• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

New bird owner- tramatized

Ashley.xo

Moving in
Joined
9/15/18
Messages
7
Real Name
Ashley
Hi I'm Ashley and am very new to owning birds. I got a budgie bird Luca last Tuesday and a 2 year old cockatiel Reggie last Wednesday. I put them in the same cage and they seem fine together, but I want to make sure this is ok? Luca the budgie has already perched on my finger and ate some pellets from my hand but he is still nervous of me. Reggie the cockatiel and I had a little tramatic event happen this morning. I adopted Reggie from a rescue and the lady told me he says words which Ive yet to hear, she also told me he was hand tamed which I found out this morning he does not like my hands. He will eat millet from my hands but if I go to pet him or put my finger near him to step up he moves away. This morning I thought maybe he's used to being out of his cage and this is what he needed to get use to my hands? No . He was out of his cage and he freaked out, flew around and flew into the wall, and then when I had to get him I tried with a long perched to see if he would step up on that to bring him back to his cage and he just flew away from the perch and banged into some more walls. So i had to get him with my hands and he was biting my hands until I got him back into his cage. And some of his tail feathers came out. He is fine, no bleeding and he is eating and acting normal but I don't know what to do now to get him used to me and are his feathers going to grow back??? :(
 

Feather

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
7/3/11
Messages
5,474
His feathers will grow back, but you need to go slowly. He doesn't know you. A lot has changed for him and he hasn't even been in your home a full week. You have to start at the beginning and take it at his pace. This experience is going to throw you back a bit I'm afraid, but if you take it slow you can still earn his trust.

Start by sitting by his cage and reading to him. If he doesn't like you that close, then start across the room and gradually move closer. Keep your eyes down and talk gently to him every time you change his food and water. Once he warms up a bit, you can start offering him millet spray from your hands through the bars and slowly graduate to giving it to him with the door open. He may be a tame bird as the rescue said, but that doesn't mean he's going to be tame to you right away. You're still a stranger.

It took me nearly two years before I could pet my cockatiel. Patience is key.
 

lexalayne

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
2/20/11
Messages
1,965
Location
Pelee Island
Real Name
Alexa
Birds can take awhile to get used to you
He will relax and begin to talk and warm up to you. It took 2 years for my rescue B&G to come to me. And I used to let him and my Hyacinth out together and for a year they were fine. Then one decided he didn’t want the other around and chunked two large holes out of one foot that bled for hours ... well quik stop and then he’d tear off the scab but about 3 days of constant baby sitting.
And yes his feathers will grow back.
 

hrafn

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/17/16
Messages
3,875
Location
Canada
Don't house a budgie and a cockatiel together. Budgies are often too big for their britches and like to squabble, while cockatiels are very quiet and docile and won't fight back. A little budgie can do a lot of damage if he wants to.
 

roxynoodle

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
I Can't Stop Posting!
Joined
8/5/12
Messages
14,319
Location
Ohio
Real Name
Audrey
I wouldn't house them together either. They don't know each other and are different species. Also neither was quarantined in your home prior to being put together and there could have been an illness.

I agree with Theresa about just spending some quiet time in the room first. And of course talking to the birds. You can watch TV together and listen to some music. Then after a couple of days you could try a game of peek a boo by hiding behind furniture or under a blanket. Taking a nap on the couch never hurts either as they can watch you, and relax a bit that you sleep peacefully there and aren't worried anything is coming to eat you. Let your new bird set the pace. Pete growled at me the first 2 days every time I was within 5 feet of his cage. I didn't try to handle him and just let him see me going about my normal life. On the third day I was outside for a few hours and when I came back in he started singing opera to me. On the fourth day he wanted some out of cage time and eventually climbed down to me (I sat on the floor to be less concerning) and then he cuddled with me. I was surprised it only took 4 days. I thought it might take a year.
 

cassiesdad

Ripping up the road
Weather Authority
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avian Angel
Joined
3/21/11
Messages
1,000,000
Location
Erie PA
Real Name
Bob Weisman
Welcome to you, Luca, and Reggie.

Your fids are really new to you and your home...it's going to take time for them to settle in! Slow and sure is the order of the day. Make sure you don't make a lot of sudden, darting moves around them...and talk to them in a calm, reassuring tone every time you get a chance to. :)

I also don't think housing the two birds in the same cage is a very good idea...as @hrafn and @Mizzely have already stated...
 

