Mint updates <3

[Miss Annamarie]

Hi guys!

Some of you said you would be interested in hearing updates about little baby Mint so I made this to kind of be like a diary of her progress like I've seen some others do.

For those who didn't see my first post, here's how I got Mint;
I turned 18 on the 3rd and we went out of town to eat out and do other things, I wanted to look at the pet store birds so we went to Petco. I was most definitely NOT planning on getting another bird since we're getting a baby ekkie later this month. But I saw her at Petco and she seemed SO young and she was MUCH smaller than the others and the other budgies weren't letting her eat or drink at all. She'd even just be sitting on a perch and a different bird would come and fight her off of it until she fell. When I got her, her head and both of her feet had blood on them. I bought her a travel cage there because I didn't want her spending an hour drive back in one of those stupid little boxes. She's really terrified of other birds and if she hears Bee or Isla chirp from a whole other room she scatters around her area.

I haven't been able to order her a cage yet so I washed out Isla's cage we got her in and she's been chilling in that even though it's tiny, it's something. She's really comfortable in the travel cage we got her so I've been taking that with her in it to the room I'm in and leaving it open. She's only come out of it a couple times by herself but she'll usually just sit there on the perch staring at me, sometimes we blink back and forth. Of course, being at Petco, she was pretty much on a diet of seeds and like orange scraps (when she could eat). They didn't have good pellets there and the bird adoption center I usually buy supplies from was closed. So I've been crushing up the bigger pellets we feed Isla and Bee and mixing them with a seed mix. I've been offering vegetables everyday but haven't really gotten her to eat any, still trying.

Once in awhile she steps up, but if she starts freaking out I immediately back away. I'm not really sure how to teach a baby bird to play with toys but I'll be doing research, tips are appreciated!

That's all for now <3
(don't worry I'll post a picture of her everytime I post)
This is her travel cage she's been chillin in' not Isla's old one, don't worry.

 

[greys4u]

Toys to them are like big monsters!! Either you start playing with it and let her see it or leave it out of the cage where she can see it for coupla days

 

[Lori D Pert]

Sometimes they have to be shown what toys are for so yes play with them yourself outside the cage. How long before you get her a real cage? She will do much better with different sized natural perches and ladders and space to practice climbing. Perhaps put a rope perch or natural perch outside her door when it's open to make it easier for her to exit the cage. She is just a little sweetie!

 

[Mybluebird]

I did exactly what @Lori D Pert suggested to get my new budgie to play. She has a swing with two bells hanging off the bottom. She never got on the swing. I put my hand in the cage and rang the bell, then put my finger on the swing and pushed it back and forth. First she started pecking the bell and now she has jumped on the swing a few times. Use your finger to show her what to do. It may take a few times before she gets up the courage to do it.

 

[Fergus Mom]

As I have said, I'm just in love with this little Mint baby! She had such a rough start, and I will be willing to bet she will socialize easily in the near future. You have stolen her heart, and she has stolen yours. I think it's a great idea for her to be in the smaller cage for a bit, as it might feel more cozy to her, and that you're moving it where you are is wonderful!

 

[Miss Annamarie]

Hey guys!
She's been liking oranges and spinach but not much else. I found her playing with one of the toys on the stand we made today!

She's been eating and drinking really well and she doesn't LOVE stepping up but 2/5 times she will. She's so so sweet and an absolute angel.

Her cage was supposed to come today! But we got 4 feet of snow and they decided not to even try to deliver it for the past couple days. She's started coming out a lot more and ran all around the living room today

Sorry for the short update!




I have a quick question for you guys, opinionated, do you think it's easier to bond with birds with their wings clipped? I'm not talking about keeping their wings clipped forever (you can if that's your choice), but from my experience, it's always been a lot easier to bond with a bird when they're more reliant on you in that way? What's your experience!

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

Hey guys!
She's been liking oranges and spinach but not much else. I found her playing with one of the toys on the stand we made today!

She's been eating and drinking really well and she doesn't LOVE stepping up but 2/5 times she will. She's so so sweet and an absolute angel.

Her cage was supposed to come today! But we got 4 feet of snow and they decided not to even try to deliver it for the past couple days. She's started coming out a lot more and ran all around the living room today

Sorry for the short update!




I have a quick question for you guys, opinionated, do you think it's easier to bond with birds with their wings clipped? I'm not talking about keeping their wings clipped forever (you can if that's your choice), but from my experience, it's always been a lot easier to bond with a bird when they're more reliant on you in that way? What's your experience!

View attachment 322846

I suppose it might be "easier" but I personally wouldn't believe in it being an actual bond that you have with your bird when their wings are clipped. To me a bond is when the bird has every opportunity to happily fly from me and be safe, healthy, and happy there but decides he would enjoy my company and thus stays with me

Mint is such a sweetheart <3

 

[Zara]

do you think it's easier to bond with birds with their wings clipped?

