Posted February 20, 200619 yr Hi there....... I'm new to this site and new to budgies....... I have been advised for health reasons to take an early retirment,and I have done so. Also just got myself a budgie for company,Ive had him at home now for three days and he has'nt moved eaten or drunk a thing........ Is this the norm for the "settling in period" I can put my hand in the cage and he is'nt scared of that and he will climb onto my finger............ Was told he was a young bird, he has a green band on leg...........
February 20, 200619 yr Check the seed container, he may have been eating when your not looking. You should see the husks of the seeds still there. If he definately hasn't been eating, sprinkle some seed on the floor of the cage, he may not know where his seed container is yet. Budgies for some reason seem to drink in private, a lot of people never see them drink. I would start to worry if he doesn't eat soon, try hanging some millett near where he sits, and don't forget some fresh vegies for him too. But, yes, the quiet behaviour is quite normal. The next stage is normally the 'escape at any cost' stage, where he will try to get out of his cage through every way possible. This can be quite scary to watch, as some can seem quite manic about it! I don't know a lot about the colour of the bands, but someone like Hath will be on later and will be able to tell you about that. Young budgies have bars on their forehead. The further down to their cere (the coloured part of their nostrils), the younger they are. If you post a picture, we will help you work out the age and sex of your little one. We also love pictures! And i forgot to say hi and welcome!
February 20, 200619 yr WELCOME if he doesant eat in a day or 2 contact a vet to see what is best in you situation
February 20, 200619 yr WELCOME if he doesant eat in a day or 2 contact a vet to see what is best in you situation Still no sign of a chirp or any sort yet......... I've put some millet on the floor and on the bar where he spends ALL his time sitting doing nothing,just looking around......... He's alerts enough,just dosn't want to move or make a noise yet......... He's got some apple and carrot now as well,here's hoping........ Keep you posted,thanks for info......
February 21, 200619 yr Well I just looked up the coloured bands for my area and green is for next year But bars to the cere means a young bird. Edited February 21, 200619 yr by Nerwen
February 21, 200619 yr That's good you put something on the floor, you might even try a little dish of seed/water as well, i.e. in a small plastic lid or flat container until you see he is consuming something and gets familiar with the official containers. I am sure he will be fine and being retired, you will be able to give him your undivided attention.
February 21, 200619 yr welcome aboard. You may want to hope over to Terri's site for taming information, http://www.budgietalk.com and also look at the health section to ensure there are no signs of illness. I would keep his cage covered on all 3 sides, talk him all the time, he sounds very frightened, I hope he started to come out of his shell more this week. Keep us updated. :hap: Edited February 21, 200619 yr by pixie25
February 21, 200619 yr I've seen him eating a little bit of millit,not a lot but its a start........ Still nothing to say for himself,but I have noticed his "poo" has gone green and runny....... Had a look around and one thought is that it could be stress related from being taken away from avery with other birds to being here in a large cage by himself.......... Any thoughts?
February 21, 200619 yr it sounds like he is still very timid and frightened. if i was a budgie coming into a completely new enviroment, new home, new people etc. i would be very firghtened. the runny poops can be a sign of that. if it lasts for longer than a few days you should definitely see a vet to rule out infection. you can use a clothes peg to clip fresh veggies and millet spray to the cage bars. put it right near where he sits and leave seed on the floor until he explores and finds the normal seed pots. make sure the room he is in is kept quiet and try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises that may scare him. i would suggest that you do not put your hands in the cage unless changing food at this stage. just talk to him often to get him used to your voice, when your talking to him it often helps to shut your eyes on and off. this seems to relax them slightly so that they know your not going to eat them. congratulations on your new budgie and a warm welcome ot the forums
February 22, 200619 yr Just a quick update,pleased to say "roy" has now begun to eat a bit......... He was picking at his millet for about ten minutes earlier....... Still silent,but not so bothered now.......Plenty of time for that..........
February 22, 200619 yr im very glad to hear that! will Roy eat any regular seed yet? too much millet will get him fat! hopefully he will eat some veggies soon. my new ones always seem to take to finely shredded lettuce, grated carrots, and some corn.
February 22, 200619 yr No,just millet........... He's had the option of apple, budgie seed and a bit of greens but not even looked at any of that yet..... Ho Hum.........
February 22, 200619 yr Sounds like a lucky budgie with such a caring, concerned owner. Glad to here that he's eating now. You can worry about converting him to a better diet once he's more settled in. Also, generally, if the budgie is pooping, he's been eating something. Most of the time, they won't eat until you leave the room when they're still new to your home.
February 22, 200619 yr Its strange but I noticed that it was when I was on here that he was eating........ Thats just out of eye line to his cage,coincidence or not?
February 22, 200619 yr He knows you're occupied with something else. This is actually a good tactic in training. Stick around him lots but don't stare at him too much or fuss over him a lot, it will make him nervous. Just do your own thing but try to do it near him. He'll come to know your noises and mannerisms and he'll get comfortable MUCH quicker than he would if you only go near or look at his cage to give him direct attention. As he becomes more comfortable, you can increase how much direct attention you want to shower on him but during the beginning of his adjustment, passive interaction is best. Edited February 22, 200619 yr by eterri
February 22, 200619 yr He probably won't come to you until he's had some real training but while he's settling into the new home, yes, just sort of do your own thing around him. Read a book, watch tv, play on the computer, etc. Maybe take a few seconds to softly talk to him every now and then but don't sit right in front of the cage and stare in at him. You'll be able to see when he's getting stressed as he'll breathe more heavily and stiffen his body. That's what you want to avoid at first as the new environment in itself is stressful enough on its own right now. The most important thing he needs to realize in his first few days home is that nothing in or around him is trying to make him into a snack. Once he's moving about his cage and eating in front of you, you can move on to the real one on one training. A couple of methods are outlined on the following page. You can read over them and modify them to suit your situation. Just keep the basic principles in mind: He's going to think you're trying to make him lunch and you have to do everything you can to show him that you aren't. Think like a bird, even if that means moving and sounding a bit birdy.
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now