# Is it even possible?



## Djr91 (6 mo ago)

Well, after months of preparation and research, our family was finally prepared to welcome a new budgie into our home. And then the pet stores literally had none. Not a single one to choose from .. disappointed kids, disappointed mom. 
As soon as we get home, I look on Kijiji, and 22 minutes prior there was an ad posted for 4 males needing a home, must go together... We had discussed buying one to tame and the second later on to bond with (but I was going to surprise my kids with both at once as research shows me I could focus on one and hope the other would follow suit). But we NEVER talked about more than that... However we did buy a big flight cage, so my thought was, we /could/ do it. So I replied. And the next night we had four budgies..
The morning after that we got a message that a female was upset after the four left, could we take her? After HOURS of pros and cons, one female with four males, a female in general (breeding; agressive), a single without a partner... But then I thought, maybe it's partner is here.... If it is, we can find the lone bird a home no? So, I replied, we can... And got back, can you take two? Which, was one of the cons, a single without a partner... Now, not the case... Even numbers again. .../sure/.

So. Now we have six untamed budgies. She said none older than six months, I can see grey rings around a few of their eyes, none have bars all the way to their Ceres so I know they've gone through first molting. Guessing around 4-6 months, but, I also can't even tell if they're the gender she told me. I'm almost positive we have three girls and three boys.

I've been trying to acclimate them all to our home, but boy is it hard. The two year old is loud, and gets very excited when the birds fly.. so far I've managed to get one of the boys to stand on and eat a from a millet/honey stick, I can move him a few inches up or forward before he starts to look back to the perch. I've been very hopeful if he starts to trust me, the others might follow suit. But, one of the birds doesn't have its tail feathers, previous owner made NO mention of that, I don't know what happened... I don't know just how hard the trust will be to earn back...

I've been told to bring four of them to the pet store. To just get rid of them, it's too much work, hassle, effort in general. But I'm wondering, is it really? We have a big flight cage, but, SHOULD I transfer a pair to another cage? I /can/ buy another if needed..... Should I transfer the dominant one so I can work one on one with him? 

Now, questions for the six together. Theyre currently sharing two, two sectioned feeders, and two single sectioned water bowls .. but, I've read one per bird? If they're able to share without fighting, DO I need six feeders and water dispensers? 
They don't seem to care AT ALL for vegetables or fruits, I've tried a variety of berries and greens, apples even, and no interest at all. Could it just be because they're new here? Are they're any tricks to getting them intrigued enough to try a bite? 
We're going to cut some grass tomorrow to try a grass bath, but so far all the birdies have completely ignored the dish I've put in the bottom of their cage. I wash it out every morning, but none have even dipped a toe yet. I did spray them a couple of nights ago, but, how much am I supposed to? Do I give them just a light mist? Do I soak their feathers a bit to make sure they have enough? 
We're also going out to find sticks tomorrow, hopefully get a couple of natural perches in the cage. How many is too many? Too little? Do I get more long ones than little since they haven't seemed to be paired? They seem to enjoy sitting in a line on the dowel perch, whether all six or three on one and three on another. But I need to replace two of the dowel perches, so, any tips are welcome!

Treats! I've already mentioned their aversion to fruits and veggies, but I mistakenly bought millet honey sticks instead of just millet when I was making the original Amazon order. I do have millet arriving in two days! Until then, do I continue trying to hold the stick to see if Blueby (dominant male) will come closer to me? Or just hang them in the cage to get rid of them before the good treats come? 

What about free flight? Do I just open the cage and hope for the best? Because at this point they will not come near my hands at all, so I would need to let them out on their own... Birds need free flight, but, when do I start? Do I let them all out together? Have separate cages and do intervals of 'recess' time? (I'm a stay at home mom so it's not a problem, just ALOT of poop clean up around the house).

























Also, lastly (for now), posting pictures of the birds for help discerning the genders .. I'm almost positive it's three and three, but then I read that females won't have ANY blue on their Ceres, but males won't have any white... So. Absolutely confused. I've been doing my BEST to refer to each of them by their names, but mommy brain, and the number of them!, has made me forget what two have been named.. but, correct me if I'm wrong, blueby (light blue with tail), no tail light blue, and dark blue, are all male. Marshmallow (white and blue), Little Lime (yellow and white), and Apple (green and yellow) are females... Apple is the one I was told is male, and confuses me with the white and barely blue cere.

First time budgie owner, and will definitely admit we bit off more than we can chew. So, as the title says, is it even possible to tame and bond with each of these birds? Would we need to separate them to do so?


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

You certainly have your hands full, at first glance it appears that you have 3 males and 3 females. A full frontal picture of each taken without a flash in natural light will help to confirm. Females can have very pale ceres with sort of a blue color wash to them. Young males will have a pink cere that will gradually turn a deeper blue, however there are a few mutations in which the male cere will remain pink for life. It would be best to house the females and males in separate cages, they can have supervised out of the cage time together. Do not rush things, they need a couple of weeks to get used to their new home and people, I would not be letting them out of the cage now, how old are your kids? Many kids, especially young ones, end up terrifying the birds because they do not have the patience required to acclimate the birds to their new home and end up banging on the cage or trying to grab the birds which is a very bad situation for all concerned. I would not put grass in the bath water, instead try a small piece of romaine lettuce, some budgies enjoy a bath and some do not, it is not necessary for them to bathe, it needs to be their choice, often when one tries it the others may also. If you want to mist them, mist from above them and let the mist fall on them, if they move away just let them move and do not keep following them with the mist. If you are going to collect branches you need to make sure that they are coming from something that has not been sprayed with anything and them you need to prepare the branches, you may find this helpful 



What is the size of the cage and what are you feeding them?


