baby alexandrine (4 months) related questions

[joey123]

hello everyone, i'm new to this forum and i'm also a fresh owner of alexandrine parakeet.
i have several questions regarding my little birdie. he is 4 months old, I bought it from breeder, so the parakeet was hand fed from the beginning of his life. I have had it for 13 days now, and he is acting a little bit strange - I don't know if that's usual for alexandrines or not.

1.) he hasn't made any noise since he got here. no pleasant or unpleasant voices. nothing. is this normal?

2.) he is still afraid of my hand, but sometimes he lets me to pet him, but he rarely steps on my hand, sometimes he suddenly attacks aggressively. when I put him outside of his cage, he flies a circle or two in the room and then stands totally still on the cage. in this position he can stay for an hour or two, meanwhile I can touch and pet him, do almost whatever I want, he doesn't pay any attention to me - just standing still like a stone, no head movements or whatsoever. what does that mean, what to do?

3.) he eats only when someone is present. that means when we are at work, let+s say, for 8 hours, he won't eat. the food stays untouched. as soon as we get home to his cage, he starts eating.

please, I would really appreciate if you shared your opinion/experiences.
Thank you!

 

[Betrisher]

13 days isn't very long and I'd say your young bird is still recovering from the stress of moving and settling in to a different environment. Be very patient and don't expect much of him at this stage. I wouldn't be asking him to come out of his cage quite yet. Instead, I'd just spend as much time as I could sitting near him and reading or speaking to him in a calm, quiet voice. Offer treats through the cage and, if he'll accept it, try offering them through the open door. If he shows any fear or backs away, simply back off and try again later. This period will really set the tone for you how proceed and, believe me, the slow, patient approach works heaps better. If you push too early, you can wind up with a skittish nervous bird who never completely relaxes around you.

I wouldn't worry about his eating habits so long as he's eating something. Make sure he always has clean food and water available and give him his fruits and veggies when you get home. Not much point leaving them to spoil in the cage while you're at work.

Best of luck with your bird and do continue to ask questions. Everyone here will help if they can!

 

[joey123]

thanks for your answers. just one question, I heard about the "bluffing stage" with birds.. when approximately can expect it?