*Progress Log* Untamed baby Budgie, untrained bird owner.

[cham87]

So I just got my bird at the petstore. It is a budgie. The lady at petco said it is a male. His wings are clipped right now. I jus brought him home and it was pretty wild he is in my room right now next to me on my desk in the cage. Check out the photo I uploaded. I feel bad he has not moved from that spot for atleast 5 minutes... and counting. He was trying to fly around my room he wasnt so easy to take from the box to the cage. He bit me . Broke skin but it wasnt bad.

So now what do I do, I really want to train him like the parrot wizard does. I follow all of Mikes blogs. I am really excited to see how I can bond with such a little bird. He is so small. Any tips before I start doing some kind of training such as click conditioning. When can I give him treats. How much little pellet should I give him I put a small amount in but I want to for sure do food managment.

Please reply soon I dont like seeing my bird be scared, I want to start building trust with him. Me sitting next to him as I am now while I type on my laptop.. does it count for anything?


Thank you!
from scott and my unamed bird in pittsburgh!



3/6/12
I started this thread yesterday and I decided to turn this thread into a progress log. I am not a trained bird person, I am a complete newbie. My baby Budgie is untamed. My hopes for this thread is for any new bird owner like me to eventually be able to use this as a resource if it helps anyone by me keeping a progress log. I am learning something new everyday as members of this forum help me with questions that I have.

Thanks everyone.

[cham87]

I just wanted to post an update.

My birds name is Fleury.

Here are two more pictures.

[GlassOnion]

Oof!! You need some various perches in there, not just dowels.. He'll get joint problems if he doesn't exercise his feet properly with various natural/rope/concrete perches.

Also... He needs toys. Birds don't sit on a stick all day in the wild, he needs to shred things for entertainment. Don't bother with plastic toys, look for bird kabobs at the store and get some bird safe branches from outside.

He also needs his veggies... A pelleted or a seed diet will cause liver disease and renal issues as well. You can weave broccoli, leafy greens, peppers through the cage bars and keep offering even if he doesn't like it.

Honestly, the setup you have there is very incomplete and your budgie will suffer from medical issues down the road / severe boredom unless you make some adjustments. Theese are things you should've researched easily on google before buying a bird. But now is not late! Research now, not just what I typed out, but just look on google. There are so many sites for proper bird care.

As for taming, Just give it time and go with Michael's taming guide.

[Michael]

^Good advice

[cknowles]

Yes you should do some research and get a good book. You should get all kinds of perches such as rope, concrete(not as the main perch), safe tree branches with the bark still on. I don't recommend mansinita because it is very slippery. And personally I don't like edible perches because if the bird poops on it then chews on it, they can get sick. And they should have an assortment of toys that you change once a week.
As for training you cant just get the bird and expect it to listen to you. It is still adjusting to you and your house. And I would not rely on the pet store saying it is a boy because the bird is clearly still very young.

[cham87]

Yea I planned on buying toys. Going later today around 7pm and will put them in his cage. Hopefully that goes well. I can see Fluery getting freaked out when I put new toys in there.

So how much stuff should I put in the cage do you think? Ropes, and what else?

Also it is day #2 and he has not really moved at all nor has he eaten any food or drank water from what I can tell. When do you think he will start to eat?

Thank you

[cknowles]

When my sister first got her parakeet she didn't move much and the only way we knew she was eating was because of the seed shells. It has been three months since she got her first one and she dances, sings, and chews on her toys. It is only the second day, just relax and try to figure out if he is eating and drinking because right now that's the most importantl thing. Training and bonding can happen after he is adjusted to you and your house.

[cham87]

Okay awesome... Yea I am really concerned about my cage now... This is my first bird and I want it to really love its life and me!

So since I cannot go to the pet store until 6 hours from now, I took out the top original dowel and replaced it with a stick that I found laying in my yard. Hopefully it is safe to use sticks I found outside otherwise I will need to remove it. I cut some slices in it with a power tool and put it in where the old dowel was at. It looks cooler versus the super white stock dowel that was originally in there.

Can you guys help me in terms of what I should buy today for the bird? What kind of toys should the cage be packed? How many perches.. I know that Fleury is going to get so scared while i put the toys in the cage. Should I just ignore his fear ? I don't want him to be mad at me.

How many toys? Should I have the whole cage packed so he can barley move (hehe)?


Also ya I put blueberries and spinach in his bowl along with the seed stick that they like (what is it called again)?

Thank you here is a current picture.

[GlassOnion]

There are some toxic trees, search 'bird safe wood' to get a list. I would put a rope perch and a concrete or pumice perch inside the cage- put them higher up. You can also put a rope perch on top of his cage so he has somewhere to hang out when he comes out you should really get in the habit of buying bird supplies online, I've learned that I get much better things for cheaper. Check out http://www.mysafebirdstore.com for everything, it's an awesome site.

As for toys, budgies have tiny beaks. I get all my toys online, and it would be best if you do because pet store things usually really suck and are more expensive. Check out http://www.thingsforwings.ca for balsa wood, it's like thick styrofoam and my budgie loves it. My Safe Bird Store also carries balsa pieces that you can hang on a string. It's best to buy toy parts and string them, you'll spend less than 2$ on a toy that way. But at your local store, Look for bird kabobs, really soft wood like balsa, and even wicker baskets from the dollar store. Don't bother with those parakeet plastic toys, no one ever plays with them.

[Bobioden]

I think the cage is a good size for a Parakeet. Since you got him at Petco, go back there to get some toys, perches, etc.

Here are some.

Rope Perch
http://www.petco.com/product/8144/Booda ... rches-8144

Grapevine Perch
http://www.petco.com/product/102739/Mac ... es_Perches

Get a swing, some hanging toys, toys with bells are always a favorite.