Females are "less friendly"?

[BeakyBird]

You know, I've noticed so many people telling me "you want a male, they tend to be more friendly." And all that jazz. Over and over it gets repeated and instilled into people's brains. So much so, that I'm noticing in pet stores that there are a lot of females and very few males. And the females stay there for so much longer, probably until Petco deems them unsellable and they go where ever those birds go.



What boggles me, however, is that the only female I have is the most interested in me. And she's very sweet. All birds get hormonal, territorial, and sassy to say the least. So why is this rumor so prominent? All birds deserve a chance. I know AA members believe strongly in that (especially after reading some of these adoption, fostering, and emergency "take-in" situation).

--

Have you experienced female budgies to be less friendly than males? What is your opinion on the matter?

 

[gibsongrrrl]

I've never heard of that with budgies, just that most people want males because they are better talkers. Interesting.

 

[ilikebirds]

most friendly budgie ive had was...a female. sweet little female named twin. outgoing, unafraid, would step right up and let you pet her my males are friendly, but not like she was
should add that that was her natural personality. im not sure about getting one and then working with it to see the result. we never trained her to do those things, she was just really friendly.

 

[BeakyBird]

I've never heard of that with budgies, just that most people want males because they are better talkers. Interesting.

I've heard it from several people who have owned and bred budgie, and a few petco folks (not that I entirely believe a word they say. )

 

[ilikebirds]

i would not listen to what an employee has to say at petco. only because you dont have to be knowledgeable to get on there, and they can just tell you what they have "heard". or make something up so they look like they know what they are doing and dont look like a jack***. i think on a forum talking with a bunch of people who have them is best.

 

[BeakyBird]

i would not listen to what an employee has to say at petco. only because you dont have to be knowledgeable to get on there, and they can just tell you what they have "heard". or make something up so they look like they know what they are doing and dont look like a jack***. i think on a forum talking with a bunch of people who have them is best.

Oh I'm well aware. I've been applying to petco or petsmart for years just because I'm swell at retail, and working with animals is always a plus. Yet they hired some dumb 17 year old kid who doesn't know the different between a budgie and a cockatiel.

 

[lotus15]

Well, I have a very small sample size, but my two male budgies were the sweetest little cuddle bugs in the world. Charles literally NEVER bit, even the vet, even during beak trims and medication and all that. Theodore was another sweetheart. My mom's budgie was another docile, wonderful, brilliant, and sweet little fellow.

Sabrina, on the other hand, is the feistiest and quickest-to-bite little bird I've ever seen. I love her to pieces but she certainly does not love me back!

 

[BeakyBird]

Well, I have a very small sample size, but my two male budgies were the sweetest little cuddle bugs in the world. Charles literally NEVER bit, even the vet, even during beak trims and medication and all that. Theodore was another sweetheart. My mom's budgie was another docile, wonderful, brilliant, and sweet little fellow.

Sabrina, on the other hand, is the feistiest and quickest-to-bite little bird I've ever seen. I love her to pieces but she certainly does not love me back!

It's really funny how all of it works. Because I have a male who loves to be held, never bites, and as far as I'm concerned is a bit derpy. I have a female, Peach, who is a little hand timid, but if you move slow and respect her timid-ness, she is really sweet. Doesn't bite unless threatened which is only when you move super quick (and I don't blame her, we're pretty scary!)

 

[Anne & Gang]

I have never heard that either..I do know that if caged together two females will often fight with each other.

 

[cosmolove]

Growing up I had parakeets and the female I had was much meaner than the males I had. Idk she just seemed to be more moody where as the boys were all really go with the flow. I think it was just a coincidence tho, I don't really think its true in all cases.

I did notice at the pet store I worked at when we would work with the parakeets (we tried to keep them tame) the females would bite a lot harder than the males. They usually were the ones that if they'd bite they were going to latch on. Idk both have their ups and downs I guess.

 

[BindiWW]

I used to have a female budgie, and she was very friendly and sweet. I think it just depends on the bird.

 

[BradG]

It seems to me (at least over the past 15 years) that males tend to be more "friendly" if they are the only one and have no interaction with any other avian companions.
Hens, on the other hand, tend to be more bitey. But in a sweet way (sort of). But introduce a male and they get all hormonal and go crazy.

