In need of a companion..

[pickygrackle]

few weeks ago, I lost my nearly 40-year-old eclectus. She was also a rescue, my second rescue. Thunder chicken got along with her extremely well. they always interacted with my supervision, playing, preening, flying, eating and just being happy birds. Jen my Eclectus died from a leg infection and old age. She lost her left leg when she was a baby to a... yep.. a leg band. I want to get thunder chicken's removed very badly, however she'd have to go under anesthesia. Any whom, thunder chicken has been acting out. Things I usually don't see from her. Like all night long screaming... I cover her cage at night. in the beginning its quiet. as it starts, it doesn't end. I'm not sure how much sleep she gets in the night. she does a lot of sleeping in the day. When she isn't sleeping, she's sitting by the window and looking at the birds outside on the feeder. chirping endlessly. screaming. she almost gets this worried look. shell climb up the windowsill and frantically try to escape and see the grackles and bluejays. even though she's smart, I'm not sure she understands that Jen isn't coming back. she knows she's is gone, but I don't think she knows it's forever. I'm still living with my parents. i am 16 and they fully support my online schooling choices and my future career path, hopefully in avian medicine. That being said, I can't get any more animals until I'm out of the house. my 12-year-old sister has a guinea pig, she may be getting a second one. "because they are social creatures." I DON'T KNOW BOUT GUINEA PIGS BUT BUDGIES TRAVEL IN GIGANTIC FLOCKS, BIRDS ARE EXTREMELY SOCIAL ANIMALS I- Thunder chicken doesn't get along with budgies. other larger parakeets, she does. She gets along with any bird that is bigger than her it seems. That does mean she can't be housed with a bird, but she can still interact. Someone help... IN THE PHOTS SHE LOOKING AT DE GRACKS AND BLURB JERS
http://www.parrotforums.com/attachm.../22206d1553619282-need-companion-dscn1178.jpg

http://www.parrotforums.com/attachm.../22207d1553619429-need-companion-dscn1185.jpg

 

[EllenD]

First off, I'm so sorry that you lost your Eclectus, and especially partially due to a bad leg-band...Not all leg-bands are bad or cause issues at all, the only time a leg-band does cause an issue is when the bird's breeder either puts the leg-band on the bird too-late (they have to be put on the bird's leg within the first 2-weeks of the bird's life), or they use the wrong type/size of leg-band for the species of bird. Most-all of the birds I've seen who have issues with their leg-bands being too tight were due to the bird's breeder waiting far too long to put the leg-band on the bird (inexperienced breeders that don't know any better typically), and I've also seen birds who have the wrong type of leg-band on their legs (open-banded or closed-banded, which should be dictated/determined by where the bird is bred geographically based on the locations requirements)...So your Budgie's leg-band is probably just fine; if you look at his leg-band and it's loose, not squeezing his leg at all, and easily moves up and down his leg, and the color of his skin below the location of the bank is not at all blue or black, then his leg-band is just fine and shouldn't cause him any issues...I don't want you to worry about putting your Budgie under anesthesia to have his leg-band removed because you think it's going to hurt his leg or possibly cause necrosis of his foot/let and kill him, when in-fact his leg-band is perfectly fine, as most are. If your Budgie's leg-band is extremely tight and doesn't at all move freely up/down and around his leg, or if you can actually see that his toes/foot and his leg below the location of the band is AT ALL swollen or blue/black in color, then that's an emergency and it's definitely worth having them put him under VERY SHORT-ACTING SEDATION to clip it off quickly with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or wire-cutters (takes 2 seconds), or even with fingernail-clippers if it's a thin, plastic band...THEY SHOULD USE ONLY EITHER #1) ISOFLURENE GAS or #2) LIQUID NASAL SEDATION TO PUT YOUR BUDGIE UNDER SEDATION TO CLIP-OFF HIS LEG-BAND, AND NOT EVER EVEN THINK ABOUT USING ANY TYPE OF "GENERAL ANESTHESIA" TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT (or for any other procedures other than Surgical Procedures and that's it). Both Isoflurene Gas and Liquid Nasal Sedation are extremely short-acting and both are completely gone from a bird's blood-stream/system in a matter of minutes, and should be used for most-all small procedures like Sutures/Wound-Repair, or most-all Imaging-Tests such as regular X-Rays, Ultrasounds, and CT Scans. The only "Test" in-general that requires the use of any type of General-Anesthetic is an MRI Imaging Test, because they take up to an hour or longer to complete...That's about it...No Veterinarian should EVER have to use ANY SEDATION AT ALL to do things like do a Blood-Draw from their neck to run Blood-Work, Clip Toenails or Clip Wings, File their Beaks with a hand-file, etc. All of these things can easily and quickly be done by any experienced Avian Vet by simply "Toweling" the bird while it's completely awake...And honestly, I've clipped-off many a leg-band from all different species of parrots, game birds, ands poultry birds, and I've never once put a single bird under ANY type of sedation or anesthesia at all to do it, not even a short-acting sedation like Isoflurene Gas or Liquid Nasala Sedation. All you do is "Towel" the bird, hold out it's leg with the band on it, and quickly clip it off in about 2 seconds with a pair of toenail-clippers, period. So I don't know who told you that your Budgie would have to be put under sedation/anesthesia to simply clip-off his leg band, but UNLESS HIS LEG-BAND IS EXTREMELY TIGHT ON HIS LEG TO THE POINT THAT IT HAS NO SPACE UNDERNEATH IT AT ALL, WHICH WOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE MEDICAL-EMERGENCY THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ASAP, HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE SEDATED AT ALL TO CLIP IT OFF, AND SIMPLY NEEDS TO BE "TOWELED" AND HAVE IT DONE.

