweets from him then Also as I said he is a brilliant talker and he has sussed out that if I go near his cage he jumps on the side to me and says Hello, and if me or hubby walk into the room he says hello and hello Dad, I never get the Dad bit so I'm sure he knows who Dad is. As for the rest of his repertoire it is almost limitless, he repeats almost everything we say to him as long as it is relating to him, I have even had him tell me to "shut up" when I tried to get him to say the name of one of my Daughters dogs and the reason he learnt to say shut up was not because we tell him to, but one day he had been particularly vocal all day and I said to him you are a chatterbox you have never shut up all day, of course he had to pick up the shut up bit out of the sentence so now he tells us to shut up. Another example of his talking and intelligence is... one day I was on the sofa using my laptop, his cage was next to me with the door open, I was busy on the laptop when a little voice says hello, I turned and he was on the platform outside the cage door, I replied to him hello, and he says what you doin.. I say I am on my lappy and he says "I'm talking to you" it was like he was wanting me to stop what I was doing and give him my attention. A list of his most frequently used words /sentences are Brucie Brucie Brucie Hello Hello Bruce Hello Dad What you doin Hello my little darling Mummies little boy Mummies little love cheeky monkey darling lad beautiful lad lovely boy my little boy love you beaky beaky boy little little love kiss kiss give us a kiss chopper chopper (like a helicopter noise but said literally as chopper chopper) hello baby hello my little boy clean cage on your perch dont you arent you God bless The list goes on there seems no limit to what he picks up. I do talk to him all the time and he is constantly with me as the stand for his cage has wheels so if I move rooms he comes with me, I even take him out in the garden with me(in his cage of course) when the weather is warm. When he was a baby I used to repeat the same words over and over for about ten minutes at a time until he learnt the word. Never taught him more than one word at a time, but now I dont actually teach him, he just picks up what I say during normal conversation. He even copies full conversation with out actually saying words, he uses all the inflections so although he may be saying jibberish you can tell it is human conversation he is mimicking. Sorry this has been a long post but as you can see I am besotted with Bruce and can never finish telling people all about him and how cute and clever he is. He is my best mate as my husband who is a sailor and works away from home, and Bruce is so much company for me. I did think about getting another bird to keep him company but once he showed his talent for talking I knew he would probably stop in the presence of another bird so I decided he would be a lone bird but hopefully not a lonely bird. For those who say you have family in England.. roughly where abouts are they? I live in the north of England mid way between Manchester and Liverpool.

Hello everyone all the way from England. I have been reading this forum for over a year now and have finally plucked up the courage to join and introduce myself and my baby boy Bruce(what else could we call a native of Australia ) I got Bruce in February 2009 when he was about 9 weeks old, and he was such a timid little boy. I tried following the advice in FAQ about finger taming him but he really didnt like me putting my finger near him while he was in his cage. I kept perservering very gently with no luck, but the guilt of keeping him confined to his cage soon kicked in, so after a month of him being with us I decided to chance letting him out to fly around. He was a bit bemused with the room layout at first, but after a few attempts soon found somewhere to perch. I quietly approached him talking quietly all the time, and low and behold he stepped on my finger. Since then we have been best friends. I talk constantly to him and he soon learnt how to talk, now at 18 months old he can talk for Britain there is no stopping him, he is soo funny and such good company for me. I would love to show you all a video of him talking but sadly I cant, as much to my frrustration everytime he talks and I get my phone out to film him(I have to turn the volume of the radio or TV down as the phone picks that up before his talking) he immediately shuts up, we say he is worked by the remote control , so even I havent got a record of him talking, so please take my word for it he really can talk, family and friends cant believe it when they hear him. I can show you all a photo of him though, so let me introduce my Bruce to all his Australian new friends.