Overweight budgie problems

[scatterbrayne]

So a couple weeks ago I brought home a pair of budgies, and when I took one to an AV with concerns of serious complications, I learned that she was just really, really fat. They're about a year or so old and grew up on only a seed diet and stayed in their cage most of the time.

Neither of them are really tame. I can get them to eat out of my hand and I've been working adamantly at getting them used to human contact with little luck. I was hoping I'd get them a little used to me and my hands before letting them have run of my room, but decided to start opening the cage door right away to let them fly around. I figured they'd eventually go back in the cage for food and water.

Here's my problem. I switched them over to a healthy pellet diet and only feed them some seeds when I'm trying to tame them. I leave the cage door open a lot of the time but they never leave the cage. They play around inside a bit but the obese one desperately needs exercise and at this point the only time I can get her to move around is by chasing her..

What should I do? I'd cut the seeds out altogether but I want to tame them ASAP, as I feel with their age and stubbornness I'm running out of time. Is it just a matter of waiting for her to get out? Tips would be appreciated.

 

[Bokkapooh]

What kind of cage do you have? Size? What kind of cage door?

I know many small birds dislike the slide-up door system vs open door.

Also try offering them veggies. Romaine lettuce and shredded carrots.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Also if youre chasing them around you wont tame them. Be patient and go slow. "Taming" is about becoming friends and building trust.

 

[scatterbrayne]

It's a "large" cage setup from Petsmart, which is fairly spacious. Lots of room for toys and perches. It's just a hinged door, not very loud.

They don't eat fruits or veggies, I'm still working on that. Stubborn little buggers.

I don't regularly chase them haha I was just saying that it feels like my last option.

 

[camelotshadow]

Harder I suppose taming 2. I take off the indiv balls of millet & use it to coax the bird onto the hand.
which would be the next step if they eat out of your hand. They will do about anything for millet.
Talk to them softly. Goodness been a week & min knows where the door is.
She waits to come out. I open the door & she gets on my finger all in a week.
Trouble is I don't know what to do next but to keep letting her sit on my finger longer & longer.

Sorry about the fat one but try coaxing them out with millet.
Trouble is they might not go back in for a long time could be flying around all night.

Mine is clipped so that's why its easier she can just fly off my finger & I can pick her up.
I know its not nice to clip but I did it to have a chance to tame her.

Mine doesn't seem to have any interest in veggies either.

Take time with the diet change too. I'd say you got real lucky if they eat pellets?
What kind?

Thing is I was reading seed grass seed is the natural diet of wild budgies. Live seed might be just as good as pellets most of which are just ground corn.

insects, larvae, berries, grass....have to go out in the yard & forage.



I have some sage, oregano & rosemary growing.
too bad most of the parent raised are not any better at teaching them what to eat as they too have never been in the wild. Don't they have a bird instinct?

 

[scatterbrayne]

Thanks so much for your reply! I'm going to try coaxing them out of their cage. The female usually follows the male and the male would sell his soul for seeds, I'd like to see how he behaves with millet.

It's a bit harder taming a bonded pair but I'm going to try my best. Based on their progress I think it's possible, just really time consuming.

I give them Zupreme FruitBlend pellets that I bought at the vet's. I think the switch was easier because it looked a bit like their old seed mix. They eventually came around when they ran out of seeds to pick through

Today I left the cage door open and the male took a tiny lap around the room before going back in with his woman, so hopefully this will be easier with time.

 

[camelotshadow]

Some wild bird diet....warning aborigines used to eat wild budgies.

HolisticBird and HolisticBirds

I like the Z fruitblend...you got the really small wheel type. I checked roudybush & first ingredient is corn.

Work on the male...try the millet if you haven't you will be in for a big surprise.
My female goes crazy for millet. Got her on my finger in 2 days.
Chose millet over fear.

 

[Monica]