Hi all,

 

I was wondering if anyone can help me. We have a 6 year old male budgie, he was trained to sit with us and be part of the family. We also have a 5 year old female budgie. (She is not so trained)

 

These two best friends have been together for five years and the female has always been agressive, however lately the female has been attacking the male, to the extent where one day he became limp. Eventually we seperate the male for one night and he was right as reign the next morning, so we put him back with her.

 

Well she still gets snappy, I don't know what to do as they are healthy and happy.

 

Does anyone have any advice.

regards

Little Mary

Have you noticed if she is going through a heavy molt or going into breeding condition? Anyone of these plus could be causing her to be "nasty".

Thanks for your reply Elly.

 

No, there is no molting happening, well at least no more than usual anyway. We have never bred them, we tried the first and second years together, but they didn't take to each other that way. (Which I found odd, as they petted and groomed each other often) So two years ago we removed the nesting box and they have only perched since then.

 

I must admit, he is quite the cheeky boy and tends to tease her by flicking their bell hard enough to just nock her and he is always nudging her. Even though this morning all is calm, she gave him a few fright pecks, which was much better than attacking I guess, but I am still worried.

 

Is this normal behaviour after all these years together, or is she just getting old and grumpy?

 

regards

Mary

I would take the bell out and any reflective toys (mirrors...etc) they see their reflection and think it is another budgie and there maybe some protective issues going on, also how big is the cage and do you rotate perches and toys often? Do they get out of their cage often?

Hi Ally,

 

Not sure if taking the bell and toys out would solve the problem, as they have been there for years.

The cage is big, but i honestly haven't moved anything or rotated anything around now, since we moved into our new home two years ago. We don't take the female out, as she frets so much she rams herself into walls and furniture fearfully. So for her own safety we stopped taking her out after the second week of having her. But we do take the male out. He is my 12 year old daughter's bird and she has always had him on her shoulders for years. It has never bothered the female in the past.

 

I will however re-arrange the cage and see if that helps. I'm home today and all seems calm at the moment. She has at times yelled and screamed throughtout the morning. But hasn't attacked him yet. I've come to a realisation that she gets more aggrevated at night when the family is home, because the same thing happened yesterday. (They are indoor birds, if that makes a difference.)

 

regards

Mary

If you want to take the female out, you should clip her wings if she is going to panic. That way she can't fly into things.

Don't take out all toys, just take out mirrors and toys with mirrors on them and anything that may show the budgie's reflection. This is because the hen may see her self in a mirror and decided she likes her reflection as a mate better than the boy and thus beats him up if he comes near her "mate".

It is a good idea to rearrange their cage every now and then, to give them some variety and dissolve any territories that the budgies may have developed inside the cage.

 

When they start to fight try and distract them by making a loud noise, bumping the cage (gently, remember we are only trying to give them a fright) or throwing a blanket over the cage and covering them, whereby once they have calmed down you can uncover them.

If they get really bad (and hens can kill cocks) you will need to separate them into different cages.

 

It is also a good idea to rotate toys so they get something new that they haven't seen for a while. This re-invigorates their interest in the toy and they will be more inclined to play with it and gives them some variety.

Edited February 6, 200916 yr by Sailorwolf

Hi Sailorwolf,

 

Thank you for your reply. But we tried the wing clipping with the female... She's just a feisty old girl... It's 9.00pm here and the cheeky girl, (placid all day) has turned into this nutcase...

 

Anyway, hubby is home and now we are re-arranging the cage. I did cover the cage when she lost it... at about 6'ish. That did seem to calm them down. We took the cover off them 1 hour later and they were huddled together like to lovers in a romance scene. (Sorry that's the writer in me talking)

 

I have removed the mirror and the light switch cover (It is a shiny metal and they can see their reflection in it) Go figure.

 

The toys in their cage are a little worse for ware, so I'm off to the shops tomorrow. (Everyone else got christmas gifts last year) to buy some new toys.

 

So I'll try all of these tips. Thank you so much for your help. I'll keep you informed.

 

regards

Mary

Hi all,

 

'Tis me again. Just a follow up. After removing all the mirror like objects and re-arranging the cage, my two best friends are still huddled together in confusement. I haven't seen any fighting as of yet. However the fighting only ever happens at night, so we'll see how things go tonight. The old girl is still very loud and snappy, but hasne't attack. Time will tell.

 

regards

Mary

What are they fighting about a perch to sleep on since you said it happens only at night?

What time of the night does it happen?

 

Good that you took out the reflective mirrors and rearranged the cage, remember budgies in the wild are nomads so they don't see the same scenery everyday (well we don't either) can you imagine being in a cage 24/7 seeing the same thing day after day that gets boring so she finds something that she finds mentally stimuating and that is beating up on him.

 

There is an excellent post about foraging for food (in the nutrition section) you need to mentally stimulate your budgies minds in the cage if they don't come out. Rotate toys, keeps reflective ones out, give different types of treats that they like to find and look for there is so much you can do to make their life more enriched .

 

Can you post a picture of your cage and the arrangement that would help us help you too.

Hi Elly,

 

Not sure what they are fighting about and not sure why it only happens at night, maybe because the family is alltogether and maybe it's noisy, or maybe she feels threatened... really can't say. What I am sure about is that last night all was calm... It seems the rearrangement of the cage, has calmed the old girl a little. I get the 24/7 bit - and yes they may have been bored.

 

I'll check the post about foraging for food and see how I go. In reference to treats. Well we do actually attach half an apple, or banana to the sides of the cage. Sometimes carrot (but the female, doesn't take well to carrot)

 

It's a good idea about the photo. I'm not really good with the camera, but I'll try.

Thanks

 

Regards

Little Mary

There has been nothing mentioned from what I can see about the size and type of your cage. Hens being bossy and nasty is usually about perch space and possession of territory in the cage.

 

You really need to show us the cage and how it is set up so we can help advise here. It may just be a cage thing and or location and type of perches and other things.

Hi Kaz,

 

Well, the cage is quite a good size, I will get a picture of it and send it through tomorrow afternoon. Honestly I don't think it's the cage as they have been in the cage, together for five years. But you may be right about possession of territory in the cage as she does tend to chase him off, wherever he is in the cage. It could possibly be a location thing, as we have them opposite the front doorway where there are glass windows and they have a full view of other birds flying about outside. However they have been there for two years now.

 

Anyway I'll send the photo through tomorrow afternoon. (my daughter is better at that sort of stuff and I'll get her to do it) I'm not very technical like that.

 

regards

Little Mary

how big is the cage and do you rotate perches and toys often? Do they get out of their cage often?

 

I mentioned it Kaz...raises hand LOL ...I do think a picture would be wonderful though and we would love to see your birds.

how big is the cage and do you rotate perches and toys often? Do they get out of their cage often?

 

I mentioned it Kaz...raises hand LOL ...I do think a picture would be wonderful though and we would love to see your birds.

Silly me