I'm completely new here and have one or two question regarding Cookie and Piggy, the budgie's I'm hand raising. I got them when they were 16 days old, and they are now 23 days old. One major question is about the actual feeding. They don't like it at all.....particularly not Cookie! I opted for using a syringe, which is a great help to keep them from going hungry. From day one they protested, and now they're getting clever, though once the syringe is in, they calm down and eat nicely. It's nothing brutal(!), and I make sure that I don't hurt them, but they just don't appreciate being held (no, they don't panic, they just resist a bit). I just don't want them to hate me for it :mellow: ....they're perfectly sweet otherwise (falling asleep in my hand, playing with me, etc.). Though Cookie is a bit of a grouch.

 

Now that's the second question. Piggy is a happy little budgie, will play around wildly, is very curious, and noisy (her noises strongly resemble a pig's squealing, hence the name, but we love her for it.... :hap: ). Cookie was rather quiet from the start - he (for now a he), prefers being cuddled, loves preening himself, and is generally quieter. Is this reason for concern?? I've had a budgie, and know a fair bit about them, which is why I can say that he's not sick. He's not losing weight, nor feathers, and he's not actually sulking, just a bit quiet. Neither have much of an attchment to me yet though piggy is being absolutely adorable in the box next to me just now - climbing up as close as possible to me and craning her neck up for attention.....now that's a happy budgie, and the first time she's actually come to me!!

 

Well, other than that, I hope that they're chomping abilities will calm down eventually - they've figured out how to bite nice and firmly. On occasion Piggy can hold onto the skin of my hand so tightly that I can lift her up a bit. I don't really mind, and they don't seem to mean it badly, but will they stomp or should I discourage it?

 

Second last question: weaning......how soon do I have to tackle that? They've been a full time job up to know, and so far all attempts to get them interested in seeds has failed.

 

Last question: Cookie almost looks like an adult budgie - when should I put him into a cage? Piggy is a few days behind even though they're siblings.

 

Ah yes, for informational puposes, I'm hand rasing them because they're parents didn't want them, I happened to stumble across the notice in the internet and was crazy enough to dare to try to raise them. So far a great success, other than those few questions. I would really appreciate any help!! :hap:

Hi Elysha and welcome to the forum! You will love it here as there are many nice people to give you some excellent advice. I have handreared a lot of budgies and love them to death! As your birds are over 3 weeks old now they should be able to eat from a plastic spoon.Make sure the feed is nice and warm as once it goes cold they wont touch it no matter how hungry they are. Are you feeding them a commercial handrearing mix as it is essential they are getting all the vitamins and nutrients at this young age.Also make sure they are in a nice warm place like a brooder.As for weaning, I put some millet sprays in with the chicks and as they are a curious little bird, they soon start to nibble on them. It takes a few weeks though for them to be weaned totally so make sure you still feed them the handrearing mix tilll you are sure they can eat seed on their own. Any other queries, feel free to ask!! I'm sure you will get some more help from the other members!! Oh, yes, we love photos here, so please send us some of your little babies!!!

Hello and welcome.

Well done for taking on these two little cuties :hap:

We love pictures too if you can post some

sorry i cant give any advice. I have not hand reared any birds myself, but it sounds like everything is going well

WELCOME!

 

Well done for taking on the roll, it is a hard one there are a few members hear that have great advice on hand rasing babies, But i only have experience in the older ones l( weaning of mums) lol, personality wise sounds like one is male and the other is female post a picture and we will be able to tell you , Millet is a charmer put a bit in with them and some seed as they will like said before be curious and peck at it ..

Good luck we hope you stay with us

Thank you all so much for your support!

 

The good news is a tremendous improvement yesterday evening: Piggy started to come to me, as I had mentioned, and now she almost refuses to stay in her box if I'm around. I even tested it out by placing her on the floor at one end of the room, and myself at the other - yes, she came running! As you can see in the picture, she'll do breakneck feats just to get a little closer, and is happiest just sitting in my lap while I work at the computer. And now even Cookie has started to show some affection by playing with me and also considering coming towards me (in his own way :hap: ....). Piggy was with me and he just started looking more and more frustrated until he got the courage to try to come closer.

