Anyway to speed up the quarantine process for a new budgie?

[bee]

Tl;DR: Getting a new budgie for my old one, but the old one is getting depressed so I want to speed up the quarantine process EFFECTIVELY and SAFELY. Any ideas?



Hi, I created this account specifically to ask this question. Here's some background info first.


I have one budgie named Edwin that I got almost 2 years ago now. He's been very happy and so have I. He's honestly my best friend, and I love him a lot.


But this summer, I got a job. I work only on the weekends and friday nights but I'm still away from Edwin for about 7 hours daily on the weekends. He didn't mind at first, but now he does as I have just went back to school(I'm a junior in HS).



I've noticed that Edwin has started to get depressed. Everything is normal except the fact that he's quiet(with the exception of today for some reason). My parents wouldn't pay for a new bird, or a new cage, so I had to go and buy my own. The issue is, I had to order a pied budgie from an online store because there's absolutely zero budgie breeders within 200 miles.


The new budgie is coming in this week at some time, and the cage is coming in a couple days. I'll call him Edison for now, but it might be a female, not too sure.



Anyway, I understand the process of introducing a new budgie to and old one. It takes about a month to quarantine the new budgie, but I simply don't have that time.



Edwin seems really depressed and I would hate to see him feather plucking. My question is, is there any sort of safe way to speed up the quarantine process so Edwin can have a friend sooner? If it's not safe, don't bother, because I would hate to see either of them hurt in this process. Do you think I could take Edison to an avian vet and somehow get him blood tested?



Thanks.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums!

Please understand getting a second bird as companion for Edwin may not be the solution you seek. There are no guarantees two birds will become close companions or even tolerate the presence of another. There is also a possibility Edwin may closely bond with Edison and show less affection towards you. All of that said, I am not familiar with budgies and am merely stating generalizations for many species. You'll likely receive advice from members with more budgie experience!!

As far as quarantine is concerned, one month is a generally accepted as a good practice. While a comprehensive blood panel will reveal certain health issues, it cannot substitute for total separation. There are many paths of contagion that do not circulate with blood and wouldn't be determined.

Regardless of how you proceed, is it possible to spend more closely targeted time with Edwin. Perhaps better quality of time may help offset the lack of quantity?

 

[EllenD]

Well said Scott...And very truthful.

You should never, ever, ever buy another bird "FOR" your current bird! You should only get a second bird because YOU want a second bird!

***You have absolutely no idea whether or not this new Budgie and your current Budgie are even going to be able to live in the same cage with each other...Did you not buy a separate cage, toys, etc. for the new Budgies? You're just going to put him in your current Budgie's cage? If that's the case, then it's a HUGE No-No, and you really need to go and get a separate cage, dishes, perches, toys, etc. for the new Budgie as you should never just put a new bird into your current bird's cage! I hope you didn't plan on doing this after the quarantine!

Here's the problem: You don't know what type of relationship/bond these two birds are going to have, and there are MANY possible outcomes that you may get, most of which require them to not live together...They may love each other, bond closely with each other, and be fine, that's what you want...But they also might just tolerate each other but not bond, which will only serve to make your current bird more unhappy and cause more issues. They may absolutely hate each other and want nothing to do with each other. And then they might absolutely hate each other and be very aggressive and violent with each other, which will result in not only injuries and possibly death, but also extreme emotional stress for both of them, which can result in self-mutilation, plucking, etc.

***Also, your current bird is bonded closely with you. Even though you're spending less time with him, the reason that he's "sad" or "depressed" right now is because he is bonded closely with you and wants to spend time with you...So chances are that he is not going to do well with "sharing" you with the other bird, and this often results in them actually BITING YOU! This happens quite often when someone brings home a second bird when they are currently bonded to a bird at home, their current bird who they are bonded to starts becoming very aggressive with them, biting them, not stepping-up for them anymore, etc. So it's also very possible that you are going to cause your bond with your first bird to fall apart by doing what you are doing.

***The other thing that may happen is IF these two birds do in-fact bond very closely with one another, then you may very well lose your relationship with your first bird completely, and never establish one with the new bird. Budgies bond very closely with one another, and all birds prefer bonds with their own instead of with humans, who wouldn't; however, they bond closely with us when there is no other bird to bond with. But by providing another Budgie for him to bond with, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HOUSE THEM TOGETHER IN THE SAME CAGE, if they do bond closely with one another then you'll likely lose your bond with either of them, not be able to handle him anymore, etc. This is another reason to not house them in the same cage together...

