The real reason why I started posting here was because Cupid and Psyche were really starting to get on our nerves because they were so loud and obnoxious. Cupid was constantly courting Psyche and it seemed like she was getting really irritated by it and she'd flap around the cage screaming at him. They'd do the monotonous loud chirping that wouldn't stop. It was driving us crazy!! I had been wondering if giving them a nest box would make Psyche less crabby towards him in case she wasn't feeling like she had a good place to nest and that's why she didn't want all his attention. They were so enamored with each other at the pet store and the first week or so we had them, it was confusing to see them so cross with each other.

 

So then I learned some things - that they shouldn't be breeding. That they should be covered for 12 hours a day to prevent it and that their furniture can be moved around often to discourage it too. I started them foraging for some of their food and added fruit and veggies and pellets to their diet. I gave them a few new toys. I also learned that Psyche's cere was indicating that she isn't in breeding condition anymore. I learned what some of their calls meant and that a lot of their behavior was just normal keet stuff.

 

Their (or mostly Psyche's) behavior started improving almost immediately. I came to the conclusion that Psyche was probably crabby cuz she just wasn't in the mood anymore (perhaps hormones playing a part in it too) and they didn't have enough brain and body stimulation.

 

However, they're not perfect yet. From about 1 to 3 in the afternoon, they're noisy in a rather irritating way. They'll do their 'where are you?' "I'm here" call for minutes on end and Psyche will bicker at Cupid, sounding like she's really irritated with him, chasing all over the cage. Cupid has developed a call that sounds like he's saying F*** you! There aren't consonants in it at all, but the intonation and accents are exactly like how one would say it. Its kind of funny, but he does it over and over and its about as bad as the "I'm here!". They do a lot of the monotonous call when I get up and leave the room or go to an adjoining area (they do this at all times of day). Realizing what they're saying, I'll call out to them myself, "oh, its okay, I'm just going to the bathroom." It usually ends things relatively quickly.

 

I can block them out for the most part, but my husband has issues with it. He works from home doing computer programming and they're VERY distracting to him. They used to make it difficult for us to have a conversation they'd be so loud, and while that has diminished a bit, it still happens during this time frame. He gets really upset with them. While nothing has been thrown at their cage yet, sometimes we end up yelling at them. I know this is bad. I feel bad for doing it. So I'm looking for suggestions. We dont' want to move them to a different room because they'd never get people contact since we're always in this one. I also mentioned the idea of Jared working in a different room, but there were reasons for him choosing this spot that are more important. I'm not sure if him moving in the middle of the day would work either.

 

Jared will get up from his chair and go in front of their cage and talk to them, telling them to shut up or he'll bite their heads off in nice conversational tones instead of yelling. They quiet down while he's there, but as soon as he goes back to work they're at it again. He's taken to covering their cage when he can't take their noise anymore. He told me that when Baby was their age she would have noisy times like this too and they'd just cover her cage when it got to be too much.

 

Is covering their cage an acceptable means of controlling obnoxious noise levels? Do you think they might need more people interaction if us going by them quiets them? Are there better ways to deal with this? I kind of am getting the impression that they're not doing anything abnormal, that this is just normal keet behavior, but it still is difficult to live with.

Sounds like you've come a long way with them in a short time! That's wonderful to hear.

 

As far as the noise, I'm afraid to say that it's perfectly normal. Budgies LOVE to make noise (all parrots do, really) and they will do this a few (probably several) hours per day. On a quieter day, my living room sounds like this (video):

 

You're right that yelling at them is bad to do but I can understand the frustration. Aside from likely scaring them (which in turn harms their trust in humans) you may even be making it worse by giving them attention if that's what they desire. Parrots looove noise. It is their instinct to make lots of it and to do it loudly. In the wild, they would spend a lot of time flock calling to each other and otherwise just being obnoxious. In our homes, with our limited amount of space, it can take you to your wit's end. Personally, I'd rather work with a vicious, bitey parrot than have to deal with one who screams for attention. Unfortunately, the screamers seem to be magnetized toward me.

 

But with little ones like budgies, the cause is usually not attention screaming but just playful, normal, budgie calls. From bickering to contact calling to singing to mindless screeching, it's all in a day's work for a budgie.

