New budgie owner

[Butterflygirl]

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to have found this forum! I just bought home a beautiful budgie today. His/her name is Cosmo. Right now we are giving Cosmo space so he/she can get familiar with his/her new home. When should I take Cosmo to the vet to be checked over? Also....can anybody tell me if Cosmo is a boy or girl? Thank you!!

 

[Dona]

So attractive! I hope an expert steps in with the gender answer.

 

[Serin]

Cosmo looks male. I have never taken a new budgie to the vet and it is not usually necessary in my opinion but you may get other input.

 

[Gazimon]

I did ask my vet friend if I should take my birds to the vet after getting them. Her advice was that if they came from a reputable and clean source, such as a breeder or pet shop with good cage hygiene, then to quarantine and observe the birds for any signs of illness and to monitor the droppings. If there are no signs, then a visit is not necessary in her opinion. The reasoning is that clinics are places that people take sick pets to, so any unnecessary visit there only exposes them to possible transmissions. However, do read up on signs and behavior of illness [such as what colour or consistency the droppings should be based on diet].

 

[zoo mom]

Welcome. Cosmo is a cutie.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Welcome to AA. Congrats on getting Cosmo.

 

[TikiMyn]

Welcome! Cosmo is a cutie! Love his shade of green. A checkup for a new bird is always a good idea. It also gives the Avian vet an idea of the healthy Cosmo and basic data for if he should be ill. You could wait so he is a little bit more settled in or go now. It depends on the situation and how well he handled stress I think

 

[Gazimon]

If Cosmo is still nervous about its new home, I would suggest for the vet visit to wait until its settled in. During that period of a few weeks, you can also record a routine and make other notes that would be helpful info for the vet. There's a link to a PDF record sheet for a budgie near the bottom of this page, but you can also make your own notes. Bird Health Booklets & Species Profiles - Hari

 

[LSA]

Congrats on Cosmo! HE looks MALE!
@SquawksNibbles
@Fergus Mom
My favorite budgie site is
Birds Online - General facts about budgies - Introduction
Going early to the AV sets standards to go by and they also will tell you quarantine length and birdy needs.

 

[Lady Jane]

I have never taken a new budgie to the vet and it is not usually necessary in my opinion

Once your bird is comfortable it is wise to have an avian vet do a wellness check and then continue with these check ups yearly. Birds will often hide their illnesses and when and if you see something that looks suspicious in your birds health it can be too late. The feather coloring is beautiful.
Should I Take My Bird to the Vet if Nothing's Wrong?

We identify a budgie's gender by the color of the cere (space around the nostrils. Here is a link to help you decide the gender of your b ird. Cosmo looks female to me, not male. Veterinarian-Approved Advice on How to Identify Your Budgie's Sex

Identify Budgie Gender by Cere Color | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Serin]

Cosmo's cere is pink, hens will not usually show pink and certainly never so even a shade of it as this.

 

[Lady Jane]

It appears white to me.

 

[Feathered up]

It appears lavender pinkish on my iPhone. Lol. Based on my screen I would think male but screens vary so much it’s a tough call from a picture.

I thought Remy was female for the longest because of all the filters and so forth that goes into digital photo algorithms he just wasn’t as bright as the males in pictures.

Vetting is a personal choice. I found an avian vet who had a sick side and a well side with separate air venting. If the bird came from a pet store, or a rehome from a questionable environment, I personally do have a well check done fairly quickly. If from a closed aviary I generally don’t rush to the vet.

I will caution you to stay with the bird at all times in the vets office and if they suggest doing labs and try to do a jugular stick on a bird that small, say no, and find a different vet.

Welcome to you and Cosmo!

 

[Mizzely]

I personally do well bird visits as soon as possible to get a baseline and be able to ask any questions for the vet right away. I prefer to get all the stress out of the way at the get go so that I can focus on enjoying time with my new friend

 

[Butterflygirl]

Thanks everyone! I dont have a certified avian vet near me but I do have a vet who is experienced with birds. I'm going to make an appointment to get Cosmo in next week. In person the cere is lavender so I'm just gonna refer to Cosmo as "he" for now He is doing great so far! It didn't take too long for him to begin exploring his new home and checking out the toys. He ate seed as well as pellets so I'm happy about that. His poop looks normal. And he began to sing today and I love hearing his little voice! We are still keeping our hands away from the cage for now(except for when I changed his food and water). I'm happy with how comfortable he seems now and dont want to mess that up.

Thanks again for the advice! I appreciate it

 

[LSA]

It appears white to me.

It looks blue-lavendar on my phone! Oh geez, ask the AV!

 

[LSA]

Make sure and give him fresh stuff. It takes about 2.5 weeks for my budgie boys to accept a change. JoJo only ate and drank in secret for the first week, so

 

[Sylvester]

Once your bird is comfortable it is wise to have an avian vet do a wellness check and then continue with these check ups yearly. Birds will often hide their illnesses and when and if you see something that looks suspicious in your birds health it can be too late. The feather coloring is beautiful.
Should I Take My Bird to the Vet if Nothing's Wrong?

We identify a budgie's gender by the color of the cere (space around the nostrils. Here is a link to help you decide the gender of your b ird. Cosmo looks female to me, not male. Veterinarian-Approved Advice on How to Identify Your Budgie's Sex

Identify Budgie Gender by Cere Color | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

I am still having the most aggravating time getting onto this site. I have hit the 'like' button for your reply so many times and it won't stick. Anyway, LJ, you called it correctly, (as usual) it looks white to me too.

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Welcome to you and Cosmo! He’s adorable! His cere appears pink to me with no white rings around the nostrils, so I think male. Congratulations on your new feathered friend!

 

[Fergus Mom]

Hi Heather and Cosmo! @Butterflygirl and a big to ya'll! Cosmo is a gorgeous little one, and I am puzzled as to the gender, but if I had to guess, I'd guess male. Maybe... LOL. At first I thought little girl, and now I'm still not sure, but I am hoping you might post more pics in natural light so we can keep debating this! In any case Cosmo is a bright eyed beauty!