Hello!

[pennyandthebrain]

Hello, my name is...Sarah,

I have two birdies...a budgie and a canary.

The budgie is called Ollie, she is around 7 years old, extremely anti-social, hates flying and anything regarded as "rabbit food". I used to have two other budgies, from what I could tell, she hated it...she still won't shed the excess weight as she used to binge, everything you'd put in there she'd eat it RIGHT AWAY even though there was two seperate cages so she had her "own" space. I am worried about her weight though, as she is now getting "older" and she has already been to the vets about it and ugh...how do you encourage them to fly? The other two used to LOVE it...where as even if I do convince her to come out if you try and tickle her to make her fly she just sits on the stick. LOL

I'm not sure a canary is considered a parrot but he is Coco and he wants to be introduced also! lol He is about 8 and likes singing all day and annoying my brother. I used to have two rescued canaries but one passed away and as they like to fight till death he doesn't seem to fussed.

I am thinking of rescuing budgies in future, after I took in my dad's old budgie (RIP). Once I have my career/degree all sorted. Also when I've moved out, I have trouble explaining to family that aerosoles etc should NOT BE USED near my babies. Plus find a suitable avian vet...who doesn't consider budgies to be "not worth his precious avian experience".



Bye bye for now!!

[zazanomore]

Your budgie is very cute

And I think if an avian vet says budgies are "not worth his precious avian experience", then he shouldn't be good enough to treat your birds. I mean, budgies are the most popular parrot species.

Merry Christmas and welcome to the forum!

[Becco Lunatico]

Budgies are the schnitz! Always entertaining, always their pleasant song, always worth any time and attention! Hello from Alabama by the way. Have a great day!

[Anneke]

...how do you encourage them to fly?

I think that this might be helpful: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=227

And then after you have Ollie going after the stick and climbing onto your hand to reach it, etc.
you can probably start doing flight recall.

I hope this helps, and please, anyone, correct me if I'm wrong!!

And, btw, Ollie is really pretty and cute

[pennyandthebrain]

Hello and thank you for the link! It will be me and Ollies New Year's Resolution to improve our relationship and our health. haha I don't want her to get fatty tumours. She isn't as "large" as she was...as she lost a bit of weight when the other two passed on and she stopped bingeing but like humans when they try and get healthy she has a few clinging extras. lol



I love the idea of the clicker training, I'll have to buy one though our old dog was deaf so we never had one for him. Ollie is intelligent like all birds, I feel I've let her down a little bit!! I am more concerned now about it, due to her being by herself...as she obviously needs more attention when she isn't karate chopping other budgies.

I think she likes all the attention anyway...as she gets quite excited when you talk to her and she used to love jumping on and off a step up perch for hours. haha I just need to make her see flying and out of cage time enjoyable!

I just sometimes forget how intelligent they are!! The canary has never been interested...he likes me talking to him and he'll sing me a song whenever food is put in the cage but he isn't as "into" it. lol