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#28715 01/03/03 03:57 AM
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I have a few questions here, please be patient with me <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I have a new baby parakeet (about 8wks old when I bought him a month ago) named Tweety. I've been working with him and he'll step from his perch to my finger or hand and let me put him on my shoulder, only when he feels like it though. He seems reluctant to land on my hand and has never voluntarily come to me, I guess it's still early for that or is there something I should do to encourage him to fly to me? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

He seems to only like millett seed, I've tried various store bought freeze dried "parakeet treats", he hated them. I've tried fresh foods , lettuce, bread, raisins, grapes... he won't touch any of it. yet everything I read says that parakeets are supposed to love this stuff but this one just picks the millett out of the seed mixture and will devour the millett spray that I hand feed him, but that's it. Am I doing something wrong or is he just a picky eater?

Also.. he seems afraid of the bird bath I've offered to him (a small bowl sold as a water dish for cats) is this normal? do some birds just not like it or do I need to keep working with him?

Lastly, he is scared(I guess) when I try to move away from the cage area with him how do I get him used to the rest of the room when he only feels safe in the cage? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
NOTE (he has an open cage, I removed the top so he could come and go as he pleased)

I've had cats and dogs my whole life so this is new and very unfamiliar territory in pet ownership. Any advice or suggestions from experienced parakeet owners is much appreciated. Thanks <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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I'm just on my way out to work Angora, so this is just a quick answer and I'll probably have more to say tonight when I get home.

First of all, after only 4 weeks, you're doing fine with taming your new little buddy. It takes time to completely gain their trust and if he is sitting on your finger and your shoulder already, you're almost there.

For foods, try giving him things that you eat yourself. Some nice warm mashed potatoes that you eat in front of him & offer him a bite. Some hard boiled egg - a bite of an apple or banana, etc that you are eating. If he sees you eating it, he is more apt to give it a try.

For a bath, budgies often like running water. A slowly dripping water faucett will probably attract him more than an open bowl of water or a spray bottle on a light mist.

OK - hope this helps & I'll be back after work to see if I can think of more.


Mavis
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Hi again Angora - I'm back.

I don't have too much to add to this morning's post, but one thing I noticed is that you said the cage does not have a top so he can come & go when he wants. I hope this is only when you are home to supervise! Birds can get into a lot of trouble with chewing if left outside the cage unsupervised.

Its normal for him to feel safer in & around his cage, but just try taking him a little further away each time. Once he feels completely safe with you, he'll be happy to be with you wherever you are.

You're right - bird ownership is much different than dog or cat ownership!


Mavis
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Hi,our baby budgie took his time eating various things. It took 2mths before he started eating veggies. I just one day was watching him after I put his food out and low and behold he was eating it. Before that just his seed and millet. Now he has a variety of things but he will take weeks before he will eat new things.
So don't worry just keep putting things out for him and one day he will surpise you and eat it.
Also age I am sure will have a factor, and feeling safe in his new surroundings. Ink spots cage door is always open when we are home, at first he stayed in and around the cage, now he will even come out of our sons room and walk into the living area.
Just be patient and you will be rewarded. They are terrific birds. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Take care
Dawn

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Thanks for the advice and encouragement. Mavis, you mention that he may get in trouble with chewing... do you mean that he may chew up things in the room or ingest something harmful?? I have noticed that he will land in the molding over the door and nibble at something... the dust or paint chips, maybe? I can only assume that this is harmful, should be preventing him from doing this?

Kathy


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That and coming in second place.
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Depending on the age of your home, those paint chips could have lead in them, which yes, can be very dangerous for your bird. Even if its a newer paint, I wouldn't think that would be a healthy snack for him.

When I used to have birds flying around my livingroom (they are all in free flying flights or have their wings clipped now), I hung a plastic over the door & window frames to prevent them from landing up there. I also made sure they had plenty of safe places to land lower down.


Mavis
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Hello! I have birds too and I think you're doing very well to have him finger-tame already. Just to add to all the wonderful advice, I personally would recommend clipping his wings. That way he will feel more dependent on you and know that he can't just fly off when he wants to. Also, sometimes it's helpful to take him to a safe room away from the view of the cage for further training such as laddering (making him step from one finger to another - getting him used to the "step" command) and general bonding. Don't give up on offering the fresh and cooked foods! Eventually he'll taste something and decide you're not trying to poison him after all. Budgies can be notoriously suspicious. I have an 8-year old cockatiel and a 7-year old eastern rosella parakeet and a 4-year old budgie. The budgie is probably the smartest one of the three and has quite a vocabulary now. Budgies are wonderful pets, stubborn but wonderful so keep working on him while he's young! Best of luck!

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I think letting your bird have the run of the house is great, but please remember to turn off any ceiling fans--my friend lost a bird when it flew into the ceiling fan--very, very sad! Also watch for electrical wires--birds love to chew these and if they chew through them....also very sad!

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Thank you to Lizzy and Lydia for the advice. While I realize the usefulness of clipping the birds wings I disagree with the practice. I've always felt that pet owners have a responsibility to work around the inconvenient physical attributes of our pets. After a lifetime of cat ownership I have yet to ever declaw a cat... I did train them not to scratch up the furniture though. And speaking of cats... as much as I'd like to give my birdie the house, for his own safety I have to keep him confined to one room that is strictly off limits to the two cats in the house. They are the other reason I don't dare clip his wings, if the cats should ever get in the room or he get out, the power of flight is the only thing that will save his life.
Until he's better trained where, I'm confident that I can control the situation I have to keep him confined to the bedroom.


Fear is a Powerful Motivator
That and coming in second place.

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