Hi All,

 

I'm new to these forums and after reading them over the past couple days, was very impressed by everyone's friendliness and willingness to help so decided to give it a go myself.

 

Thought I'd also introduce my new little man, Rusky. Bought him yesterday from a pet shop. He is still very very timid and sitting quietly in his cage, I hope he gets chirpy soon.

 

Any advice you'd have on bringing home a new budgie would be fantastic. I'm planning on leaving him for a couple days to settle in and starting to introduce my hand to the cage over the weekend. I have had budgies most of my life however the last one lived for about 12 years so I can't remember the bringing home process and how long he stayed quite for.

 

Thanks!

 

http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/kmm087/Image012.jpg

Edited August 13, 200817 yr by **Liv**
photo turned to link because it was over the size regulation of 640x480, resize before posting images again

Hello and welcome

 

Rusky is adorable - he is a male and looks about 5 months old and I say he is a recessive pied, but i often get my pieds mixed up so dont hold me to it .

 

He will be timid because of his age. if the pet shop said he was a baby then they were wrong. You will be able to tame him but it will take a lot longer than it would normally take with a baby of 6-8 weeks old.

Edited August 14, 200817 yr by **Liv**

Welcome to the forum, there are excellent articles about bring home a new budgie in our FAQ section and also a Taming Article under Budgie Behavior take a peek I know you will find the information you need there and of course if you have more questions let us know.

Hi, welcome

your little friend is a cutie, l like his name too.

I have a Ruskie but he is my Birman Cat. Yours is a recessive pied boy and very cute. Welcome

Hello and welcome

Hello and welcome

 

Rusky is adorable - he is a male and looks about 5 months old and I say he is a recessive pied, but i often get my pieds mixed up so dont hold me to it .

 

He will be timid because of his age. if the pet shop said he was a baby then they were wrong. You will be able to tame him but it will take a lot longer than it would normally take with a baby of 6-8 weeks old.

 

 

Thanks everyone for your replies!

 

Liv, the pet shop told me he was about 10-12 weeks so thanks for letting me know he is older! can never trust the pet shops can you Also very glad to hear he is definitely a boy! I hope to tame him over time...I guess patience will be the key.

After he has settled in a bit you can have his wings clipped as it will help with the taming process a lot

 

Pet shops are a pain in the butt as their staff don't know what they are talking about 80% of the time. We see so many people who get wrong advice or even deliberately miss led by pet shop staff

Heya and welcome

Hi and welcome... what a cutie . As Elly said, check out our FAQ's and/or do a search. We have lots of information about taming and training. If in doubt... just ask!

Hi and wecome KitKat he sure is a cutie ......just be patient and loving to him he will settle for you and become a great companion......and hopefully talk for you ....and a younger one would have been a bit easier for you to start with,........... but iam sure thats what you wanted in the first place.....but he will iam sure give you loads of happeness and hours of joy likes ours have Regards John & Swanacilli.

Hi All,

 

Thanks again for your replies. It's been about 24 hours now and he isn't looking as scared and is getting use to me talking and whistling to him

 

I don't think he's touched his food or water yet though so I decided to take the grate out of the bottom and put some lettuce and sprinkled seed around the bottom so hopefully he goes down and check its out.

 

Will keep you updated.

 

Katherine

 

P.S. I want to add some natural branches from the garden to his cage. Any tips on what trees are best for them and what to definitely avoid?

Lettuce is mostly all water and no nutrients, so it's not recommended as a food for budgies - but if you have put it in to provide him with fluid then thats good thinking

 

It is quite normal for a budgie not to eat for a few days after they come home. Keep an eye on his poos.

I put a sprey of millet at perch level for my newbies, that way they can eat while still feeling safe up on the perch.

