Boring budgies :-(

[Cliffordsmom]

My babies Odin and Diana do not ever ever ever play with their toys. At the most Odin will peck at the mirror until its facing him then sing to himself for hours on end. Mostly they sit on their perch and talk to each other or preen each other.
At the breeders today Bongo and I were watching the budgies play, and man o man were they active....It makes me said that my babies dont seem to be having fun. I know that they are very happy and healthy, could this just be normal for them?
I bought a hanging play gym for them and a spiral rope perch today and a couple more half off toys. I'm thinking to take out their boring perches all together and maybe this will entice them to play a little more.
What do you think?

Heres a pic, this is not their normal cage, this is one of the cages I use while im cleaning the other one. They arent tame so I cant get them out to take a better pic.

 

[cdog]

Well if they aren't tame they might just be scared of you and that's why they aren't playing. It took my sisters budgies 2 months before they touched a toy, they might just need to get used to you still.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Well if they aren't tame they might just be scared of you and that's why they aren't playing. It took my sisters budgies 2 months before they touched a toy, they might just need to get used to you still.

Odin used to be tame. I had to get a second job about a year ago so I got him Diana to keep him comfortable and he is now hers and wants nothing to do with me outside of playing the mimick game. He tries to teach me how to talk parakeet. He will make a sound and I will repeat it, or try to, he will keep doing it till i get it right, then will move on to the next sound. I can get him to mimick my whistles.

 

[cdog]

Well it doesn't sound like hes scared of you. What kind of toys do you have for them?

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Well it doesn't sound like hes scared of you. What kind of toys do you have for them?

I have lots! I usually try and make toys for them from palm pieces, and such. crispy shreddable ones, ones with little wood beads, little plastic beads, small bells, small wood (popsicle sticks), pieces of shredder paper, little birdie bagels etc....I change them out after i notice they havent touched them for 2 weeks or so and give them to Clifford. He destroys them in 15 minutes!

 

[Marnie]

dandelions are nice and fresh this time of year and my budgies loved to have them clipped to the side of the cage. i wet them 1st so they could get a little wet if they wanted. mine also loved bells and mirrors.
maybe a piece of peacock feather clipped to the side would give them some preening fun.
i love budgies, they are so cute!

 

[mandolynn]

Maybe you haven't found the right toys yet. Is there anything either of them have been interested in? Or do they seem afraid of the toys? How many do you put in at a time in what size cage? Do you switch perches too?

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Maybe you haven't found the right toys yet. Is there anything either of them have been interested in? Or do they seem afraid of the toys? How many do you put in at a time in what size cage? Do you switch perches too?

Mirrors!!! Odin LOOOOOOOVES mirrors. But If I put one in there he wont even move away from it to eat. sigh. They are not afraid of them, they just dont touch them. There are 4 toys in there now and I do not know the cage diameters. The breeder has one that is the same cage and he says its good for them because they can fly in it, but he did recomend looking into a different one that is shorter and wider. the one I have is very tall, and not so wide. I have not switched perches yet, but they have several different types. concrets, natural wood, rope, and the plain ol perch that came with the cage. That is their perch of choice and will avoid all the others.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

dandelions are nice and fresh this time of year and my budgies loved to have them clipped to the side of the cage. i wet them 1st so they could get a little wet if they wanted. mine also loved bells and mirrors.
maybe a piece of peacock feather clipped to the side would give them some preening fun.
i love budgies, they are so cute!

I am going to try the dandelion thing! We do not spray the yard, so do you think it would be safe just to pluck them and bring them in after a rinsing?

I love budgies too. These were my first birds and they have my heart.

 

[mcw009]

Have you got any shiny plastic toys? My budgies hardly ever touch their wooden toys or anything with a matte finish. They do enjoy some shred-ables though, and they LOVE their bird kabob.
Insight Activitoys are for sure my boys' favorites. I try to avoid toys with large mirrors so they don't get confused though.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Have you got any shiny plastic toys? My budgies hardly ever touch their wooden toys or anything with a matte finish. They do enjoy some shred-ables though, and they LOVE their bird kabob.
Insight Activitoys are for sure my boys' favorites. I try to avoid toys with large mirrors so they don't get confused though.

They do have toys with plastic parts beads, bells, pacifires, etc. Palm leaves for shredding, and forraging boxes with paper...

 

[mandolynn]

Insight toys are awesome for budgies! And they are cheap, and have little mirrors on some of them, just enough to catch their attention. I love dandielions and plantains and other healthy greens that everyone else calls weeds. I pick them everyday when they're out for my birds and torties. And i grow them in the winter. I like little interactive toys for budgies, like insight.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Insight toys are awesome for budgies! And they are cheap, and have little mirrors on some of them, just enough to catch their attention. I love dandielions and plantains and other healthy greens that everyone else calls weeds. I pick them everyday when they're out for my birds and torties. And i grow them in the winter. I like little interactive toys for budgies, like insight.

I will for sure check them out. thank you

 

[DannyA93]

Maybe its not the right kind of toy but maybe that they don't know what to do with it?? they don't have those kinds of toys in the wild and some just don't figure it out. When i bought my budgie she didn't show any interest at all! i had to show her how to play i guess haha so i would play with them and show her how much fun they are and now she plays with them a lil bit but prefers to be with me haha! idk how that would work for untame budgies maybe play with them on a table next to them outside there cage to show them?

