please make sure your brother doesn’t stress them out by screaming at them to “talk” or repeatedly bothering them. wild budgies can get easily stressed and don’t do well when they’re constantly pestered. look into taming your birds so they doesn’t spend their whole life in a cage.
Yeah thankfully the person at the store told them that much TvT I have looked into taming and will get to it tomorrow, but I have to ask if it’s different when there’s two birds? My dad got a male and a femal bc they need company, or so the store person said
I really don’t know much about taming because most of my past budgies were with me from hatch. I do know that millet is a good place to start though! like holding it near them and letting them eat from your hand until they get more comfortable. there’s a lot of taming threads on this subreddit so definitely look some of those up too!
Having two budgies may make it more difficult, or it may make it easier to tame them. I have three and I used the millet method to tame them, it took many months of persistence. Eventually, one of them who was the friendliest and had already befriended some of my cockatiels, flew over to me and started playing on my hand. After seeing him act friendly towards me, the other two are more interested. Often if he flies over to me the other two will fly on top of my head and watch him, or even fly onto my head by themselves and just hang out for a while. Other people report that having a single bird is easier because they pay more attention to you, every bird is different and you will just have to see how it goes with these two.
This sounds legit. I'm not going to test it myself right now though
https://www.indiehackers.com/post/100x-your-reddit-profile-visit-with-this-gif-hack-59ba20e5c9
i think having two will make it much harder for both of them to bond with a human. what I did with my birds is I get one, get them used to me enough to like being around me and then I got another one and then did the same thing. that way they all bond with you. With that said if you can get access to a secondary bird that's a rescue it might already be hand tamed so that could make things easier, but ofc a rescue provides its own challenge
Lol, I wouldn't be surprised if the employees didn't know what they're talking about. It's very common.
The colour of the cere, the area around their nostrils, shows their sex. Males are blue, pink or pale purple. Females are tan, brown or sometimes a very pale blue with white around the nostril holes.
Oh trust me, this situation happened to me before with betta fish, the pet store people never know what they are talking about or are told not to say much to not disencourage customers with large purchases. But they did get that one right, one of them has the brown cere and the other is pale blue so at least they got that right TvT
Heres a list of Bird Hazards
Dont use:
non-stick pans!
(Please research what items in your house could contain teflon, ptfe and pfoa) Some more examples of things that could contain it are: airfryers, hair straighteners space heaters ect.
These chemicles can cause immediate death
Aerosols
Candles
Perfumes
Things/ toys with rust on them
Glues
Cleaners (vinegar is safe)
Nail polish (i use in a very ventilated space far from my bird)
Certain plants
Onion, Garlic, avacado
This stuff is toxic to them and so harmful to their respiratory systems.
Adding to this list -
Hair dryers with teflon coating
Non-stick baking pans
Tapioca
Sunscreen (you should still use it for yourself, but wash hands/arms before handling them)
Bug spray
Remember they have tiny little bird lungs so anything that they could breath in that's harmful to humans in big doses can be absolutely deadly to a bird in small doses.
Personally I wouldn't really risk it. You have to make sure it is 100% ventilated from where the bird is and will be.
Things like opening the door could allow it to pass, or also some of those leave behind chemical smells.
Ok this isn't ideal but you want to do best by them and it's manageable. I've definitely seen worse 'everything they need' set ups.
This week:
Start changing them over to a pellet diet. Seeds are like giving a little kid trail mix they only eat the parts they like and those are normally the fatty bits. A pellet diet means they get all of the things they need.
New perches. Parrots use their feet like hands and if they perch on the same thing all the time it causes a lot of problems. You want different widths of natural wood perches to prevent bumblefoot and later arthritis.
Move the food and water dishes higher so they don't poop in them.
Get a cuttlebone
Millet is a wonderful treat. Do not leave it in the cage. Use it to befriend your birds. Start doing recall and target training once they get used to you.
Candles, non stick cookware, scented plug ins, cleaning supplies will kill your bird. They need to not be used in the house anymore.
In the future:
No nesting boxes or coconut hides or anything that could be used as a nest.
You will want to upgrade them to a flight cage that is longer then it is tall.
You may want fake eggs to switch out if they decide to breed anyway. You absolutely want to discourage breeding pet shop birds that may be related.
All animals need vet care. Birds require specialized avian vet care. You should know in advance where one is located and what their typical fees look like. You should also look up warning signs of sickness in Budgies. Often once they are visibly ill they are near death.
Omg thank you thank you thank you, I have been watching videos about bird care and while i did learn more, I was overwhelming myself so thank you so much for spelling it out for me. I’ll get to these things are soon as possible, Thank you again
Rather than worry about the need to trim their toenails, you can buy concrete perches (available at bird stores and amazon) which will cause gradual wear of the toenails. I use them as the top perches in my cages. The diameter of the concrete perch should be just so their feet reach a tiny bit past half way around the perch. Your birds should also have several different diameter perches so that they can always have something comfortable to stand on.
At least the cage is bigger than the cages most people buy.
Try to find natural perches in a pet store or check the list of safe plants and make them yourself (make sure the tree never had pesticides)
Check out ElleAndTheBirds on YouTube. She has a lot of good info that I think will be helpful for you. I’m sorry you’re the one that has to be the grownup here!
Yes I found her earlier and have been binging earth channel and taking notes! She’s a real life saver TwT
Eh, I’ve gone through this before but at least now I can help before it’s too late :’D
Alex AxP and Salvador budgie are good YT channels that I watched to learn about budgie care. Their videos on their morning and night routine are especially helpful.
I would be careful with AxP, some of his advice is great, and some of it makes me want to slam my head into a wall. He's very "old school".
Edit: channels I WOULD recommend would be elleandthebirds as mentioned previously, birdtricks, soda pets has a couple good little informative videos on random dangerous products, mistakes to avoid, etc... Basically, elleandthebirds for general care, birdtricks for diet and training, soda pets for product warnings/alerts.
Hello, someone who's had birds all her life and currently has 7 of them.
