My sister called in today for some advice on budgies. She was going to buy a pair from a pet shop and came to me for advice on cages, food and tips. Now I've been taking birds in for a while now, fostering for the most part, but all the birds I have now are adopted. That's 1 tiel, 2 lovebirds and 3 budgies.
She hadn't been to the pet shop today so I introduced her to my budgies. Rather I tried to introduce her but all 3 ran away - no perfume and she'd used my hand wash so familiar smell. They just didn't like her.
I saw Fred and Ginger right up to the side of their cage watching us, so I introduced my sister. I took Fred from the cage, grabbed my sister's hand and he stepped straight up. Seeing this Ginger flew out and joined Fred with my sister. I couldn't get my breath. Both birds are very shy towards stepping up but there they were cuddling together on my sister's hand. When I told my sister they were lovebirds she went all doughy eyed and started making kissy noises.
We all know lovvies ain't the quietest companion but my sister had fallen for these 2, so the inevitable question "can I?" got my affirmative.
I dug out the old cage I'd had them in, sorted some perches and toys, gave her a kilo of food, and a bottle of hand-wash all the time explaining a few points to my sister. I am responsible for the birds and they shouldn't breed, which was fully understood. I went with my sister to her house to build the cage for her, got the birds settled, explained sleep hours and she's happy. I'm going back tomorrow to take her through some training.
When I got home I looked around my lounge and it all seemed very out of balance now. It didn't take long for me to come up with a plan.
Tau the tiel had become quite hissy with me and recently has lunged at me even though I'm careful around her, and even more careful not to present a threat. All the time she has been with me she has always shown an interest in the budgies. She always seemed to want to get closer to them. But if a budgie was to approach her she'd turn into a tall beaky hissing beast. But it was her that wanted to be with the budgies. Go figure.
If I got rid of Tau's cage it would bring the balance back to the lounge. So I bit the bullet, slid the divider into the main cage and move Tau to her potential new home.
The change is phenomenal. After half hour pacing the divider looking for a way through to the budgies then settled. She knows where her food and water are. She has tested every perch and toy. Right now she's sat on the lowest perch, about 18 inches from me having a good chatter and looking very, very happy. Her food bowl is about the same distance from me and while she's eating she's giving a near constant flock call which I feel obliged to return.
So. I've lost 2 noisy lovebirds but I've got my greatest ever tiel back.
She hadn't been to the pet shop today so I introduced her to my budgies. Rather I tried to introduce her but all 3 ran away - no perfume and she'd used my hand wash so familiar smell. They just didn't like her.
I saw Fred and Ginger right up to the side of their cage watching us, so I introduced my sister. I took Fred from the cage, grabbed my sister's hand and he stepped straight up. Seeing this Ginger flew out and joined Fred with my sister. I couldn't get my breath. Both birds are very shy towards stepping up but there they were cuddling together on my sister's hand. When I told my sister they were lovebirds she went all doughy eyed and started making kissy noises.
We all know lovvies ain't the quietest companion but my sister had fallen for these 2, so the inevitable question "can I?" got my affirmative.
I dug out the old cage I'd had them in, sorted some perches and toys, gave her a kilo of food, and a bottle of hand-wash all the time explaining a few points to my sister. I am responsible for the birds and they shouldn't breed, which was fully understood. I went with my sister to her house to build the cage for her, got the birds settled, explained sleep hours and she's happy. I'm going back tomorrow to take her through some training.
When I got home I looked around my lounge and it all seemed very out of balance now. It didn't take long for me to come up with a plan.
Tau the tiel had become quite hissy with me and recently has lunged at me even though I'm careful around her, and even more careful not to present a threat. All the time she has been with me she has always shown an interest in the budgies. She always seemed to want to get closer to them. But if a budgie was to approach her she'd turn into a tall beaky hissing beast. But it was her that wanted to be with the budgies. Go figure.
If I got rid of Tau's cage it would bring the balance back to the lounge. So I bit the bullet, slid the divider into the main cage and move Tau to her potential new home.
The change is phenomenal. After half hour pacing the divider looking for a way through to the budgies then settled. She knows where her food and water are. She has tested every perch and toy. Right now she's sat on the lowest perch, about 18 inches from me having a good chatter and looking very, very happy. Her food bowl is about the same distance from me and while she's eating she's giving a near constant flock call which I feel obliged to return.
So. I've lost 2 noisy lovebirds but I've got my greatest ever tiel back.
