I got my first keet, Sammy, yesterday. I set up his cage nice, a high perch, low and medium. Cuttlebone, food, watrer, etc. He loves his medium perch right by his brush. He sat and shook and breathed hard, was scared for a bit, then started to warble a bit and ate a bit of Millet. Played with his swing, then flew around his cage and checked it out. I played some Pantera, and honestly I thought it'd scare him, but he whistled along and chirped alot surprsingly! The whol.e day we all talked to him, whistled etc.

 

Today, I changed his seed and water and he watched me from his high perch. He freaked when I bumped the cage and flapped around, climbing the cage insanely. I let him settle and eventually he sat there and fluffed his feathers, stretched his wings and feet, yawned, and took a nap. He woke, looked like he kneeded a bit and watched me sit here and peck away at my keyboard.

 

I decided to try the hand training methods I've read. So, I started by holding his seed cup up to his head. He studied the bowl, my fingers and me a bit, I talked softly, saying "Go on pretty bird! good bird, go on sammy!" and he started to eat out of the bowl! He ate a bit and I took it, put it back. Then, I took some seed and put it in my hand. Offered it.. he studied my hand a bit, I encouraged him, and he took one foot, put it on my thumb and started eating out of my palm! He kept one foot on the perch at all times though. He finished that seed, so I let him sit and relax a bit. I then took a peice of Millet and offered it to him in my fingers. He studied it and my fingers half as short as the other times and ate it. I continued offering it to him, then decided the "Up" method.

 

I took my finger, put it up to where he was sitting, put it against his feet, said "Up!" and pushed. He put BOTH feet on my finger and sat there! He got down about 20 seconds later. This has progressed greatly. He let me put him on his swing, then when he wanted down he hopped on my finger and i took him down to his favorite spot where he hopped off and turned around. He hasnt let me take him out yet, as he doesnt like it really well when i move around. though, once I took him straight up to the very top highest part in his cage and he got really happy!

 

All this in 2 days! Wow! I got him from a Bin-O-Budgies, too! Is this rare? Also, should I continue this or do anything else? I'd think not since this is working fairly well. When should I attempt to take him out?

Edited July 16, 200618 yr by Jaywire

that is wonderful, every budgie is different I can't say it is rare by any means. do you have pics we would love to see him and his set up :ausb:, it sounds wonderful.

Sure!

 

 

 

oh my goodness what a cutie

one suggestion I would change your 3 dowel perches to natural branches either that you purchase the the pet store or you make yourself it excerises their feet and keeps them from getting sores or bumblefoot which is very common when they don't have different widths on their perches.

 

I made my own which is far cheaper from a safe tree in the backyard that we have and they love to strip the bark. If you would like the website let me know it lists all the safe and unsafe bark.

 

Other then that you have a fanastic cage, fun toys and we look forward to seeing more pics of your newest member of your family :ausb:

 

side note he reminds me of my Merlin

Oh he does!

 

A website would be wonderful, thank you!

 

Also, he seems really reluctant to get on my finger all the sudden! He gets on and gets off really fast. And I start school in a couple months, 7AM-3PM. Should I get him a companion after I get him hand trained fully? I'll prolly need a bigger cage, huh?

 

And, he seems to be stretching and fluffing up quite a bit, napping etc. Does this signal hes getting comfortable and feeling safe?

 

Oh By The Way, side note, what part of Ohio are you from? :-)

Edited July 17, 200618 yr by Jaywire

:ausb: Glad Sammy is catching on!

Only thing that concerns me in a way is hes very quiet, not vocal at all. Maybe a chirp or coo or warble, but nothing else. He might still be a bit traumatized from the big switch still? Kinda scared of a new environment? Does anyone have anything on this?

 

Oh and tyvm Phoebe!

Edited July 17, 200618 yr by Jaywire

being brand new in your home that is very common, Pretty was very quiet for at least 3 months but now well he can't stop talking :ausb:

 

Oh he does!

 

A website would be wonderful, thank you!

 

Also, he seems really reluctant to get on my finger all the sudden! He gets on and gets off really fast. And I start school in a couple months, 7AM-3PM. Should I get him a companion after I get him hand trained fully? I'll prolly need a bigger cage, huh?

 

And, he seems to be stretching and fluffing up quite a bit, napping etc. Does this signal hes getting comfortable and feeling safe?

 

Oh By The Way, side note, what part of Ohio are you from? :-)

 

Here is the site, http://www.mdvaden.com/bird_page.shtml I personally used one of those dwarf Maple Trees in our yard with the purple leaves, since you are in Ohio you probably know what I mean. Maple is a safe and soft wood.