 

Covering them is not a good habit to get into because it can really throw off their sleeping patterns. Budgies normally will take a nap or two every day but these are short and then at night they sleep fully. Covering makes things dark and so they think it's night time and that's why they go quiet. Then they're uncovered and wow, it's daytime again! Then, night comes and they've not had a good opportunity to work off all that energy, plus they've slept up and have even more to expend. It can be confusing to them and interfere with their night time sleeping schedule to the point of them waking up earlier and being even noisier. On top of that, it could come to a point where covering them doesn't quiet them at all because they haven't had enough daytime to release all that energy and do the things they like to do.

 

I know you'll find that many recommend covering loud birds, but I think that's just putting a band-aid on the problem. The real issue here is your husband coming to terms that you have multiple birds now, and noise is going to be part of your lives no matter what you do. I'm sure that's frustrating to deal with (I know it is, actually) but in the end, seeing as all their needs are being met, you can assume that it's just a case of budgies being budgies. The problem right now isn't really the birds, but learning to live with that annoyance without losing your tempers. The first step is accepting it as part of your lives now and making sure you're both prepared to put up with it for the next decade or so.

Edited December 9, 200618 yr by eterri

Excellent advice Terri. I have found alot of things we do are to control their natural behavior and it is not entirely the best because as Terri said it is just putting a bandaide on the situation and it can surface into another issue.

 

Pretty and Merlin are their loudest right in the morning after being uncovered for a couple hours and then in the later afternoon hours.

 

Is there a room where you can put them in while they are being their loudness, since everyone has to co-habit together. But what I have found is this you end up not hearing it anymore once you get used to it.

 

Also if you try some captive foraging that Terri has posted about you may find quieter birds and doing it during this period of time. Don't let them get loud then do it because it would look reward but do it right before you know the racket starts. It will keep their mind busy and may keeps them a bit quieter.

 

But in the end, Terri is right budgies LOVE noise. Mine get really noisy while the T.V. is blasted, the vaacum is running, when the kids are screams, even if Tim and I get in a fight (Laughing out loud). So when they are the loudest are any of these things happening? Budgies get really excited with noise.

I'd also like to suggest putting them outside for a few hours a day to get fresh air.

Now I understand it is winter in the US now so probably limit it to 2 hours during the middle of the day and on really cold days no more than 1 hour and on windy days put them by a window.

Budgie's love being outside & my Boris will expend so much energy jumping around & calling to the wild birds it's amazing how much it puts her in a good mood. :ausb:

Karen it depends what part of the US. Here in Ohio it is way to cold, wet and damp but what tempature would you suggest for those who live more in the southern states because they experience milder weather (most of the time)

For the milder temperate zones I probably wouldn't put them outside at all for temperatures lower than 0 Celcius, at 0-10 celcius only for about an hour. 10+ celcius for as long as you want.

Remember their feathers would provide alot of warmth & when they jump around that also increases their warmth. I just wouldn't put them outside when it is windy as that could make them ill.

thank you :ausb:

You're very welcome!

Boris becomes very obnoxious if she's not outside for her daily 'dose' of fresh air. :ausb:

:ausb: Oh dear, I never put my birds outside unless it is at least 20 C with no wind! As it is, my Rosey Bourke is on antibiotics for pneumonia right now but I am pretty sure it isn't because she was in a draft. My house sounds pretty much like Terri's except for the shrieks of the two larger parrots. My Mother, who lives downstairs, won't close the door to her suite as I wish she would as she LOVES the sound of them all even when my tiel and the lovies engage in "jungle calling". I guess it is just a case of getting used to it but I don't really think covering the cage is the answer, they will start to yell in spite of it. :bluebudgie:

Yeah, I don't know if outside would be the answer right now. Living in Minnesota makes it WAY too cold in the winter, even when its unseasonably warm. Today its just a few degrees above freezing. Although it does sound like a good idea when it gets warmer.

 

And yeah, they make noise at noise. The dishwasher running. The TV. Us talking. Anything that has sound on the computer. When we play music. etc etc

 

I'll see about timing their foraging to stave off the noisy periods. They've acutally been kind of quiet the past few days. Maybe they know we're talking about them. *L*

 

I was kind of afraid that we'd just have to get used to it. For the most part their noise is short lived, so hopefully it won't take too long to just not really be able to hear it much anymore. Not sure how my husband will feel about this, but what can you do? *L*

 

Now, to practice those acceptance skills.....

