Hi all,

 

My little man, Kazumi, has been talking "martian" since he was a couple of months on. He used to chat to his toys, but I never really caught any words. He 'talks' all day long. The only thing I have ever properly heard was kisses. I always do my kisses in a series of 5, and he does too.

 

Tonight he was on my shoulder having one of his usual chats with me and all of a sudden I heard "Pretty boy Kazu" I said "Pretty boy Kazumi" back to him and he would repeat it. This went on for ages, along with lots of kisses which he loves.....

 

 

 

What a clever boy

 

 

Feathers.

That is so sweet I am as excited for you as if it were your baby taking its first steps

YAH!!! I love it when they start talking. My tiels Ernie has said 'Hello' twice... Congrats to you!

Awesome feather .... He looks like he loves his Kisses

That is so sweet I am as excited for you as if it were your baby taking its first steps

 

 

It feels like that Kaz. I was so excited :hap:

 

 

Thanks Maesie and Neat. He really does love the kisses.. I think he likes the feel when I blow in his mask area.

 

 

Feathers

that is awesome Aly, I just love when they start responding back like that

wow, that is so cool

wow thats great news feathers,I think Kaz loves you lots!! My daughters budgie(Chipy) loves it when you gently blow on him.

EXCELLENT ! Congrats to you & Kazumi, Feathers !

 

I think its amazing when they connect & show you love. You've obviously touched his little bird heart & now he can show you he loves you back !!!!!!!

 

BUDGIE BOOGIE DANCE EVERYBODY !!!!!

Fantastic! What a clever little boy Kazumi is .

Hi all,

 

My little man, Kazumi, has been talking "martian" since he was a couple of months on. He used to chat to his toys, but I never really caught any words. He 'talks' all day long. The only thing I have ever properly heard was kisses. I always do my kisses in a series of 5, and he does too.

 

Tonight he was on my shoulder having one of his usual chats with me and all of a sudden I heard "Pretty boy Kazu" I said "Pretty boy Kazumi" back to him and he would repeat it. This went on for ages, along with lots of kisses which he loves.....

 

 

 

What a clever boy :yellowhead:

 

 

Feathers.

 

 

How DO they do it!! I cant believe the ability they have to speak!!! As you know (by now) Charley has a vocab of about 10 phrases. I began saying "what are you doing?" the other day.. within two days he was sitting muttering something then out came a "what are you doing!". I couldnt believe my ears. However, there are some things he just will NOT say!! Has anyone else found that in their talking budgies??? that there are certain things they just dont like (perhap)????

 

He will NOT even attempt "its time for bed" yet he can say other "strings" of words and loves them. He has favourite words,... could he also perhaps have pet hate words?? I said it every single night.. when I cover him up.. yet he never even attempts to repeat it back to me. Could he perhaps relate what I'm saying with what I'm actually doing??? as in putting him to bed when he really wants to "stay up" and chat!! I wonder. Sometimes its ALMOST like they understand what the words actually mean!!

 

And yes Feathers.. isnt it so exciting when they speak!! I still get excited at every new word he utters!! And maybe like me you'll find once he starts. he just gets better and better, and more and more clear. Good luck! and let us know what his next words are!!!

What exciting news!!!! :yellowhead:

thk,

 

yep... he decided to start saying "good boy" the next night. Not something I had ever tried to teach him. It is something I say when he goes back into his cage and I say it to the dogs a lot... he just picked it up. As for them not wanting to say some things, I did read somewhere once that they find names with hard letters "K" "T" etc easier to learn. So maybe cut down "It's time for bed" to just "time for bed", maybe he doesn't like the first word..

 

 

Feathers.

Thats a good point he may be having trouble with "its".. and the "let me out" is perhaps too difficult also (when you look at it... all "soft" letters). He's very good with his b's, s's and "ch" (loves saying his own name!.. bye bye Charley is one of his favourites). I'll try the "time for bed" and will stop saying "let me out". Its hard to think of other things to teach him! Friends keep saying "teach him something funny" but I cant think of anything funny!!

 

Like you, I generally find he picks up things I say to him in conversation. He's really enjoying the "what are you doing".. especially repeating "doing doing doing" which sounds so cute! I often just say that to him when he's having one of his crazy wing flapping and cursing moments (excitement!!). He makes so much mess with little downey feathers flying everywhere, and seed husks that I often call out "Charley what ARE you doing!!"

Sounds so much like the same conversations I have with my 2 yo (human child) boys speech therapist. He was a very late talker - at 2 yrs only had 5 or so words. I learnt so much about word construction - "Early developing" (easy) sounds (b,k,t,d), more difficult "later developing sounds" (s, z, sh, j, ch, th, v). I guess if you apply the same principals to budgies and start with single words first then expand on it. It has worked wonders with my son. In six months his talking has progressed from only a couple of words to short sentences.

