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single budgie

bpstampin

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Brigitte
Hi, I'm new to this forum and was hoping you could give me some suggestions.
We have an untamed parakeet, it is my daughters. The parakeets friend recently passed. We have had them for a good 5 years. So now she is by herself in my daughters room. I would like to replace her cage to a larger one preferably with wheels, so that it can be moved out of her room to a more active part of the house. I'm looking for cage suggestions, toy suggestions or anything that will help stimulate her. All she does is sit on the perch all day and the only thing that peeks her interest is millet.

I appreciate any suggestions you may have regarding cage, food, toy, perch, vitamins etc.
TIA
 

MiniMacaw

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I’m sorry for the loss of your parakeets friend.

I have an A and E flight cage for my budgies and it’s been very good for them. Plenty of flight room and play room.

As for toys anything balsa is a winner for them. :) They won’t touch the more traditional pet store toys but they go nuts for balsa or mahogany pods.

Their favorite perches are rope, followed by a variety of natural perches like manzanita and java wood.

They really enjoy a fresh mash everyday to help balance out their diet. I get most of my mashes from Avian Organics but I know many people create their own.
 

Comet

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Try a leafy vegetable/herb and put it with the millet. Something as simple as a romaine lettuce leaf or a sprig of parsley should hopefully peak her interest enough to get a nibble out of her. Or you could buy some "cat" grass, (usually wheatgrass or oatgrass), and place the little planter directly into the cage. I've found that it's a favourite for my budgies, and some of them are really picky! Budgies forage around in the wild, eating both sprouted seeds and grasses. Another thing you can do is sprout seeds for her! As it mentions if the thread below, Hagen original blend budgie seed mix is great for sprouting, and budgies love almost everything in it.
Sprouting for your budgie | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Rope and wood are always great toy options, as MiniMacaw said. Anything your budgie can climb or chew should be a hit. It may still take her a while to feel better, depression is normal after the loss of a friend, even for birds - particularly social ones like budgies. Make sure the people in the house give her attention, as she'll need it from you now more than ever. Talk to her, sing to her, let her know that she isn't all alone. Give her some time, and she'll come around.
 

bpstampin

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Brigitte
Thank you both, I never thought the birds even liked each other. But, at least they had each other. So I would imagine it is horribly depressing for her.
Seeing her just sit on the dowel perch all the time is very upsetting. Going online for info, not only difficult to find (for me) but also to find out that everything about her cage/environment is wrong. Well I don't have to tell you how upsetting that was. So, I would like to change all that while I am able to. So I am thrilled to have find this forum, apologize if I am asking questions that have been asked/answered before. but, I do find all the choices very confusing and I want to get it right for her in her senior years.

MiniMacaw, the flight cage you suggested did you get that online? The toys, I am assuming that is an online thing as well.

Comet, any suggestions on things she might like to chew. She only ever chewed one thing but, turns out that was another no no.

thanks again
 

AKahle6868

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Welcome to the forum. I would recommend a flight cage to switch her to. Most of them can be bought from Amazon, are quite large, and are around $100 new. Take out the dowl perches and invest in some natural wood, rope, a swing perch, and maybe a few ladders. Avoid sanded or rough textured perches and try to get some in different widths (some small size, one medium). With toys I would make sure the toys aren’t too big as some bird are afraid of huge toys. You can get some wood shredder toys and drill some small holes in the wood and hide some seed to interest her. Once she has a new setup and a new friend I think she will be happy as can be.
 

Comet

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I'm glad you found the forum! Cardboard and coconut shells are a couple of other things you could try. Cardboard is nice and soft, and coconut shells have the fibre on them that budgies usually like to play with. Corn on the cob is another chew idea that doubles as a treat, if she'll go for it. She might enjoy just chewing on the cob and the husks, too!
 

MiniMacaw

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Yes, the cage I got online. I just ordered straight from a and e but I know they also sell on eBay which is where many members have purchased theirs. Amazon also has a few flight cages for sale with free shipping that are good.

The toys I mainly get from vendors here. Things for wings and lil monsters bird toys are favorites of my budgies and have adorable, safe toys for the little birds. I also like ordering from California Bird Nerds for toy parts to make my own sometimes.