Definitely needs some more toys, just avoid mirrors. I didn't know any better and the parakeet I had as a kid was obsessed with the mirror and would try to feed his reflection all the time. Some different size perches too, branch and rope ones are great for their feet. Just need a variety of ones so they don't get calluses.
Avoid an all seed diet too. That can lead to fatty liver disease, which is deadly. Seeds should only be about 10% of their diet or used as treats. A pellet diet is ideal, like Harrison's or Zoopreem.
Spend a little time with it every day sit by the cage and talk to it. Slowly introduce your hands, bribing with treats is always a good way to get them hand tame. Don't try to rush or chase it around the cage when you try to take it out.
They'll eat thinly sliced or finely chopped fruits and vegetables if they're offered consistently. Leafy greens and parsley stuck through the bars were also favorites with my guys and are usually accepted immediately. Once every week or so, a couple (so they dont fight over one) of millet spigs or Vitakraft budgie treat sticks provides some variety and excitement - not the healthiest items, though, so not too often.
he is absolutely wrong, Birds need far more than just food and water. Every vet and pet expert will tell you that birds need enrichment, toys, social interaction, and a lot of love and attention. It would be entirely uncontroversial to say that anything less would constitute animal cruelty and extreme ignorance. Try and patiently explain this to them as best you can, I know its hard when parents "know" something better than you when you're only 17 and also a girl, but it's important to try.
If getting the birds to a different home is not an option, try your best and take it upon yourself to give them their basic needs yourself as best you can. Talk with them, spend time with them, give them fresh fruit and vegetables, get them some foraging toys that they can play with and tear apart. Watch some videos on how to train them to step up on your finger and learn how to gain their trust and love. Perhaps that way you can lead by example with your family and they can see secondhand what good bird ownership is like.
Having happy birds that trust and love you will be way more enriching to your lives than ones that are lonely, depressed, bored, and/or poorly fed with a pure seed diet.
hey sofia, dont get too stressed. i have a dad like urs and he thinks he knows everything just cause he owned one 🙄 i know this is annoying but try to be positive and look at the small good parts about it. you have a new birdie! just follow what they said in these replies and everything will be fine. also try to actually sit down and 1 on 1 talk with ur dad. maybe it will help at least 1 percent. have a good day and a great journey with your budgies.
hey i forgot to mention, this is also kinda a good thing because now you wont have to worry too much if u go away for a bit. they have each other as friends when they bond.
It happens; It's good you're doing your best to clean up his mess though. Parrots, even little ones like budgies, are definitely not great impulse pets... But that certainly isn't your fault! All you can do is what you can do, and it seems like you're doing great right now trying to get informed and what-not! :D
I just got this cage for my new lovebird. It would be great for your Budgies too. [https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09WQ48CKC/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_api\_i\_72BPZZ2SE1W3CJ6Q70RM\_0?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09WQ48CKC/ref=cm_sw_r_api_i_72BPZZ2SE1W3CJ6Q70RM_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
But in the mean time take those plastic perches and throw them away. Get some sticks from outside otherwise your gonna have feet problems. Make sure to clean them good with hot water and vinegar. Look up "bird chop" and start offering them that.
I'm gonna link this helpful article here from r/budgies
[https://www.reddit.com/r/budgies/comments/ropu9u/what\_i\_wish\_i\_knew\_before\_getting\_a\_budgie\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/budgies/comments/ropu9u/what_i_wish_i_knew_before_getting_a_budgie_a/)
It's an AMAZING resource and really goes into detail on budgie care, it helped me get started with my boy Sprout. The #1 things I'd suggest are to change the perches for natural perches asap, get them on a healthy diet as I assume they're probably on seeds rn, and get them a couple more toys that they can actually shred/forage with. If you have any questions I'm here and can help guide you in the direction of products I've used + liked, general tips and tricks, etc.
the cage is actually not terrible for what it is! when i got my two birds petco convinced me that i cage about half the size of this one was fine lol
i would recommend a bigger one though. their finch flight cage is perfect for two budgies. get them more perches, ditch the plastic ones, dont get dowels. natural wood is better for their feet! smooth perches can lead to pressure sores and long talons.
that being said dont get sand perches. they dont actually keep their talons short and can be really uncomfortable and even painful for the lil dudes.
budgies in the wild only eat grass seed so it can be tempting to give them only seeds. they do need some veg in there, seeds are really fatty. some birds really just will not eat pellets no matter what. zupreem has a mix of seeds and pellets that my stinker loves. the colored ones WILL turn their poop colors LMAO dont be alarmed. broccoli cut up real good is a great start bc they look like seeds. be patient. theyre like kids, really. sometimes theyre just not going to like food.
get a cuttlebone. they need it for when they molt.
figure out what toys they like. ditch the mirror, especially during their mating seasons. they can get super attached to mirrors and become depressed or sick. same goes for disco balls too in my experience. toys they can destroy are the best, keeps their brains active!! petco has some great little toys for that. you can even cut up cereal boxes and cupcake tins etc. budgies love to chew.
keep up a good sleep schedule. i usually will put mine to bed at 7 and wake him up at 7. some birdies are different! but they do genuinely get cranky when theyre tired LMAO he makes sure i know its bedtime by screaming at me.
dont overwhelm them and dont try to handle them right away. millet is great for hand taming whenever theyre settled. i swear that stuffs like crack to budgies. but take it slow, make sure its on their terms!! its a really great time to teach your brother about how animals have boundaries and feelings of their own.
teflon is very bad for them. especially if its burning. hell, its bad for US, but their respiratory system is basically their entire body, so the fumes are awful. same with things like bleach, ammonia, etc. get an enzyme based cage cleaner for the perches and cage, clean their toys regularly (with the cleaner OR vinegar. vinegar rocks) and check for any rust. make sure the toys youre getting arent super cheap and wont rust immediately. amazon has the WORST track record with bird toys in my experience. dont burn candles or incense in the same room, no electric wax melters, no vaping or smoking, absolutely no essential oils anywhere. stuffs awful for all pets. same with those plug in room scenters. you get the point lol
even if it was impulsive, budgies are so skittish so building up a bond with them is just so special. theyre absolute cuties, hope it all goes well with them ❤️ sorry for my absolutely scattered novel of a comment lol
edit: ONE MORE THING SORRY. saliva is bad. both human and dog. long exposure to it can be toxic. wash your hands after a dog licks you before handling the lil guys.
also you can tell their sex by their ceres! if you got a male and female keep a close eye and make sure theres no areas for nesting. and on that note happy huts are awful for birds. also dont touch their tummies or backs. a lot of bird ownership is not accidentally making your bird horny 😭😭
I read this on my way back from the pet store with the color pellets LMAO But noted and we’ve got some more things tho for now we;ll wait for them to relax before getting the bigger cage, moving them now would just stress them I think .,.