Nancy B

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/6/17
Messages
2,265
Location
Massachusetts
Real Name
Nancy
I definitely agree with everyone's opinions here, and even though a different bird, my Freddy when I got him I was told was not really hand tame. That didn't scare me though because I just had a feeling about him that I liked, and he ate from my hands upon meeting me. Now Freddy is a little love bug, and loves my whole family. He and I are inseparable when I am home, he likes to be wherever we are, he is 8 yrs old and we have only had him 9 mos. We have had our set backs too, if I spook him it takes him 6-12 weeks to come back around. If he spooks himself, he's ok, so glad he doesn't blame us for his mistakes lol.
Definitely get a separate cage for the budgie!
 

iamwhoiam

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/16/12
Messages
28,269
Location
the zoo
Welcome to AA. Agree with others about caging the birds separately and also just being patient. Reggie is in a new home and it will take him time to be comfortable in this new setting.
 

finchly

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/16/14
Messages
12,708
Location
SW Florida
Real Name
Finchly
Welcome, and congratulations on your new birds!

They can be friends by living close to each other in separate cages and talking/singing to each other. Also, when you take your sweet budgie out the cockatiel will watch and learn that’s an okay and maybe even a fun thing to do.

Drop a treat, like a nutriberry in the cockatiel’s cage every so often. Just drop it off and walk on by. He’ll realize you are his friend. :)

Best thing I ever did for my birds was sit and read out loud to them. My audiologist wanted me to do it for 30 minutes a day so I read to my tiel girls. It helpe calm them down tremendously.
 

Nancy B

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/6/17
Messages
2,265
Location
Massachusetts
Real Name
Nancy

Ashley.xo

Moving in
Joined
9/15/18
Messages
7
Real Name
Ashley
They were very content together and usually sitting on the top perch together. I haven't seen them fight at all. I feel bad now I separated them and now the cockatiel is sitting on the bottom perch which he hasn't really done to be beside Luca in the other cage:( is everyone really sure they can't be together.
 

Ashley.xo

Moving in
Joined
9/15/18
Messages
7
Real Name
Ashley
They were very content together and usually sitting on the top perch together. I haven't seen them fight at all. I feel bad now I separated them and now the cockatiel is sitting on the bottom perch which he hasn't really done to be beside Luca in the other cage:( is everyone really sure they can't be together.
 

saroj12

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/15/09
Messages
60,180
Location
fl
Real Name
saroj
They were very content together and usually sitting on the top perch together. I haven't seen them fight at all. I feel bad now I separated them and now the cockatiel is sitting on the bottom perch which he hasn't really done to be beside Luca in the other cage:( is everyone really sure they can't be together.
What size cage do you have?
 

lexalayne

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
2/20/11
Messages
1,965
Location
Pelee Island
Real Name
Alexa
It’s important that one is able to get away if there is a fight. After my macaws fought I never clipped their wings again.
 

Serin

Sprinting down the street
Joined
3/18/18
Messages
459
Location
Indiana
I have had very good experience with budgies and tiels bonding and I've had some which did not get along. One of my past budgies was raised with two tiels. As adults, they were basically a thereesome. He fed both tiels, and helped feed their chicks, and they had total trust in him. They all caged together. I really don't like or support keeping birds in seperate cages if they like each other. Birds ideally should have bird company, and if they accept another species, I am not opposed to housing them together. I have also had a tiel and ringneck dove pair who caged together and were very loving! Typically the signs they do or do not like each other are very obvious. If there's any chasing or biting, separate. If they seem like friends, let them be friends!

I have recently come into ownership of a very young tiel, and a very young budgie, and am trialing housing them together for company, since it worked so well for me in the past. They get along very nicely, sit side by side to eat and sleep near each other but both are still a bit shy of actually touching the other. I've so far seen no aggression, if I do the situation will be changed. Most male budgies are docile and just want to make friends.
 

Nancy B

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/6/17
Messages
2,265
Location
Massachusetts
Real Name
Nancy
Awww I would watch them just to make sure they don't fight. When they get more used to each other their behavior may change. Maybe use the two cages if you're not going to be home for a while. That's cute that they like each other.
 
Top