Hello all,

 

I bought a budgie yesterday and had done my research before getting one. It's a baby budgie, male I think, the cere is purple/blue with white around the nostrils.

 

I'll have to get some pictures of it later just to make sure. When I took it out of the box to put into the cage, the little bugger flew out and all around the room. Our patio windows are fairly big and it being a bird flew right into them, flew around again and then sat on the curtain rail.

 

At this stage I got him and he bit me and very hard, holding the pain I managed to put him in the cage. He was breathing quite hard and was upset I gather.

 

The cage is fairly big for one bird has 2 perches/a mirror and a Bell. The budgie doesn't seem to interested hasn't really called out and hasn't eaten anything. Just sat on the top perch, I've been talking to it and put my hand in the cage and it wasn't to shaken up this time, and it let me stroke it's belly abit.

 

I'm just a tad worried, do budgies act like what I've mentioned when they've been parted with the rest of the group (was housed with 3 others), and will take time for it to eat and get used to the new surroundings?

 

Pictures will be up later. This is my first budgie I'm keeping, last year I had 2 Rosella Parakeets, which were really active as soon as they'd jumped into the cage.

 

Today, he's being really quiet and when I play sound clips of Budgies from youtube he'll call back. I do feel really terrible, as he just doesn't seem happy, I know it's early days just thought he'd be alot more enthusiastic. He hasn't had anything to eat apart from Millet Spray which was very little off. I'm tried encouriging him but isn't having any of it.

 

I'm really unsure on what to do

 

Thanks guys.

New budgies are usually a bit quiet until they get used to their new surroundings.

You may also possibly have a female by the description of cere and biting We will be able to help you sex your budgie once you can post some pictures. Does it have coloured barring all the way down to its cere ? Does it have iris rings ? These questions may help us work out if it is truly a baby budgie or a bit older.

By the way...welcome to our forum

It sounds like a hen... Photos would be good.

Sorry about quality, haven't got a good camera to hand apart from my phone.

 

Hope this helps

 

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/6333/img002ma5.jpg

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5156/img003az1.jpg

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/4636/img008kx9.jpg

Edited August 20, 200717 yr by Nerwen

A photo with more light would help. But I really don't think you have a baby budgie...maybe 4-5 months or so ? Better photos will help. But you have a lovely skyblue opaline dominant pied. Your cage may be a little small, but you could upgrade later on maybe.

Edited August 20, 200717 yr by Nerwen

A photo with more light would help. But I really don't think you have a baby budgie...maybe 4-5 months or so ? Better photos will help. But you have a lovely skyblue opaline dominant pied. Your cage may be a little small, but you could upgrade later on maybe.

 

Yeah 4-5months I thought to myself too. They were advertised in the pet store as 'Baby Budgies'. In my opinion I think the cage is the right size for him/her as it's on its' own (by the way isit a Him or her?). I'm slowly trying to bond with it, I guess I have to give it time. Just worried that if it doesn't eat it might pass away . I've grown fond of him/her.

At this stage I got him and he bit me and very hard, holding the pain I managed to put him in the cage. He was breathing quite hard and was upset I gather.

 

If your little budgie's bite was really hard, then it could very well be a female.

 

I think your little girl, is just stressed out a bit, give it a bit of time, and see how she goes. From the sounds of it, she might have been in an avairy bird with many others, and it is just a little lonely at the moment. Give her time to get used to her new surroundings.

 

She might have started eating by now, as hunger has a way about it.

 

Keep us posted on how your progressing.

A photo with more light would help. But I really don't think you have a baby budgie...maybe 4-5 months or so ? Better photos will help. But you have a lovely skyblue opaline dominant pied. Your cage may be a little small, but you could upgrade later on maybe.

 

Yeah 4-5months I thought to myself too. They were advertised in the pet store as 'Baby Budgies'. In my opinion I think the cage is the right size for him/her as it's on its' own (by the way isit a Him or her?). I'm slowly trying to bond with it, I guess I have to give it time. Just worried that if it doesn't eat it might pass away . I've grown fond of him/her.

They often dont seem to eat but usually are. Check the seed dish for husks, as what appears to be a full seed dish can often just be husks. Worry, if the budgie sits on the bottom of the cage all fluffed up and always check its bottom for signs of poopy bottom which means illness and stress.

