We recently put our two female budgies in side by side cages to get used to each other. Now our first bought hen is biting at us constantly. Any time we put our hands into the cage, she bites. If she's sitting on a hand and we bring a finger in from the side or from the front to have her step up, she squawks and then bites. She never bit us prior to introducing the two. If we take them out of the cage they totally ignore us and fly straight over to the other so we've been either removing the other from the room and taking the other out of the cage or removing ourselves and the budgie and leaving the other in the room. They've been up close together on either side of the bars and the first bought hen regurgitates and tries to preen the other. Is this normal behavior that we're going to expect? I also wondered about molting as they are both in the 3-4 month range. They are both still barred and there's been increasing down feathers in both cages, but no colored feathers. Any suggestions?

Edited November 10, 201014 yr by **KAZ**

It sounds like a combination of things. The first thing is that they are both going to start to go through a hormonal stage right around this time and then you can expect it usually around every molt (every 3-4 months) or around the time changes especially spring time. To help with the behavior issues I would cover their cage for at least 14 hours a day for the next week that will help calm the hormones down because it decrease the daylight hours and helps throw them out of wanting to breed. Try this first to see if this helps. Also everytime you put your hand in the cage have millet in your hand for them to eat it is a wonderful reward and they will learn your hand is good.

 

As for them ignoring it will happen and get used to it. Species would rather be with their own species. The best way to introduce a 2nd bird is when you already have had your 1st bird for at least a year where you have worked and bonded with your bird. Then your existing bird and train your new bird that you are all good. Since you didn't go that route you will have to work with them together, being so young I would not seperate them because they will just stress and call for each other. I would work with the one that is most willing to pay attention to you and have millet.

 

You may also consider and I did this with both my birds is a 1 x wing clip that will help keep them in 1 place while you are working with them and as they bond with you more you can let their wings grown out.

 

Right now you are not a bird and you have to become part of their flock through patience, positive reinforncement like clicker training (you can google that it is a very neat process) and ignoring the bad behavior.

Thanks for the tips. I figured we would be ignored more once we got another budgie. Twice a week she would be alone for 6 hours while I was at work and my husband was at school so I felt bad. Just didn't expect her to get nasty and bite all the time. We let them out of their cages to meet and Duke made an incredible pest of herself, preening and feeding Wiggers. Wiggers finally took off and Duke calmed a little bit. No biting and not much squawking from either of them and now that they've been together, Duke has calmed more when we put our hands in the cage.