Worried New Mom

RayOfSunshine

Member
Aug 16, 2021
12
27
Parrots
One Lutino Budgie <3
Hi! I'm new to bird keeping, and yesterday I finally got myself a lovely little lutino budgie named Sunshine! Right now she's in a small carrier cage (which I feel bad about) but I got her on vacation so she'll have to wait for the bigger cage sitting at home. I'm planning to ween her onto pellets later. I only bought her yesterday so I understand that she's scared, but I am a LITTLE worried. She hasn't made any attempts to eat or drink yet. I'm scared that she's getting dehydrated. Granted she hasn't really done anything but sit so far, but is this normal? Should I be doing something to encourage her to drink, or will that scare her more? Thanks for any advice!
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Hi! I'm new to bird keeping, and yesterday I finally got myself a lovely little lutino budgie named Sunshine! Right now she's in a small carrier cage (which I feel bad about) but I got her on vacation so she'll have to wait for the bigger cage sitting at home. I'm planning to ween her onto pellets later. I only bought her yesterday so I understand that she's scared, but I am a LITTLE worried. She hasn't made any attempts to eat or drink yet. I'm scared that she's getting dehydrated. Granted she hasn't really done anything but sit so far, but is this normal? Should I be doing something to encourage her to drink, or will that scare her more? Thanks for any advice!
What type of water container are you using? If you are using a tube type, she may not know how to use it. I generally prefer bowls because they are easier to clean and there is no risk of them clogging. It can also be hard to tell if they are drinking because she may be doing it when you aren't around. Did you make sure to use the same food she was already used to for this transition period? You never want to abruptly switch them because they can be super picky and sometimes will flat out refuse to try something new unless it is gradual. You could also try giving some small bits of safe fruit/veg (they contain water) but your bird may or may not try them right away-- I would place them in a separate cup from dry food.

Are you sure she is not eating?

Keep an eye on her for signs of illness- hoping she adjusts. If you are positive she is not eating or drinking at all, that is serious, but like I said, it can be hard to tell with the water.

Here is a good thread for new parrot owners on safety etc--- I made a really long post towards the end that I like to recycle on the forum because it covers a wide variety of things that they just often fail to mention on pet sites and in stores: https://www.parrotforums.com/thread...g-for-safety-help-and-tips.89955/#post-923691 <-here
 
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RayOfSunshine

RayOfSunshine

Member
Aug 16, 2021
12
27
Parrots
One Lutino Budgie <3
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She has her water in a dish so that shouldn't be the issue. Also yes, I have her on a seed mix that she had with the seller (at least it looks the same), I won't mess with her food till she eats it. I'm pretty certain she's a healthy bird, because she has no symptoms of illness and her behavior around her peers was normal. I don't think she's eaten anything, but she has been pooping. But maybe that's just leftover digestion from when she ate yesterday before I bought her? Or has she been secretly taking nibbles when I'm not looking? I have her in my room so maybe my presence is scaring her...
 

SoberParrots

Member
Aug 15, 2021
21
55
North Carolina
Parrots
lineolated parakeet, Bipper
Hi! I'm new to bird keeping, and yesterday I finally got myself a lovely little lutino budgie named Sunshine! Right now she's in a small carrier cage (which I feel bad about) but I got her on vacation so she'll have to wait for the bigger cage sitting at home. I'm planning to ween her onto pellets later. I only bought her yesterday so I understand that she's scared, but I am a LITTLE worried. She hasn't made any attempts to eat or drink yet. I'm scared that she's getting dehydrated. Granted she hasn't really done anything but sit so far, but is this normal? Should I be doing something to encourage her to drink, or will that scare her more? Thanks for any advice!
Hello! Congrats on your new bird! I’d wait another day or so. Moving in can be really stressful for any animal. I recommend setting up a nanny cam as well if you’d like to see how she’s doing without disturbing her. If she hasn’t made any progress with eating in a few days, take her to an avian vet and get her checked for any illnesses. Good luck and well wishes
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Welcome to you and Sunshine! Honeymoon period begins Day One and lasts several weeks. As others suggested, continue providing food + water and help her ease into your home. Enjoy rest of your vacation and be sure to keep her clear of hazardous chemicals if you are in hotel/motel!
Some great tips for establishing trust and bonding: https://www.parrotforums.com/threads/tips-for-bonding-and-building-trust.49144/
 

