Hi I'm new here. I've love to get some input from some of you pros. I've been very impressed with all the shared information and support.

 

I got a parakeet about a month ago. I got here because she rolled over on her back and turned to look at me and my daughter three times in about half an hour. My daughter is 4 and loves to go to pet stores and watch the keets. I've never seen a bird do that. She/he seemed very playful. If we held our finger to the glass (big chain pet store) she would nibble at it. So I got her.

 

I had another parakeet years ago who was a blast. Funny and amusing. Happy. Unfortunately he flew away after about 6 months when a friend was watching him.

 

I was really surprised how nervous and scared this bird was/is in comparison. A car drives by and she looks around. She's come a long way. She will get on my finger and come out on her play gym. Some days she comes out a lot but others she doesn't want to. She will still step up but gets off several times before I get her out of the cage. She's very gentle. She doesn't bite at all.

 

My 4 year old makes her sooo nervous. I hope she gets over that.

 

I'm wondering if she is a she? My daughter named her Shelfy Buttercup.How old is she? She molted after I got her and lost the last of the bars on her forehead. She seems a little small compared to some of the other birds here, no? I think she has a little crack in her beak. Is that bad?

 

I'm wondering if I should get her a friend. But I want her to stay tame. I really like her and want her to be happy here. Unfortunately I have a cat, a bit old and lazy, but I can't let her out as often as I would like...that and she doesn't want to come out in my daughter is here.

 

Here's a picture right she started molting.

 

Thanks in advance for your time.

 

Summer

Hi, welcome

 

you have a gorgeous budgie. to me l'm pretty sure she is a girl but if you are able to get a close front shot of here cere, would help out.

 

you could wait a while to get a friend for her if you want, that way she could become more tame.

Edited July 29, 200817 yr by birdluv

Hello and welcome Summer!!

 

I say she is a girl and about 4 months old. She is a pretty dominant pied.

Looks like she is going though quite a heavy moult. you can help her though this time by giving her lots of fresh veggies (brocoli, peas, corn, carrot etc) If she won't eat the veggies you can get a vitamin supplement to put in her water which will help her feathers develop nicely.

 

She sounds lovely and the progress you are making with her taming is really good considering her age

i'd say girl, about 4-6 months of age Congratulations!!!

Hi and welcome

 

I agree HEN! and looks 3 - 6 months old too, I notoced her beck is a little longer then normal NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT NOW, just be sure that she has mineral block cuttlebone and fresh perches not Old stick this will help her to keep her beck trim

Hi and welcome!I would say a girl too.

Just like kids all budgies are different. You must remember that you took her away from her family what she knew was safe and now she is in a cage alone with 2 huge figures staring at her and hands trying to touch her.

 

If a bird doesn't trust humans all he sees when the hands come toward them is a predator trying to grab them. They will jump on after awhile because they have no choice but it is not because they want too but give-up. Work with your bird on trust. Here is an article from our FAQ section that talks about how I trained Pretty who was just about as old as your bird and came from a pet store, it took me a while to gain his trust and it may take you 2 week sor 9 months like it did me. But when you look at how long they live it is worth those months of patience. The article http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/faqs/i...&artlang=en

 

4 year olds are scary to birds, they make a lot of movements, have a hard time sitting still, and are scared the bird is going to bite them (that is how my kids where), so I would work with her on your own when your 4y is napping or not around because first she needs to trust just 1 person.

 

As for getting a 2nd budgie if you want her to be tamed as in on your shoulder, talking to you, on your fingers etc...I would NOT get another budgie until you have completely bonded with her because it will not help the situation you will then have 2 scared budgies and that is even harder to work with.

 

Patience, commitment is the key and not using your hands so much but your voice.

Edited July 29, 200817 yr by Elly

Hi Summer and welcome you will get some great info here so ask away. You have a beautiful little budgie there, if you can get a closer picture of her we can help you more. am just wonderig in the picture it looks like she has a ring or is it just my tired eyes? if she does that should have the year she was born

Good luck with taming her, i am no expert on it but the others have given you some good advice just remember to be paitiant and not give up she will come around in her own time and become a great little friend

Thanks for all your responses. I've got some more pictures that I hope will help. The other picture was from about a month ago during molt. Here she after the molt. I'll definately get some vitamins for her. I have been able to get her to eat a little banna and apple with the millet sprinkle trick. She'll get lettuce too.

 

good side of beak

 

bad side of beak-see how it's lighter around the edge-the lightness stops at what appears to be a crack

 

No more pictures please- she flew away. Blurry but you can see the rest of her body

Hey summer she has got a ring on her leg, it looks blue, i dont know what the colour cycle is over in the US but if it is the same as ours then she is an '04 bird what are the numbers on it?

I forget what they are...she's sleeping now. I think it's from the WBO - dark blue is 2008. The sign said baby parakeets and she still had some bars down to her nose when I got her some I'm pretty sure she's fairly young.

I am not exactly sure why her beak is long... Possibly calcium defficeny.

The flaking of the beak is caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals.

I would give a multi vitamin in her water every second day until she starts eating lots of veggies, and then once a week there after.

okay your colour cycles are different from ours:) I agree with liv multi vitanins till she is eating veggies and plenty of things for her to chew on, i put some nutural wood perches with the rough bark in for my guys they love to chew it and pick it off, for some reason they wont touch cuttle bone, i also put in some of those calcium and mineral bells

Canada color cycles are the same as ours.

 

http://www.islandnet.com/~aacc/rings.htm

She is a doll and nice photos too. I wouldn't be feeding her lettuce. It has no goodness what so ever and is just full of water. You'd be better off giving her silverbeet, boc choy etc... as they are better for her Add this to her veggies and she'll be a happy little thing!

Our FAQ section has a lot of information about what to feed budgies plus how to help them eat their veggies . She is a doll.