I am having a hard time keeping my budgies off the floor No matter what I try - picking them up and offering millet on the playgym, praise them for not being on the floor, I am lost for idea's on what else I can do.

 

Bobby has a facination with his reflection on the stainless steel rubbish bin, (he has a mirror on his playgym) they peck around on the ground, and when I try to pick them up, they run and hide under the couch or coffee table.

 

I really don't want them on the floor - it is dangerous, he could get stood on, or the dogs might get him one day.... I feel like I am constantly chasing budgies around during out time.

 

Please can someone help me with some suggestions and perhaps irresistable budgie treats - other than millet - possibly a single thing that the recognise as a treat..

 

Thanks heaps

I can only tell you what seems to be working here. Bluey absolutely loves being on the floor. She throws everything on the floor just to have an excuse to be there. I have found that the only things she loves more are her mirror and whiffle balls, so I use them to attract her back to the table on which I have her special towel because I don't have a playgym yet.

 

I read on here that being on the floor is part of their foraging instinct, so on her special towel is a pile of different seed to what she has in her cage, some broken eucalyptus twigs, the lid to her water cup and a silver bowl which she loves to sit in and some other toys that I rotate. When she gets on the floor I'm quick to say "No" and grab her mirror or whiffle ball and make her come to me. I also make sure my kids and hubby follow the plan. It'd probably be easier if I vacuumed every day, but how many hours are there in one day?

 

P.S....your chasing them and them hiding is a fun game for them. Ignore that behaviour and do something far more interesting to bring them to you.

Edited September 5, 200618 yr by bluey2

I started to mist mine when Pretty hit the floor he stays off now - Merlin follows him so there was never an issue with him.

 

The trash can I would cover with a towel or sheet while they are out so he isn't amused with it.

Wouldn't misting them cause them to associate water with punishment. That can't be good cause they need to have baths.

Pretty never liked it anyways Bea so I figured that would be best.

He will bath in his lettuce instead. But that is a good point if they like it don't do it but the reason they are on the floor is because they feel safe the birds. You may PM eterri she may have some better solutions then I. Maybe members won't like my tactics but I would shoo them off nicely if I had too (not to make them afraid of me but of understanding that is not a good place to be). Their comfort level is high right now running all over the floor and birds won't go where they don't feel safe and in reality they are not safe on the floor.

Shooing doesn't work, that's the biggest game in the history of budgie. Blinkie knows the game so well that the cheeky rat will fly off the floor as soon as i stand to shoo him and fly back down once i sit down, he thinks he's hilarious.

:(Laughing out loud): see it depends on the budgie because it works with mine but I bet not with Bobby either since he as a personality of fun and games like Blinks . Gotta love them!!

Mine rarely go to the floor. The few times they did, I think it was because the carpet has different colors in it, and some probably look like seeds LOL. They would go down and peck at the dark colored places on the carpet, then get mad because it wasn't food.

 

Do you have carpet on the floor or is it hardwood? If you have multicolored carpet, they might be down there for the same reason mine were. If they are truly forgaging for food on your floor, I'd make sure they don't find any there and maybe they will lose interest. Let them forage like bluey2 suggested on a towel higher up, or on a plate on top of their cage.

This might be a silly question but is it bad for budgies to be on the floor? Obviously there might be a risk of someone stepping on them if they didn't know they're there, but is there something else I'm missing? My first budgie Pip spent half his time on the floor of our living room playing with his toys, any food you gave him on a table he would quickly throw onto the floor to eat there instead. Now Smudge has had his wings clipped so I can introduce him safely to the world outside his cage he's been alternately on the floor with his toys or on his playgym. Should I not be doing that?

 

I also agree with Bea that Shoo is the biggest game to some tame budgies. Pip used to enjoy sitting on the dining table and trying to get at mum's plants and every time you'd shoo him off the minute you walked away from the table he'd fly straight back!

The danger is yes someone stepping on them and then picking dirt and whatever else is on the floor but stepping is the biggest threat.

I know it isn't a good thing but Oscar spends most of his time on the floor. he even goes to sleep there!!!! When someone comes into the room they don't move till they know where he is so we don't step on him. We had a few accidents with Cheeky though - he got stepped on a couple of times but only on his tail so he was fine!

Edited September 5, 200618 yr by Cheeky