Bird Beginner with questions

[BirdNooblet]

Yesterday I bought my first bird, a Parakeet. This is his second day in his new environment. I am worried though that he cannot find his food and water bowls. They are at the very bottom of his cage and are enclosed, with a small opening. Which is something I wanted since I don't want him to poop in an open food source. I took the tops off of them to make the food and water visible but he still has not flown down to get it. I did give him some spray millet on his first day since I could hang it in front of him. He did eat some and some did fall at the bottom of his cage. When I took the millet out he tried to get at the little bits that fell. So I know he is hungry.

I now have two other encased food and water dishes but they can be placed higher up in the cage so I am hoping he notices them. I also put two fully open bowls at the bottom of his cage to see if that helps. But all he does is sit at the very top of his cage and look at the mirror I placed there. He does chirp every now and then and I do try to get him to go on my finger to bring him down to his bowls, but he just flies back up.

But recently today (his second day home), that some poop is getting stuck to his butt feathers. I don't know if it's stuck in his vent or just stuck in his feathers. I was able to wipe away some but have noticed there is more.

Should I be worried? I am playing calm music for him and am trying to interact with him but he doesn't seem really interested.

 

[solo]

i would take the mirror out , they can get emotionally attached to their reflections which is unhealthy

 

[Cyreen]

Birds in general prefer to be up high and I doubt he's comfortable going to the bottom of his cage just yet, particularly in a new environment. If you put his dishes higher, he'll be more inclined to use them. I would also remove the mirror. What do his poops look like? Can you maybe post pictures of his cage, perhaps we can give better suggestions. What are you offering him to eat and what was he eating before he arrived?

 

[Anneka]

You only bought him yesterday and both things, not eating and poop stuck to his vent, suggest he does not feel safe enough in his new home.

1. Get rid of the food dishes covers. Birds that are scared would rather starve than stuck their heads in an enclosed food dish in order to eat.

2. Attach an open food dish AND a dish with water next to where he is sitting. The most important now is that he starts eating. As he becomes more comfortable and feels safe, you will be able to keep those dishes at a lower level or on the bottom of the cage.

3. Droppings stuck to a vent also suggest that he is scared - he is afraid to preen, because he is observing everything around him. It's their instict to be watchful in a new environment, to watch for a potential predator instead of preening.

I'd not worry about the stuck droppings for now unless he had that problem before you brought him home. If he is healthy, w/in a day or two he will start preening.

Catching him to wipe his bottom only adds more stress. Let him be for now (at least a week).

4. Is his cage positioned somewhat away from everything to make him feel more safe?
Sometimes placing a kitchen towel (no crazy colors though) on one side of the cage helps.

5. Don't use tap water. New birds especially, because their GI tract adjusts, need either bottled or cooled down boiled water.

6. Remove the mirror for now. He sees that the birdie in the mirror is not moving much and not going to the food dish to eat, and yours is doing the same. Also, having a buddy close by makes him feel safer, so that's why he prefers to sit next to the mirror.

In a few weeks maybe, if he is by himself, you can give him the mirror back. It would be better of course is if he had another budgie living with him. One budgie is way too lonely.

7. Even if he only eats millet spray for a day or two, that is OK, as long as he eats something.

Some budgies start eating almost immediately when brought home, some need a few hrs. Others just sit w/out moving and don't eat at all for a day or sometimes even two, and that's when you need to take action in order to make sure they don't starve themselves.

Good luck!

 

[BirdNooblet]

I just took the mirror out and he went nuts, but then he used his cuttlebone and found his food and water. Eating and drinking it somewhat. He is more livelier without the mirror. c:

So no more mirrors for him. I hope he eats and drinks more.

Thanks for the simple advice.

 

[Anneka]

One more thing I forgot to add, and that tip is for later when he starts eating from a dish that is positioned at a lower level.
If his dishes are not under perches, he won't poop in them. Rearrange perches later if necessary

 

[BirdNooblet]

I ended up giving him his millet since he is very hungry. I placed two clear open small bows at the bottom of his cage and he did eat from one. But then he just picks at the bottom of the cage for the fallen pellets. He will walk on the edge of both bowls and not stick his head in either of them, just walking between or threw as he looks for food. There are two other food containers at a higher lever on the same side and he did drink and eat out of both of those once. (They look like this) Dispenser

But now he can't seem to find them and just paces back and forth on the highest perch before flying around the cage and going to the bottom.