***Your Budgies can stay happy and stimulated by providing at least 6-10 different types of toys inside of their cages at any one time, along with different foraging activities at any time, like boxes full of crumpled up paper with treats hidden inside of them, etc. And you must rotate their toys out each month to prevent boredom...THIS IS WHAT YOUR BUDGIES IS/WAS, BORED, NOT DEPRESSED.

***You absolutely CANNOT "speed-up" the quarantine, it must last at least 30 days, they must stay in separate rooms...I'm assuming since you are quarantining the new Budgie that he has his own cage, toys, etc. That's good. AFTER the 30 day quarantine, I highly suggest that you place both of their SEPARATE CAGES in the same room with each other, ACROSS THE ROOM from one another, and allow them to talk to each other and see each other, but DO NOT PUT THEM IN THE SAME CAGE TOGETHER!!! Allow them time out-of-cage together but only when you are with them to supervise, and only in short spurts to start out with, so that you can see what type of relationship they are going to have. They may be okay, they may not.

***But as Scott already told you, this may not keep either of them from becoming bored and understimulated mentally, and now instead of 1 bored Budgie you're going to have 2. So you absolutely must make sure that they EACH have between 6-10 different types of toys in both of their cages all the time, different types of perches to prevent arthritis in their feet, different things to chew on, such as a Cuttlebone, a Mineral Block, wood toys, etc., then toys that are for Shredding, such as paper/cardboard type toys, then toys to Bang with their Beaks, such as toys with bells and that make sounds, then Foraging Toys that you can put/hide seeds and treats in for them to work at to get, etc. This is how you keep your Budgie happy and healthy. Now you have two of them to do this for, and that's fine, I have 8! But you must spend time with both of them now, because you cannot expect them to entertain themselves all day long. And Budgies are actually pretty easy to keep happy because they love all kinds of toys, unlike a lot of other species of parrots who are picky. Budgies love everything from the cheap, plastic bird toys with bells and things that spin to the shredding toys made of hemp and thick paper, to wooden toys, etc.

Just make sure they BOTH have an assortment of toys and activities at all time, and that you only let them out together when they are supervised, so that you don't have any accidents/injuries, and so you can make sure that you're not upsetting your first Budgie, as they are also very territorial, so if he decides that he doesn't want to share his cage, his toys, or his person, meaning you, this can cause a whole new host of issues for you that you didn't have to begin with...

Also, I don't know if this new Budgie is old enough that you can tell it's gender, but if not, then that's another great reason to not put them together!!!

 

[brighterdaysaviary]

I think it wonderful that you're looking after your bird and wanting to get him a friend.

I would take into consideration that they may not get along but I think even if you put them side by side they will have each other to talk to and watch for entertainment while you're away. However, if introduced properly they should get along as budgies are very 'inviting' when it comes to other budgies.

Also, of course, adding toys and perches, foraging activities etc is important to reduce boredom.

Is the new budgie hand tamed and handfed? If so that will make bonding easier in general. You will just need to make sure your spending time with the both of them every day so they can maintain that bond with you throughout the years, because if you just put them together and not spend time with them every day then they may start bonding with each other more since they are spending time with each other a lot. So you just want to make sure your spending time with them each day.

As for making the quarantine process faster.. I am not really sure you could do that. You could take both of them to the vet and get some testing done to make sure they are 100% healthy and have no illnesses or diseases. Then when you know they are 100% healthy you can put them together. Normal quarantine time take about 30 days.

 

[LeslieA]

Normal quarantine is 30- 90 days. Most AV's will not do bloodwork on such small animals.

Based on the comments and experiences of others, a budgie may after 2 weeks have his quarantine room door left open to allow the two to "talk" to each other. This lessens the necessary familiarity period in effect lessening quarantine time. Even so, avoid actual contact. Truthfully, only your AV will know for sure and should give a wellness exam to register his information anyway.

Since budgies are flock animals and not tribal animals, they do well in same gender pairs and should be grouped. Please note that multiple females in a cage with a male will express aggressiveness and territorial behavior.

