Advice on budgie spats

[VivG]

Hi, I’m Viv and have a female budgie, (Lucy Lu) that crashed into my window last August and after extensive attempts to find the owner, without success, decided to give her a home even though I’ve never had a budgie in my life.
After a crash course in caring for her I’m glad to say she’s thriving.
In January this year I decided to get her a companion, a young male (Jojo).
I didn’t want them to mate and have been told that as long as there’s no nesting material this shouldn’t happen.
Jojo never stops chirping and head bobbing around her (I think he lurvs her! ) but Lucy doesn’t tolerate him and there’s always been a bit of tension there. She scolds him quite regularly, especially if he goes to feed, where she’ll hop over and try to knock him off the bowl even though there’s more than one bowl. Now Jojo is almost double her size so I’ve not been too bothered by these spats but I’m just wondering if they’ll eventually get on together or are they always just going to put up with each other?
When I went to pick Jojo up he was in a cage with another male and they were what I’d describe as kissing each other (so cute) and I was so looking forward to him and Lucy bonding but after 4 months together it’s looking unlikely. They do sleep together on the same perch so maybe there’s hope there. What does everyone think??

 

[Sparkles99]

Jojo is likely begging. Not all adult budgies tolerate that, especially in a weaned budgie. While I don’t have females, this is apparently especially true of your combination: mature female, immature male. The kissing is feeding. Budgies do this socially. Can you describe the nature of their squabbles? Can they escape each other if they choose to?

 

[VivG]

Hi, yes they have quite a large cage which means they can and do find their own space.
Lucy seems very agitated whenever Jojo goes to feed and she hops around the cage, chittering at him, if he doesn’t move she will peck at him so he then moves over to the other bowl but she then goes to that one, little madam!! He does hold his own though and eventually they settle on a bowl each.
At bedtime they always seem to perch next to each other which is quite nice but during the day Lucy is so dismissive of him, I now know the true meaning of the saying ‘hen pecked’ poor lad!!
I’m not panicking though because my thoughts are, they’ve been together now for 4 months and they’re both still in one piece!! I’m just hoping that eventually they’ll learn to accept each other because Jojo was obviously bonded with the male he was with when I bought him and I feel awful that at the moment he doesn’t have that bond with Lucy!!

 

[LiveLolBrd]

I have two budgies who don’t get along very well either. I find they get along best if they spend the day in separate cages and then when I let them out to fly around they get along pretty well.just not in a cage or outside a cage if they have been together in a cage.

 

[VivG]

Hi, yes Lucy and Jojo do fly around together, well Lucy takes the lead and Jojo follows her everywhere. He’s just besotted with her and can’t stand her leaving him. Actually saying that makes me think I’d be bloody annoyed with him too!!
If things don’t improve I suppose I could separate them but that’s kind of defeating the aim of getting Lucy a companion!! Maybe she just doesn’t want a companion. ‍

 

[Emma&pico]

4months to us seems a long time but it’s not to them you have to see it from her point of view a stranger just moved into her room started eating her food etc any new bird added should really have their own cage to start and slowly introduced to each other with cages side by side then see how they get on when outside of cage before putting them together you will always find the older bird will be the aggressive one (normally) as it’s her territory

I would give them time now they are together but keep an eye out that jojo is eating if Lucy bullying him off food maybe keep an eye on weight etc

they can still be best friends and a benefit to each other without sharing a cage remi and pip don’t share a cage as they squabble but absolutely love each other outside of cage

 

[VivG]

Hi, I did quarantine Jojo for a while before putting cages together. They seemed interested in each other through the bars. As for eating Jojo is definitely getting his share, no worries on that score. I’ll keep an eye on them anyway and hopefully they’ll see eye to eye eventually.

 

[AussieBird]

How old is Jojo?

 

[VivG]

I was told he was 5 months old when I bought him, so 9 months now.