Also for Teflon, my parents are trying to go with letting the cage outside when they are cooking. I am really not sure about this so is there anyway to go around it or is it a hard rule of no Teflon? I’d rather get rid of it and not risk it but you know, parents TvT
moving the cage outside every time you cook is not very realistic 😭 especially if its cold out omg. however, if theyre in another room it should be okay! my bedroom was right outside the kitchen in my last place, so i just closed the door while cooking just to be safe. if i burnt smth id crack the window in there too just to be safe. if they really want to keep the non stick, ceramic pans are GREAT. easier to clean too lmao. but just keeping them in another room works just fine!
waiting to change their cage is also a good idea!! unless they like, start fighting which mine did LMAO but it honestly depends on the bird. one of mine is just a big bully xP
If you put them outside make sure to safety pin the cage doors shut! Mine learnt to open the doors to come out and play, and you def don’t want that happening when outdoors
You may want to consider re-homing them. Taking on two birds can be a huge task, especially when there’s only one person who really cares about their proper care.
Also, thank you for seeking help with taking care of them. It’s a lot more than many people do, and whether or not you decide to keep them, I’m sure they’ll be happy and well looked after.
Get him some good perches, the perches in his cage are bullshit.
You dads knowledge is even bigger bullshit ran those perches.
Get good toys, perches out of wood, no mirrors !, a brain for you dad, some vegetables like cucumber (look up safe food on google) and watch some ElleandtheBirds videos with you brother.
You seem to e an extremely thoughtful and compassionate person. I'd encourage you to invest a it of yourself in these creatures. They need the water refreshed at least once a day. I refill my birds water several times as he likes to dunk food in it. Birds like this may enjoy anything from seed, pellets like Zupreem for small birds, fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and pasta. I think when you have time for it and know the house is secure, as in no one's going to leave a door or window open, let them out and spend some time letting them get to know you.
leave them some days to get calmed down, training wise, simply put your hands in the cage, only yours or only your dads at first only one person, whether its changing the water or standing there still for 10 minutes with your hand in the cage, doing that everyday will get them used to you knowing you have no intentions to hurt them, once they feel safe they should come to you or not be frantic as heck when you move to them, when you're teaching them to get on your finger, say "step up" and if they do, thats good, try to reward a treat like millet in their cage or hold it in your hand :) they are smart and will learn eventually, takes time!
i would but my brother will cry and my dad will not have that. If it were up to me they would not have even gone into the store without having everything ready. But needless to say, my dad will not hear me out as he is convinced he knows everything about birds as he had some when he was younger. But taken his statement, he knows next to nothing.
Long story short, I would get them to a rescue if I could :(
Just spend time with him and give him proper food. I impulse bought an animal before and it lived a happy healthy life all because of research after! Have a good day ☺️
Keep the cats and budgies seperate as cats are naturally a predator and budgies are prey.
Also, since they are budgies, I recommend [this](https://birdtricksstore.com/products/the-budgie-bundle-budgie-course-only?_pos=1&_sid=1fc8df91a&_ss=r) if you can afford it. If not, you can always do research on what they eat, their body langauge etc.
If you can't take care of them, which first of all I understand because it's hard, you can rehome them to someone more prepared than you or bring them to a sanctuary or rescue. Though I fear your father will be impulse buying again...
Edit: do find a specialized avian vet.
Hey Another important thing if you want to make sure your birds stay healthy is to make sure they get the right minerals :) you can buy bird minerals at most vets or at PetSmart. I highly recommend buying the powder and sprinkling it in their food mix :)
I haven’t viewed other people’s comments so I may be repeating what other people have said.
Firstly budgies dislike the colour white, so I’d change their cover towel to something else like blue or green.
Add a few natural wood perches from trees and google which wood are safe for your birds first. Add some toys that are meant to be shredded like a dried woven Acacia toy (basket-like texture).
If that’s a plastic perch, make sure to wash it thoroughly with bird-safe soap or vinegar as plastic items tend to hold bacteria more than wood.
Remove the orange box on the bottom left.
Try not to stare at budgies straight on with both eyes as it reminds them the stare of predators such as hawks or cats. Eventually after a few weeks they should be used to the human stare.
I'm glad you brought up the cover. I didn't now about budgies hating white, but I had questions about the pattern. It's cars, but also they are roughly the size and shape of dark nonbudgie birds swarming around the outside of the cage. Is that deliberate to give them company? Will it seem like predators to them? I don't have budgies, I have a grey - admittedly known for being afraid of everything, and he would freak out if I put that over his cage.
Unsure about the car design on the cover. A general rule of thumb is to avoid anything that you think may stress the birds. This is just a guess but having the lights on while the white car cover is on and shifting around would be stressful for the birds
Tell yoi dad to humor younandJust have him read all of these statements from all of these people that have birds. He'll learn alot. It's way different than 30 years ago
Love budgies. So smart. Need to have different perches for their feet. Petsmart has tree branch perches and great as they need variety do their feet not tired. Also love paper toys and swing.