Re the "baby budgies" thing....pet stores sell any bird they can get away with as a Baby budgie...often clipping wings so the budgie appears tamer and younger too. Try and remember to NEVER listen to petstore advice, and never buy their medicines or products if your bird is ill. You will get better direction and advice on this forum than any pet store can ever give you. They are just there to sell you products including the bird in the first place. They will tell tall stories about a birds age and type etc.

With the cage....a small cage is fine if the bird gets plenty of free flying time but later ona acage that they can fly across would be good.

 

cheers karen

I bit hard to tell the cere colour in those shots but from what you described matched a hen well.

 

I agree with Kaz with the age however I think she is a cobalt not skyblue.

 

Also the pictures where not to board rules so I have changed to links.

Thanks for the advice guys. I have no intentions of clipping her wings, I have, some what bonded with her/him. I have a perch in the cage which can detach and I introduced her to were the food and water is kept in the cage. And she had some of each. She's really calm and sits in one place most of the time. Not really an "active bird". I've started to play calling sounds quite frequent and she/he responds much more louder then before.

 

I agree, some petstores I have visited don't know what they're talking about. She was kept with 3 others birds, a grey one which she/he looked very much a partner of as they were together most of the time.

 

Thanks for the advice guys, and sorry about the pictures should have read the rules first .

 

EDIT: When she/he bit me, bit my thumb and didn't let go of it, just kept it bitten and also squawked.

Edited August 20, 200717 yr by Vita

You are going to love it here. Ask away...any questions you like. Check out our FAQ section, and we will be happy to help you out.

 

Cheers Karen

More progress, I've managed to get her to sit on my finger, and fed her some millet. She's at the bottom of the cage now eating some of the loose seeds, is this normal?

 

First time she's been on the bottom and she's fairly hungry, so I'm pleased she's eating. She's had a peck at her Cuttlefish aswell.

More progress, I've managed to get her to sit on my finger, and fed her some millet. She's at the bottom of the cage now eating some of the loose seeds, is this normal?

 

First time she's been on the bottom and she's fairly hungry, so I'm pleased she's eating. She's had a peck at her Cuttlefish aswell.

I would say you are doing very well for a budgie that isnt actually a baby and your efforts are being rewarded

Thanks Kaz. She's very much still a sitter yet, doesn't go about the cage much. I have to put her next to her tray with seeds so she eats, she's nearly always streching her feathers too. I was stroking her cheek with my thumb and she started calling which pleased me.

Hi and welcome to our forums

sounds like she is settling in fine with you and she is so beautiful.

Sounds like things are shaping up for the best.

Your new bird is really cute, she sounds like she is settling in. She looks like a hen to me too.

:hap: Sounds like quiet persistence is what is needed, just concentrate on getting your bird calm and tamed and who cares about the sex, it is immaterial. You are doing very well.

Cheers guys, right at this very moment. She's sticking her whole body in the food and kicking it out with her legs onto the bottom of the cage

Think she prefers eating from the bottom. I also have a question, she always ends up making this noise it's like a sneeze but also like she's spitting, does anyone know why a budgie does this?

She might be doing a bit of an escape act with the digging. Many bird try to get out via the seed dish. How often is she sneezing? and when?

She can't get out, she just did it today, now she's ontop of her perch. Sneezing kind of thing is almost daily when I'm near her, I do play around and she doesn't bite. I thought it was a warning kind of thing at first, but not so sure.

sneezing I would say is more of a nervous behavior (if the bird is not sick) mine poop when I start talking to them (Laughing out loud).

Yes it might be, even my Freckle who when younger would sit on my shoulder and even lent to hop onto my foot to get up off the ground after a fly around will sneeze just once when I first uncover her in the morning.

 

Do keep an eye on it as you are. Sneezing often and repeatedly is a sign of respiratory infections. Do you have a number for an avian vet near you? It might even be worth it to take her to all over check up.

I have kept an eye on her and she hasn't done it for a few hours now. I think it could be a nervous thing, only happens when I get near her (Laughing out loud). She happily flies around my room and calls out.

 

I have a Vet near me but don't know the procedure. Do they charge to look at your' pets or isit free? I'll give it another day or two just to see how she gets on.

All vets charge to check out your pets you can always call and ask what the cost is in advance. A good avian vet will do a physical exam, gram stain to check for any bacteria, and a poop check along with a weight check. That is the norm for a check-up on a bird for a well visit. For me in the US it costed me around 80 US dollars.

 

Use an avian vet not just a regular vet and you can find one now before your bird is sick is best. We have an avian vet look-up in our FAQ's.