Newish budgie...

[Birdtraineewhat]

So had our budgie Dobi for about 3 weeks. He does sing or chit chat unless he hears chirps or crickets on TV or in a YouTube video. He will eat food and millet from our hands. I've gotten him to step up but he's still nervous about doing so. I'm wondering if we're doing something wrong or he just needs more time. He doesn't really move much or play with his toys. I really want him to be the typical budgie that loves people, but he's still in a little shell. Should I continue getting him to step up? He doesn't appear sick.

I want him to bond with us before adding another budgie so what should I do?

[Quakerella]

Hi and welcome to PP.

Give your little one some more time. he needs to get used to his surroundings. It is great that he will step up for you. Keep on doing this, it is important that he fully trusts you.
It will take time and patience, but you are off to a good start.

How old is Dobi?

Can you post some pictures, we would love to see him.

Just curious, why do want to get another budgie?

[Birdtraineewhat]

Unsure specifically on age. I do know he is still relatively young as his cere hasn't changed color yet. I can post pics after work tomorrow.

I keep being told I need another budgie because they don't do well alone but I want this one to be bonded to me and not another bird.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Hello and welcome to PP.
I agree with Rosalyn that you need to be patient to get a true friendship. Sit and talk to the bird, sing to it, even just la la la if you are rubbish at singing like me.
Be calm and patient and not in a rush because you have other stuff to do. Do that stuff first making sure you have left time to relax with your bird.
Having more than one bird will probably mean that they will bond with each other rather than you but is a good idea if you are out all day as they will be company for each other. You will need to consider cage size and gender, having chicks can be very time consuming for you.

[Dragonlady2]

You have been given good advice so far. Patience is the key. Can't wait to see some pics:th_smile:

:pp_welcome:

[Birdtraineewhat]

Should I keep encouraging him to step up even though he's still nervous about it and sometimes avoids it?

[Dragonlady2]

Try holding a sprig of millet in front of your budgie with your hand/fingers below it. Let it take a bite. It may take a while, but eventually after a few tries, it will learn to step up on your hand to receive the treat. Never force it.

[Birdtraineewhat]

He eats millet and seed from my hand but doesn't step up to get it

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Smarter than the average bird :)

[Quakerella]

Everytime you are offering millet from you hand pull it back just a tiny bit. Eventually he will have to step up to get it, and by that time he would have built up a trust in you

[Birdtraineewhat]

I've begun trying that. Probably going to take a few days. I do have another question. I have to go away for a couple days for work. Will he lose trust or progress when I leave and come back?

[Dragonlady2]

You should be fine to go away for a day or two without losing all trust. I assume someone else will be caring for your budgie. It may help with the socialization aspect. If he is a little skittish when you return, just take it a little slow until he is comfortable again.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Be prepared for the "where the heck have you been all this time" peck when you get back.

[Birdtraineewhat]

Dobi will now hop on my hand to get millet but he still won't step up without allot of encouraging (usually he will hop right back off). He was running around his cage a bit and seems to get excited when I do (from a distance). Ive never tamed a bird before and I'm unsure of how long things usually take. Especially since ever bird is different, I'm still unsure that Dobi will ever really trust and play with me like I've seen other birds do.

[Lady]

:th_hi: Birdtraineewhat,

Welcome to PP. Some birds never do trust to the extent we would like. I've had my Lady for 7 or so years and she still will not step up unless she chooses to do so, which is rare. It's okay with us as we are willing to wait until she is ready although I do still try to get her to do so with treats too. Keep talking, singing or reading to her and give her as much positive attention as you can when she does do what you like.

[Birdtraineewhat]

Welp. As I feared Dobi doesn't eat from my hand, step up, or even stay near my hand now. It's like everything I did never happened, and have to start over. I'm not sure Dobi will ever actually bond with us now...

[Dragonlady2]

Could be you are trying too hard. Try sitting someplace with the millet on a table beside you. As Dobi gets used to eating it there (maybe a week), move it closer to you. While sitting there, read a book, watch tv, anything that keeps your attention off Dobi. Next place the millet on the arm of the chair/couch you and sitting on. Your purpose is to get Dobi comfortable with you. Dobi may learn to step up nicely, or not, because not all birds are the same. My peach fronted conure only steps up on my arm and sits on my shoulder. My Barrabands only sit on my shoulder.
Sounds like you are trying so hard that you may be scaring Dobi off. Just relax, it doesn't have to happen today. Talk to Dobi and let her decide when she is ready to be your friend.