fiddlejen

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
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Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
I would not be worried if this is first day. As I recall, my budgies did not eat for a day or two when I first brought them home, and my Sunny likewise. It was more noteworthy with my Sunny, in fact, because she seemed really happy to have come home with me, but there were still two full days where she ate nothing at all and I maybe only saw her take one or two little sips water. I believe there is a time where they are just so focused on taking it all in, that they just don't even want to eat or drink. Make sure the food and water are easily available, and I expect she will probably start having some fairly soon.
 
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RayOfSunshine

RayOfSunshine

Member
Aug 16, 2021
12
27
Parrots
One Lutino Budgie <3
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We're going on the third day here! Yesterday all I managed to entice her with was some millet. I have no idea if she's drinking or not, but I'm certain she isn't eating the food I left her. Hoping she finally gives in today😅
 

HannahandSunny

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Jan 13, 2019
547
638
Australia
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Cockatiels. Percy & Gizmo

Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
Hello and welcome!
It would be really beneficial to Sunshine’s overall happiness and health if she had a female budgie friend.
Nothing will make you happier than watching 2 budgies interacting and chirping with each other. You’ll really see her personality shine :)
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Hello and welcome!
It would be really beneficial to Sunshine’s overall happiness and health if she had a female budgie friend.
Nothing will make you happier than watching 2 budgies interacting and chirping with each other. You’ll really see her personality shine :)
Hannah, I have always heard that female budgies are much more likely to be aggressive with each other than 2 males or a male/female pair. Unfortunately, if she gets a male-female pair, then there is the real risk of mating and all that comes along with that (hormones, behaviors, egg binding, etc etc). I'm not saying people don't do this or that it cannot work, but it was my understanding that, in the best case scenario, you would have 2 males so that the aggression factor would be slightly lower (although there are no certainty that 2 birds will ever get along) and so that mating isn't an issue (as raising babies/breeding can quickly become a very complicated and dangerous process for someone without a lot of experience and supplies).

The other thing is, if another bird is purchased, there should be a 45 day minimum quarantine period in totally separate rooms to protect both birds. Many asymptomatic diseases can spread easily through the air and on people's hands/clothing (even in a bird with no symptoms). PDD, PBFD, and ABV are most complicated due to the number of carriers and expense of testing (as well as lack of true cure), but there are others as well. During times of transition and stress, healthy carriers are more likely to shed the viruses and transmit to others.

RayofSunshine- did you smell the food to make sure it isn't rancid and inspect it for mold? I also second Scott's statement about being cautious about chemicals in hotels- teflon/ptfe/pfoa and cleaning products are very unsafe for them, so you really do have to be careful because their respiratory sensitivity is so much greater than that of mammals (hence the old purpose of miners using canaries in coal mines to detect dangerous gases before humans were harmed).
 
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fiddlejen

Well-known member
Mar 28, 2019
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New England
Parrots
Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
We're going on the third day here! Yesterday all I managed to entice her with was some millet. I have no idea if she's drinking or not, but I'm certain she isn't eating the food I left her. Hoping she finally gives in today😅
At least for now, please make sure you keep that millet available. Just in case your bird is taking longer to transition to her new home. I know this could potentially make the changeover to good seed mix & then to pellets, a bit more lengthy process. But better that, than suffer from undernutrition at this point. If you're on day three and she is still being picky, then you want to give her anything she will eat at all.

Continue to make water available easily. Keep good choices available, but also Keep That Millet Available.

Also if you are new to keeping budgies you might not be aware, but -- seedmix can look like dish is full, even More full, when it is actually empty. They eat the interior seeds out of the husks. They will even do something similar with pellets... although technically broken pellets are still edible, but picky budgies might think they are not. Make sure you empty and replace the dish at least daily, possibly twice daily.
Also try clipping a romaine leaf or two inside the cage. Bird might nibble or lick it, and can get some moisture that way.

Again, at this point, make sure you keep that millet available until you are certain birdie is eating a full quantity of seedmix and/or pellets.
 

