I need to know about budgies.

[Birdlove]

I inherited a budgie once upon a time, but I have to admit I had no idea what I was doing. The budgie got an ok diet. But it was a mean budgie because it hadn't been handled and its former cage mate was aggressive towards it. Anyway, one day and long before I found this forum I decided we should try to handle it. And we did. She loved one of our kids, toddler at the time, and they would paint, watch a movie together, just hang out. And one day she died. She loved chewing and shredding paper so we gave her that as a form of entertainment and she would sometimes just walk around and beak things but honestly I didn't know how to stimulate her mind. She had toys from petsmart but they were lame in retrospect. So my question is: what should a healthy well adjusted and taken care of budgies life be? To this day in kind of lost. Do they chew through wood? What do they like go do? How do you know if they're happy? Ours just sat there perched probably out of fear but I was so ignorant about birds and their needs.
I still feel guilty that I didn't know how to take care of her.
Please enlighten me!

 

[BirdBrained]

It really depend on the individual. My budgies love chewing paper up, or any other material they make shedding toys out of. They both also love their swings and bells. Keoki loves to climb so he has a ladder and a string of rings that go from the top to the bottom of their cage. I know a lot of people buy balsa wood toys for their budgies too and those kebab toys. Mine really enjoy chewing on their apple branch perches.

 

[MyAussieFriends]

My guys LOVE to chew. They chew anything and everything.

I think they get a lot more out of being with each other though, than playing with their toys. They're just super social birds

 

[Birdlove]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I've noticed they really are social but this particular one was bullied and it honestly seemed relieved when its bully passed. The bully, which was very human friendly, would always make it over to her cage to harrass her. And then some time after that we inherited her but she was close to 10 yrs by then so I think on some level she was set in her ways. She liked us but never fully trusted us, so I don't think she felt at ease playing and foraging with us around.
I always watch them at the petstore because they're so stinking cute and sometimes I miss that little mean green bird....and then I remember she tore my flesh off a couple of times! Lol

 

[Mariannee]

All the ones that live with me are very different. My daughters 2 chew apple wood but nothing else. My Shamrock chews craft paper like a nut but didn't at first at all. Shamrock loves his plastic rings and those non metallic ringing plastic balls. He climbs in and out of the rings up and down .and flies around in and out of cage like crazy. Shamrock is alone in his own cage and is quite happy to be by himself. both Hannibal and Shamrock are teaching themselves to talk and just say random phrases whenever they feel like it. He uses his swing infrequently to perch on but more to fly loops around and spin around the perch as well. They all eat fresh food all the time as well as grain bakes mashes and birdy bread abd sprouts.

 

[rockybird]

My English parakeet and American parakeet love swings, boings, activitoys, and balsa. I buy balsa toys from igotawoodybirdtoys.com.

I dont know how to tell if a budgie is happy. My two boys sing and chirp a lot, so I assume this means they are somewhat happy. I just bought them a double flight cage, which they seem to really like. I love hearing the flutter of their wigs as they fly/flutter across it!

The best thing I ever bought my male american parakeet with a buddy. They seem so happy, chasing each other, playing together, etc.

I think female budgies might have a harder time getting along? Maybe this is why your previous two did not get along. It sounds like you gave the remaining bird a good home, though!