First budgie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Megapoop12]

Hi i am new to tailfeathers an new to bird care. Today i just got my first bird ever! The world's most beutiful budgie ever! I hav always loved animals i have 2 dogs 1 cat 5 fish 3 hermit crabs and now 1 budgie. I keep all other animals away from it. I got a cage for med sized birds but it looked perfect. And it has 2 perches and dishes i got a bendy rope perch and a blue perch with stuff on the sides for its claws and 2 small toys (i did get 3 but when we checked out at the stor 1 was on recall so i didnt get it) a mirror a cuddle bone and some kind of mite protection thing. And for food i got seed and veggi topping stuff.

And then i went to pet store and wached the budgies for a while they all looked helthy to me ecsept 1 or 2 with runny eyes and dirdy vent. Then i saw a fairly active 1 that looked good and was uniqu looking so i got him and they cliped his wings. I put him in his cage. And all he does is sit in the same spot and grind his beak and open it real wid (i think he is yawning) i offerd millet and he loved it! And i had to put him on the food for him to eat then after that he went back up to the rope perch an sat yawne an grinded is that normal when u first bring them home? Is it cause he is nervos?

[Frieda]

No reason to worry yet. Most budgies take at least 2 weeks to get used and comfortable in new environs.

[Janene]

Give him time....Read up on how to bond/tame a budgie. But I'd leave him alone for at least a week. Give him time to adjust to his new cage, and surroundings. If you try too quickly you will only succeed in frightening him, and perhaps even causing aggression out of fear. Slowly start to use a perch to train him at first, and then move onto your finger - read up on perch training....Good luck, it's always exciting when you first get them

[Kerry C]

Well they did get you with the mite protector thing, toss that it's useless.

Don't make the nail file perch the highest one in the cage. Birds will perch on the highest level possible and you don't want to cause sores on your bird's feet from constant use of that thing.

I would suggest you Google bird clubs in "your area." Best place to hands on help.

I would also suggest you subscribe to Bird Talk Magazine. It's an all bird magazine that is easy to read/understand - Fantastic information!

Also stay away from ALL jingle bell type bells. They have VERY sharp edges and legs can get caught in the openings. Make sure any bells you give your bird are dome shaped bells with solid clappers. Ladle clappers collect junk in the bowl over time.

Cotton rope toys can become dangerous for our budgies when they have long strings hanging off the ends. Fiber rope toys are better. The fiber breaks off short when chewed on.

[Lad From The South]

Great info here, taking notes,

refering to friedas comment that budgie take about 2 weeks to ajust, well its been four weeks and he (dexter) is still frightend of my hands, no matter what i do, however he is chirrpy and moving..