I have just found a baby budgie in a box on my doorstep! I keep and breed cockatiels and luckily was about to start handrearing so i have all the equipment. I don`t know much about budgies so can someone please tell me roughly how old it is and whether or not it looks like it needs feeding now. It isn`t accepting food (Kaytee) at the moment but i don`t know how full a budgie should look, but i don`t want to overfeed it!

 

Please have a look and help if you can!

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v627/jos...illy/billy3.jpg

Edited June 22, 200519 yr by Rainbow

Wow. A baby budgie in a box on your doorstep. Wow.

 

Maybe you got it because someone knows you keep birds? Anyway, s/he is feathered, so that is good. The short tail tells me probably no older than 3 1/2 to 4 weeks old. She should still be fed by mom and dad, but is old enough to learn to eat soft seeds. Try millet, or soft grain cereal like Cheerios, or very small pellets (soften it with water if necessary). If you feed sprouted seeds to your cockatiels try that too, or soft veggies. Maybe s/he would eat cookable diets like Beak Appetit or Crazy Corn if you feed those to your cockatiels. Poor little budgie, at least s/he was lucky enough to have been left with someone who already loves birds. If you don't have any luck with that, please handfeed, but I think you shouldn't have to do that for more than a few days - week at the most - before s/he figures out about seeds.

 

S/he certainly is beautiful. I can't tell how hungry it may be, but the crop doesn't look flat. Baby birds are always hungry anyway... :dbb1: Do you think you will keep it?

 

The picture was too big, so I made it into a link.

How cute! It's beautiful! It doesn't look hungry cause you can see it's crop. As long as there's a decent amount of food in the crop then s/he should be fine. As Rainbow said, try introducing it to millet and other soft foods. :dbb1:

Can't help with feeding advice,but my goodness he looks like he's going to be a beauty! Lucky you!(and him!)

Julie

Thankyou all of you. Well Billy made it through another night so things maybe looking good for him?

I have no idea what colour he is, but he certainly is pretty.

I can`t get him to handfeed, he takes a little but not interested. I`m hoping to try and wean him early as suggested with sprouting seed, millet, eggfood and weaning pellets (the soft kind) i also wean cockatiels onto sweetcorn, is this okay for budgies?

Yes, hopefully i will keep him, if not i know my uncle would give him a home.

Thanks again all of you, i`ll keep you informed!

I'm glad to hear he made it through the night. Poor thing, must be pretty traumatized by the whole ordeal if you think about it. Sweetcorn would be fine to feed, it just has a lot of starch so not too much. Hopefully you will keep him, and please do keep us updated!

 

If I had to guess on the color, I would say type 2 yellowface blue spangle. Maybe even a dilute, as the colors on the chest and around the legs look pastel. But that could just be the flash.

I'm glad he's still with you. I hope he eats more soon as it doesn't sound like he's eating very much at all.

How could someone dump that gorgeous adorable thing - I hope you make him all better Mand he is lovely a younger version of my Maxwell.

Well he`s still with us! I think he`s hanging in there!

The thing i have noticed is that he`s passing a lot of fluidy droppings. Not diarhoea (i know i spelt that wrong!) but just passing more urea than normal. am i mixing his food to watery or is it just the change in diet?

He is still picking at seed etc and had a better feed this morning!

 

Thanks everyone.

Well he`s still with us! I think he`s hanging in there!

The thing i have noticed is that he`s passing a lot of fluidy droppings. Not diarhoea (i know i spelt that wrong!) but just passing more urea than normal. am i mixing his food to watery or is it just the change in diet?

He is still picking at seed etc and had a better feed this morning!

 

Thanks everyone.

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Thats great, You can thicken up his food a bit, it may be a bit watery

Good luck and keep us posted.

How is that lovely little baby budgie today?

He`s doing really well. Eating brilliantly now and such a sweetie!

 

New picture of Billy

 

Can`t believe how much he`s grown. I`d love to know where he came from, but at least he`s safe and loved now!

 

Thankyou everyone for helping me to help Billy.

oh the sweet little thing! How can someone dump him!?!

 

Please keep the photos coming!

 

Budgex

 

Are you going to keep him?

Awww.....what a sweetie!

What a lovely little bird. How is it coming along?

Cindy

Oh bless him-he just looks like he needs loads of TLC.

Julie

he certainly looks very cute!!

 

I envy you! I want him! Good luck with trying to raise him. Can anyone guess how old he might be?

I am thinking he`s probably around 4 weeks? He`s just started to fly, well, flutter safely to the ground, but he won`t be long.

 

Yes, i have decided he has had enough trauma in his life already. Billy the budgie has now found his permanent home with us.

Thats fantastic news Mand I hope he has a great time with you and you must post pictures of all his little adventures - your very lucky to have him.

Does anyone know when i will be able to tell Billy`s sex? "his" cere is a purply blue at the moment? any ideas when it willchange, or is it possible to tell already?

 

Not that it matters much, he/she will be loved forever regardless, it would just be nice to know.

Purpley blue usually means a boy. If there's any white then it's probaby a little girl.

I agree with Bea. Check around the nostrils, if there is any whitish rings around them you probably have a girl. If it is solid pink all over it is probably a boy. Either way, it is one precious little baby.