****As far as the way your Budgie has been acting since your Eclectus died, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOUR ECLECTUS DIED?

It does take parrots quite a while to adjust to a bird in their Flock no longer being there, the same as it takes them quite a while to adjust to a new bird coming-in to their Flock...Parrots do in-fact mourn losses of their Flock-members, and even more-so when they are part of an opposite-sex bonded-pair. In-fact, most parrots mourn losses of their loved-ones very much the same way that we as people mourn losses of our loved-ones. It's no different than a parrot who has lived in a home with "their person" for a long time, the person who they are closely bonded-to, and then they are re-homed to a new home or surrendered to a Rescue or Shelter...It usually takes a very long time for them settle-in to their new home/environment, and a much longer time to start to even pay attention to their new owner, let alone giving their trust to a new person or actually bonding with someone else...It's just all about time, patience, and giving him as much of your own time, attention, and love to help him get over his loss, just like you have to get over losing your Eclectus...You both need to help each other to get through this difficult time...And time is the only thing that is going to help either of you get through your mourning and move forward...

****As far as even thinking about bringing home a new "friend" for your Budgie (or any other bird in any other situation in the future for that matter), there is absolutely NO WAY to know what type of relationship your Budgie would have with ANY new bird you bring home, and vice-versa for the new bird you bring home. So there is absolutely NO GUARANTEE AT ALL that any new bird of any species, size, sex, etc. that you might bring home will get along at all with your current Budgie. All birds form relationships/bonds with other birds in much the same way that we as people form relationships/bonds with other people...They might absolutely love each other, want to share the same "territory" (cage) with each other, and bond so closely with each other that your current Budgie's bond with you falls apart...They might like each other quite a bit, but not enough to share the same cage...They may like each other but not really be attached to each other. They may not like each other much at all, but simply "tolerate" each other being around...They might really dislike each other, want nothing to do with each other, and stay far away from each other like neither one even exists...They might absolutely HATE each other and stay far, far away from each other at all times...And they might absolutely HATE each other to the point that they cannot even be out in the same room together without becoming physically aggressive and violent with each other, often even killing each other...AND ANY NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES IN-BETWEEN ALL OF THOSE I JUST LISTED...

For this reason there is a sort of "Rule" that we in this forum tell people in your position quite often, whenever they lose a bird but have it's flock-mate remaining, or they buy a bird and are worried that they "need a friend' while they're away at work during the day...And this "Rule" is "NEVER BUY A SECOND BIRD FOR YOUR CURRENT/FIRST BIRD! ONLY BRING ANOTHER BIRD INTO YOUR HOME/LIFE/FAMILY BECAUSE YOU WANT ANOTHER BIRD AS A FRIEND/COMPANION/PET FOR YOURSELF OR ANOTHER HUMAN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD!!!"

It's a good rule to follow, because quite often people end-up with 2 birds that hate each other or can't even be in the same room together out of their cages, and then they are responsible for being the Flock-Mate/Friend/Companion/Parent to 2 birds that need all of their spare-time instead of just one. YOU are your Budgie's Flock-Mate, YOU are your Budgie's friend, companion, parent, etc. And even though your Budgie lost another Flock-Mate that he was close to, that doesn't mean that he needs you to go bring home a replacement for your Eclectus...Can you imagine having one of your closest friends or family-members suddenly dying, and having your parent bring home a total stranger that you've never seen before in your life and that you know nothing about, and them telling you "Here, this is your new friend to replace the one you just lost!"???? Sounds totally ridiculous, but that's exactly the same thing that a bird owner is doing by going out and choosing a "new friend" for their current bird who lost a flock-mate, as we all know how extremely intelligent, aware, and emotional parrots are.