Rusky and KitKat

 

All fruit trees are safe, Gums and Bottlebrush and Grevilla are good too, Be sure to wash them first ( i few good min of blasting them with a hose ) and let sun dry does the trick ... This is because other birds and nasties ie mites infected bird poo can be left on the branches

 

Try if you can to get brached not dried sticks ( because they love to shread the bark of the branches) ... All different shapes and sizes so they his feet get exercised too

I his ladder

Edited August 14, 200817 yr by Neat

Hi All,

 

Rusky has started eating now. I put one of those seed bells in his cage and he is getting into that (hasn't touched seed in food bowl though). He's also started chirping - although its more of a screech! haha

 

Is this just him calling for other birds. Will it die down to a chirp/whistle?

 

I know its only been a couple of days but he is still very timid and scared when I approach the cage...I'm just wondering if I'll ever be able to get him tame as he is older?

 

Thanks for your help,

Katherine

beautiful little guy you've got there, definetly recessive pied. Cya.

I know its only been a couple of days but he is still very timid and scared when I approach the cage...I'm just wondering if I'll ever be able to get him tame as he is older?

 

Clipping his wings will be vital for taming him. You can always let them grow back when he is tame.

Lots of work and lots of patience and he will tame for you.

 

So pleased he is eating.

Hi All,

 

Glad to say we are slowly making some progress I can have my hand in the chage now and he doesn't seem to mind to much, as long as I don't get to close to him.

 

Just one question, he still hasn't touched the seed in his actual seed bowl, he's only been chewing seed off the seed bell. Is there any way I can make him eat both as I'm worried when the seed bell is finished he won't eat? Also not sure if he has drunk anything yet

 

Thanks guys!

Katherine

He will drink when he wants to - I rarely see mine drink ....

with the seed dish what type is it the normal ones that come with the cage?

Leave it there he will eat it - Try putting a bit of millet in his seed dish..

 

With the bell becarful not to always put them in there as they are either stuckk together with glue or honey ..

I give mine 1 bell every month or 2 as a treat

Hi All,

 

Thank you so much for your help and comments so far! Rusky is now happily eating and drinking away at his pleasure :budgiedance:

 

However, the cere has started to go a browny colour and I'm wondering if 'he' is actually a 'she'. I may be getting paranoid haha :budgiedance: but I've been reading all the FAQ sections and in the sexing part Rusky is sounding more like a girl?

 

Be great to here your thoughts.

 

Cheers.

Really, Are you able to post a picture of his / her cere ..

 

S/He is a rec Pied so the cere isn't a standard Blue for boys

I have to say s/he was very obedient in today's photo shoot female or male though - i'm not sure, its looking more brown every day?

 

p.s. sorry about bad quality -had to use my phone as I don't have digital camera

p.p.s i had a return email from a petshop today (won't name) who said they had babies 2-12 weeks - can they even feed themselves at 2 weeks!?!?!?! thought this was either a big typical pet shop lie or half illegal!!!

 

 

 

thanks guys!

A 2 week old baby wont even be feathered, let alone be able to feed itself. They have either made a mistake or are very much "full of it".

This baby is 2 and a half weeks old, to give you an idea.

Oh and welcome to you and your cute Ruskie, I think he might be a she as you suspect

Edited August 25, 200816 yr by Sunnie

I have to say s/he was very obedient in today's photo shoot female or male though - i'm not sure, its looking more brown every day?

 

p.s. sorry about bad quality -had to use my phone as I don't have digital camera

p.p.s i had a return email from a petshop today (won't name) who said they had babies 2-12 weeks - can they even feed themselves at 2 weeks!?!?!?! thought this was either a big typical pet shop lie or half illegal!!!

 

 

 

thanks guys!

Recessive pieds are tricky to sex until the cere either turns brown or not

I have to say s/he was very obedient in today's photo shoot female or male though - i'm not sure, its looking more brown every day?

 

p.s. sorry about bad quality -had to use my phone as I don't have digital camera

p.p.s i had a return email from a petshop today (won't name) who said they had babies 2-12 weeks - can they even feed themselves at 2 weeks!?!?!?! thought this was either a big typical pet shop lie or half illegal!!!

 

 

 

thanks guys!

Recessive pieds are tricky to sex until the cere either turns brown or not

 

haha thanks kaz. So if it's brown its a....?