 

I would wait until you have him tamed more before you get him a friend so he is focused on you. I got Pretty a friend Merlin after 9 months, now you don't have to wait that long but I also had to get a bigger cage etc.. I got mine off of e-bay for 109.00 and it is huge if you want that link I can pm to you. He still sells them. And you probably could get at least 6 budgies in there not that you want too but to show you that you get your monies worth. You can go to www.budgietalk.com for excellent training tips.

 

He is still a baby so they sleep often and do it whenever as he grows you will notice less of it. But keep an eye on him because fluffying, poofed up and napping alot could be a sign of illness too. So when you say he is doing it how often and does he stand on 1 foot or 2? I have heard that when they are sick they usually don't do the 1 perched foot thing.

 

I didn't even notice you were from Ohio too, we are in the NE section up by Cleveland so you are probably like an hour way from us.

He doesnt do it extremely often, just when hes about to nap which is maybe once or twice. That and when he wakes up.

very normal he is a baby, we got Merlin at 6 weeks and he slept alot. I would look and poof he was sleeping but he was active when he was awake. Judging by the coloration of the cere on Sammy's nose he is at least 6 weeks old.

very normal he is a baby, we got Merlin at 6 weeks and he slept alot. I would look and poof he was sleeping but he was active when he was awake. Judging by the coloration of the cere on Sammy's nose he is at least 6 weeks old.

 

Awesome! One thing, today he's extremely skittish. I changed his bottom tray, and when I pulled it out he FLIPPED! I changed food, water etc and he was fine. But even before I changed his tray etc he was shaking a bit and skittish. Could it be my AC? It runs at about 70. Or could he be scared? My house it quiet for the first few hours of the day.

 

Thanks!

 

PS I think it could be my quiet house, he calms right down when I'm around.

Edited July 17, 200618 yr by Jaywire

What a pretty budgie. Looks like a lovely mauve colour. I was thinking from the second picture it might be a she. That cere looks quite white?

Yesterday and Today, its more blue. That picture was right after i got him in the cage on Saturday, so he was a bit nervous. After he calmed down it turned blue.

 

You might be right though! We'll see for sure when his color sets in when he gets settled in!

budgies don't like quiet, think about when they are in a flock they are so noisy but when they get scared they become quiet. So play music all day if you can and when you are gone at least leave the radio on for him. It is really soothing, I did that for Pretty when he was a lone bird and still do it for them together. In the wild the quiet to them is a warning that a predator is around.

 

I agree he looks like a mauve in the pictures to me also as for a he if you can get closer pics of the cere when he is calm that would be helpful.

Hmm, quick question. Well, a few. First, can you PM me that link to the cages you talked about? And 2nd, Sammy is become highly attatched to his circle swing. Usually he'll get on my finger on his perch but refuses to get off his swing. He sat in it swinging for hours, chirping and having a wonderful time. But, he wants nothing to do with me while on it. This has been all day. Finally, he was climbing around on it and got stuck at the top. Too high to jump and its plastic so he couldnt climb back down it. So he started chirping this really sad/distrssed sounding chirp, so I 'rescued' him. He was highly reluctant though. Got him back on his perch and he's fine now.

 

Should I remove this swing until I get him hand tamed? Or let it go since he likes it? ty!

 

Oh, in above posts i was agreeing on his color, but i was talking about the cere color being blueish.

Edited July 17, 200618 yr by Jaywire

I'd leave the swing. He has only been there a day, and how would you feel if you were boxed up, driven somewhere new, were trying to get used to a new home and people you have no idea you can trust, found something in your scary world that made you feel safe in your cage, and then someone comes and takes it away? :fear Poor birdies, considering what all new budgies go through when we bring them home it's a wonder they adapt as well as they do. You said he was swinging, chirping, and having a wonderful time. That's wonderful - so many of them are petrified and won't move or even explore the cage for days. He is trying to make sense of his new environment, and this swing apparently gives him enough confidence to announce to the world he is there. It makes him happy. If in a month or two he begins to defend the swing then that would be a different matter.

 

And about him being a little quieter, he might be a she, and hens do not as a rule make as much noise as the males do. I wouldn't worry overmuch about it at this stage, since he is so new. He or she sounds like a wonderful budgie.