Yes, you are correct in that Budgies (and most-all other species of parrots) are Flock-Animals, and they are extremely social Flock-Animals at that...But that's why your Budgie has YOU! YOU and whomever else lives in your home, whether they be people, animals, or other birds, are your Budgie's Flock-Mates, he knows you, he loves you, and as long as you are still there for him he will be totally fine and back to normal in-time...It's just going to take some time...

 

[EllenD]

By the way, Thunder-Chicken is an extremely gorgeous little Budgie...I've owned/bred/hand-raised both American and English Budgies since I was 6 years-old, so I've got a special place in my heart for them, and she's just a beautiful little sweetheart of a Budgie...

 

[pickygrackle]

It's been a few months since she passed. About 8 months. I don't plan on adopting anybirdy soon. It would probably be in the next 2 years. I would obviously introduce her appropriately at the shelter if I found a potential rescue. Observing interactions in multiple settings etc.. Not completely sure what's up with our vet... Smells kinda fishy in here. He's said many questionable things in the past. Also, today thunder chicken was displaying hormonal actions. She would start every time a bird landed on the feeder outside. Light chirping, regurgitation, and trying out one of her toys under herself. She's surprisingly never displayed any hormonal behavior. should I discourage it, or let it run its course? by discouraging I don't mean anything negative of course.

 

[EllenD]

How old is Thunder Chicken? I'm assuming she is over a year old, so she's already long been through puberty, so this is probably just her normal Spring-Fever hormonal-period...Some captive/pet birds go through it every year, or twice a year, once in the early Spring to early Summer, and then again in the Fall, and some don't ever really display ANY hormonal behaviors at all, even while going through their first puberty, and then one day out of nowhere they just suddenly start displaying hormonal-behaviors, sometimes when they're already years-old; we have a member with a 7 year-old Sun Conure who had NEVER displayed any real, prior hormonal behavior, she's had her since she was a little baby who was just-weaned, and then just recently, at 7 years-old, she suddenly became extremely hormonal and produced her first infertile-egg, which was HUGE and caused her to become immediately Egg-Bound, and she had to have emergency open-abdominal surgery to remove the Egg or she would have died...And that happened out of nowhere at 7 years-old, so you just never know when it's going to happen.

Puberty for both American and English Budgies can happen any time between 5 months and 1 year-old, usually it's closer to when they are around 1 year-old (probably in 80% of all Budgies it's around 1 year-old), unless they are housed as young babies/juveniles with an older, mature Budgie of the opposite-sex that is constantly trying to breed them, this can push-up their phyical and psychological puberty to as early as 5 months-old, as can just simply being housed with multiple older, sexually mature Budgies of either sex who are going through their hormonal-periods or who are breeding with each other inside of the same cage as a very young baby or juvenile, which is one of the MANY reasons why housing multiple Budgies of the opposite sex and also of varying age-groups together is very, very, very BAD for them (called "Community-Breeding" when they're just put together in a quantity of 4 or more birds of the opposite sex, and which is a horrible, unethical, and usually traumatic and tragic way of breeding/housing birds, specifically Budgies, Cockatiels, and other parrots that are mass-bred or sold in mass-quantities like they're Cattle)...But typically if your Budgie is between 6 months and 1 year-old, and they suddenly become hormonal/display hormonal behaviors, it's puberty...In adult Budgies who have already long ago gone through puberty, they can go through a "hormonal period" or display hormonal-behaviors at any time and for a lot of different reasons...Or they might go for years without showing any hormonal behaviors...So trying to figure-out the "Why" is extremely frustrating unless the cause is obvious....

All birds are going to have hormonal periods from time to time, and a little bit of chirping, heart-wings, regurgitation, etc. is completely normal...However, there are a few things that you want to make sure she doesn't have constant-access to, both inside of her cage and out, because these can cause constant, chronic hormonal-periods/behavior, and with a female Budgie that usually results in chronic egg-laying, which is very bad for her health...

Does she have anything inside of her cage (or outside anywhere) that creates a small, dark place that she can get inside of or underneath? Examples would be any of the bird Beds, Tents, "Happy/Snuggle Huts, Hammocks, or any types of boxes at all; also, does she have access to anything inside of her cage that can be used as "nesting-material", like any type of pet-bedding, wood-chips, shredded-paper, or newspaper or sheets of paper that she can get underneath?

***If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you must remove it and never give it back to her ever again, they don't need "beds" of any kind to sleep in, they only cause hormonal behavior and health-issues, and in the case of the "Happy/Snuggle Huts", death...And make sure that all newspaper/cage-liners are UNDERNEATH the grate in the bottom of her cage...