[Birdtraineewhat]

No. I dont think that's it. Something about me I guess just isnt working with Dobi. I'm just going to get another budgie and give up. Dobi escaped today, and I'm relatively sure me chasing him/her around the room shot me back to day one. I guess birds just aren't for me. I've been patient but now I'm just too discouraged to keep trying. Thank y'all for trying to help me but unless somebody can tell me how specifically to do this, I'll just get another since the bird has no interest in bonding with people.

[Dragonlady2]

There is no guarantee that your next bird will be any easier to build a bond with. Before getting another bird, it might be helpful to read about other people's experiences when they first got their bird. You might find something that relates to your situation and how they managed. It might help you with your next bird.
I personally am saddened to think that your poor little budgie escaped to heavens knows what.
I hope you have better luck with your next bird after you are able to get a little more information. I wouldn't want to see the same thing happen again.

[Birdtraineewhat]

not intending on trying to bond with the other one

[Dragonlady2]

Maybe I misunderstood. It sounded like Dobi escaped out of your home. Do you mean he just escaped in the house? Are you getting another budgie to cage with Dobi?

[Birdtraineewhat]

I probably will considering I want him to be happy, despite his lack of desire to bond with people. He escaped his cage and flew into a few walls, and because I was worried he'd get hurt I chased him around. Plus my cat was loose and didn't want the cat to hurt him.

[Dragonlady2]

If your cat is in the same room as Dobi, that may be one of the reasons that you are having difficulty training Dobi. Dobi may be stressed out thinking your cat is a danger to him and he would be right. Cats should not be in the same room as birds. A stressed bird will suffer.
I have a bird net that I used to catch my diamond doves when they escaped. You could invest in one to make it easier to catch Dobi if he gets out.
If you get another bird, just watch to make sure they get along and don't injure each other. I hope you can find a nice friend for Dobi.

[Quakerella]

Bonding with birds is really no different than bonding with people. When you first meet someone you are not going to tell them your deepest secrets. You give it time so you know you can trust them. First you have to figure out if you like them and are comfortable with them.

When you first get a bird they are not going to trust you either. This takes time and there is no set rule as to how long. Patience and perserverance are the key.

I agree with Helena, try to keep your cat as far away from Dobi as possible.

Don't quit, keep trying. The reward is worth it in the end.:th_smile:

[Birdtraineewhat]

Dobi doesn't stay alone with the cat. I keep the bird in the bedroom. The cat could be a source of stress but can't keep the cat locked up all day. Dobi hit his face on the wall and may have injured himself but he's not visibly injured from my point of view.

[Birdtraineewhat]

I'll give it another month or so before getting another budgie. Maybe I can find a breeder nearby who hand rears budgies.

[PlaxMacaws]

Dobi doesn't stay alone with the cat. I keep the bird in the bedroom. The cat could be a source of stress but can't keep the cat locked up all day. Dobi hit his face on the wall and may have injured himself but he's not visibly injured from my point of view.Some things to consider: If Dobi (or any bird) flies within range of a cat and the cat swipes, the action will occur so quickly that your presence in the room will make little difference. Just one scratch from a cat claw can infect a bird with a normally present bacteria called pasteurella and thus impose painful and rapid death upon the bird. If Dobi is out of his cage in your bedroom, your cat should not be in the bedroom as well. At times, cats can even terrorize and kill birds while in their cages, pulling the cages onto the floor, etc. Please have a look at the following member posts:

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks](With-an-update)&p=32591#post32591

[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks](/page3&p=20704#post20704

Careful planning can go a long way toward preventing catastrophe in multi-species households :)

[Birdtraineewhat]

The cat is learning to steer clear of the bird cage if he doesn't want to get shot with water and put in his crate. The cage is generally within arms reach of me and carefully monitored. I don't take Dobi out at all right now and when I do the cat will be crated.

[Birdtraineewhat]

I do suppose anything bad happening would indeed be a CAT-tasrophe.

[PlaxMacaws]

The cat is learning to steer clear of the bird cage if he doesn't want to get shot with water and put in his crate. The cage is generally within arms reach of me and carefully monitored. I don't take Dobi out at all right now and when I do the cat will be crated.Very good on your decision to never allow Dobi out of his cage unless the cat is crated, considering that Dobi has already proven he may escape your control. And it's important to realize that deterrent-training a cat is not something one will want to depend upon when it comes to a pet bird's physical safety - even trained pets aren't 100% predictable. As such, the most critical thing you can do will be to never lapse on your practice of physically isolating Dobi from your cat. After all, all it takes is one incident and it may be over for poor Dobi :(

[Birdtraineewhat]

Surprisingly Dobi doesn't hate me after the traumatic escape. He won't hop on my hand to eat millet anymore, but he'll still eat it from my hand. There are still times where if I move just normally he freaks out. How long does that take to stop? I don't want him to get hurt.