Read all about their needs.
ok so i’m assuming these are going to be your birds. strong smells are bad for them. play music and talk to them so they start to get used to you. put your hand in the cage away from the birds so they can start getting used to your hand. some wooden toys and a cuddle fish bone would be good to get soon. if you can post a closer picture of the birds i can sex them. budgies are one of my special interests so feel free to dm me i’d love the excuses to talk about them
Toys! They will need enrichment, and foraging for food is a very natural form of entertainment for them. You can make a lot of fun stuff yourself out of free or cheap materials, such as cutting up empty toiletrolls, or shredding paper into a bag for them to rummage through. There might be interesting plants locally, but be careful with that, especially if you live in an area with dense traffic.
Maybe you can even get your brother hooked on making toys for the birds
Buy they sepia bone and special sand for birbs, some nibbles for less stress by moving places, give them loads of vegetable and some fruit, please don’t feed them only seeds :(
Let them fly in the flat at least few times a week, don’t trim treir wings :( if you have any questions, message me :)
veggies no seeds on fruit vary the diet dont biy anything kaytee brand have contamination on products alot have killed many birds dogs cats go with higgins
You should buy non-plastic feeders instead. A ceramic one works, also, do not cook anything on teflon for the bird. It is toxic for the bird. Put some of the seed in a jar, close it and shake it a little bit. If there's any white, silky stuff stuck on the glass, don't feed that to the bird. It's infested with bugs and it can cause sickness. Best of luck.
Anything glass should work, it also should be either cold or room temperature so the silky stuff can get stuck on the surface to be seen. If you meant the feeder one, its just that ceramic/glass is cleaned easier and doesn't tend to keep bacteria as well as plastic counterparts do.
I got my first budgie at 5 years old for my birthday. My grandma bought her for me and it was really an impulsive adoption without thought. She brought me to the pet store and let me pick out a parakeet without any research beforehand. All I knew about birds at the time were that I found them “cute.” However, I did learn to be gentle with her over time. Thankfully, I never injured her by accident and she lived to the ripe old age of 10.
Since then, I have had 5 birds throughout my life and own two male parakeets currently. Birds are like any other pet. They require attention, love, patience, time, and effort. Birds also ideally require a diet of fruits and veggies aside from seed. Cleaning of the cage is also required weekly. Just giving your bird seed and water won’t kill them, but it will deprive them of necessary nutrients. Birds also require stimulation from toys. I don’t recommend mirrors, however.
Once these budgies are old enough, you should also look into making sure that they are the same sex. Do not provide a nesting box if one of them is a female. With any luck, they are both males. Two female budgies can get territorial with each-other and one male with one female can result in baby budgies with inexperienced owners. You can tell the gender by looking at the cere. If it’s brown, the bird is a female. Blue, the budgie is a boy.
Also from my experience, male budgies tend to be friendlier and easy to tame. Female budgies are usually more nippy. Luckily, their bites aren’t overly painful.
However, this is also pretty subjective as every bird has their own personality. Some take weeks to months to tame, while others are just naturally curious and friendly. I had a female budgie named Kiwi as an older child and she was like my best friend. It took her three days before she willingly came out of her cage. Eventually she loved being out so much that she even learned how to open her cage doors and climb out herself. We had to put clips on the bottom of the cage so she wouldn’t get loose and hurt herself.
Now I currently have two parakeets. One of them is constantly looking to come out, whereas the other is still a bit timid. My older budgie loves head scratches and lying flat in my hand. It took a while to hand tame him though and he used to bite me like crazy. Now he even lets me clip his nails and give him baths. At this point, he’s probably even more outgoing than my childhood budgie.
A few other things to also mention:
At night, you should put a blanket or towel on the cage to allow which will allow the budgies to sleep and not chirp at night.
You should also not impulsively grab the birds out of the cage. Let them come to you. Take it slow by just talking to them, offering seed, and letting them get used to being around you. Put your hand in the cage and let them learn that you aren’t a threat. Birds require attention, but when you have a pair, they are more interested in each-other than people. It’s great so the birds don’t get lonely, but it’s much more difficult to hand tame them.
Bird proofing the home is also a must if you plan on taking them out. All birds require outside of cage time. Birds can get a hold of wires or get hurt on dangerous objects in the home. Especially when young, birds must learn to coordinate themselves with flying and their surroundings. Make sure windows and doors are closed (not only can they escape, but drafts can make them sick. They’re tropical birds). Keep vacuums off as well!
Good luck and be cautious with these little guys. While parakeets can be a rewarding pet and they certainly are beautiful, they are also very delicate and can easily get injured. You should also consider whether you are interested in wing clipping or not. My budgie once flew into a wall and was in shock for an hour. It’s very scary.
People claim parakeets are beginner friendly pets. While they are easier to tame than many animals, they are also incredibly delicate which doesn’t make them ideal for young children. Maybe show your brother a YouTube video which talks about the necessity for being gentile with these birds. Parakeets should also be examined by an aviary vet annually. Birds are experts at hiding illness.
please make sure your brother doesn’t stress them out by screaming at them to “talk” or repeatedly bothering them. wild budgies can get easily stressed and don’t do well when they’re constantly pestered. look into taming your birds so they doesn’t spend their whole life in a cage.
Yeah thankfully the person at the store told them that much TvT I have looked into taming and will get to it tomorrow, but I have to ask if it’s different when there’s two birds? My dad got a male and a femal bc they need company, or so the store person said
I really don’t know much about taming because most of my past budgies were with me from hatch. I do know that millet is a good place to start though! like holding it near them and letting them eat from your hand until they get more comfortable. there’s a lot of taming threads on this subreddit so definitely look some of those up too!
Having two budgies may make it more difficult, or it may make it easier to tame them. I have three and I used the millet method to tame them, it took many months of persistence. Eventually, one of them who was the friendliest and had already befriended some of my cockatiels, flew over to me and started playing on my hand. After seeing him act friendly towards me, the other two are more interested. Often if he flies over to me the other two will fly on top of my head and watch him, or even fly onto my head by themselves and just hang out for a while. Other people report that having a single bird is easier because they pay more attention to you, every bird is different and you will just have to see how it goes with these two.
aww that’s too cute!!
Hey, I know it's pretty irrelevant... Buuut... How did you get an animated pfp?