***Also, never let her get underneath any furniture, behind pillows, under blankets/towels, etc. while she's outside of her cage, because the same thing will happen...

Other than that, she's probably just having her Spring-Fever period, they all do to some extent (and usually then again in the late summer/early fall)...If it continues for much longer than a few days to a week, or it's constant, like all day long and every day, then whatever she's watching outside may be triggering it, and then you need to limit it/stop it, but usually watching birds outside doesn't really cause a constant, chronic hormonal-behavior, at least not in my experience...But every bird is different, so you want to keep an eye on her. It should pass in a week or two...Trying to "discourage" hormonal behavior is fine if it becomes chronic/constant, but you have to be very careful not to punish your bird or make them feel like they're doing something wrong, because that can cause a lot larger issues...So it's best to just make sure that she doesn't have access to any small, dark places/boxes at all inside or outside of her cage, if she does just remove them immediately and don't give them back to her, don't give her any warm, mushy foods (they represent the food their mothers and fathers fed them as babies or the hand-feeding formula they were fed), and try to make sure that she is getting at least 10-12 hours of sleep each and ever night...And then it will most-likely pass in a week or two, if not then I'd stop the looking out the window at the other birds and see if that stops it, but I'd not do that until you give her a week or two to snap-out of it...

 

[EllenD]

By the way, I forgot to add, try to refrain from petting/scratching/touching her anywhere but on her head, face, under her chin, and on the back of her neck, and that's it. If you pet/touch her anywhere else they can be 'erogenous zones" that can cause her hormones to rage, especially on her upper-legs/around her vent/cloaca area, her lower belly/chest, under her wings, and on her mid to lower back...Those are the no-no areas, lol...

Also, any time she become hormonal, you want to make sure that you are giving her a large portion of fresh Dark, Leafy Greens and fresh Veggies each and every day along with her regular seed-mix or pellets. Pretty much all Dark, Leafy Greens are extremely high in Calcium, Phosphorous, Vitamin D, etc. (EXCEPT FOR the Dark, Leafy varieties of Lettuces, such as the Romaine Lettuces and the Green-Leaf Lettuces, they aren't nearly as nutrient-dense as the Non-Lettuce Greens, so try to stick to whatever Dark, Leafy Greens you have access to at your local Grocery Store that aren't any types of Lettuce)...I don't know where you live, but believe it or not, all Walmarts sell a really large variety of fresh Dark, Leafy Greens, and they are usually half the price of a regular Grocery Store...So when I am buying fresh Greens, fresh Veggies, and fresh Fruit for my Birds and my Bearded Dragon (also the place I buy fresh Nuts for bird Treats), I buy them at Walmart, and then if I'm looking for some Veggie, Green, or Fruit that is either something that Walmart doesn't sell, or I am cooking a big meal for other people besides me and I want to buy really high-quality fresh Veggies, Greens, Herbs, and Fruit, then I go to Wegmans and buy it there, especially if I'm cooking Indian or Thai food, because Walmart doesn't sell the variety of Asian Greens and Veggies that I need...But for the birds and the Beardie, Walmart sells fresh Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, Collard Greens, Dandelion Greens (you can put these from your own yard as long as you know that your property hasn't been treated/sprayed with any chemicals, don't pull them from anywhere else because you can't know if they have been treated with non-Organic chemicals or fertilizers), Arugula/Rocket, Raddicio, Broccoli Rab (they LOVE Broccoli Rab Greens and of course the flowers), Swiss Chard, Endive, Escarole, and really nice, huge, fresh Bok Choy for $0.99 a pound! The love Bok Choy and Pak Choy as well...I often also buy some fresh Cilantro and mix a little bit in with the rest of their fresh Greens (not a lot, just enough so all of their fresh Greens have some little bits of Cilantro on them), and this usually really gets them eating their fresh Greens in a hurry, and they usually eat a lot more of them than if I don't mix-in some fresh Cilantro or other fresh, "leafy" Herbs, such as a bit of fresh Basil, different varieties of fresh Parsley such as Italian, Flat-Leaf, etc., fresh Sage and/or Thyme (really small bits), fresh Lemongrass, fresh Lemonbalm (they love this because it's very strong in both flavor AND odor, and it basically draws them right in with just a little bit)...Just stay away from any of the tougher, grainier, or stronger fresh Herbs, such as Rosemary, it's a bit too strong and can upset their stomachs...But in-general, adding a bit of fresh Herbs to your bird's salads of fresh Veggies and Dark, Leafy Greens,, as long as they are leafy and as long as you don't give them a lot, is a great way to get your bird to eat more of their Greens and Veggies, and also a great way to entice a bird who refuses to eat Veggies or Greens to get them to eat them...I'm going to plant a very large Herb Garden in my yard this year, they are so easy to grow, all of them (they are "weeds" after all, lol), they sprout quickly from seeds and grow into huge plants in a matter of a month or two, and as long as you keep-up with cutting them back at least once or twice a week, it's a great way of saving money and growing your bird's own food, as well as your own...After all, fresh Herbs are not cheap if you buy them at the Grocery Store, in-fact they're ridiculous in price, they're freaking weeds, lol...