[Birdtraineewhat]

Update: Continued improvement. Didn't think it, but Dobi seems to be still be getting better after the escape. Finally stepped up willingly for millet. Even started chirping on his own a little when I get excited. He also seems to enjoy head scratches. It feels like he has a weird bump on the side of his head though.

[Dragonlady2]

Great progress with Dobi! Keep working on it, you will be happy with the results. If you are worried about the bump on Dobi's head, you should take him/her to the vet to check on it.

[Birdtraineewhat]

What could it be? I've never owned a budgie before

[Birdtraineewhat]

So he is getting relatively okay with eating millet from my hand but he still freaks out over the absolute smallest movements. I tried giving him a bowl to take a bath in today and he went crazy around his cage and just sat still instead of being curious like most birds. When will that get better? I don't want him to get hurt :/

[Dragonlady2]

It might take weeks for him not to be so skittish. Just keep taking it slow and easy like you are doing.

Not all birds will take baths. What you can do is put a fresh dish of water in the cage for bathing every day and let him decide when/if he wants to try it. By the way, a few of my birds don't like being watched when they take a bath.

[Birdtraineewhat]

Odd thing is, when I'm home if I'm not paying attention to him he chirps until I talk to him. While I may be encouraging negative behavior I do give him attention as I'm currently the only one home to socialize with him. Should I stop? I feel like it's good to do this and I can correct this later. It isn't annoying me but my fiance may not like it too much.

[Dragonlady2]

If he stops while you are talking to him, he may just be listening to you. Budgies are chirpy by nature. It's not negative reinforcement to greet him or talk to him.

[Birdtraineewhat]

Okay. I figured he just wants to "chat".

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Is it a lump or a dip on the side of his head? Is there another one on the other side? You may be feeling the ear hole which is back from the eye. If it is a lump then a trip to the vets would be a good idea.

[Birdtraineewhat]

It's his ear I think.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Here's an article about parrot ears with a happy ending
[Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]
It shows very well where they are located.

[Birdtraineewhat]

OK so the last week or so Dobi has been very excited and vocal and running around his cage when my fiance was out on a trip. I was excited for her to come home and see Dobi act like that but instead he went back to being quiet and not doing much. I don't understand. Is it because he doesn't like her or something else?

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

Just shy I expect, they need to get to know each other. :)

[Dragonlady2]

Could be that your attention is now split between the bird and your fiancé and it is confused. Just keep up with talking to it and paying attention. It may bounce back once it gets used to your fiancé's return.

[Birdtraineewhat]

I'm not sure. I guess we'll know in the next few days.

[Birdtraineewhat]

So Dobi suddenly died this past weekend. We weren't home when it happened so we don't know what the cause was and we don't want to take him to get cut up and such. We figure he must have been sick from the get go since he never really acted like a normal budgie. Nevertheless it's sad and I'm not sure what I could have done to prevent it. We were planning on taking him to the vet tomorrow to get his first check up and get his wings trimmed.

[PlaxMacaws]

I'm very sorry to hear of Dobi's passing. It's terribly sad when a beloved pet dies. Without knowing more about your home and Dobi's environment, it's difficult to guess why he may have passed away. If it was due to disease and you don't order a necropsy, please be mindful that the pathogen leading to Dobi's demise may remain lingering upon his cage/accessories and within your home. As such, if you acquire another bird there's a chance that it may contract Dobi's very affliction and pass away as well. Again, I'm sorry to hear your sad news :'(

[Birdtraineewhat]

We're doing our research on what in the home may have led to it. We will be doing a thorough cleaning of his cage and toys to make sure.

[Lady]

I too am sorry to hear about Dobi. It is very difficult to deal with the loss of a member of the family, especially when you don't know what happen. I hope you continue with your research and try to figure out what might of happened, as there are so many possibilities.

[Casper's 2nd best friend]

So sorry to hear about poor little Dobi. As a survival tactic birds tend to disguise the fact that they are unwell otherwise they quickly get attacked by predators in the wild. So it is very hard for us to tell with our little fellas when we need to medicate. As you say, he may have been ailing already when he came to live with you but was putting on a brave effort to appear normal. So sad.