upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

your little budgie sounds sick. it may have been brought on by the stress of the new move. Let us know ASAP how he is doing. If he is still like this please bring him to the vet ASAP.
Atlantis

Try him on some millet (yes, I know it is birdie junk food)-- if I had moved on Friday (especially if I was living in a strange place with strange people....well, I am, but I chose them, so you get my drift), I can promise you that I would be hitting the Halloween candy for a bit of comfort!

did he step up for you or for someone else? Mine are pretty wild (I have 8 together, so I am just the hand), but they are easily thrown off by any alteration in their routine. Still sounds like Gonzo might need a quick once over by an avian vet?

where do you live? There are lists of avian vets (or maybe someone on the list lives close and has a good vet)

my-budgie-is-GONZO wrote:idk there is a vet clicic in a petsmart but idk if its avian....he is pretty healthy and shows no sign of illness i think the new food migh have stressed him out and
he will step to anyones finger but from my finger

if he is in his cage...good luck

he plays with his toys now and moves about his cage normally just not eating zupreme yet

Regardless you should take him to the vet for a check up anyway.

If he doesn't step on your finger but does anyone else then you may have done something (don't matter how small) to upset or spook him. What ever it is he's related it back to you & sounds like he doesn't trust you now.

You need to try & gain his trust again by being patient, offering treats to him & don't be forceful in any way. Offer treats & allow him to step up on your finger when he's comfortable doing it. Lots of sweet talking etc....

They sre very stubborn when it comes to converting them so you'll have to be very patient. Don't completely get rid of any of his old food until he's converted properly. Mix some old & new stuff in together. The problem with these guys is if you decide if he doesn't eat the good stuff he starves, that's exactly what will happen, he'll starve. A lot of trust will have a lot to do with eating too. If he trusts you enough, you can coax him into eating the right stuff. But if he doesn't trust you, what you try & get him to eat, to him is poison.

I have had a few birds and it can take months before they warm up enough to trust you and love you. It helped a lot when I just walk up to his cage and talk to him, in happy cheery voices. Soon he he started to fluff up when I visited and I knew he enjoyed my trips over to have a little chat. That grew into him and I talking in the apartment to each other and just gradually he would want to come out and see me every time I was home. I continued to always try to get him out of his cage but until he was really taken to me he just had no interest in hanging out with me. He could have started out on your finger cause he was a little fearful and did what ever you wanted, when he realized he didn't have to he didn't, or maybe he is a little depressed and it took some time to sink in. You can still bring him out of it with some love and work.

They have all become very friendly and social birds, it has just taken a bit of work and time to get there but I think they all have it in them.

Good luck!

And frankly your bird doesn't sound very tame. He sounds scared to death and like he's being passive because he's convinced you're going to eat him.[/quote]


Too funny, but i guess it is true. my 'keets must think that of me.

I agree... he sounds scared at least. Make sure he has a big enough cage so that he can move around and feel safe and that one side of the cage is against a wall. Birds are prey animals so they are always on alert and it's very tiring and he could get sick from all of the stress. Also, budgies need many hours of sleep every night. I don't know the exact number, but 10 is a good number to aim for. So if there's a lot of noise in the house, move him to a quiet, warm room for rest.

Also, I've had my budgies for 8 years and they have yet to look at fruit. Fruit is generally high in sugar and water anyhow, so you should probably offer him vegetables instead. Well-washed and rinsed spinach, broccoli, kale, and other things like that are great! Just make sure you don't leave them in the cage long enough to go bad and make him sick. I have to find a way to pin mine high in the cage because they don't like to go on the floor to eat their vegetables.

I hope that helps. Could luck and give your little guy a chance to figure things out slowly.
elisa

Oh, I forgot, my belief is that budgies' diets should be ~50% seed. They have very high metabolisms and need some fat in their diet. Mine have been on a 50 % seed/50% pellet diet for years and they're doing well.