As far as fresh Veggies go, you can feed your Budgie pretty-much any FRESH Veggies as long as they aren't a member of the Onion-family, as they are ALL Toxic/Poisonous to all birds. So no varieties of Onions of any kind at all, no Leeks, no Chives (there's an Herb you cannot give your bird unfortunately), etc. Other than the Onion-family, you can pretty much feed your bird most-all other fresh Veggies, and usually it's just a trial-and-error process to find out what fresh Veggies they like...Some of the ones that all birds typically universally like and will eat regularly with out any issue include all of the varieties of Green Beans, all varieties of Pea-Pods (and the Peas inside them), Broccoli, Carrots, all varieties of Bell Peppers (they typically LOVE the Red, Green, Orange, Yellow, etc. Bell Peppers, and ESPECIALLY THE SEEDS FROM THE BELL PEPPERS AND ANY OTHER PEPPERS!), most varieties of Squash like Butternut, Spaghetti, Acorn, Yellow, Green (Zucchini), etc., pretty much all other varieties of Peppers and their seeds, and these can be given as fresh Peppers so they eat the actual Pepper flesh, or you can hang them up and dry them out, and give them to them as dried-peppers, which they'll open-up and eat the seeds from, this makes a great treat, and then any other fresh Veggies you can think of to try like Sweet Potatoes, Okra, Eggplant, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, etc. Anything that you have access to and that isn't an Onion-family member, and as long as it's FRESH and not canned...

So whenever you notice your Budgie becoming "hormonal" like she is now, it's a really good idea to up her amount of daily fresh Dark, Leafy Greens, fresh Veggies, and also make sure that she ALWAYS has access to BOTH a Cuttlebone AND an Avian Mineral Block inside of her cage (she should have both of these in her cage at all times anyway, regardless of hormones, as they provide a natural-source of Calcium and Phosphorous (Cuttlebone) and Vitamin D, as well as many other vital Vitamins and Minerals (Mineral Block), AND they also use it on a regular-basis to rub their beaks on, so they both help to keep their beaks from over-growing and from developing "Needle-Beak" points on the end of their beaks. So make sure that you've got both inside of her cage at all times...This way, you'll be ensuring that IF she does in-fact start to lay clutches of infertile-Eggs as a result of any hormonal-periods, then she'll have plenty of Vitamins, Minerals, and overall Nutrition/Energy/Fuel for her body to produce Follicles, turn them into Eggs, produce the Egg-Shells, and that she'll have enough overall-Energy/Fuel and Calcium/phosphorous for her body to successfully lay the clutch of Eggs.

 

[pickygrackle]

She's at least 5, Her band has been identified as either a '03 or '05 band. No one is sure, as we don't have any previous records besides her new ones. I only ever pet her head, as I'm very cautious as to triggering hormonal behavior. She has a little hideout, yes. It is not store-bought, I made it myself, as the fibers in huts seem to get loose. and in extremely worried about crop impaction and entanglement. it isn't completely closed off, it's more of a tunnel to climb through. It's made of many layers of canvas and duck fabric, so she cant tear, shred or ingest the material. It's also up at the top perch, where she hangs out, being her and most birds feel safest. I can modify the tent if it would benefit her, I'll definitely take it out. I was curious as to if it would cause issues, I remake one every month, so she's had something like that for at least five years. Her diet is varied and healthy. Gave myself years to research diet before adopting or volunteering at the rescue. She eats her veggies, including her leafy greens. I meal prep mash for her meals and sprout Dr.Harvey's natural budgie mix for treats and snacks. She eats her pellets and oats. As well as anything else I offer her. She's very willing to try new things, as long as I hand feed her first. I was extremely worried about egg binding in the very beginning. It scares me quite a bit. She does have a towel on the top of her cage, but I make sure she doesn't tear or go under it. I've been looking for alternatives to put over her cage. We have grackles and jays flying around, the shadows startle her without top coverage.

http://www.parrotforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22212&stc=1&d=1553710355