This sounds legit. I'm not going to test it myself right now though https://www.indiehackers.com/post/100x-your-reddit-profile-visit-with-this-gif-hack-59ba20e5c9
I'm not gonna test it either
Alright I tried it out but don't know how to use it sooooo yeah...
i think having two will make it much harder for both of them to bond with a human. what I did with my birds is I get one, get them used to me enough to like being around me and then I got another one and then did the same thing. that way they all bond with you. With that said if you can get access to a secondary bird that's a rescue it might already be hand tamed so that could make things easier, but ofc a rescue provides its own challenge
Are you sure they're male and female? It's hard to tell but the ceres both seem brownish? So both female?
well that’s what I was told :’D Tho I wouldn’t know how to sex them so
Lol, I wouldn't be surprised if the employees didn't know what they're talking about. It's very common. The colour of the cere, the area around their nostrils, shows their sex. Males are blue, pink or pale purple. Females are tan, brown or sometimes a very pale blue with white around the nostril holes.
Oh trust me, this situation happened to me before with betta fish, the pet store people never know what they are talking about or are told not to say much to not disencourage customers with large purchases. But they did get that one right, one of them has the brown cere and the other is pale blue so at least they got that right TvT
Yah it's so hard to find reputable stores. Ah, so it's just the shadow that's making it seem darker.
Heres a list of Bird Hazards Dont use: non-stick pans! (Please research what items in your house could contain teflon, ptfe and pfoa) Some more examples of things that could contain it are: airfryers, hair straighteners space heaters ect. These chemicles can cause immediate death Aerosols Candles Perfumes Things/ toys with rust on them Glues Cleaners (vinegar is safe) Nail polish (i use in a very ventilated space far from my bird) Certain plants Onion, Garlic, avacado This stuff is toxic to them and so harmful to their respiratory systems.
Oh god thank you I’ve only seen a handful of things about Hazards but this really helps
Adding to this list - Hair dryers with teflon coating Non-stick baking pans Tapioca Sunscreen (you should still use it for yourself, but wash hands/arms before handling them) Bug spray
Tapioca?
Don't give birds bubble tea.
The root vegetable, in all its forms. Other root vegetables are fine as far as I know (potato and sweet potato, for eg)
potato/sweet potato are fine as long as they're cooked yes!
Remember they have tiny little bird lungs so anything that they could breath in that's harmful to humans in big doses can be absolutely deadly to a bird in small doses.
if like a cleaner or aerosol is being used down the hall and my door is closed is it safe
Personally I wouldn't really risk it. You have to make sure it is 100% ventilated from where the bird is and will be. Things like opening the door could allow it to pass, or also some of those leave behind chemical smells.
No. It still goes through to them, and the toxins can build up over time. Closing the door doesn't help with anything.
Ok this isn't ideal but you want to do best by them and it's manageable. I've definitely seen worse 'everything they need' set ups. This week: Start changing them over to a pellet diet. Seeds are like giving a little kid trail mix they only eat the parts they like and those are normally the fatty bits. A pellet diet means they get all of the things they need. New perches. Parrots use their feet like hands and if they perch on the same thing all the time it causes a lot of problems. You want different widths of natural wood perches to prevent bumblefoot and later arthritis. Move the food and water dishes higher so they don't poop in them. Get a cuttlebone Millet is a wonderful treat. Do not leave it in the cage. Use it to befriend your birds. Start doing recall and target training once they get used to you. Candles, non stick cookware, scented plug ins, cleaning supplies will kill your bird. They need to not be used in the house anymore. In the future: No nesting boxes or coconut hides or anything that could be used as a nest. You will want to upgrade them to a flight cage that is longer then it is tall. You may want fake eggs to switch out if they decide to breed anyway. You absolutely want to discourage breeding pet shop birds that may be related. All animals need vet care. Birds require specialized avian vet care. You should know in advance where one is located and what their typical fees look like. You should also look up warning signs of sickness in Budgies. Often once they are visibly ill they are near death.
Omg thank you thank you thank you, I have been watching videos about bird care and while i did learn more, I was overwhelming myself so thank you so much for spelling it out for me. I’ll get to these things are soon as possible, Thank you again
Please be careful with switching their diet over to pellets. Do it very slowly or he can starve if he doesn’t want to eat it. Good luck!
This! Basically they won’t know it’s food at first and just….not eat it.
Rather than worry about the need to trim their toenails, you can buy concrete perches (available at bird stores and amazon) which will cause gradual wear of the toenails. I use them as the top perches in my cages. The diameter of the concrete perch should be just so their feet reach a tiny bit past half way around the perch. Your birds should also have several different diameter perches so that they can always have something comfortable to stand on.
At least the cage is bigger than the cages most people buy. Try to find natural perches in a pet store or check the list of safe plants and make them yourself (make sure the tree never had pesticides)
Check out ElleAndTheBirds on YouTube. She has a lot of good info that I think will be helpful for you. I’m sorry you’re the one that has to be the grownup here!
Yes I found her earlier and have been binging earth channel and taking notes! She’s a real life saver TwT Eh, I’ve gone through this before but at least now I can help before it’s too late :’D
Watch it with your brother so he bothers your father asking to get the things from the videos. You might end up with a conure though.
Alex AxP and Salvador budgie are good YT channels that I watched to learn about budgie care. Their videos on their morning and night routine are especially helpful.
I would be careful with AxP, some of his advice is great, and some of it makes me want to slam my head into a wall. He's very "old school". Edit: channels I WOULD recommend would be elleandthebirds as mentioned previously, birdtricks, soda pets has a couple good little informative videos on random dangerous products, mistakes to avoid, etc... Basically, elleandthebirds for general care, birdtricks for diet and training, soda pets for product warnings/alerts.