 

So one of my concerns is over.

 

This morning cookie started eating the millet....I didn't dare to move in case I would distract him! Piggy is good with spoon feeding though cookie couldn't care less. I just haven't been able to convince him to eat from a spoon...we'll work on it! :hap:

 

And regarding warmth, I keep the room temperature fairly warm (25+) and bought an infrared lamp for warmth - the food is also always fresh made and body temperature (like for a human baby...)

 

One minor concern I have is that they both have a bit of diarrhea, and I just can't figure out what is causing it. On a different post I read something about "living" yoghurt which I think I could acquire. I make sure they get enough fluids, and they're still perfectly content, but I wish I could figure out the cause. I've also tried mixing in some grain products tinking that they may not be getting enough of that as they are seed eaters. I use a high quality hand-rearing mix but it's just not getting any better. Will this change when they start eating Millet, etc?

 

Well, in any case, here are the promised pictures: The first two are Piggy and her stunts (is it really a she?). She'll be quite an interesting color mix when all of her feathers grow in. And the last picture is of Cookie who was a little surprised about the camera. Will he(?) start flying soon?

 

Hi Elysha, your birds are gorgeous!! I dont think the diarrhea is anything to worry about, its because of the change of diet and extra water that is in the handrearing mix. Once they start to eat seed all the time their poos will harden up. I'd say Cookie will be attempting to fly within the next week or so.

Hi and welcome to this wonderful forum! I'm sure you're going to love it here. Your babies are very sweet!!! Such cuties . I'm unsure of their sex??? Maybe two boys as I can't really see the white rings around the nostrils as you can usually see in females, but this is very much a guess. Hopefully one of the more experienced members can help you with this. Good luck with them!

Awww they are lovely

 

I feel they are too young to be leaving a nest and going into a cage. Keep them in their nest for another week or so.

 

The runny poops can be a concern, but also could be the change in food. Are they bright green????

Awww they are lovely I feel they are too young to be leaving a nest and going into a cage. Keep them in their nest for another week or so.The runny poops can be a concern, but also could be the change in food. Are they bright green????

As long as neither starts flying around I'll be happy to keep them in their little nest!No...they're not green - more brownish, and basically a little pile of mush. Occasionally a little more solid, and sometimes less so.

Hi and welcome to this wonderful forum! I'm sure you're going to love it here. Your babies are very sweet!!! Such cuties . I'm unsure of their sex??? Maybe two boys as I can't really see the white rings around the nostrils as you can usually see in females, but this is very much a guess. Hopefully one of the more experienced members can help you with this. Good luck with them!

Well, it'll turn out soon enough! Theonly reason why I differentiate is because cookie's is blue tinted, and piggy's pink, but I'm aware that it doesn't necessarily mean anything. I'll make sure that I keep everyone updated!

Awww they are lovely I feel they are too young to be leaving a nest and going into a cage. Keep them in their nest for another week or so.The runny poops can be a concern, but also could be the change in food. Are they bright green????

 

As long as neither starts flying around I'll be happy to keep them in their little nest!No...they're not green - more brownish, and basically a little pile of mush. Occasionally a little more solid, and sometimes less so.

 

You can also put them in an uptruned icecream container (with bedding) in the bottom of a cage to keep them contained when they get adventurous hehe

Best advice i can give you to get them to take to the syringe is dip it in a cup of boiling hot water the touch it to the side of their beak with the drip still on it. They'll gobble it up straight away, whether used to it or not usually.

To start them weaning put seeds on the floor of the cage or in a shallow dish/plate and some greens.

To change them into a cage only once they're fully feathered and flying i'd say.

Best advice i can give you to get them to take to the syringe is dip it in a cup of boiling hot water the touch it to the side of their beak with the drip still on it. They'll gobble it up straight away, whether used to it or not usually.

To start them weaning put seeds on the floor of the cage or in a shallow dish/plate and some greens.

To change them into a cage only once they're fully feathered and flying i'd say.

 

Thank you so much for the advice! Generally now that they consider me their mother more an more, they already come running to the "source of food" - the syringe.

 

There's millet lying in their 'nest' and curiosity is getting to them - I've caught both of them nibbling at it.

