As some of you already know I have three budgies. The older two (Jersey (female) and Manny (male)) were already bonded when I brought Happy (male) home (quarantined him, let them meet, added him to the flock - the whole nine yards). At first there seemed to be a problem between Jersey and Happy where Jersey wouldn't let Happy eat from the dish at the same time as her; she'd peck him away - nothing too serious just enough to get him away from the dish - squawk, flap her wings at him. Per advice from someone on this forum (I can't exactly remember who) I got new dishes and added more to the cage so even if Jersey was eating the pellets, Happy could eat some seed mix or whatever was in the cup at the time. That worked for a little while, but I don't think it eliminated the problem. Though they do get along better now and sometimes Happy will "flirt" with Jersey, they'll preen each other, and they'll talk back and forth. The aggression seems concentrated on the food dishes and feeding times.
Happy used to have scuffles with Manny (more like furious wing flapping and light pecking, nothing that draws blood), but they're nicer to each other now. Neither of the older birds exist harmoniously with Happy, but they're not aggressive in an alarming way. It may just be normal male/male behavior since I believe Jersey is in breeding condition. (She's got a dark brown cere, but no other signs of breeding have been displayed.)
Happy is now going through his first "baby molt." I frequently am interacting with my birds and I noticed how much heavier Jersey and Manny are than Happy. He seems skinny and very light, and it might be their significant age difference (Jersey and Manny were both hatched around January/February of this year and Happy wasn't hatched until around April/May). I don't believe any of them have ever been weighed, and after I get the check I'm expecting in the mail I was going to pick up a small scale (like the kind used for packages). I'm just worried that there's more going on than I see on a daily basis, and that Happy isn't eating enough. (Oddly, this aggressive behavior only centers around pellets and seed, and when I offer fruits/veggies they all eat nicely together and even "share" sometimes.)
I have a few questions that I'd love to have answered!
1) Was it a wrong decision for me to just put Happy in the same cage as the bonded pair? Would I have been better off just leaving him separated after quarantine?
2) Do the bonded pair feel threatened by his presence? How do I make them comfortable around him if they are?
3) Should I take either Jersey or Happy out of the equation (temporarily)? Would this help him eat more?
4) How can I discourage food aggression (or whatever Jersey is doing)?
5) How can I make sure Happy is eating the right amount/that he's at a healthy constant weight?
and
6) If I take Happy out of the bigger cage and separate him, will that be an incentive for Jersey and Manny to breed? (I don't want them to breed.)
I hope this is the right place to put this! I appreciate all of the advice people can offer me!
BONUS:
I'm also wondering if there are "winter foods" that are higher in fat that I can feed my birds so they can stay warm through the night. I do use a space heater quite often, and since October started my room hasn't been any colder than 70 degrees fahrenheit. Mostly I'm just wondering if I should change their diet to accompany the colder weather!
Happy used to have scuffles with Manny (more like furious wing flapping and light pecking, nothing that draws blood), but they're nicer to each other now. Neither of the older birds exist harmoniously with Happy, but they're not aggressive in an alarming way. It may just be normal male/male behavior since I believe Jersey is in breeding condition. (She's got a dark brown cere, but no other signs of breeding have been displayed.)
Happy is now going through his first "baby molt." I frequently am interacting with my birds and I noticed how much heavier Jersey and Manny are than Happy. He seems skinny and very light, and it might be their significant age difference (Jersey and Manny were both hatched around January/February of this year and Happy wasn't hatched until around April/May). I don't believe any of them have ever been weighed, and after I get the check I'm expecting in the mail I was going to pick up a small scale (like the kind used for packages). I'm just worried that there's more going on than I see on a daily basis, and that Happy isn't eating enough. (Oddly, this aggressive behavior only centers around pellets and seed, and when I offer fruits/veggies they all eat nicely together and even "share" sometimes.)
I have a few questions that I'd love to have answered!
1) Was it a wrong decision for me to just put Happy in the same cage as the bonded pair? Would I have been better off just leaving him separated after quarantine?
2) Do the bonded pair feel threatened by his presence? How do I make them comfortable around him if they are?
3) Should I take either Jersey or Happy out of the equation (temporarily)? Would this help him eat more?
4) How can I discourage food aggression (or whatever Jersey is doing)?
5) How can I make sure Happy is eating the right amount/that he's at a healthy constant weight?
and
6) If I take Happy out of the bigger cage and separate him, will that be an incentive for Jersey and Manny to breed? (I don't want them to breed.)
I hope this is the right place to put this! I appreciate all of the advice people can offer me!
BONUS:
I'm also wondering if there are "winter foods" that are higher in fat that I can feed my birds so they can stay warm through the night. I do use a space heater quite often, and since October started my room hasn't been any colder than 70 degrees fahrenheit. Mostly I'm just wondering if I should change their diet to accompany the colder weather!
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