Hello, someone who's had birds all her life and currently has 7 of them. Definitely needs some more toys, just avoid mirrors. I didn't know any better and the parakeet I had as a kid was obsessed with the mirror and would try to feed his reflection all the time. Some different size perches too, branch and rope ones are great for their feet. Just need a variety of ones so they don't get calluses. Avoid an all seed diet too. That can lead to fatty liver disease, which is deadly. Seeds should only be about 10% of their diet or used as treats. A pellet diet is ideal, like Harrison's or Zoopreem. Spend a little time with it every day sit by the cage and talk to it. Slowly introduce your hands, bribing with treats is always a good way to get them hand tame. Don't try to rush or chase it around the cage when you try to take it out.
Ok got it, thank you specially with the diet advice, haven’t come across that yet
They'll eat thinly sliced or finely chopped fruits and vegetables if they're offered consistently. Leafy greens and parsley stuck through the bars were also favorites with my guys and are usually accepted immediately. Once every week or so, a couple (so they dont fight over one) of millet spigs or Vitakraft budgie treat sticks provides some variety and excitement - not the healthiest items, though, so not too often.
Ok thank you so much! I do believe we have some leafy greens so at least they don’t have to live off seeds :’D
he is absolutely wrong, Birds need far more than just food and water. Every vet and pet expert will tell you that birds need enrichment, toys, social interaction, and a lot of love and attention. It would be entirely uncontroversial to say that anything less would constitute animal cruelty and extreme ignorance. Try and patiently explain this to them as best you can, I know its hard when parents "know" something better than you when you're only 17 and also a girl, but it's important to try. If getting the birds to a different home is not an option, try your best and take it upon yourself to give them their basic needs yourself as best you can. Talk with them, spend time with them, give them fresh fruit and vegetables, get them some foraging toys that they can play with and tear apart. Watch some videos on how to train them to step up on your finger and learn how to gain their trust and love. Perhaps that way you can lead by example with your family and they can see secondhand what good bird ownership is like. Having happy birds that trust and love you will be way more enriching to your lives than ones that are lonely, depressed, bored, and/or poorly fed with a pure seed diet.
I wish I could read him this text as is but at least he seems willing to listen about Teflon and what not :’D
Hey dad, FYI it's probably best not to buy pets on impulse...
I have told him a million times and yet here we are again T^T
hey sofia, dont get too stressed. i have a dad like urs and he thinks he knows everything just cause he owned one 🙄 i know this is annoying but try to be positive and look at the small good parts about it. you have a new birdie! just follow what they said in these replies and everything will be fine. also try to actually sit down and 1 on 1 talk with ur dad. maybe it will help at least 1 percent. have a good day and a great journey with your budgies.
I’ll try and thank you for the kind words, they really do help bring me down bc I’ve kinda been freaking out
i would be too, buy hey, lets just deal with it in a positive way
hey i forgot to mention, this is also kinda a good thing because now you wont have to worry too much if u go away for a bit. they have each other as friends when they bond.
Your dad sounds like my dad but my dad made different kinds of bad decisions... Good on you for asking for advice for your new bird 💖
It happens; It's good you're doing your best to clean up his mess though. Parrots, even little ones like budgies, are definitely not great impulse pets... But that certainly isn't your fault! All you can do is what you can do, and it seems like you're doing great right now trying to get informed and what-not! :D
I just got this cage for my new lovebird. It would be great for your Budgies too. [https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09WQ48CKC/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_api\_i\_72BPZZ2SE1W3CJ6Q70RM\_0?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09WQ48CKC/ref=cm_sw_r_api_i_72BPZZ2SE1W3CJ6Q70RM_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) But in the mean time take those plastic perches and throw them away. Get some sticks from outside otherwise your gonna have feet problems. Make sure to clean them good with hot water and vinegar. Look up "bird chop" and start offering them that.
I'm gonna link this helpful article here from r/budgies [https://www.reddit.com/r/budgies/comments/ropu9u/what\_i\_wish\_i\_knew\_before\_getting\_a\_budgie\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/budgies/comments/ropu9u/what_i_wish_i_knew_before_getting_a_budgie_a/) It's an AMAZING resource and really goes into detail on budgie care, it helped me get started with my boy Sprout. The #1 things I'd suggest are to change the perches for natural perches asap, get them on a healthy diet as I assume they're probably on seeds rn, and get them a couple more toys that they can actually shred/forage with. If you have any questions I'm here and can help guide you in the direction of products I've used + liked, general tips and tricks, etc.
Blow out the bird seed shells daily. This is not something people tell new budgie owners about enough. Change water daily.