The idea that previously bonded pairs will lose their initial bond has been shown both physically and scientifically incorrect. Many tests have been conducted with the same results.

After the quarantine period, the cages should be left open in an essentially closed room. This may be a living room or den. The idea is to allow them access to the others cage and toys. They may choose to eat and sleep separately at first. After they've obviously chosen a cage, close the door and remove the other cage.

Be ready for the "Fight then Kiss" stage as well as the "Feather Taste Test."

 

[LeslieA]

Please know that all birds are individuals with individual likes and dislikes. Just because they're of the same species doesn't ensure they'll get along. Be prepared for the birds to not meld also. That is the reason most AVs suggest a familiarity period following quarantine.

After quarantine, my birds have their door opened so the other birds may hear them and vice versa. After that week is over, it is taken on a daily "field trip" to see the bird room and allow the other birds to see them.

My budgies keep to themselves atop the curtains or in the safety of their cage.

 

[bee]

Hi guys,


I understand fully that if my new budgie won't like my old one then it's probably best to give both of them away to a loving owner who has the time for them, because I certainly do not and it wouldn't be fair to keep Edwin. I seriously do not want to give Edwin up though, but if it will make my little friend happy then I'm afraid I can't put myself first.

Also, I do love Edwin a lot and I know that he might even like Edison more but honestly if Edwin is happy then I'm happy too. I'll miss Ed a lot, yeah, but if that will make him happy then like I said, so be it.


I would also like to point out that yes, I've bought new toys and a new cage for the new bird I would never leave something as smart, delicate, and meaningful as a parrot just chill out alone in an empty cage.



And finally, I would like to recognize that you can't speed up the quarantine process, so I will not. Thanks for the anwers

 

[brighterdaysaviary]

I'm glad you're putting his needs first Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[Laurasea]

Budgies live I. Huge flocks in the wild, my experience with them is they are 90 % likely to be friends. If you end up with a girl then side by side cages after quarantine should make them happy to have company. I also agree that allowing birds to have birdie friends doesn't need to make them less if a friend with you. Budgies are the one species that I find actually need a friend. I myself would never keep one single budgie..I'd at least have two. I really vthinj this will work out

 

[LeslieA]

Laurasea is exactly right. Personally, I wonder why budgies are even sold separately unless you already have a single.

The following site makes for interesting reading as well as information

 

[LeslieA]

Oops hit the wrong button.
Anyway, this site makes for good reading and information
Birds Online - General facts about budgies - Introduction

 

[EllenD]

Budgies live I. Huge flocks in the wild, my experience with them is they are 90 % likely to be friends. If you end up with a girl then side by side cages after quarantine should make them happy to have company. I also agree that allowing birds to have birdie friends doesn't need to make them less if a friend with you. Budgies are the one species that I find actually need a friend. I myself would never keep one single budgie..I'd at least have two. I really vthinj this will work out

I'm going to respectfully disagree, as in my 32 years of experience both owning and breeding both American and English Budgies, they are not at all 90% likely to "get along", though the definition of "get along" can be many different things as well.

All species of birds are "flock" animals, meaning they all live in flocks with others of their own species (and some with other species as well). However, the only difference that you see with Budgies and a lot of smaller parrot species is that their flocks tend to be larger in the number of members; however, this doesn't mean that they are any more likely to "get along" with another Budgie than any other species is. I've had to build temporary aviaries because new Budgies I've brought in didn't get along with my current ones. I've also many times had to move Budgies from one flock to another, sometimes even after they've been living in a certain flock seemingly happily for months, as it becomes obvious that the majority of the flock starts being aggressive with one particular bird, and he has to be relocated.

What I have noticed that is more common with Budgies than other species of parrots is that when you put a female in with multiple males, they do usually tend to find a mate and will bond and start breeding with them pretty quickly. With pet Budgies this often becomes a huge issue, because often people buy young Budgies who aren't yet able to be sexed, so they have no idea what sex they are putting in with their current Budgie (very often they think that young babies are males because they have a pink cere, but they are not yet old enough that their cere has changed, so they end-up putting a female with their current male).

So this is another situation that the OP doesn't want to end-up in, if the new Budgie is younger than at least 6 months.