Hi hi!!

[zee.logy]

Hello! New member here and I barely found this welcome thread lolol..

Anyways, I'm a current vet assistant student who's also enrolled in an avian course so I can understand my birds better! I like musicals, any music really, and I got two budgies in December.

I was researching about birds for about a year or two before I received them, originally wanted 2 budgies-- but my cousin had 1 male and 1 female budgie for a year from Petsmart, didn't socialize with them much, and decided to ask if I wanted them since I had a cage for birds already because he couldn't handle the noise of them squawking at night LOL. (I personally don't support buying animals from there, but I didn't want to turn them down because he told me he wasn't going to keep them if I said no).

Renamed them, the male (greenish) is Makky but his full name is Mac Miller, and the female (yellow) is Kiki but her full name is Kikuo. Makky is more bold and at this point he only needs a few seconds to fly to my hand with millet. He'll fly around the room even diving near me but won't ever let me pet him, or touch him with my bare hand. Kiki is very shy, and is very skittish when I'm switching food and water. She flies sometimes, but she usually stays inside the cage while Makky explores. So it's really only been 3 months that I've had them, but we're making progress with Makky! Kiki not so much, she pretty much stays in her corner. (I'd love tips to help out with it..) Funny that my cousin gave them up because he warned me that they're very loud at night, but they sleep very well when it's night and I don't even use a cover. Most they'll make is a small squeak when I turn the light on for something. (I'm a night owl, so usually I'm doing schoolwork or playing games). They were also on a seed diet so im trying to switch them to pellets and veggies, so don't fully attack me for the seeds-- this was taken in January, they're slowly getting less and less seeds!

So obviously I'm a new bird owner! I probably won't be a big avian pet owner, but I am very interested in getting tiels or a gcc! (My cousins have sorts of budgies, parakeets, and conures so I love playing with their gcc, rocky)

So yeah! Hello and have an amazing day/night <3!! Sorry if this a bit long.. TT...

 

[clark_conure]

Whelp, Budgies are generally quiet so you won't have a problem with noise. I think he was lying about the noise to be honest.

Pet smart is not parrot mill, they buy from reputable breeders. They want the bird to be hardy and live a long time; they make their money off of food sales. You don't buy food for years for a bird that dies soon. There have been reports of stupid shit, but that would be stupid managers. I don't work for them or endorse them, I just understand the business model and they aren't making anything on selling a sick 40 dollar budgie if you only ever buy one bag of food and are turned off from owning another bird forever.

Put out broccoli they love the florets. Also mine LOVE apples cut into wedges maybe a wedge a day, get those millet clips and put the veggies and fruit in those.

The fact one will fly to you is awesome that means the other will also. They learn from each other more than you.

Going from a budgie to a GCC or cockatiel is a a big step, if you want to keep them around the budgies you have to get them young so they are not territorial, they are like twice the size, if you get them (bigger bird) as a baby it's not so much an issue.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Hello hello! Congrats on the budgies! I'd have budgies again, but I'm at my max for animals right now (6 parrots, 2 cats, and a dog! OY!). They are chipper, curious little critters. Love 'em to bits .

 

[zee.logy]

Whelp, Budgies are generally quiet so you won't have a problem with noise. I think he was lying about the noise to be honest.

Pet smart is not parrot mill, they buy from reputable breeders. They want the bird to be hardy and live a long time; they make their money off of food sales. You don't buy food for years for a bird that dies soon. There have been reports of stupid shit, but that would be stupid managers. I don't work for them or endorse them, I just understand the business model and they aren't making anything on selling a sick 40 dollar budgie if you only ever buy one bag of food and are turned off from owning another bird forever.

Put out broccoli they love the florets. Also mine LOVE apples cut into wedges maybe a wedge a day, get those millet clips and put the veggies and fruit in those.

The fact one will fly to you is awesome that means the other will also. They learn from each other more than you.

Going from a budgie to a GCC or cockatiel is a a big step, if you want to keep them around the budgies you have to get them young so they are not territorial, they are like twice the size, if you get them (bigger bird) as a baby it's not so much an issue.

Thank you for the tips! Personally (idk if it's kinda messed up to think ahead like this) but i was thinking just getting new birds after these ones die, i love them to death but if just 1 budgie pierces my ears-- how could i handle other breeds at the same time? I was thinking doing tiels after my budgies, and a gcc after! The gcc is more of a maybe, but tiels are a definite goal! They're absolute cuties despite their dusty feathers~

 

[zee.logy]

Hello hello! Congrats on the budgies! I'd have budgies again, but I'm at my max for animals right now (6 parrots, 2 cats, and a dog! OY!). They are chipper, curious little critters. Love 'em to bits .

At least my male is quite curious!! My female is timid-- only time will tell if she ever lets me just feed her from my hand like makky..

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Welcome! I have 19 budgies and have never heard of budgies making noise at night after lights out except occasional night frights when a bird gets spooked by something real or imaginary.
Good luck with Makky and Kiki. Some budgies take longer to warm up to people and some never do but it sounds like Makky likes you.

 

[zee.logy]

Welcome! I have 19 budgies and have never heard of budgies making noise at night after lights out except occasional night frights when a bird gets spooked by something real or imaginary.
Good luck with Makky and Kiki. Some budgies take longer to warm up to people and some never do but it sounds like Makky likes you.

19 budgies!? I can't imagine how that sounds during the day!! And i do hope kiki especially gets more used to me, even if those two won't like being touched, if they just know I won't hurt them, i'm happy. Although i do want a more affectionate bird one day hehe

 

[DonnaBudgie]

At times they can be noisy but its generally not too bad. Nowhere near as loud as larger parrots.

Most budgies, even the sweetest tamest ones, don't like to be touched or petted unless they're babies. I've handraised three from hatching and once they were fully fledged they stopped wanting cuddles. However, budgies like to groom us, perch on us, and chatter to us just like they do to each other. In fact, most parrots with the exception of some cockatoos, don't like being touched except on their heads. There are exceptions but if someone wants a bird to pet and cuddle like a dog or cat they'll probably be disappointed and eventually lose interest in the bird.

it makes sense because adult birds don't cuddle with or even groom each other except on the face, head and neck. Touching or petting their backs is a sexual invitation or sometimes a show of dominance (putting a foot on another budgies back). I've never seen parrots touch each others' wings, tails, or bellies so why would birds tolerate us doing it?