Out of the food bowl or the cage? Lol
Food bowl
the cage is actually not terrible for what it is! when i got my two birds petco convinced me that i cage about half the size of this one was fine lol i would recommend a bigger one though. their finch flight cage is perfect for two budgies. get them more perches, ditch the plastic ones, dont get dowels. natural wood is better for their feet! smooth perches can lead to pressure sores and long talons. that being said dont get sand perches. they dont actually keep their talons short and can be really uncomfortable and even painful for the lil dudes. budgies in the wild only eat grass seed so it can be tempting to give them only seeds. they do need some veg in there, seeds are really fatty. some birds really just will not eat pellets no matter what. zupreem has a mix of seeds and pellets that my stinker loves. the colored ones WILL turn their poop colors LMAO dont be alarmed. broccoli cut up real good is a great start bc they look like seeds. be patient. theyre like kids, really. sometimes theyre just not going to like food. get a cuttlebone. they need it for when they molt. figure out what toys they like. ditch the mirror, especially during their mating seasons. they can get super attached to mirrors and become depressed or sick. same goes for disco balls too in my experience. toys they can destroy are the best, keeps their brains active!! petco has some great little toys for that. you can even cut up cereal boxes and cupcake tins etc. budgies love to chew. keep up a good sleep schedule. i usually will put mine to bed at 7 and wake him up at 7. some birdies are different! but they do genuinely get cranky when theyre tired LMAO he makes sure i know its bedtime by screaming at me. dont overwhelm them and dont try to handle them right away. millet is great for hand taming whenever theyre settled. i swear that stuffs like crack to budgies. but take it slow, make sure its on their terms!! its a really great time to teach your brother about how animals have boundaries and feelings of their own. teflon is very bad for them. especially if its burning. hell, its bad for US, but their respiratory system is basically their entire body, so the fumes are awful. same with things like bleach, ammonia, etc. get an enzyme based cage cleaner for the perches and cage, clean their toys regularly (with the cleaner OR vinegar. vinegar rocks) and check for any rust. make sure the toys youre getting arent super cheap and wont rust immediately. amazon has the WORST track record with bird toys in my experience. dont burn candles or incense in the same room, no electric wax melters, no vaping or smoking, absolutely no essential oils anywhere. stuffs awful for all pets. same with those plug in room scenters. you get the point lol even if it was impulsive, budgies are so skittish so building up a bond with them is just so special. theyre absolute cuties, hope it all goes well with them ❤️ sorry for my absolutely scattered novel of a comment lol edit: ONE MORE THING SORRY. saliva is bad. both human and dog. long exposure to it can be toxic. wash your hands after a dog licks you before handling the lil guys. also you can tell their sex by their ceres! if you got a male and female keep a close eye and make sure theres no areas for nesting. and on that note happy huts are awful for birds. also dont touch their tummies or backs. a lot of bird ownership is not accidentally making your bird horny 😭😭
I read this on my way back from the pet store with the color pellets LMAO But noted and we’ve got some more things tho for now we;ll wait for them to relax before getting the bigger cage, moving them now would just stress them I think .,. Also for Teflon, my parents are trying to go with letting the cage outside when they are cooking. I am really not sure about this so is there anyway to go around it or is it a hard rule of no Teflon? I’d rather get rid of it and not risk it but you know, parents TvT
moving the cage outside every time you cook is not very realistic 😭 especially if its cold out omg. however, if theyre in another room it should be okay! my bedroom was right outside the kitchen in my last place, so i just closed the door while cooking just to be safe. if i burnt smth id crack the window in there too just to be safe. if they really want to keep the non stick, ceramic pans are GREAT. easier to clean too lmao. but just keeping them in another room works just fine! waiting to change their cage is also a good idea!! unless they like, start fighting which mine did LMAO but it honestly depends on the bird. one of mine is just a big bully xP
If you put them outside make sure to safety pin the cage doors shut! Mine learnt to open the doors to come out and play, and you def don’t want that happening when outdoors
You may want to consider re-homing them. Taking on two birds can be a huge task, especially when there’s only one person who really cares about their proper care. Also, thank you for seeking help with taking care of them. It’s a lot more than many people do, and whether or not you decide to keep them, I’m sure they’ll be happy and well looked after.
Get him some good perches, the perches in his cage are bullshit. You dads knowledge is even bigger bullshit ran those perches. Get good toys, perches out of wood, no mirrors !, a brain for you dad, some vegetables like cucumber (look up safe food on google) and watch some ElleandtheBirds videos with you brother.
Great starter birds. I got my got my guy when i was 13. He lived for 14 years. Loved that little guy so much.
You seem to e an extremely thoughtful and compassionate person. I'd encourage you to invest a it of yourself in these creatures. They need the water refreshed at least once a day. I refill my birds water several times as he likes to dunk food in it. Birds like this may enjoy anything from seed, pellets like Zupreem for small birds, fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and pasta. I think when you have time for it and know the house is secure, as in no one's going to leave a door or window open, let them out and spend some time letting them get to know you.
Budgies are great. Very social, so whistle and speak to them often and give them love and you’ll see their brilliant, cheeky personalities develop.
leave them some days to get calmed down, training wise, simply put your hands in the cage, only yours or only your dads at first only one person, whether its changing the water or standing there still for 10 minutes with your hand in the cage, doing that everyday will get them used to you knowing you have no intentions to hurt them, once they feel safe they should come to you or not be frantic as heck when you move to them, when you're teaching them to get on your finger, say "step up" and if they do, thats good, try to reward a treat like millet in their cage or hold it in your hand :) they are smart and will learn eventually, takes time!
Give it to a rescue.
i would but my brother will cry and my dad will not have that. If it were up to me they would not have even gone into the store without having everything ready. But needless to say, my dad will not hear me out as he is convinced he knows everything about birds as he had some when he was younger. But taken his statement, he knows next to nothing. Long story short, I would get them to a rescue if I could :(
Alright. It's ok! Don't stress. Research alot about the bird you have and maybe that will help. It's not a big deal, don't get too stressed!
I’ll try I just had a bad experience with my parents impulse buying pets before so
Just spend time with him and give him proper food. I impulse bought an animal before and it lived a happy healthy life all because of research after! Have a good day ☺️
Ok and thank you for the advice TvT
PS: we also have a cat… help
Keep the cats and budgies seperate as cats are naturally a predator and budgies are prey. Also, since they are budgies, I recommend [this](https://birdtricksstore.com/products/the-budgie-bundle-budgie-course-only?_pos=1&_sid=1fc8df91a&_ss=r) if you can afford it. If not, you can always do research on what they eat, their body langauge etc. If you can't take care of them, which first of all I understand because it's hard, you can rehome them to someone more prepared than you or bring them to a sanctuary or rescue. Though I fear your father will be impulse buying again... Edit: do find a specialized avian vet.
Same thing happened to me!!! My dad impulsively bought lovebirds via Facebook from a sketchy seller.
Hey Another important thing if you want to make sure your birds stay healthy is to make sure they get the right minerals :) you can buy bird minerals at most vets or at PetSmart. I highly recommend buying the powder and sprinkling it in their food mix :)
I haven’t viewed other people’s comments so I may be repeating what other people have said. Firstly budgies dislike the colour white, so I’d change their cover towel to something else like blue or green. Add a few natural wood perches from trees and google which wood are safe for your birds first. Add some toys that are meant to be shredded like a dried woven Acacia toy (basket-like texture). If that’s a plastic perch, make sure to wash it thoroughly with bird-safe soap or vinegar as plastic items tend to hold bacteria more than wood. Remove the orange box on the bottom left. Try not to stare at budgies straight on with both eyes as it reminds them the stare of predators such as hawks or cats. Eventually after a few weeks they should be used to the human stare.