 

[Anne & Gang]

Now you mention pellets...if he was not getting pellets where he came from then switching him to pellets is a big nono right off the bat..give him what he is familiar with..if that is seed, thenso be it..If you feel you must convert to pellets later on, try it later..as for millet ..give him a whole spring of it in his cage..it is very healthy for him..put the food where he wants it. I would rather see him with an open bowl of water and food that hangs off than those things you have..

 

[Anneka]

Him pacing could mean he is either looking for his 'mirror friend' or wants out of the cage, or both.

For a budgie to be w/out other budgies around is not natural.

 

[BirdNooblet]

The pet store we bought him from told us that pellets is in his diet and that is what he was eating. The worker there told us exactly what food to give him and what was the healthiest. As for the spray millet, it says right on the package that it's a treat and she even mentioned to not give him it all the time since it's fatty for them. I have an open water dish now hung to the top of the cage on the side where he can clearly see it and it is completely open.

Tropicana Egg Granules is what he has along with Spray Millet as a treat.

 

[Anneka]

Do you have a pic of him, for us budgie-holics?

 

[BirdNooblet]

I know it's his second day and he has to get used to his environment but it is the first time I have ever had a pet bird so I want him to be healthy and to eat and drink. I worry a lot about him. I do read up about Parakeets and am trying to do everything correctly. Plus this place seems like it is good to get helpful tips, etc. c:

I do actually, I was hoping someone could tell me what exactly type of bird he is. To me he kind of looks like a recessive pied?

 

[Anneka]

He is a recessive pied and probably sky blue (can't tell for sure because your pic has a lot of bluish hue on my monitor)
I have read in one book about budgies that recessive pieds tend to be more shy in general.

 

[BirdNooblet]

Yeah I took that picture with my cellphone and there is bluish hue on it. I'll try to get better ones when I can.

I am amazed and happy that he can step up on my finger and I can have him there for a few minutes since it's his second day. I am hoping that once he is settled into his new home that his personality comes out more. He is drinking somewhat, taking a sip here and there and he loves his spray millet which I don't want to give too much to him. But if need be until he is comfortable I will give it to him. He's such a cutie.

Since I took the mirror away, he is more active than he was which is really good to see.

 

[Anneka]

In about 2-3 weeks, he should be comfy enough to show his personality.

The fact that he is stepping up already could be because he is very afraid to do anything else. It happens often that newly adopted budgies step up but once they feel more secure in their new home, they are not that willing to step up. However, IMO, it's better that he steps up than trashes inside the cage.

Curled strips of plain paper attached to a cage make a good chewing toy at the beginning.

 

[BirdNooblet]

I think I am going to have to go to the pet store tomorrow and see if there are other things I can use for his food and water. I have an open yellow container right beside his highest perch (he would have to bend down a bit) and he just steps over it or in it even though he is hungry. I have two open dishes on the bottom of the cage with fresh food and water and he just walks around them still even though he is hungry. Or doesn't notice them at all. The reason why he can get his spray millet is it hangs directly in the cage in his field of sight.

What if he eats the paper? Is it bad for them?

Edited: He just took a pellet from the dish. One moment he acts like he doesn't know where his food is then the next he just eats from it. xD

 

[Stormcloud]

I think you just need to relax a bit and let the bird find its way around the cage. He will explore more as he acquaints himself with his new surroundings and becomes more comfortable.

 

[BirdNooblet]

But he keeps pacing back and forth on a perch then flies down to the bottom looking for food while going crazy. I don't know how else to make the food more clear.

 

[Lady Jane]

Important to introduce fresh wet greens hung or weaved in the cage. I find the budgies eat better when there is more than one. You may want to think about replacing that mirror with another budgie once you are comfortable taking care of a bird. good luck and please be patient and calm.

 

[BirdNooblet]

So he knows where his food is but he only wants the millet spray. I just put some millet in with his pellet food and don't know if he is eating pellets and the millet or just the millet. Either way I am going to the pet store tomorrow and seeing what else I can get him.

I will tame him and get him under control, eventually. c:

I only want one bird though and to train it and become its flock. I don't want to get another one. I have a cat as well so I have to keep him away from the bird.