new budgie owner

[lucysmom]

hello everyone, i am the proud owner of a budgie that is approx. 4 months old and i have read so much conflicting info on the internet i am hoping you will all give me the right info i need to make sure lucy thats my budgies name stays healthly and safe and happy. i am such a worry wort over her and im sure im just being overly motherly---- hahaha.

just few things i have read is --let the bird out for 4 hrs a day. Dont let the bird out if wings not clipped. one page said mix fruit and seeds together one site said bowl for seeds and bowl for fruit.

any an all information to help me will be greatly appreciated





thanks

 

[Aandeg]

I let my budgie out most of the day. Or at least when I'm there to watch him, not if I'm away. He's not clipped and has the run of the house. I like letting him fly around.

I took him around and showed him all the windows. Budgie proofed everything as best i could. And cage him when cooking or when necessary.

SweeDee is afraid of hands but will step up on a stick and go back in his cage when told. If someone comes to the door he flies back to his cage and would slam his door if he could.

He is not good about eating pellets but will have a few if i mix with applesauce. He loves his applesauce , unsweetened of course. Green leaves, spinach, kale, broccoli, dandelions. I bought a big bag of frozen mixed veggies, I give him a spoonful everyday. Sometimes he eats it, sometimes not. I figure he needs a variety of choices.

I use seperate bowls for wet foods and seeds. Seeds last all day but wet foods get taken out after an hour or two. They can get nasty.

 

[Rockford]

Out of cage time, whether it's personal time with you or just being out of the cage = whatever works for you. There is no definitive answer. Wings clipped or not is irrelevant. You have to decide if it's safe or not for your bird to fly around your home.

Fruit and seed - separate dishes. Seed doesn't go bad just sitting there for a couple of days. Fruit gets nasty after a few hours. If you mix them the seeds will also get nasty and you'll need to toss out seed that would otherwise still be good, so it's just wasted. it's not expensive, but why make more work for yourself?

 

[lucysmom]

thanks so much for your information. i do have separate bowls for wet and seeds. i am with her all day except 1-2hrs, but mostly only 1 hrs. i talk and sing to her and play budgie songs/chirping for her. i have let her out twice but only in small room. she wont come out even when i open the door now. since she is new and im a new owner i only take her in this room to get out or when i have to leave. could she not want to come out? the other question is she has toys in her cage but she does not play with them. how many toys are to much?
i work with her everyday to trust me more and more, but she will not get on my finger but she is starting to let me slowly and litely stroke her but not on head. i also think she is molting.

 

[lucysmom]

thank you. another question and please understand im just trying to give lucy the best is it ok if she does not get 10-12 sleep at nite. she usually gets about 9hrs. bed at 930 pm and up at 630am.

thanks again everyone

 

[Kyoto]

I think that as long as her sleep schedule is consistent more than anything, 9 hours although not idea will not be too harmful. My Kyo on the other hand needs her beauty sleep, otherwise she is super cranky. My budgies that I had used to get by on 8 hours, but they would nap during the day as well.

I recently read that it's okay to break up their sleep as long as you provide dark quiet time to nap during the day. Now, I have definitely read other sources that stated it is not okay to break the sleep cycle at all, so you'll have to get the opinion of other members.

Hope this helps.

 

[gracebowen]

When I first got my budgie he never played with his toys. After I got a tiel he started playing some. He likes to sit in the window and fly around the room. He also prefers smaller toys. My budgies are out all day. They are fully flighted. They also don't get 12 hours at a time but they nap during the day.

 

[Rockford]

Don't worry about sleep time. Birds, like most other animals, don't need to get all their sleep in one shot.

 

[lucysmom]

you guys are so awesome answering my questions. lucy does nap during the day on an off. she is only been with me just a little over a week. maybe im just worrying to much and need to just lucy be lucy. she does seems healthy, and happy. thanks again everyone