Kinda like us humans me thinks

 

[BeakyBird]

It seems to me (at least over the past 15 years) that males tend to be more "friendly" if they are the only one and have no interaction with any other avian companions.
Hens, on the other hand, tend to be more bitey. But in a sweet way (sort of). But introduce a male and they get all hormonal and go crazy.

Kinda like us humans me thinks

You sort of hit the nail on the head with that one. C'mon, hormones make anyone do some crazy stuff!

 

[MenomaMinx]

Repeat after me:


A budgie is not a Canary (males dominate)


A budgie is not a Ekkie(females dominate)

A budgie is not going to budge on either the two above statements. These are extremely bossy birds, and the only people don't know about it have either never met one or have never been stupid enough to go up against with the budgie wanted to happen. The budgie will scold you and you will know you are being scolded.

In the birdie hierarchy, in the absence of an African grey, the budgie is in charge – regardless of the size of the other birds involved. The difference is that the budgie doesn't necessarily want what's best for the flock. The budgie want what's best for the budgie – it's just fortunate that that usually coincides with what's best for the rest of the flock ;-)

Don't let the size fool you. These birds work through deep psychological tricks and emotional hooks that will absolutely pull the heart strings out if you don't do exactly what they want.......... your other birds will be neglected if you don't make extra time for the budgie, and because they're not as accommodating as red factor Canaries about making sure their communication is understood, you need to go out of your way to understand what they want and how they want it.

The bossy factor's pretty much the only thing that ever found in common with my budgies, of which of there's been quite a few. I even had one so obsessed with being petted a specific way that it started wars at the veterinarian's office with the vet techs who could never remember to do it right(Debbie Bird like to be covered but not held in both hands with her beak pressed up against your skin and you had to stroke her head backwards towards her nose-- the vet techs and even the vet sometimes could not get this simple concept and I got blamed for hours every year we had to take her in for her well birdie checkup for every single year of her life).

I have never been bit by a parakeet. How exactly do you get a budgie to bite you? I'm being serious. Then again, I've had plenty of people tell me cockatiels bite too and I've had multiples of those who have never bitten me or anyone else under my roof.

Am I really that boring that I wasn't that interesting enough to bite?

Do I let off some kind of weird odor that says I taste bad?

Should I bite myself, and see if I taste bad?

If I do bite myself, does that mean I'm no longer a vegetarian or does self cannibalism not count as meat eating?

 

[BeakyBird]

I really like that post, @MenomaMinx .

Honestly, the only "bites" I've received from a budgie are testing bites. Like "what is this fleshy thing?" And they bite it softly, and then never again. I've never been bit in a way that it was supposed to deliver pain or fear into me. xD But I totally get what you mean. All budgies are bossy, and demanding. It's not gender determined, it's simply a per-bird basis. But almost all budgies are demanding in one way or another.

 

[Deueller]

Also just so you know, Petsmart and Petco are not allowed to ever euthanize any animal...Ever. A vet can but that animal is seen by a vet and the VET deems their quality of life ( extremely sick and unlikely to recover ) so low that they will euthanize....but never the pet store.

 

[Tohru1529]

I only had one mean parakeet,her name was birdie. She bite hard and was mean. I train well and she came out to be nice. But bit less. She die young 2010 5 year old. I have a video of her and Sunny.

Why did you think her tail is down ?

 

[Chantilly Lace]

I figured that was a way for breeders to get rid of males, and keep their females for future breeding.

 

[GuineaPigster]

Growing up I had parakeets and the female I had was much meaner than the males I had. Idk she just seemed to be more moody where as the boys were all really go with the flow. I think it was just a coincidence tho, I don't really think its true in all cases.

I did notice at the pet store I worked at when we would work with the parakeets (we tried to keep them tame) the females would bite a lot harder than the males. They usually were the ones that if they'd bite they were going to latch on. Idk both have their ups and downs I guess.

Same here.
I've never had a friendly female. Tweetie, my male was the most snuggly cuddlebug you've ever met, and I had him (at age 6) handtamed within weeks.

 

[Maxsmom]

This was my experience with my two parakeets I had growing up. The male was my buddy. The female not so much. But I am sure experiences vary