screaming and food problem

[tinti]

I just got a budgie on Saturday! His name is Pixie, and he's mostly white with some gray here and there. I really like him, he ate from my hand (millet so not my hand technically but allmost because I cut small pieces) and he is really confident. Now he can be close to the cage bars with me 10 from him and have a chat with me. Actually, he sat on my finger at least 3 times today. BUT what I don't like is his screaming. If I'm in another rom or if I'm doing something else than giving him attention he'll scream. Not allways, but sometimes. Do you have any ideas how I can stop that?

And how can I teach him to eat his seed and egg stuff? He has 2 "food stations" that is fastened inbetween the cage bars with perches that he can stand on while he eats, a stone that he can peck and a Vitakraft Kracker stick like these:

http://pets.workingdogs.com/43_12522-15 ... keets.html

It's not the same but it's the same brand, just not the same package.

He eats the Kracker stick and millet from my hand, but nothing else. I'm beginning to worry, he has to be thirsty like heck. He has started pecking his water bottle though, I hope he'll figure it out soon. Is it normal that parakeets doesn't eat too much or drink after coming to a new home? If not, how can I make sure he gets some water and food? He has almost eaten up the whole kracker and one millet. I'm giving him millet because I don't want him to starve. Any tips?

[liz]

Welcome to the forum.

Gie him a water bowl. Bird dehydrate fast.

He is bored.

[GlassOnion]

Definitely a water dish, he needs his water. You should offer shreddable materials like wood, vine balls, palm and natural brahnches for him to chew on.

[tinti]

He is drinking! He is drinking! Halleluja! And he is eating too. I saw him drinking the water a while ago, and I was sooooo relieved! Once I stopped spoiling him with the millet and kracker he started eating the seeds as well.

Oh, and tomorrow I'll cut some wood for him to chew on, so that he gets preoccupied. He has a play thing that hangs from the top of the cage, but he doesn't seem much interested in it. I don't think it's a wooden one because its colored blue and red and yellow and green.

[tinti]

I just thought I should update you. Pixie is doing extremely well. He seems to have settled down here, and he eats and drinks a lot more during the night (when I'm asleep) then in the day. He nibbles and eats/drinks a bit during the day and when I'm eating, but mostly he eats early in the morning and late in the evenings.

On Thursday I started target training him. And he's really a smartie, he immediately understood what I wanted him to do, and he's not one bit afraid of the clicker. We've had 3-4 sessions, and already he almost flies to reach the stick. He's amazing And he seems very motivated, he makes litle happy squeaks when he reaches the stick and get rewards. So far I have'nt been neding to withdraw his food, which is good. Also he stood on my fingers/hands for the first time on Wednesday, and he let me carry him to another perch and put him down , all inside the cage.

[liz]

I give my kids RoundyBush. The amazons get pellets and the tiels and lovies get crumbles.