Benji the Moustache Parakeet

[Birdy916]

Hi, so I adopted my conure a few weeks ago and everything been going great!
When I got Pirate the Jenday, I also told the rescue that I would foster some birds for her.

So my new foster bird is this nice little 6 yr old Moustache named Benji!
The ringneck type birds are my favorite, and benji is such an awesome bird, instead of screaming for attention, he talks for it!!
He says many words and phrases, and speaks very clearly in that cute ringnecky voice..

Benji eats harrisons pellets and is on a low fat diet for health reasons, and his beak gets overgrown so it needs to be trimmed every few months or so.

He also loves fresh fruit, which is awesome because I been buying a bunch for my conure who wont touch it.

I put him in the second cage that makes up The Crows Nest, which is my birds' home.

The 2 birds met up on the play gym I built betweent he cages, and a small little squabble broke out, nobody got hurt I think it was more loud than anything else.
I know it was a bad idea to let him out, but these birds new each other at the rescue and got along well enough there, but i guess moving each bird kinda changed things, so Ill tak it more slowly from here on out... lesson learned.

Lol, his morning call seems to be the "step-up" phrase, and its so funny because he says it in the exasperated tones of someone who sat in front of him for hours unsuccessfully trying to get him to step-up

So anyways, without further adu, here is Benji!


Guy looks like Groucho Marx...(does anybody feel a name-change coming on?)


Dude, you gotta finish your grape before I give you some pineapple... and telling me that Imma pretty bird aint gonna change that

 

[MikeyTN]

Did they give him a concrete perch so he can trim his beak on his own??? A few of the birds I've gotten before had over grown beak issues until I give them concrete perches to trim their beaks down with.

He's a beautiful bird!!!

 

[Birdy916]

Did they give him a concrete perch so he can trim his beak on his own??? A few of the birds I've gotten before had over grown beak issues until I give them concrete perches to trim their beaks down with.

He's a beautiful bird!!!

You know, Im not sure if he had one of those or not, but that sounds like a great idea and I think Ill give it a try man, thanks!

 

[MikeyTN]

When you put the concrete perch in, make sure you put it at a higher point then his perches otherwise he's not going to use it! You'll see him use that higher perch (concrete perch) quite often and that's usually where he's going to be staying at.

 

[Birdy916]

Yeah ill just replace it with his current favorite spot

 

[MikeyTN]

JoJo, my male ekkie, I was planning on taking him into the vet to have his beak trimmed since it was over grown. His beak was in really bad shape when I got him. I put a concrete perch in, next day he had it filed down nice and neat. Didn't need his vet appointment anymore. I can trim beaks but it's one of those things that I don't like to do. I already shake enough while doing nails. I don't shake as bad when someone is helping me, but when I do it alone I shake like a leaf...lol....

 

[Birdy916]

yeah and I cant imagine a bird would like the experience very much...

Ill give it a shot, it seems logical enough...

Itll probably be a few days before i can get to a shop, you think one of those flavored mineral/cuttlebone deals for a budgie would hep at all in the meantime?, I have one of those on hand...

How bout just like a decent rock set securely on the bottom of the cage?

 

[MikeyTN]

You can give a mineral block for the time being until you get to the shop to pick one up. From different perches I've used, concrete perches works best! Don't buy one of those mineral perch and such.

 

[Betrisher]

Benji is gorgeous and he looks like a real character. Congratulations on fostering him!

 

[Mike17]

Benji looks terrific, Birdy. My wife went looking for a moustache and we ended up with Jade, our plumhead. I believe they're closely related (moustache and plumhead).

 

[thekarens]

He's beautiful. Our local shop has a Derbyan hen that I've been tempted with. She looks like a giant moustache

 

[Birdy916]

Oh, I got him that cement perch, and I see evidence on the bird and the perch that he is using it, so we shall see if it helps control the beak issue.
I asked the lady I got him from whether she has tried it, and she said that in her experience birds dont use it enough to solve the problem, tho it may help and couldnt hurt.(which i take to mean that its just easier for her to clip the beak every few months and not worry about it, which seems more than logical to me also)

So ill give it a shot and see what happens, wont expect a miracle but itll be nice if i get one...