Tami2

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2017
5,088
2,454
New Jersey
Parrots
Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
Hi! I'm new to bird keeping, and yesterday I finally got myself a lovely little lutino budgie named Sunshine! Right now she's in a small carrier cage (which I feel bad about) but I got her on vacation so she'll have to wait for the bigger cage sitting at home. I'm planning to ween her onto pellets later. I only bought her yesterday so I understand that she's scared, but I am a LITTLE worried. She hasn't made any attempts to eat or drink yet. I'm scared that she's getting dehydrated. Granted she hasn't really done anything but sit so far, but is this normal? Should I be doing something to encourage her to drink, or will that scare her more? Thanks for any advice!
Hello Congratulations & Welcome to the forum.

Is your Sunshine a baby? If so, offer her warm water. I had the same concerns when I brought my Levi home. I read that baby birds will gulp up warm water like nobodies business. It worked beautifully. To this day Levi prefers his water warm & his 5 years old now.

Best of luck to you both.
 
OP
RayOfSunshine

RayOfSunshine

Member
Aug 16, 2021
12
27
Parrots
One Lutino Budgie <3
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  • #13
Thanks for the advice guys! I only bought one budgie for two reasons: a) because she's lutino I'm not actually sure of the gender, and b) I heard budgies bond much more easily with people when they're on their own. I'm going to have plenty of time to spend with her though, so I'm not worried about her getting lonely. I decided to move the millet into the seed bowl to help her realize that cup=food. And...success! She ate a ton, leaving husks all over the floor. Now all that's left is to see her drink, but I'm guessing she already has or she'd probably be dead already.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Thanks for the advice guys! I only bought one budgie for two reasons: a) because she's lutino I'm not actually sure of the gender, and b) I heard budgies bond much more easily with people when they're on their own. I'm going to have plenty of time to spend with her though, so I'm not worried about her getting lonely. I decided to move the millet into the seed bowl to help her realize that cup=food. And...success! She ate a ton, leaving husks all over the floor. Now all that's left is to see her drink, but I'm guessing she already has or she'd probably be dead already.
YAY! poor thing was probably very hungry! Glad she ate and hoping she at a bit beforehand- guessing she did eat something, as they can have metabolic problems fairly quickly if eating nothing at all for long periods (and you said she was pooping, so that is good, assuming there was actual fecal matter). They can be notoriously hard to ctach in the act of drinking- especially when nervous early on. I didn't catch my parrot (non budgie) drinking until she was super comfortable with me, and even now, many years later, I probably only ever see her do it once a week. (despite our bond)..I say that with the exception of bathing in a Pyrex pan or visits to the filter on the tap. I use new purified water in the cage dish daily, but sometimes, I let her drink out of the tap when filter is on--- I am saying this because we just visited my parents' for over a month and because their tap water is sketchy as heck, all she had was the purifed water in her dish, and I only caught her actively drinking probably 3x over that whole span of time (even though I know she was doing it)-granted, she does get fruit/veg that she eats daily..but when I first got her, she wouldn't drink in front of me and wasn't wanting to eat fruit/veg either.
 

HannahandSunny

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Jan 13, 2019
547
638
Australia
Parrots
Cockatiels. Percy & Gizmo

Forever in my heart. Sunny the Corella
Hannah, I have always heard that female budgies are much more likely to be aggressive with each other than 2 males or a male/female pair. Unfortunately, if she gets a male-female pair, then there is the real risk of mating and all that comes along with that (hormones, behaviors, egg binding, etc etc). I'm not saying people don't do this or that it cannot work, but it was my understanding that, in the best case scenario, you would have 2 males so that the aggression factor would be slightly lower (although there are no certainty that 2 birds will ever get along) and so that mating isn't an issue (as raising babies/breeding can quickly become a very complicated and dangerous process for someone without a lot of experience and supplies).

The other thing is, if another bird is purchased, there should be a 45 day minimum quarantine period in totally separate rooms to protect both birds. Many asymptomatic diseases can spread easily through the air and on people's hands/clothing (even in a bird with no symptoms). PDD, PBFD, and ABV are most complicated due to the number of carriers and expense of testing (as well as lack of true cure), but there are others as well. During times of transition and stress, healthy carriers are more likely to shed the viruses and transmit to others.