I'd leave the swing. He has only been there a day, and how would you feel if you were boxed up, driven somewhere new, were trying to get used to a new home and people you have no idea you can trust, found something in your scary world that made you feel safe in your cage, and then someone comes and takes it away? :fear Poor birdies, considering what all new budgies go through when we bring them home it's a wonder they adapt as well as they do. You said he was swinging, chirping, and having a wonderful time. That's wonderful - so many of them are petrified and won't move or even explore the cage for days. He is trying to make sense of his new environment, and this swing apparently gives him enough confidence to announce to the world he is there. It makes him happy. If in a month or two he begins to defend the swing then that would be a different matter.

 

And about him being a little quieter, he might be a she, and hens do not as a rule make as much noise as the males do. I wouldn't worry overmuch about it at this stage, since he is so new. He or she sounds like a wonderful budgie.

 

(About 4 days :-p)

 

Of course, makes perfect sense. He loves this swing! I think it might help the finger training, as when he wants up to it and doesnt wanna jump, he chirps a bit and stares, so I put my finger in and take him to it. He hops on it and just starts chirping and having a wonderful time again!

 

I was just wondering because I've got him partially finger trained and when he found he loved the swing, he doesnt want anything to do with me or my finger besides when he gets down and wants back up. Just didnt wanna mess up the training or anything. thanks!

Edited July 18, 200618 yr by Jaywire

Gorgeous budgie :fear looks like a female to me.

Well, I took some pics of Sammy as "he" get fluffed up to go to sleep! maybe these will help!

 

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3686/dsc00335kc5.jpg

 

 

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3008/dsc00348lt5.jpg

 

 

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2535/dsc00354rp4.jpg

 

 

Hehe right now he just got done stretching, fluffed up and is dozing off :-) So cute, he's warbling a bit too! Guess he must be comfortable!

Edited July 18, 200618 yr by Rainbow

:fear He's so beautiful, leave him alone for a few days to get settled in, they don't advance their behaviours according to our wishes. Had a female, Joey, same beautiful coloring for a couple of years but had to have her put down as she fractured and dislocated her ankle badly, have never seen such an acrobat as was she!

He is very pretty

I pm'd you the link

everyone gave you excellent advice

 

swings are not an issue they like them because it is like swaying on a tree branch I made a homemade one from a branch and they love it

Pretty was never swinger until Merlin came along (Laughing out loud) he never had the balance.

 

As for the picture you used a flash that can make the image of the cere look quite different try without a flash in the sunlight or by a window giving off natural light.

 

I am still going male because it really reminds of me Pretty's cere when he was younger. Quiet doesn't always mean hen in my experience. Pretty was a very quiet bird and did alot more chirping then singing and bobbing so in a flock setting I think you can use that more as an indicator as a lone bird not as much.

 

Pretty was a lone bird for 9 months and within those months I would say by the 4 he was sang more but when we got Merlin well now he can't shut up

I pm'd you the link

everyone gave you excellent advice

 

swings are not an issue they like them because it is like swaying on a tree branch I made a homemade one from a branch and they love it

Pretty was never swinger until Merlin came along (Laughing out loud) he never had the balance.

 

As for the picture you used a flash that can make the image of the cere look quite different try without a flash in the sunlight or by a window giving off natural light.

 

I am still going male because it really reminds of me Pretty's cere when he was younger. Quiet doesn't always mean hen in my experience. Pretty was a very quiet bird and did alot more chirping then singing and bobbing so in a flock setting I think you can use that more as an indicator as a lone bird not as much.

 

Pretty was a lone bird for 9 months and within those months I would say by the 4 he was sang more but when we got Merlin well now he can't shut up :rip:

Awesome, tyvm guys! I might grab one of them cages lovey, look great for a couple budgies! Hopefully I can get a 2nd, might find a breeder though since it'd be easier to tame. Is there some kind of big list somwhere I can find a local breeder?

you might want to do some Ohio Breeder searches, I came up with this list a while ago http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/brad3.htm I don't recommend any of them. Pretty came from a pet store here and Merlin from a rescue lady in Chicago (long story).

 

There is also and excellent avian store here called http://www.parrotville.com/index.htm - I don't know if they sell American Budgies but I know English, also there is another good one out east called Pet Paradise which I heard is excellent haven't been there yet.

 

That cage can hold at least 6 budgies but I personally won't put more then 4. It is big cage.

Awwww Sammy is an adorable budgie budgie! When I had Woodie and Cloud the few days, they were very hung back. Now after nearly 6 months together (and approx. their ages), they love my apt and fly around as though they lived here forever. Let Sammy adjust to his new environment and have his merry time on his circle perch. Apparently he feels comfortable there as he's getting used to things. One day at a time and you will have a very well-adjusted budgie.