Edited December 11, 200618 yr by armchairangel

LOL @ "acceptance skills"....what a way to put it!

 

The more noise that is going on, the louder your birds will probably get. Mine love to talk to the tv, the washing machine, the radio...the more noise the happier they are sometimes. If it is quiet for very long they will contact call for me to answer them. It is just the way of the flock. I have found though, that if I can get them before they get too worked up, if I get next to their cage and whisper, they will be quiet as they try to hear what I am saying over the background noise. They look so cute, their little heads tilt to one side and you can just tell they are intently listening.

 

You will eventually get used to it, and won't think it so bad.

Oh the whispering thing sounds so cute!! I'll have to see how my guys respond to it...

My budgies are all in outdoor avairies, but I was wondering if placing yours near a window occassionally will give them something to occupy them for part of the day. I was also wondering if they get any flight time inside to tire the out a little?

 

He He or maybe your hubby can put on some loud music and drown their noise out

I would also entertain them with moving their toys around in their cage once a week and adding new things. There are alot of homemade toys you can make that don't take time or money. There was a link before and maybe someone will have it and can post.

 

Though I have to say birds will make chatter that is their nature and all these things may quiet them but they will have loud times no matter what.

These are great suggestions and they may curb the noise level just a tiny bit (Laughing out loud). In the warmer months, going outside is a good idea but budgies should be supervised at all times when outdoors and put in a safe place.

 

Flight time will be great but I understand you're still working on taming them a bit so they can do it safely. I think this will help once you're able to implement it.

 

Putting them near a window will likely make them louder. (Laughing out loud). They'll see/hear other birds and get very excited.

 

Along with foraging toys, you can try to give them lots of shredders to keep them occupied. Petsmart sells shredders and then you can find toys where the focus is on shredding and destruction. A budgie with its beak full is definitely quieter. Until he decides he's bored with the toy, that is.

Edited December 12, 200618 yr by eterri

In a way I am very lucky! I love all thier noises and I enjoy listening to them all day. The problem comes when my husband is home at night and wants to watch tv. He wanted to yell and bang the table, but thank goodness I convinced him not to. Now, I can usually get them to hush the more screechy, obnoxious noises by holding my hand up to the cage and very quietly saying shhhhhhhh babies, hush now. It works for a while, and then it starts over and I have to do it again!! They get to be noisy and rambunctious all day so I think that is why it works to make them behave more quietly at night. They are learning, and so is hubby, now that Sherby has decided she likes him. He is becoming smitten!

Shell

Shell, thanks for sharing your experience!

 

When I got home from school this afternoon, Jared had moved them to the middle room. I went in to visit them and they seemed fine and now I can hear their chirping quietly through the closed door. I'll have to move them back soon so they don't get too lonely in there.

 

It seems like they aren't as noisy when i'm home. At least it seems like he complains about them making much more noise than they do when I'm around all day. Whether he's more sensitive to them or they actually are making more noise I can't really know. Could it be possible taht they miss me? I suppose then that it might help if jared gives them more attention so they can see him as good company too when I'm not there, yes?

 

I'd love to let them exercise in the house, but they're not tame enough yet. At least they didn't freak out when Jared moved the cage, so they're getting somewhere.

 

This semester is finally done, so I'll be around all day for the next three weeks. Hopefully I can try some new things and work more consistently on taming them so they can be let out for exercise. Shredding toys.... sounds messy! *L* Not that it would really be any more mess than there already is.... Are they made of paper? Maybe I can just make my own.

 

Oh yeah, and I'm moving their furniture around about weekly to keep them from breeding too, so that's already going on for them.

 

I hope some day my husband will love them too, but they're totally different than Baby, the bird his family has had for the past 15 years. We adore her and the other two are just completely different. I'm learning to see and appreciate and like them as individuals, but I'm sure its tougher for him having had such a sweet, tame strong little girl for so long. Maybe it will be easier when they're the only ones too. Who knows... it will only take time...