 

Well, I hope everything continues to go so well! Thank you all for your support

 

And I just had to say what a beautiful budgie you have as an avatar libby - stunning combination of colors!!

Hi, welcome to the forums.

your babies are adorable

You're more than welcome

That's my boy Clarky, he's a yf2 opaline dom pied sky blue cock

Oh wise members of the forum, I believe I have something that I really should inquire about. It's Cookies non-ability to perch. Is this the splayed feet I've heard of? He's been like that since I got him, and since piggy also walked around crouched a bit, I thought nothing of it. She's grown out of it, but he just isn't. Please see the pictures for an acurate depiction. I'm concerned something is hurting him! Especially since he really likes to chomp very thoroughly....generally sweet and gentle natured, if I try to seriously hold him, he has a thorough bite to compare to that of a parrot.

 

Is he missing some nutrient?

 

It seems he just can't right himself up, and I never noticed it while he was just paddling around - I always made sure it was nice and soft....

 

 

I am no expert, but babies are not that good at perching. get some tree branches that are big and varied sizes if possible so they can get some practice. the crouching is usually just trying to maintain balance. Give the little one time.

I am no expert, but babies are not that good at perching. get some tree branches that are big and varied sizes if possible so they can get some practice. the crouching is usually just trying to maintain balance. Give the little one time.

 

 

Thank you for your thoughts - since I've never raised little ones, I just didn't want something like that to turn out to be a problem where I think "why didn't I ask earlier". It really does seem like he just can't maintain his balance yet. Always keep learning....

I agree, Looks normal to me.

 

Here are 2, 4 week old bubs :fear They can waddle around but it will be another week before they are perching nicely

 

Edited May 24, 200817 yr by **Liv**

I agree, Looks normal to me.

 

Here are 2, 4 week old bubs They can waddle around but it will be another week before they are perching nicely

 

Hey, color-wise they look so similar to mine! Well, in that case, piggy is quite a talent because she's got the perching bit down perfect....

 

I'm getting them a cage today where I'll set up a nest on the bottem because they have figured out any and every way of getting out of their current nest box.

They look fine

In the floor of their new cage place a ladder for them to climb and perch if they wish and a log on the floow for them to learn to also... Don't forget for weaning them to have all food sources on the ground.

 

Incase you wanted to know their mutations they are:

Yf2 cobalt opaline (probably hen)

and a yf2 normal sky - can't tell the sex yet. They're beautiful and you've done a wonderful job!!!

I'm gonna lay bets that the normal is a cock.

That's what I suspect as well (regarding the last two posts), and thanks for the info regarding their mutations! I find it fascinating that despite them being siblings, and do have similarities, they are quite different. The normal is the strong blue one right? And piggy, the possible hen is a violet color, though it's also bluish....I find she's particularly pretty.

 

I have a couple of new pictures! Despite having to go the hospital today due to a sever bladder infection (ugh....), I was determined to get them that cage, so that they can move around a bit more, and who tests out wall climbing first??? Piggy of course!!

 

No I didn't forced her to go that high.....that girl is one adventurous budgie! Thankfully, she usually gets adventurous about something new once, and then never again, so I'm not worried.

 

 

And down again...a bit unconventional, but it worked! (I was ready to catch her) A bit like a cat in a tree! Up is easy.....

 

And where is this? As close to me as possible . And look at who's getting more confident at perching - he was not unhappy up there at all.

 

Yes, there's a ladder missing....I remembered almost everything amidst the gut wrenching pain, but they're clever, and manage just fine. I'll get in pronto on monday.

 

So Enjoy!

I would get a branch or two from out of the garden if you have something which is bird safe(sorry I have NO idea what is over your way, but if you cn tell me what you can get I can try and work it out for you) Natural branches are better for their feet and I wouldn't be using that perch with sandpaper on it, that is VERY bad for them.

They look lovely

I agree about getting rid of the sand paper. You are doing a brilliant job with raising these two.

Having perches in the cage so early may slow down their weaning stage as they won't be on the floor often enough to pick. Try taking the higher perches out and replacing them with natural branches when they're older. A natural "thicker" branch on the ground for the to practice perching is good and it is easier for them to remember tog et off, go to the floor and pick around