I don't understand

[lethalfire]

I have worked with Little Boy Blue and I though we were doing pretty good, he would come out of his cage
every day and I would get him and have him perch on
my finger and talk to him, I even got him to sit on my
shoulder a couple of times and he would preen my hair.

Now out of the blue it's as if he wants nothing to do with me, the last two days he hasn't come out of his cage
so tonight I took him out, and he was panting and
acting like he was afraid of me, I have no clue what has caused this change. Nothing bad or scary has happened to him to cause this. Please help!!

[Budgiekin]

How old is your little sweety? How long have you had him? Is he moulting? Sometimes budgies can get cranky when they are moulting. Also, many budgies seem to have an initial period of being somewhat tame shortly after being brought home...maybe he is now asserting himself in his now comfortable surroundings.

The key here is patience. Continue trying to work with him daily; several short training sessions work better than fewer long ones. However, use your judgement to read your budgie's body language; if he seems to tolerate the training very well, then keep going. If not, then give him a break and try again later. :rolleyes:

[Mickie]

My little girl Lu-Lu was just the oppersite when i got her. She was very untame and would be so scared to come out and would pant, but this past month she has wanted to come out and sit on my shoulder and everything.

I think with time he won't be so scared.

Good luck.

[lethalfire]

I know what you guys are talking about, but I already went through that stage, I've had him since October 28th, and yes the first day or two he seemed almost tamed till he got use to his surroundings, so we already went through all that. I have no clue if he's molting or not, I haven't seen any feathers except a few down feathers. It is just soo discouraging when you work and
work and then it seems like they just change over night.

If he is starting to molt is there any signs other than seeing lots of feathers? and about how long does the molt last?

[clifff123]

Our jojo is molting now and will have nothing to do with us. Hers last about 6 days and then she become friendly again. I don't know how long molting last but she is unfriendly for that long.

[A-n-M]

If he is starting to molt is there any signs other than seeing lots of feathers? and about how long does the molt last?



Well there aren't really any other signs than seeing feathers on the floor. I can only think of two other signs at the moment, since I have learned these from keeping an eye on my budgie's when they were molting. First if Little Boy Blue is missing feather like like wings, tails of feathers from his face then he is molting another that I have saw was that one of my birds doesn't like molting so he usually puffs up one day and then the other day he doesn't then he puffs up again the next and so on and so on. Molt will last for weeks or months.

[tootsie]

yes .. tootie is definitely molting ... whats the purpose of moulting anyway?? they grow new feathers???

[A-n-M]

yes .. tootie is definitely molting ... whats the purpose of moulting anyway?? they grow new feathers???


The purpose of molting is to just grow new feathers, like us we continuously grow hair and need to cut it once in a while, they have to molt their feathers.

[lethalfire]

Is this normal? As I've stated I had him since October, and worked with him every day, and he started coming out of his cage on his own atleast once a day if not more, and every time he came out (his wings are clipped) I would have him step up on my finger and talk to him, and he would eat millet out of my hand.

Is it normal after this amount of time to suddenly not want to come out and then when I take him out to pant and act like he is afraid of me?? I just don't understand it. I took him out again tonight and the same thing. I got him to perch on my shoulder for a bit and he preened my hair a little and got RIGHT up to my face but yet, when I had him on my finger he still panted a little like he was afraid.

I am new to all of this and just don't understand, I never imagined that over a few months time I would have to go back to square one for no reason that I am aware of. I don't yell at him or scold him, he's never tried to bite me. In fact before I could even hold him right up to my mouth and said pretty bird over and over and over cause I am trying to teach him to say it. And he had no problem with it.


I'm soooo confused and kinda disapointed. :S for the one who asked earlier, he has a very light ring around the edge of his eye so I think that means he is between 4 and 8 months?

[vicks080]

my bird is like that too...in fact he just pooed on my arm just now.

[Donna]

I know exactly how you feel when you work with your Budgie and think you've made great progress and then they seem to go backwards with the training.

Don't give up, just back off and try to take it slower. Your Budgie could be moulting or about to moult but even if he's not, he's just not ready to hurry. You said that you have been at this a few months but if you just brought him home on October 28th, it has only been a little over a month and that's not a very long time for a Budgie to adjust. To you it probably seems that you've had him a long time but it really hasn't been that long and this is not at all unusual. Many others have (and still are) experiencing what you are going through. Just be consistent and things will happen in their time, when they are ready.

Donna

[lethalfire]

Thanks Donna, I guess I just needed the encouragement and be reminded that I'm not alone in this.

I will have to take it slower for a while and see what comes from it.

Thanks again. And I will keep you guys posted on how things are going.

[Donna]

I'm glad you are encouraged! I just wanted to let you know that you are doing everything correctly. These little guys have a mind of their own though, and will only go as fast as they want to. It doesn't mean that you are doing anything wrong.

Most of us face the same set-backs as you, and there may even be periods of time that your Budgie rejects you, even after he's tame. They have moods like anyone else, and sometimes they just want to be left alone.

Donna

[my budgie billy]

hello,
my budgie billy was tame beyond belief!but then he wasnt?then i got swizzle and he has never been the same!!

so you are not alone with little blue boy,you can get through it,in know you can.

[thegownchick]

I am training my new budgie after my beloved Moses was tragically killed. It IS heartbreaking when you want them to love you and they don't seem to. Persistence I guess, and P A T I E N C E. Being a mother of two boys, patience has become my middle name anyway. Just keep loving him, and don't get mad, don't get down on yourself. Consistency is the way to go. Because what's the alternative? Stop trying and commit your little friend to life in a cage? No way! Ignore the bitie stuff and just keep offering your finger, and try singing to him while you do, I find that helps calm my new baby.

[Mr. Pretty Bird]

I've had my bird Patrick for over a year now, and I've had Spike since May 20th. They haven't moulted yet. Is this normal?

And sometimes Spike will let me press my finger onto his belly and he will just sit there, but he is active with Patrick when they are chattering and chasing each other so I think they're healthy.

And it's just like people; in that if we have a problem that slows us down, we're not going to be acting all happy-happy-joy-joy all the time. So just visit him once in a while, like once a day, and you and your bird will just wait it out, until more thorough bonding can be executed again.

[lethalfire]

Thanks everyone for all the encouragement! I still don't know exactly what happened, but these past weeks he has been back to himself again WhooHoo! In fact he has been playing more and talking to me more, and I swear he sings and chirps almost non stop at times (hee hee) right now he has tons of pin feathers on his head and around his face and he is acting his old self. He sits on my finger and shoulder and if I ask him how he is doing today he will answer me (in budgie language of course) we are getting there.
In the meantime I am still fighting the urge to get him a companion, I know about the whole quatantine thing and all that stuff, I would really like to have a nother one but I'm still debating it, cause I really want to keep the bond I have with Little Boy Blue. If I could keep the same bond with Little Boy Blue and still be able to bond with the new one and then have 2 bonded budgies I would do it in a heart beat, I'm just not ready to take that chance yet. Thanks again for all the advice and encouragement!

[Mickie]

Glad to hear that your budgies back to his old self!!! :D