Maybe, but it would be a much stronger and meaningful bond if your bird is not clipped. A bird that is clipped is forced into a relationship with you, and bird with flight has to choose you, and it is a much more rewarding feeling as a bird owner.
Here´s some article to have a read through : Should I clip my birds wings?

Also, it is great that Mint is eating spinach but be careful to not let her pig out on it as she is female. If she likes spinach, she may enjoy kale

A good tip is to keep training sessions short and sweet, there are some great threads over in The Training Court

You are doing great with Mint, and I LOVE the photo!!
Thanks for the update!

 

[Lori D Pert]

It may be easier to dominate a bird with it's wings clipped, but that has nothig to do with a bird coming to trust you and become tame. You are taking away it's natural ability to escape danger. As well it may take many months to regrow their flight feathers and they many have the confidence to fly by then. Your little cutie is very young and was already bullied in the petstore, now taking her escape away completely would be sad. There is nothing like having a bird fly to you becaause they want to be with you, not forced to be with you. Give her time as clipping is definitely not a shortcut to taming. Not preaching (really), the choice is yours.

 

[finchly]

Sometimes wing clipping destroys their confidence

 

[Lori D Pert]

. As well it may take many months to regrow their flight feathers and they many have the confidence to fly by then

The above sentence should read: As well it may take many months to regrow their flight feathers and they may have lost the confidence to fly by then.
Don't know why I have no edit button.

 

[finchly]

The above sentence should read: As well it may take many months to regrow their flight feathers and they may have lost the confidence to fly by then.
Don't know why I have no edit button.

The edit button is only live for 10 minutes

Mine lost confidence not only in flying but in her relationship with me. And in trying new things.

 

[Miss Annamarie]

Thanks guys for your opinions! I don't think clipping their wings once you get them is right, but I think if when you get them and they're already clipped, it just seems a lot easier!

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Yay! I’m happy to hear she’s coming out more and playing Just keep doing exactly as you are -every time you give a toy show her what to do with it.
It’s great she’s eating oranges and spinach and I bet soon she’ll be trying more.
Regarding the wings, I assume Petco already clipped hers? Every budgie I’ve ever seen there has been clipped.
My experience has been this: both my birds were clipped when I got them. I found it much scarier in certain situations to be honest. For example, any time one of them would get “spooked “they would *try* to take off. Since they were clipped it resulted in them falling to the ground more often than not. I also feel they have more confidence now that they can fly as they can make the choice to be where they want. They’ve both actually become much friendlier as their wings grew back!

Thanks for the update, Mint is so precious

 

[Lori D Pert]

Funny you know, I am in Canada and I got Sam from a breeder so her wings were not clipped. I have been many times to the Petsmart nearest us and I always look at the budgies. Their wings are not clipped. Now I have heard from many people here that clipping is not an option. If buying at a petstore their wings were all clipped. I'm wondering why? Should it not be the purchasers decision? Or is it just easier on the staff to capture a clipped bird for sale? Makes me sad that the future owner has no choice. I truly believe that Sam tamed easily as she was a very feisty personality but also BECAUSE she could fly.

 

[Mybluebird]

I got Tweetie at Petsmart and she was not clipped. So maybe Petco clips all of theirs and Petsmart does not?

 

[JoJo&Loki]

I got Tweetie at Petsmart and she was not clipped. So maybe Petco clips all of theirs and Petsmart does not?

You may be right. We got Jo from Petsmart, and she wasn’t clipped...but the Associate “strongly advised” us to clip as she was our 1st bird. I’m still mad at myself for not knowing enough back then to say “Oh heck no!” By the time we got Loki, I was more knowledgeable and did NOT want him clipped but the breeder made that decision for me before I picked him up!
(Sorry for the rant, like I said I’m still upset with myself about it, but at least I got lucky that both their wings are now back and they’re both great fliers. I know it doesn’t always work out that way, unfortunately.)

ANYWAY, we recently went to Petco and came *this close* to getting another baby girl! While ogling them all I was sad to see EVERY single one of them was clipped.
And WHY clip them when they’re already stuck in a small space with only 1 or 2 toys to pass the time until they’re adopted?!?

 

[Porter]

I can see the point of petsmart clipping simply because the building has such a high ceiling.
Birds die in grocery stores when they fly in by accident and no one can catch them. The poor things starve to death.

I am against clipping but in large stores like that... If the bird escapes the likelyhood of them getting the bird down is all but impossible.

A kite got into my husbands work once. We had to net the poor guy and it took 6 hours to get him. And that is a bird the size of a Quaker at least.

A budgie would be all but impossible.