Need help with Parakeets

Hi there! I am just needing some advice from some fellow parakeet owners. So a month ago I got my first parakeet. He is a male named Ripley. I got him from a pet store because I could not find one for adoption or one from a breeder around me. Well the girl that got Ripley for me was not very good at catching him and chased him around the cage for a good ten minutes. So by this point he was terrified. I knew that I needed to give him a week to get used to his new cage but it wasn't working. He did not move, eat, or drink anything. With me getting worried I consulted a vet. Vet said that best bet was for me to get another male parakeet. So this is what I did. His name is Finn. After a day of having Finn, Ripley was eating, drinking, and even talking! So after having them for a little over a month and working with them day by day I am getting no where. And yes I know that it takes some time from reading other posts but what I am looking for is advice from someone who also has two parakeets that are fairly young. Finn and Ripley are bonding with each other and want nothing to do to me. Please help! And thank you in advance!

Hello and welcome to you, Finn and Ripley!

All birds have are individuals but it's very common for two budgies to bond to each other rather than their human family members. Budgies are usually pretty friendly but you will need to work with them on a regular basis to gain their trust. Talk to them, offer them millet spray in the palm of your hand, let them come to you.

We have a wonderful group of budgie enthusiasts, I'm sure some of them will be along to help.

All the budgies I've seen or heard of bonding close to a human were single birds. They are a species where once they have another of their own kind, humans take a back seat. You might get lucky and find that one or both can get fairly tame depending largely on individual personality. I had one male, who despite being with a friend did get half tame without much work. The other one I just lost was not at all interested in bonding with me although he wasn't afraid. Good luck! Budgies make great little pets regardless. I never tire of their cuteness and funny antics.

Hello!
I am currently working on hand taming a flock of 4 buds all at completely different stages with very different personalities.
It's NOT impossible.
What are you doing to encourage them to "like" you?
Sitting by the cage talking (maybe not looking at them)
Offering a treat between the cage wires?
Putting millet in your palm and slowly moving your hand towards them?

How do they act when your hand is in their cage?

I was 13 or 14 yrs old when Mom got me my first "pet bird"..a male Budgee <Wally>.. Every day,a couple times a day,for about 15 minutes at a time,I'd sit by Wallys house and just talk quietly to him..after he became accustomed to this..i.e. not running to the other side of his house,I'd put my finger in his cage and still talk to him quietly..It took only a week or so before he started to "step up" on to my finger while in his house.

Only a couple weeks later it took,for me to have him on my finger and take him out of his house.

He turned into being an unbelievable pet! Became friendly with Mom and my two brothers..the family CAT <he would ride on Moes's back and moe didn't care lol> He showered under the kitchen sink faucet..or my cereal bowl .. played..would "fight" with my pen or pencil while I did homework..loved to zoom into the living room and hang upside down and yell at the bird in the mirror that hung on the wall..he even talked fairly well. Wally is the reason I have parrots now!

Just take it slow with your guy,but be consistent with your taming practice.


Jim

Those are some great memories Jim . Although of course we now know not to have our birds ride on the cat's back, or anywhere near cats ! Right?

RavensGryf said:

Those are some great memories Jim . Although of course we now know not to have our birds ride on the cat's back, or anywhere near cats ! Right?

Click to expand...

LOL..I don't know exactly...don't have any cats! Not a big cat person anyway lol


Jim