RayofSunshine- did you smell the food to make sure it isn't rancid and inspect it for mold? I also second Scott's statement about being cautious about chemicals in hotels- teflon/ptfe/pfoa and cleaning products are very unsafe for them, so you really do have to be careful because their respiratory sensitivity is so much greater than that of mammals (hence the old purpose of miners using canaries in coal mines to detect dangerous gases before humans were harmed).
Thanks for the info noodles.
I’m so glad I have a flock of boys. Girls are so complicated :ROFLMAO:
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
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Full house
budgie are very social, I'm of the opinion you should keep more than one. A small cage tho temporary is highly stressful, and yes often the first couple if days they don't eat well. Definitely keep the millet available for her. Have her cage at least chest hight, will help her feel safer. And keep the back against a wall. Start a routine and be predictable. Always say the same things and come to cage from front only. I will get my stress article and link.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house

Also budgie love leafy greens, like romaine. Offer weaved in cage bars or in a shallow dish or plate. Budgie do love vegetables, like bell pepper with seeds left in but cut open. I feed a seed mix. I also have a separate dish of pellet crumbs they eat free choice, and lots if veggies. Mine are great at eating everything
 

paimonandeula

New member
Jan 26, 2022
13
23
Indiana
Parrots
I have a gray male budgie named Paimon, a female blue and teal fancy budgie named Eula, and a green budgie named Venti <3
Hi! I'm new to bird keeping, and yesterday I finally got myself a lovely little lutino budgie named Sunshine! Right now she's in a small carrier cage (which I feel bad about) but I got her on vacation so she'll have to wait for the bigger cage sitting at home. I'm planning to ween her onto pellets later. I only bought her yesterday so I understand that she's scared, but I am a LITTLE worried. She hasn't made any attempts to eat or drink yet. I'm scared that she's getting dehydrated. Granted she hasn't really done anything but sit so far, but is this normal? Should I be doing something to encourage her to drink, or will that scare her more? Thanks for any advice!
Hello! I understand your worries. Here's is an explanation:

Budgies are prey animals. When there is a predator (you) near, they won't eat, drink, preen, play, etc. When you leave the room, your budgie will get water and food. The only reason you don't see your bird eating is that she doesn't trust you yet, but I promise that eventually, she will. It takes time for your bird to trust you. I hope this helped! <3
 

paimonandeula

New member
Jan 26, 2022
13
23
Indiana
Parrots
I have a gray male budgie named Paimon, a female blue and teal fancy budgie named Eula, and a green budgie named Venti <3
She has her water in a dish so that shouldn't be the issue. Also yes, I have her on a seed mix that she had with the seller (at least it looks the same), I won't mess with her food till she eats it. I'm pretty certain she's a healthy bird, because she has no symptoms of illness and her behavior around her peers was normal. I don't think she's eaten anything, but she has been pooping. But maybe that's just leftover digestion from when she ate yesterday before I bought her? Or has she been secretly taking nibbles when I'm not looking? I have her in my room so maybe my presence is scaring her...
I don't suggest taking her to a vet just yet. She is most likely eating when you aren't in the room, since to her, you are a predator. She is keeping alert.
 
Nov 9, 2021
20
41
Parrots
2 Budgies:
~ Twitter (white / blue)
~ Twitch (grey / purple)
Hi! I'm new to bird keeping, and yesterday I finally got myself a lovely little lutino budgie named Sunshine! Right now she's in a small carrier cage (which I feel bad about) but I got her on vacation so she'll have to wait for the bigger cage sitting at home. I'm planning to ween her onto pellets later. I only bought her yesterday so I understand that she's scared, but I am a LITTLE worried. She hasn't made any attempts to eat or drink yet. I'm scared that she's getting dehydrated. Granted she hasn't really done anything but sit so far, but is this normal? Should I be doing something to encourage her to drink, or will that scare her more? Thanks for any advice!
That's completely normal for the first days, they drink after you cover them. Drinking puts budgies into unsafe postitions where preditors can attack and currently they think of you as an enemy rather than friend (don't worry, your bird will trust you soon!). I recommend showing you aren't a hazard by doing everyday things near them such as work, reading, anything peacful and calm. When you hand feed them they trust you even more because to budgies food = love. Hope this helps :)
 

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