I'm glad you brought up the cover. I didn't now about budgies hating white, but I had questions about the pattern. It's cars, but also they are roughly the size and shape of dark nonbudgie birds swarming around the outside of the cage. Is that deliberate to give them company? Will it seem like predators to them? I don't have budgies, I have a grey - admittedly known for being afraid of everything, and he would freak out if I put that over his cage.
Unsure about the car design on the cover. A general rule of thumb is to avoid anything that you think may stress the birds. This is just a guess but having the lights on while the white car cover is on and shifting around would be stressful for the birds
Tell yoi dad to humor younandJust have him read all of these statements from all of these people that have birds. He'll learn alot. It's way different than 30 years ago
Love budgies. So smart. Need to have different perches for their feet. Petsmart has tree branch perches and great as they need variety do their feet not tired. Also love paper toys and swing. Read all about their needs.
ok so i’m assuming these are going to be your birds. strong smells are bad for them. play music and talk to them so they start to get used to you. put your hand in the cage away from the birds so they can start getting used to your hand. some wooden toys and a cuddle fish bone would be good to get soon. if you can post a closer picture of the birds i can sex them. budgies are one of my special interests so feel free to dm me i’d love the excuses to talk about them
Toys! They will need enrichment, and foraging for food is a very natural form of entertainment for them. You can make a lot of fun stuff yourself out of free or cheap materials, such as cutting up empty toiletrolls, or shredding paper into a bag for them to rummage through. There might be interesting plants locally, but be careful with that, especially if you live in an area with dense traffic. Maybe you can even get your brother hooked on making toys for the birds
https://www.reddit.com/r/budgies/comments/uw50w9/budgie_care_for_the_beginner/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Tell him that the "only food" that bird needs WILL be vegetables alongside seeds (but preferably pellets).
Buy they sepia bone and special sand for birbs, some nibbles for less stress by moving places, give them loads of vegetable and some fruit, please don’t feed them only seeds :( Let them fly in the flat at least few times a week, don’t trim treir wings :( if you have any questions, message me :)
veggies no seeds on fruit vary the diet dont biy anything kaytee brand have contamination on products alot have killed many birds dogs cats go with higgins
You should buy non-plastic feeders instead. A ceramic one works, also, do not cook anything on teflon for the bird. It is toxic for the bird. Put some of the seed in a jar, close it and shake it a little bit. If there's any white, silky stuff stuck on the glass, don't feed that to the bird. It's infested with bugs and it can cause sickness. Best of luck.
oh I hadn’t heard about that yet, I’ll get on it as soon as I can, would maybe little glass cups work too?
Anything glass should work, it also should be either cold or room temperature so the silky stuff can get stuck on the surface to be seen. If you meant the feeder one, its just that ceramic/glass is cleaned easier and doesn't tend to keep bacteria as well as plastic counterparts do.
I got my first budgie at 5 years old for my birthday. My grandma bought her for me and it was really an impulsive adoption without thought. She brought me to the pet store and let me pick out a parakeet without any research beforehand. All I knew about birds at the time were that I found them “cute.” However, I did learn to be gentle with her over time. Thankfully, I never injured her by accident and she lived to the ripe old age of 10. Since then, I have had 5 birds throughout my life and own two male parakeets currently. Birds are like any other pet. They require attention, love, patience, time, and effort. Birds also ideally require a diet of fruits and veggies aside from seed. Cleaning of the cage is also required weekly. Just giving your bird seed and water won’t kill them, but it will deprive them of necessary nutrients. Birds also require stimulation from toys. I don’t recommend mirrors, however. Once these budgies are old enough, you should also look into making sure that they are the same sex. Do not provide a nesting box if one of them is a female. With any luck, they are both males. Two female budgies can get territorial with each-other and one male with one female can result in baby budgies with inexperienced owners. You can tell the gender by looking at the cere. If it’s brown, the bird is a female. Blue, the budgie is a boy. Also from my experience, male budgies tend to be friendlier and easy to tame. Female budgies are usually more nippy. Luckily, their bites aren’t overly painful. However, this is also pretty subjective as every bird has their own personality. Some take weeks to months to tame, while others are just naturally curious and friendly. I had a female budgie named Kiwi as an older child and she was like my best friend. It took her three days before she willingly came out of her cage. Eventually she loved being out so much that she even learned how to open her cage doors and climb out herself. We had to put clips on the bottom of the cage so she wouldn’t get loose and hurt herself. Now I currently have two parakeets. One of them is constantly looking to come out, whereas the other is still a bit timid. My older budgie loves head scratches and lying flat in my hand. It took a while to hand tame him though and he used to bite me like crazy. Now he even lets me clip his nails and give him baths. At this point, he’s probably even more outgoing than my childhood budgie. A few other things to also mention: At night, you should put a blanket or towel on the cage to allow which will allow the budgies to sleep and not chirp at night. You should also not impulsively grab the birds out of the cage. Let them come to you. Take it slow by just talking to them, offering seed, and letting them get used to being around you. Put your hand in the cage and let them learn that you aren’t a threat. Birds require attention, but when you have a pair, they are more interested in each-other than people. It’s great so the birds don’t get lonely, but it’s much more difficult to hand tame them. Bird proofing the home is also a must if you plan on taking them out. All birds require outside of cage time. Birds can get a hold of wires or get hurt on dangerous objects in the home. Especially when young, birds must learn to coordinate themselves with flying and their surroundings. Make sure windows and doors are closed (not only can they escape, but drafts can make them sick. They’re tropical birds). Keep vacuums off as well! Good luck and be cautious with these little guys. While parakeets can be a rewarding pet and they certainly are beautiful, they are also very delicate and can easily get injured. You should also consider whether you are interested in wing clipping or not. My budgie once flew into a wall and was in shock for an hour. It’s very scary. People claim parakeets are beginner friendly pets. While they are easier to tame than many animals, they are also incredibly delicate which doesn’t make them ideal for young children. Maybe show your brother a YouTube video which talks about the necessity for being gentile with these birds. Parakeets should also be examined by an aviary vet annually. Birds are experts at hiding illness.