budgie.let me explain again.I received him 3 days ago from petsmart.he was fine and dandy until i brought him home.he still stays in the same spot and will not touch his food or water unless i take him out of his cage and feed it to him from my hand.he's seen where it is but he will not go near it.do any of yall recognise these as symptoms of some illness or something? wait there's more. he will also not make one sound or chirp unless i've turned some music on.listen to this ,when i look over and see him sitting there he closes his eyes and very slowly opens them kind of like what we do when we're real tired.I cover him up at night and the next morning he's in the same spot staring into blank space.and when i talk to him he doesn't even make a move like most other birds do.I'm very very worried and i think he's depressed badly.alot of yall said that he's just getting used to his environment and new home,but shouldn't he have started doing that atleast a little bit?
2007-07-09 01:41:06 · 8 answers · asked by darkness in the suburbs... 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
Imagine if you had been kidnapped and dumped in a strange city, This is how your budgie feels and it will take hime a few days to find everything in his cage.
Don't cover him at night as this lengthens his night. Leave him so he can wake up with the sun. make sure he can find food and water easily like on the floor of his cage. He doesn't know wher the feeders are. A young bird will like millet infact he may prefer it to loose seed.
Put a bowl of water on the floor of the cage and he may drink more readily.
Just think of him as a lost child and let him find things he will waken up when he knows this is his new home.
2007-07-09 02:10:56 · answer #1 · answered by stevehart53 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've already discovered that with stimulation (music) he responds so keep music or the television on for him during the day. Take him out of the cage frequently. Put him on your shoulder and move about your home. If possible, add a "t" perch, food and toys to the top of his cage and put him there while you're home. My birds both have playgrounds on the top of their cages that includes food dishes.
Remember, your bird is used to a lot of stimulation from his flock, the other birds that were at the store with him. Now it is up to you to become his flock and provide that stimulation.
Is there poop in your birds cage? As someone else said, if there is poop, he is eating and drinking. He may well be eating when you're out of the room. Be sure to change his seed and water every day. It is really easy to look at a seed dish from outside the cage and think your bird hasn't eaten just to discover that hulls are all that is left.
Whenever someone buys a bird, a visit to the vet is a must, if for no other reason than to establish a relationship with an avian vet. If you go to a certified avian vet, he or she will be able to tell you what is going on with your bird. If possible, bring the bird to the vet in the cage in which he lives. The link below is a resource for finding a certified avian vet in your area.
I believe that within a week your bird will relax and become accustomed to his new home. Try to remember that birds don't deal well with change and he has just had one big change in his life.
Good luck to you and your little feathered friend.
Silver2sea
2007-07-09 09:33:59 · answer #2 · answered by silver2sea 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One thing I haven't noticed anyone else asking yet. In his cage, are you using the dishes that came with it? Are they fully open small plastic dishes? Or do they have the small tops that attach to the food and water cups to prevent messes? I have known of birds to be afraid of those covers and literally starve themselves. When I build them for retail, I throw them away to prevent that from happening. Just a thought in case it has those covers. If it does, remove them.
As the others have mentioned, keep fresh food and water in there daily. And yes, if there's poop on the cage bottom, then he's eating.
Also, my 2 budgies were bought from a pet store, they are just fine and healthy and well adjusted. It took a few days, but they did adjust fine.
2007-07-09 10:11:00 · answer #3 · answered by kiwi.baby 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I first got my budgie she did the same thing! It took her about a week before she would move from that one spot in her cage! My dad had owned a budgie when he was younger and told me it was nothing to worry about, all you need to do is just give your budgie some time to figure out what happened, why he went from being with more budgies to being put in a box and then brought back to your house and put in a cage....it is very hard for birds to move like that! If your budgie doesn't start acting "normal" within a week from the day that you got him then I would ask the vet! Good luck!
2007-07-09 09:10:57 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He just needs time to adjust.. my birds did the same thing but they do come around.. If he will eat from your hand thats great talk to him and feed him at the same time.. I would leave he cage open always when your home so he gets used to the idea that he can come out..maybe leave a millet spray on the outside of the cage encouraging him to come on out.. once he gets comfortable trust me he will be fine just keep up the good work...
2007-07-09 09:28:33 · answer #5 · answered by terraist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to go to a discussion board about BUDGIES specifically. Look for the big ones. A lot of folks will rant about buying from Petsmart or Petco, but look past that for the information.
If the behavior continues, I would call the store and ask for a different bird.
My own thoughts, feed him from your hand. Lucky you that he lets you close! Keep quiet near him, be sure to move slowly.
If he's pooping, he's eating.
He should be making noises though. He may be sick. If he has a discharge from his nose, he may be ill.
2007-07-09 08:57:13 · answer #6 · answered by WriterMom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Partially cover the cage..and move to a low traffic area..where he can still see and hear you.
He is likely very afraid. Try hanging a treat stick inside. Add a little bite of apple between the bars at the end of his perch.
I Hope he is not sick.
2007-07-09 09:05:07 · answer #7 · answered by Carol 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My bird did the same thing and he was just about to die when i got another parakeet now he is just fine now he sings dances eats and moves and plays he was just so lonley for his brothers and sisters, also check your seed tray for cracked shells because he may be scared of people so he might just eat at night.
2007-07-09 19:58:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