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Mother is starving her budgie to train it

Seigan

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My mother is the owner of two budgies. One of them is really active, and squawks and chirps alot.
My mother thinks this is really annoying and had always been looking for ways to keep him quiet, including but not limited to scaring it, yelling at it, covering his cage with a cloth throughout the entire day, etc. I dislike it when she does this because I feel like chirping loudly is just a bird being a bird.
Today she proudly told me that following the advice of some internet advice guru, she has taken away all of his food for a day, and that the budgie has been really quiet ever since.
I freaked out and told her to put it back, and she immediately got angry and told me I wouldn't understand and that I was always over-pampering animals.

Am I really over-pampering the budgie? Is this kind of thing okay to do?
 

LunaLovebird

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No, you aren’t, and your mother is abusing this poor animal. What you’ve described is not okay and will not stop the budgie from doing normal budgie things like making noise. If she wants a quiet pet, she shouldn’t have birds.
 

Shezbug

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This internet advice guru may very well give the correct advice for your mother to keep this bird quiet..... a budgie without frequent access to food will not live long.
This is animal cruelty and if your mother is following uneducated silly tips like “starve your bird for the day” she really needs to let the bird go to a home who understands correct bird care and behaviour where it’s normal healthy happy sounds will be enjoyed.

The budgie is very possibly quiet because he is weak from lack of food. The other things your mother does is flat out mean and nasty. Would she open to moving them to an area that she hears them less or better still to another persons care?
 
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lillie

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No, you aren’t, and your mother is abusing this poor animal. What you’ve described is not okay and will not stop the budgie from doing normal budgie things like making noise. If she wants a quiet pet, she shouldn’t have birds.


I agree 100%

the budgie won’t and cannot understand why food is being withheld. it’s simply cruel and meaningless.
 

Ripshod

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If your mother is annoyed by the sound of a budgie why did she get them? Sheeesh!
 

Yoshi&Raphi

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The budgie wasn’t being quiet because it understood it was being punished for being loud it was being quiet because it was feeling weak and didn’t have enough energy to make noise.

Is there a way you can take these budgies in to your care or report her to your local animal services?
 

Dona

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I'm nearly speechless. I agree with all that has been written above.
 

Mizzely

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So some trainers do advocate against having food in the cage all day because it makes them more food motivated and thus more likely to obey commands.

However, it does seem like your mother has misinterpreted this and is taking it to an extreme. For one, birds will make noise and certain species (like budgies) are especially chatty. You cannot train that out of them. For two, she does not seem to be following through the rest of this with the TRAINING aspect of removing food for a desired effect.

I believe a budgie can die without food in 48 hours. What if she forgets to give them back the food? :(
 

Hankmacaw

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Right @Mizzely. A bird has approximately 48 hours without food before it starts to die and many of the results are non-reversible. For one they begin to consume their own liver.
 

EkkieLu

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Please, never withold food from any animal! Rehome if necessary, but don't torture him like that!
 

Princessbella

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Thank you for telling us about this. Withholding food from a bird is torture. Please keep doing what you are doing and feed the bird. Your Mom is terrorizing this poor bird. He is so scared that he is quiet.
 

Dorcas George

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You aren’t overreacting! WHY have a budgie if she wants quiet? Do you get a cat and yell at it if it says meow? Please, do whatever you can to get this bird somewhere else! Your mother should get a goldfish perhaps.
 

finchly

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Please remove this bird from your mother’s care. I would not call animal services on my family member but I would remove an animal from a dangerous situation.

And everyone is saying 48 hours. That is an OUTSIDE number, in my opinion. Especially for a smaller bird. They can die a lot sooner if they’re stressed, or not in good health, or have mites or protozoa.

I have forgotten to put the water back before and lost 2 finches and had another on the way out after only 3 hours.
 

camelotshadow

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Yes, a dead or weak sick bird is much easier to train...Brava...glad you made it...Maybe Mom needs some of her own medicine...

I'm not serious so please lock Mom in a closet for a few days without food & water & see if she changes her mind...Maybe she will LEARN!

 
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Miss_sj

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Oh this is so so sad :( have you been able to talk to your mum after reading these posts? Is she willing to rehome. In my honest opinion, a noisy budgie is a happy budgie (as its not shrieking or sounding in pain). They are chatterboxes and if this is a problem its best to avoid having one. In the meantime, can you please put food in the cage. Its very important that the budgie has food
 

Budgiebonkers

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allot of people do this also to force them to each veggies and to hand tame them it only takes 24 hours to starve them Mine seem to get louder when they are hungry is how I know mine need to be fed
 

Seigan

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Hello, sorry for the late reply. I have tried telling her these and suggested that if she didn't like the budgie she should give him to someone else, but she keeps getting angry and saying stuff like how I "don't understand" and that "this method works, so why give him away". She's also changed her stance to only giving him food when he's behaving "correctly". :(
I will check on the budgie nightly when she's asleep to make sure he's being fed. I really want him to go to a better home but my mom is being very stubborn and arguing with her is really stressful. And as much as I want the budgie to go to a more caring owner calling animal protection services is not a good option for me because I'm still living under her care and I know if I do she'll make my life insufferable after that.
Thank you for all the replies though. At least I'm sure now that I'm not the one "over-pampering" him...
 
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Budgiebonkers

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Hello, sorry for the late reply. I have tried telling her these and suggested that if she didn't like the budgie she should give him to someone else, but she keeps getting angry and saying stuff like how I "don't understand" and that "this method works, so why give him away". She's also changed her stance to only giving him food when he's behaving "correctly". :(
I will check on the budgie nightly when she's asleep to make sure he's being fed. I really want him to go to a better home but my mom is being very stubborn and arguing with her is really stressful. And as much as I want the budgie to go to a more caring owner calling animal protection services is not a good option for me because I'm still living under her care and I know if I do she'll make my life insufferable after that.
Thank you for all the replies though. At least I'm sure now that I'm not the one "over-pampering" him...
take the bird give it to someone else then act like it escaped out the door lol
 

Birdbabe

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This is really bothering me, hes a bird, he is being a bird. Withholding food , because, , hes being a bird, is not gonna train him or teach him anything HES A BIRD! And yelling at him and covering him..that is abuse! People do the same to dogs, horses, ect...This is cruel and disgusting. If your mom wants a quiet pet, then she should buy a pet rock, or a stuffed animal toy..Sorry honey, but your Mom is "whacked "..Get him out. Sneak him out.. moderaters,,, if this is inappropriate, please remove it.
 
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