 

[luvmytooo]

Some keets take a liking to acrylic toys. I would also try natural perched too.
They give them some thing to pick and shred and just keeps them busy.
I also like to give them finch nests to destroy , they LOVE them , lol.
I would also try removing some toys that you have in there , they could be frightened or just bothered by something...
I bought a small coconut shell that we hollowed out and has a small perch attached to it.
My guys love to climb in and out of it and actually one of my hens like to sleep in it , lolol.
My parrots have a large one that Rosi used to love but ow she doesn't touch it at all , I Myut it in the keets cage and see what happens. I have bought toys made for bigger birds because they last longer. Try ladders too , keets like to climb in and around the rungs.
I also have a birdie buddy and a tent in their cage , there is usually one or two in them st anytime of day , lol. I know some people have had terrible experiences with the tents and birdie buddy's , but if you inspect them daily , they should be fine , but I just want to make sure your aware of that
I first would eliminate all toys and slowly put things back one at a time everyday.
You might notice them attracted to one toy or they may be put off by another and obviously that one ( if possible ) goes to Clifford
Oh yeah , my guys love jumping on all the perches I have for them , mostly natural ones , but they seem to like it busy with lots of places to land and swing on.
Would adding another keet to the cage be a possibility ? Sometimes , when another
young playful one is added to the flock , it can stimulate the others to play and chirp , etc...
Good luck . BTW , your keets are adorable !

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Some keets take a liking to acrylic toys. I would also try natural perched too.
They give them some thing to pick and shred and just keeps them busy.
I also like to give them finch nests to destroy , they LOVE them , lol.
I would also try removing some toys that you have in there , they could be frightened or just bothered by something...
I bought a small coconut shell that we hollowed out and has a small perch attached to it.
My guys love to climb in and out of it and actually one of my hens like to sleep in it , lolol.
My parrots have a large one that Rosi used to love but ow she doesn't touch it at all , I Myut it in the keets cage and see what happens. I have bought toys made for bigger birds because they last longer. Try ladders too , keets like to climb in and around the rungs.
I also have a birdie buddy and a tent in their cage , there is usually one or two in them st anytime of day , lol. I know some people have had terrible experiences with the tents and birdie buddy's , but if you inspect them daily , they should be fine , but I just want to make sure your aware of that
I first would eliminate all toys and slowly put things back one at a time everyday.
You might notice them attracted to one toy or they may be put off by another and obviously that one ( if possible ) goes to Clifford
Oh yeah , my guys love jumping on all the perches I have for them , mostly natural ones , but they seem to like it busy with lots of places to land and swing on.
Would adding another keet to the cage be a possibility ? Sometimes , when another
young playful one is added to the flock , it can stimulate the others to play and chirp , etc...
Good luck . BTW , your keets are adorable !

Thank you! I recently put a swing and a rope perch in the cage, they love them both They bounce on the rope and swing all day and there are little pieces of birdie bagels on the swing that they shred. It takes them a while but they are working at it. Chirping has never been a problem for them, they sing and chirp all day long.
Dont tell my boyfriend but I thought about getting another budgie, or a parotlett today because the breeder has the cutest ones I have ever seen, but if I put another budgie in the cage he will not like me anymore :-( lol. I dont know. I would have 100 birds if I had the time and money and room for them.

 

[luvmytooo]

Some keets take a liking to acrylic toys. I would also try natural perched too.
They give them some thing to pick and shred and just keeps them busy.
I also like to give them finch nests to destroy , they LOVE them , lol.
I would also try removing some toys that you have in there , they could be frightened or just bothered by something...
I bought a small coconut shell that we hollowed out and has a small perch attached to it.
My guys love to climb in and out of it and actually one of my hens like to sleep in it , lolol.
My parrots have a large one that Rosi used to love but ow she doesn't touch it at all , I Myut it in the keets cage and see what happens. I have bought toys made for bigger birds because they last longer. Try ladders too , keets like to climb in and around the rungs.
I also have a birdie buddy and a tent in their cage , there is usually one or two in them st anytime of day , lol. I know some people have had terrible experiences with the tents and birdie buddy's , but if you inspect them daily , they should be fine , but I just want to make sure your aware of that
I first would eliminate all toys and slowly put things back one at a time everyday.
You might notice them attracted to one toy or they may be put off by another and obviously that one ( if possible ) goes to Clifford
Oh yeah , my guys love jumping on all the perches I have for them , mostly natural ones , but they seem to like it busy with lots of places to land and swing on.
Would adding another keet to the cage be a possibility ? Sometimes , when another
young playful one is added to the flock , it can stimulate the others to play and chirp , etc...
Good luck . BTW , your keets are adorable !

Thank you! I recently put a swing and a rope perch in the cage, they love them both They bounce on the rope and swing all day and there are little pieces of birdie bagels on the swing that they shred. It takes them a while but they are working at it. Chirping has never been a problem for them, they sing and chirp all day long.
Dont tell my boyfriend but I thought about getting another budgie, or a parotlett today because the breeder has the cutest ones I have ever seen, but if I put another budgie in the cage he will not like me anymore :-( lol. I dont know. I would have 100 birds if I had the time and money and room for them.

BTW , if you add another keet to your flock , and hand tame it before adding it to the to her two , it will stay hand tame. You just need to work with that one everyday. It is possible , but you need to put the time in , that's all