Don’t feel bad at all about asking questions! :) We all started somewhere.
 

bpstampin

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Brigitte
Thank you!!

akahle6868. I think the toy I just got her maybe too big.
and I think the perch I just got may not be right. it is partially rough, I will see if I still have the info that says what kind it is.
Also, you don't think that she is too old for a friend. She is at least 5 or 6.

Comet,
Cardboard, what do you do just hang a piece or just leave a piece on the bottom of the cage?

thanks for the suggestions.
 
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bpstampin

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MiniMacaw,

I tried looking online today for cages, nothing with vertical and horizontal sides. Does that matter? The cage she has is real old and ready for the garbage. It has vertical and horizontal sides but, it is not big enough.

I have cats and would like something that they can't jump on.
I don't know if this is an ok cage but I liked the look. Was wondering what your thoughts were.

Archie & Oscar Elinor Elegant Style Flight Cage & Reviews | Wayfair
Tucker Murphy Pet Bernice Elegant Style Flight Cage & Reviews | Wayfair
https://www.hayneedle.com/product/loroflightcage1.cfm
https://www.petsupplies.com/item/a-and-e-medium-elegant-bird-cage/533765/

they are all a little pricey.
Is this the flight cage you were suggesting?

A&E Cage Company Flight Bird Cage in Black | Petco

thanks!
 

Comet

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Either one works. You can hang a piece near where she likes to perch, so she'll hopefully be more likely to try nibbling on it. Another thing you can try is cutting slits into the cardboard to fit multiple pieces together so it can sit/stand on the floor better! My birds have also shown interest in toilet paper tubes, both chewing them and tossing them around a little bit.
Input on the friend, as well. If you can/want to get another budgie, go ahead! Keep them in separate cages at first (a week or two) so they can get to know each other vocally. Also it'll serve as a bit of a quarantine, so you can make sure the new bird is healthy before putting them together. Budgies usually get along fine, and honestly do thrive on each other's company.
How much is she interacting with you and the other people she lives with?

One more thing. I like the look of the cage you are interested in! It would be great for one or two budgies, for sure. They can climb vertical bars, too, and they love "sliding" down them.
 
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Lady Jane

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My budgies are in a nice flight cage. There are no horizontal bars. Both of them use the bars to climb up or slide down. They taught themselves. The lack of the horizontal bars has truly not been an issue. I have several platform perches and other natural perches which they love. Ladders help too. Are you getting a second budgie?
 

bpstampin

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Lady Jane,

I wasn't considering a second budgie because of her age. I did not think that would be ok. I just want what is best for her. I wouldn't mind finding her a home. but, that's not always so easy. I wasn't totally sure of the life expectancy. But, regardless of what it is, I would like to improve her environment. So, at the very least I want to get a better cage/perch and get her in a spot in the house that has more activity.
Petco had small cages on sale a couple of weeks ago. I bought one thinking that maybe I could possibly put a couple of finches in it and she could have friends in a nearby cage. That was an easy purchase, it was on sale for around 10 dollars. of course it is still sitting in the box.
So now I guess I will go online and choose a cage. Maybe I will just go Eeny, meeny, miny, moe and choose that way.
 

bpstampin

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comet, I keep trying different things.
Broccoli, clementine slices, banana, lettuce, strawberries, peas, edamone no interest. Now I have the toilet paper roll in there. She is unimpressed.
The only things that catch her eye are the millet and the cat.
 

MauiWendy

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22"X 19" or larger would be idea. It would give her lots of room to climb and fly. Is she flighted? my daughter has a single buggie, Gary. He does fine by himself, but he gets lots of interaction with my daughter, and her roommates. He is flighted so he gets to really stretch his wings and fly too.
 

Comet

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Keep in mind that she will get better with time. You/your daughter can encourage her to step-up and just hold her, or, if she isn't quite that tame, sing to her through the bars. Play her music or keep videos on to keep her entertained. For now, find a vitamin supplement for her food or water so she gets the nutrients she needs. She'll be okay!
This is a recommended food supplement that I use for my birds.
82102 - Prime Vitamin Supplement - 20 g (0.70 oz)
 
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Fergus Mom

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Here is our cage. I love this cage - it is easy to take the tray out to clean because I don't have to bend very far, it provides enough room for both my budgies, and you can purchase a stand for it (with wheels) at Walmart online also... to me, it is a perfect size for one or two budgies. (parakeets)

Prevue Pet Products Flight Cage - Walmart.com

 
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