• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Screaming and Fighting Budgies

Skiwis

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/28/21
Messages
27
Since I introduced my second budgie Sky in with Kiwi, he has started fighting with Kiwi over food, either inside the cage or outside of the cage. When I am trying to train them for rewards, such as seeds or millet, Sky will often push Kiwi off my hand so that he can get to the food instead of going round. I don't know whether this is simply a natural dominance, since the fighting is never anything too serious, but they regularly squabble.

Sky has also been very shouty. Sometimes this is for genuine reasons, (food or water empty) and sometimes it's just for attention. Sky and Kiwi also like talking when the TV is on, as the budgies are in the living room which annoys other members of the family. I'm just not sure how the best way is to positively enforce it, as they usually get covered up or put in another room, which makes me feel quite uncomfortable as I don't feel like it's the right thing to do.

I'm more concerned about the squabbles as Kiwi has never been a particularly well bird, and came from a pet store.

Thanks,
Skiwis :)
 

Sparkles99

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
8/9/20
Messages
6,315
Location
Ontario, Canada
What are the dimensions of their cage? Did they get to know each other in separate cages before they were put together? How many food dishes are there? Was the current cage owned by one budgie before they both were put there or was it a new cage to both? If not new to both, did you rearrange toys & perches before popping them both in?

Sorry for the questions. They will help everyone help you. :)
 

Skiwis

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/28/21
Messages
27
Sky was quarantined for around two days in another cage next to Kiwi's, before he was introduced. I now realise that this was not long enough to quarantine Sky and that he should have been further away from Kiwi, but I didn't know that at the time.

At this time I had only had Kiwi for around two weeks and he had been very lonely and inactive on his own. There is one food dish in the cage and a brick with food in outside the cage (for them to wear their claws down). The current cage was originally Kiwi's before Sky was introduced.

The cage dimension are 136cm (Height) X 79cm (Width) X 49cm (Depth). It also has a storage area underneath and can be moved. (The cage is on wheels)

I don't think that the toys and perches were rearranged at the time, but they are moved regularly.
 

tka

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/4/17
Messages
4,433
Location
London, UK
I think you need to go much, much more slowly. This is the equivalent of putting you in a room with a total stranger and expecting you to get on. I would separate the two and give them separate cages, and give them supervised out-of-cage time. Only put them together if they indicate that they do want to share a cage. They might never to get to that point, but will still provide companionship for each other if the cages are in the same room.
 

Sparkles99

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
8/9/20
Messages
6,315
Location
Ontario, Canada
If they do indicate that they would like to be friends eventually, make sure you get two identical food dishes. This really helped my budgies; they're even placed symmetrically. And ensure the cage is rearranged before proceeding. :)
 

Skiwis

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/28/21
Messages
27
Sorry for the late reply. After observing them for a while, I don't believe that separating them would be the right decision, as they have been together for two years and I don't think that it would be fair on either of them. I might try putting in two food bowls, but I would be concerned that Sky would claim both bowls. He regularly pushes Kiwi away from food both in training and when they are eating. :(

I'm not sure how to spread out the food into two bowls when they are on supplements, as both birds are currently getting liver support via their food. (Kiwi has an enlarged liver)

As for rearranging the cage, it might be a challenge as Kiwi isn't too active and doesn't come out very much unless I'm training. Sky seems to have caught his laziness even though he was bred in an aviary and is much less active than he would have been. How would be the best way to go about putting in two food bowls?
 

tka

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/4/17
Messages
4,433
Location
London, UK
Just because they've shared a cage for two years doesn't mean that they're happy to share. The fact that Sky is pushing Kiwi away from food worries me. I really would try separating them, but leave the cages next to each other so they can still see and talk to each other.
 

Skiwis

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/28/21
Messages
27
Thank you for your advice,
A couple of days ago I put two food bowls in side-by-side and it has made a massive difference! They are fighting a lot less and sometime eat together and sometimes separately. Kiwi is also making good progress on target training too, which might have been influenced by this. Sky is coming outside lots more too! I didn't realise how much of a huge difference something like this would make!
Thank you! :)
 
Top