Try simple words - bikky was one of his early words, then expanded to bikky please, more bikky etc.

Instead of "it's time for bed" try just "bed time" - "night-night"

I will follow my own advice on my budgies and see if I have same success as on my son. I am still not sure if Benny is a boy or girl - hoping to get a clearer photo soon.

Deb

Sounds so much like the same conversations I have with my 2 yo (human child) boys speech therapist. He was a very late talker - at 2 yrs only had 5 or so words. I learnt so much about word construction - "Early developing" (easy) sounds (b,k,t,d), more difficult "later developing sounds" (s, z, sh, j, ch, th, v). I guess if you apply the same principals to budgies and start with single words first then expand on it. It has worked wonders with my son. In six months his talking has progressed from only a couple of words to short sentences.

Try simple words - bikky was one of his early words, then expanded to bikky please, more bikky etc.

Instead of "it's time for bed" try just "bed time" - "night-night"

I will follow my own advice on my budgies and see if I have same success as on my son. I am still not sure if Benny is a boy or girl - hoping to get a clearer photo soon.

Deb

 

Great advice Deb, I think I'll try some of your ideas. It sounds like your son is doing really well with his speech, well done.

Thanks for that advice Deb. I hadnt really thought about the degree of difficulty, just thought he had "favourite" words but now that I think about it.. his favourite words are those "b" "t" type words. I can now see that they are easier for him which is why he enjoys saying them.

 

It's no doubt why "charley is a bad bad bad bad boy!!" and "bye bye Charley"...(all those "b"'s!!!) ..... and "tummy tummy tummy"... "doing... doing .. doing"... are so firmly planted in his little feathered brain! :(Laughing out loud): :(Laughing out loud): ....(this afternoon he was enjoying all his new words at once!!! "what are you bye bye doing tummy boy!!!")

 

I'm sure "bed time" will be easier for him to say too .. so I shall start that tonight, and see how long it takes him to get his little beak around it! Usually takes two or three days only!

Edited March 14, 200817 yr by thk

Quick update... Started saying "bed time" to Charley last week and within a few days he now says "bed time" constantly. Great advice Deb to drop the "its time for bed".. I'm now trying to teach him "night night mummy!"..

 

I swear this bird has verbal diarrhoea!! :hap: :hap: He just never stops talking!! My kids think he's hilarious! (I'm a 59 year old grandma, living alone and Charley is my companion and the love of my life!) Maxie is in the other room and they've never met, Sometimes I feel guilty but Charley seems so happy with just me, and Maxie is so unsociable I'm afraid that if they meet Charley might regress. So I keep them totally apart. Hope thats okay.

thk,

 

I think that not only is it okay to keep them apart, but you are probably right. Charlie would start to just speak "budgie" again. When I had a bird in the hospital cage last week Kazumi starting chattering to him instead of to me and it took a couple of days before he started speaking "human" again.

 

Kazumi has about 4 phrases down pat now.... it is like once he found out he had the first one right "pretty boy, Kazumi" he just wants to learn more and more.

 

 

Feathers.

wow. cool

thk,

 

I think that not only is it okay to keep them apart, but you are probably right. Charlie would start to just speak "budgie" again. When I had a bird in the hospital cage last week Kazumi starting chattering to him instead of to me and it took a couple of days before he started speaking "human" again.

 

Kazumi has about 4 phrases down pat now.... it is like once he found out he had the first one right "pretty boy, Kazumi" he just wants to learn more and more.

 

 

Feathers.

 

Good boy Kazumi!!!! thats fabulous.. i found too that once Charley started with his first words, he just got better and better and picked things up faster and faster. So fast in fact that I'm running out of ideas of words to teach him!! Some things he just comes out with. I never tried to teach him "goodnight sweetie" yet he's obviously picked that up from me saying it to him without actually realising I've said it. his "what are you doing!" came from me saying it to him when he does rather stupid things! Never for one minute thinking he would repeat it back to me.

 

On Friday I told my daughter I think I'll teach him something cute like "Charley is a mummy's boy!".. (as opposed to the "evil" sounding "scccrattch my tummmy!".. :devil: ) This morning (sunday) he was chatting away and I clearly heard a ..."mummy's boy"... (although sometimes he throws in a "Mummy is a Charley boy!"!!)..

 

I find when he has picked up new words he will repeat them over and over (ad nauseum!!!!) And what I find so amazing is that he's never forgotten the old words. His chatting sessions are just getting longer and longer (and funnier as he sometimes jumbles them all together!)

 

I have to add though he still breaks out at least once a day into the loud "budgie-screech".. I think thats just to remind me that he's still capable of being a real budgie!! (and rightly so!!)

 

I'm sure if you talk to Kazumi often he will pick up more and more of your words as well!!! Keep at it!! Listening to "yourself" speaking through a budgie is very entertaining!!! :hap: :hap: