Frustrated Bird Owner with Very Stubborn Parakeet

[JSurdyBurdy]

Hey all,
Lazlo is our keet. Still not sure if he's a boy/girl as his cere hasn't tilted one way or the other and remains a light lavender with random blue specks. We've had him since May of this year (2019) and I'm worried and frustrated for several reasons.

1. I've been trying to convert him to pellets, the way the vet recommends, and he'd rather starve himself. I got to the point of 15% seed 15% veg and 70% pellet/mash and he wouldn't eat it at all. That said I'm back to 45% seed and 45% pellet-mash and 10% veg for the past two weeks. I'm anxious to try and go to 35/15/50. He still eats around the mash and pellets and veg and just eats the seeds.

2. I try to give him training with millet once a day to get used to me. Once the seed started to get low, he became more interested in the millet and would perch on my hand. Progress! Yay! BUT now he's biting. Hard. He's not piercing the skin but it's pretty clear he doesn't want us in his cage/space. This isn't mouthing. It's aggressive territorial biting.

We try to take him in other rooms with us (for the past couple weeks) to keep him company. But I worry this is doing more harm than good. A couple weeks ago we also carefully clipped his toenails which were too long. He didn't like that and he tried to bite us, but didn't screech once.

He has plenty of toys and plays with them all day. When I have the cage door open he seems more curious and willing to explore but he knows where his safe space is and he doesn't want me near it really.

What do I do? I thought we'd be farther along than this by this point but all I've learned is I just picked a super stubborn and angry bird. I don't need him to love me. I just want him to be happy and I'm not sure he is. I feel like I'm doing something very wrong.

 

[sunnysmom]

I don't have parakeets but I think if you have him eating 45/45/10- I think that's good. I personally am not an all pellet/ no seed fan. They're birds, they eat seeds, right? I would probably focus on just trying to get him to eat more fresh food. Chop, sprouted seeds, etc.

As for training, I know since May probably seems like a long time to you, but it's not. Each bird moves at his own pace. The best thing to do is not push the bird. It took my cockatiel 3 months to even leave the room his cage was in. But I didn't push. Over time, he became such an amazing bird that we let him live cage free during the day. (Although I wouldn't typically recommend that. He was just super good.) Most birds are cage territorial so I usually limit my hands in their cage to just changing food and water if I have to, depends on the cage. It's "their" space. So I respect that. I don't make by birds come out of the cage. If your budgie doesn't want to come out, try putting a perch by the outside of the door and hanging some millet by it to encourage him to come out on his own. Or get him a play stand and put it near his cage with some favorite food. And just spend time sitting with him, talking to him, etc. It takes time to build trust.

 

[Lady Jane]

Sometimes you need to try different brands of pellets to see which kind he prefers. You can call most major seed companies and get samples. What is his age, 3 to 4 months? It can take what you may think is a long time to get a budgie to trust you. It is something you earn. I can be 6 months or more. Be patient with him and his curiosity may kick in and he will investigate you.

 

[hrafn]

Have you tried offering Nutriberries or Avi-cakes? Nutritionally they're on par with pellets, but what the bird sees and tastes is seed. My cockatiel was a steadfast seed junkie for almost a decade, and Nutriberries were the stepping stone to introducing him a more varied diet.

 

[Gazimon]

Birds within the same species can have very different personalities. My Snowy was store-bought and extremely skittish. The closest I ever got to him was when I put seed on my hand and he could very reluctantly step up. However, after the incident when I had to stop a bleeding toe by handling him, he doesn't want anything to do with me. 2-3 months is a very short time to a bird, and keets can be shy compared to other species. Of course there will be braver ones who think they are little macho nachos, but generally I notice my lovebirds always being more brave than my keets.

The cage is also a sacred safe space to a bird; if I use a metaphor, its just like how some children really don't like parents intruding in their rooms to force them to do things, its a safe space mentally and physically. Rainbow my lovebird is extremely protective of her space and will rush over to bite me when I change her water and food bowl. It is how it is and I don't feel angry with her for it. She also hates my guts and tries to bite me by crunching down and grinding her beak; but what's important is that she leads a happy life.

For some birds who really prefer not to associate with humans, the question of whether we should force them to is an ethical grey area. For me I'm happy just seeing them happy, singing away in their cages to each other or playing with their toys. It may be disappointing if you had expected a much closer relationship or cuddling and handling; I know I felt that way, but I've come to terms with it. If Lazlo is the only keet in your house, give him some more time and be patient with him. For lack of an alternative bird companion, he may bond with you over time. In my case, Snowy and Cutecumber have bonded together and prefer each other over me, so I'm happy to watch them as is.

As for diet, its best not to insist on an all-pellet diet. Most members here advocate for a mixture of fresh ingredients, with pellets being the safety net to meet nutritional vitamins and mineral needs, instead of pellets being the absolute majority of the diet. Pellets, being dried most of the time, may pose water intake issue if the bird does not drink enough to make up for the dried contents. Wild budgies eat a huge variety of seeds and grasses which has natural water content in them. Instead of being concerned with the ratio of seed to pellet, consider how you can offer a larger variety of seeds beyond the usual 4-8 species sold in petshop stores. The Goldenfeast Australian blend is a good mix; budgies do come from Australia so it tries to emulate that at least.

Strangely enough, my keets hated the sugared and coloured Zupreem Fruitblend, but are fine with the unsugared Roudybush crumble. It could be a matter of finding which pellets your bird take to gradually.

 

[scrape]

I know exactly how you feel. lol... Good luck!

 

[Monica]

1. I've been trying to convert him to pellets, the way the vet recommends, and he'd rather starve himself. I got to the point of 15% seed 15% veg and 70% pellet/mash and he wouldn't eat it at all. That said I'm back to 45% seed and 45% pellet-mash and 10% veg for the past two weeks. I'm anxious to try and go to 35/15/50. He still eats around the mash and pellets and veg and just eats the seeds.

I'd say that a 50/50 seed to pellet is just fine, with as much fresh foods as you can get him to eat! For little birds like budgies, pellets can be just as bad as seeds when fed as the only food available.

Use this thread for some ideas!!!

Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

2. I try to give him training with millet once a day to get used to me. Once the seed started to get low, he became more interested in the millet and would perch on my hand. Progress! Yay! BUT now he's biting. Hard. He's not piercing the skin but it's pretty clear he doesn't want us in his cage/space. This isn't mouthing. It's aggressive territorial biting.

Where are you training? Exactly when does he bite?

What do I do? I thought we'd be farther along than this by this point but all I've learned is I just picked a super stubborn and angry bird. I don't need him to love me. I just want him to be happy and I'm not sure he is. I feel like I'm doing something very wrong.

Is he really stubborn and angry? Or is there a communication gap because the two of you speak vastly different languages???