Dorcas George
Rollerblading along the road
- Joined
- 9/3/19
- Messages
- 1,721
It is almost the end of quarantine time for Jewel (yep, that is the name of the new bird, if you missed it). I was gone much more than I wanted to be during the last month, so didn't spend as much time with my new baby birdy as I'd hoped, but it is going reasonably well. More about that in a moment.
People who think budgies don't have very individual personalities...well, they just don't know, do they? I am remembering Packer (flying high and free at the Rainbow Bridge) and how he was so depressed when we lost Breeze, his little lady love. Then Frost arrived and Packer called and squawked like a maniac bird. And in a not-quite-careful-enough moment on my part, Packer heard the budgie chirps from a different room and ZOOMED through a slightly open door at the first opportunity. And sat on a perch bolt on the outside of the cage so he could be as close to Frost as possible. And leaned on him when he was in the cage. I have a photo of that. It was sweet and also hilarious.
Frost and Jewel can hear each other. Lots of calling some days. Funny thing--to me anyway--is that Frost says CHEEP and Jewel says PEEP! These quarantines are hard, huh? Anyway, Frost has made no attempts to find the other bird. Frost is a bit of a perch potato. Just calls. He hasn't had as much flight time lately because I've had to leave home often, but when he has, he just follows his normal "flight path" which usually includes a head buzz to me, then into the large living room and then back to the cage top where he likes to sit and survey his kingdom. There isn't much flying just for fun since he's been a solo bird. Yesterday he got more curious and his path varied to closer to where those chirps were coming from. And then again, a little closer. If it had been Packer, he'd have been sitting on the top of the door frame hollering to get in. So I guess it is good that quarantine is almost over.
Now, some pondering, and please chime in with thoughts.
Jewel was seriously rambunctious in the pet store budgie cage. At home she has been more timid than I expected. However, she usually will hop on my hand if I have seed. Not otherwise, but she is not really frightened if I'm slow. I'll keep working on that. Her wings are clipped. Ugh. She's in a small room, and I've sat in there with her a couple of times with her cage door open. Once she ventured to the doorway but no further. Usually she looks timid and stays where she is.
So I am planning on moving her cage into the room where Frost is and putting it, for a while, next to the big PALACE that lonely Frost inhabits. There may be a cage change in their future, but I'll post about that at another time.
I expect Frost will always avoid hands. He wants me to talk to him. He calls me, especially when I arrive home after being away. He wants to head buzz me regularly. But it has been a long time of trying with very limited success (especially since he was sick and had to be captured and then sent to vet for three days) to get him used to my hand. Sometimes, if I give him PLENTY of time and he is wanting seed, he will hop on my palm. He used to let me move him out of the cage on my hand, but since Packer has been gone, that has ended.
Anyway, I really, really, really want Jewel to be tame. So I will keep working with her, and Frost too, at least some. So do you think it is okay for them to be near each other in separate cages, or do you think that I should NOT put her in the room with Frost yet?
I don't want her in the big cage until she is more able to be handled. It is so big that if Frost goes to the back of it he is difficult to reach! I'm thinking of putting her in the room with Frost when I am gone, or for part of the day if I'm home, but taking her to the little room for time with me. And if the cage door is open, she would have to be in the small room anyway since her wings are clipped. Or should I not put her in the room with Frost yet? (That will be hard.)
Ideas? Suggestions?
Oh, she is not a fan but is trying pellets a bit, and has nibbled veggies. Hooray! I didn't want to try much of a diet change at first, but I think that will go okay, especially once she is with Frost. He gets greens and pellets in the morning and seeds only in the evening. I'll try to get a photo of Jewel. She is changing.
People who think budgies don't have very individual personalities...well, they just don't know, do they? I am remembering Packer (flying high and free at the Rainbow Bridge) and how he was so depressed when we lost Breeze, his little lady love. Then Frost arrived and Packer called and squawked like a maniac bird. And in a not-quite-careful-enough moment on my part, Packer heard the budgie chirps from a different room and ZOOMED through a slightly open door at the first opportunity. And sat on a perch bolt on the outside of the cage so he could be as close to Frost as possible. And leaned on him when he was in the cage. I have a photo of that. It was sweet and also hilarious.
Frost and Jewel can hear each other. Lots of calling some days. Funny thing--to me anyway--is that Frost says CHEEP and Jewel says PEEP! These quarantines are hard, huh? Anyway, Frost has made no attempts to find the other bird. Frost is a bit of a perch potato. Just calls. He hasn't had as much flight time lately because I've had to leave home often, but when he has, he just follows his normal "flight path" which usually includes a head buzz to me, then into the large living room and then back to the cage top where he likes to sit and survey his kingdom. There isn't much flying just for fun since he's been a solo bird. Yesterday he got more curious and his path varied to closer to where those chirps were coming from. And then again, a little closer. If it had been Packer, he'd have been sitting on the top of the door frame hollering to get in. So I guess it is good that quarantine is almost over.
Now, some pondering, and please chime in with thoughts.
Jewel was seriously rambunctious in the pet store budgie cage. At home she has been more timid than I expected. However, she usually will hop on my hand if I have seed. Not otherwise, but she is not really frightened if I'm slow. I'll keep working on that. Her wings are clipped. Ugh. She's in a small room, and I've sat in there with her a couple of times with her cage door open. Once she ventured to the doorway but no further. Usually she looks timid and stays where she is.
So I am planning on moving her cage into the room where Frost is and putting it, for a while, next to the big PALACE that lonely Frost inhabits. There may be a cage change in their future, but I'll post about that at another time.
I expect Frost will always avoid hands. He wants me to talk to him. He calls me, especially when I arrive home after being away. He wants to head buzz me regularly. But it has been a long time of trying with very limited success (especially since he was sick and had to be captured and then sent to vet for three days) to get him used to my hand. Sometimes, if I give him PLENTY of time and he is wanting seed, he will hop on my palm. He used to let me move him out of the cage on my hand, but since Packer has been gone, that has ended.
Anyway, I really, really, really want Jewel to be tame. So I will keep working with her, and Frost too, at least some. So do you think it is okay for them to be near each other in separate cages, or do you think that I should NOT put her in the room with Frost yet?
I don't want her in the big cage until she is more able to be handled. It is so big that if Frost goes to the back of it he is difficult to reach! I'm thinking of putting her in the room with Frost when I am gone, or for part of the day if I'm home, but taking her to the little room for time with me. And if the cage door is open, she would have to be in the small room anyway since her wings are clipped. Or should I not put her in the room with Frost yet? (That will be hard.)
Ideas? Suggestions?
Oh, she is not a fan but is trying pellets a bit, and has nibbled veggies. Hooray! I didn't want to try much of a diet change at first, but I think that will go okay, especially once she is with Frost. He gets greens and pellets in the morning and seeds only in the evening. I'll try to get a photo of Jewel. She is changing.
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Its been almost a year since they were put together and we three have great fun together. Both my guys learned a lot from each other. My suggestions is to put the cages side-by-side and watch them. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much both of them perk up and pay attention to each other. It may take Jewell and Frost longer to bring you into their flock than if they were separate but they will be so happy. Buddy comes and plays on me all the time and Tweetie watches him do that. I think one day that Tweetie will trust me enough to come play on me also. My chair is beside their cage and they will come perch beside me in their cage or on the perch outside right beside my chair.
