Heron
Meeting neighbors
Hi, I haven’t been in the forum for awhile, eye surgeries put many areas of my life including reading and computer/ device time, on hold for the last couple of months. Another one is coming up so in between I’m looking for feedback.
On August 14 the day before my first surgery, I brought home a newly weaned budgie who was about 8-9 weeks old. It took six weeks to get him confident enough to interact with me. I named him Shiloh ( he is definitely a boy) as he was a shy boy. He has gotten used to me yet I don’t know if I’d say he’s bonding. My intention is to introduce him to my 39 week old female in another month or so, as I think she (and he) will be happier having a bird friend. I needed to quarantine him and was hoping to get some training going with him and get him more tame.
When Shiloh is out of his cage with me, he wants to spend his time as close to my face as he can and he is literally all up in my face and when I try and discourage him he gets nippy. He will also go up on my shoulder but then invariably moves down in front to my face. I am reluctant to allow shoulder time right now. He is slowly getting step up yet step down is still not happening. He just runs up my arm or flys off. He is clipped ( breeder clipped him before I brought him home ) yet he is s strong little guy and even with a clip can fly and gets height. It’s also challenging to get him to step up on a perch I’m working on that. In the meantime He just wants to be in my face when out of his cage which I don’t think is a healthy bird- human relationship. I distract him with toys, exploring etc... it works for a minute or two then back to wanting to be in my face.... nose and mouth are the big interests. He seems to think my nose is a beak. When I go to have him step up onto my finger to remove him, he bites the finger. He gets so pushy about it I have to end the out of cage interaction. I’m beginning to think that this handfed budgie missed out on some important social development steps while being handfed.
I am seeing an avian vet / behaviorist tomorrow with my hen and will ask him about this but wanted to see what folks here have to say.
Has anyone else had this experience and what did you do?
Thanks in advance for taking the time.
On August 14 the day before my first surgery, I brought home a newly weaned budgie who was about 8-9 weeks old. It took six weeks to get him confident enough to interact with me. I named him Shiloh ( he is definitely a boy) as he was a shy boy. He has gotten used to me yet I don’t know if I’d say he’s bonding. My intention is to introduce him to my 39 week old female in another month or so, as I think she (and he) will be happier having a bird friend. I needed to quarantine him and was hoping to get some training going with him and get him more tame.
When Shiloh is out of his cage with me, he wants to spend his time as close to my face as he can and he is literally all up in my face and when I try and discourage him he gets nippy. He will also go up on my shoulder but then invariably moves down in front to my face. I am reluctant to allow shoulder time right now. He is slowly getting step up yet step down is still not happening. He just runs up my arm or flys off. He is clipped ( breeder clipped him before I brought him home ) yet he is s strong little guy and even with a clip can fly and gets height. It’s also challenging to get him to step up on a perch I’m working on that. In the meantime He just wants to be in my face when out of his cage which I don’t think is a healthy bird- human relationship. I distract him with toys, exploring etc... it works for a minute or two then back to wanting to be in my face.... nose and mouth are the big interests. He seems to think my nose is a beak. When I go to have him step up onto my finger to remove him, he bites the finger. He gets so pushy about it I have to end the out of cage interaction. I’m beginning to think that this handfed budgie missed out on some important social development steps while being handfed.
I am seeing an avian vet / behaviorist tomorrow with my hen and will ask him about this but wanted to see what folks here have to say.
Has anyone else had this experience and what did you do?
Thanks in advance for taking the time.
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