----------



## Djr91 (6 mo ago)

This is the cage we have, however if needing to buy another, I don't know that I'll be able to go THIS big again. 
The food, makes me wary. It seems to ME (a newbie) to have too many little seeds in it .. have been debating whether to make food from scratch with the help of YouTube videos... Make our own pellet mix and veggie chop... 

Definitely not rushing things here, especially with the littlest. The youngest will be two in October, and yes can be a bit alarming to the birds. Ive learned not to try and feed the birds their treats when she's around as they have JUST started getting curious enough to come close and her happy sounds will alarm them again. The oldest girls are 11/10, they've been super calm and docile, using soft voices and slow movements. Definitely would be during nap or bed times that birds would be first let out. And on that, thank you! I personally was starting to feel horrible for having them all stuck in the cage, but I will give them some more time before letting them out. I really don't want it to be traumatic for any of us, but especially them. 
I did try a piece of romaine in the dish, but it may have just been too soon after coming here. Will definitely try again. May I ask why you say no to grass? Is it just because of pesticides/sprays? If so, we have a HUGE yard at grandma's that we can collect from with no worries at all. 
Will get a picture of each later on today, i really do think Apple is a girl. And i don't believe Marshmallow was missing anyone, just a cranky female that likes to bicker. When you suggest housing the genders together, how long would you guesstimate they would need to stay like that? The females worry me. Maybe I'll find out that they can live happily together and have no issues, but until them, I'm definitely worried about territorial fights. Maybe I should leave the girls in the big cage and move the boys to a new one?


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You definitely have more females than just one. However, to correctly determine their genders, we need full-frontal close-up pictures of each budgie's cere.
The pictures you posted are not clear enough for a definitive determination.

How large is your cage? The minimum size cage I would recommend for 6 budgies would be a Prevue Hendryx F050.
37” Long x 23” wide x 48” High (interior) 40,848 cubic inches
60 inch height including the stand

I recommend you remove the wooden dowel perches in the cage and replace them with natural wooden perches of varying diameters to help prevent pressure sores.*
*Pressure Sores*
*Bumblefoot*
*The information in this link will give examples of better options for perches:*
*Essentials for a Great Cage*
*
The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Additionally, please be sure to read the thread "Posting on the Forums" which is linked below.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory*


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Djr91 said:


> View attachment 263784
> 
> 
> View attachment 263783
> ...


 Now is not the time to try a diet change, that seed mix has pellets in it, observe them and see if they eat them or eat around them. Once they are more settled you can consider changing or adding different things. As far as the grass goes, yes, it is because of what might be on it but not just chemicals, there could also be contamination from feces from wildlife. You could try cilantro or parsley also.


----------



## Djr91 (6 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *You definitely have more females than just one. However, to correctly determine their genders, we need full-frontal close-up pictures of each budgie's cere.
> The pictures you posted are not clear enough for a definitive determination.
> 
> How large is your cage? The minimum size cage I would recommend for 6 budgies would be a Prevue Hendryx F050.
> ...



My main question for you as I've just finished reading the Posting on the Forums sticky, do you think it's best for me to try and make this work, or to try and find homes for the majority of them? We never anticipated having this many, and I want them to have the best life possible. While I am willing to put in the time, effort, and financial aspect, there's only so much I can do. And only one of me 😅. The girls are excited to start helping with the daily care of the cage, but so far I've told them just to let me so it's easier on the birds. 

But again, I want them to live their BEST lives. I found this forum and joined as every where Ive looked, absolutely everywhere, only talks about bringing home a pair of budgies max, or introducing one to a flock. Nothing about bringing home 6 all at once. Is it possible to give them the care and attention they deserve when they're all brand new?


----------



## Djr91 (6 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Now is not the time to try a diet change, that seed mix has pellets in it, observe them and see if they eat them or eat around them. Once they are more settled you can consider changing or adding different things. As far as the grass goes, yes, it is because of what might be on it but not just chemicals, there could also be contamination from feces from wildlife. You could try cilantro or parsley also.


Okay! Thank you!!! I will not change their diet right now. So far I'm noticing that I am having to refill the entire food portion, I blow the husks out into the garbage every morning to see what's left from the day before, and there hasn't been more of one thing than an another. No more dried fruits or pellets than seeds left. So that's hopeful! 
And okay, were heading grocery shopping today anyway, will definitely add those two things to the list and see if maybe they'll help. Glad to know they don't NEED baths, I've watched and read so many things showing how much they love them, I was starting to feel bad it hasn't happened here yet for them. Am debating getting one of the cat water dispensers that has a little fountain... Is that too much? Haha


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Yes, you can handle 6 budgies although the chances of you taming and bonding with them is slim.
At one point I had 9 budgies -- most of which were "rehomed" from other people. 
As long as you are happy watching them, caring for them and allowing them to "just be birds", then you'll be fine.
I have two Prevue Hendryx F050 Flight cages and the budgies get lots of out of cage time. (They have their own room, however!)

I have a cat water dispenser with a little fountain and the birds love drinking from it. *


----------



## Djr91 (6 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *Yes, you can handle 6 budgies although the chances of you taming and bonding with them is slim.
> At one point I had 9 budgies -- most of which were "rehomed" from other people.
> As long as you are happy watching them, caring for them and allowing them to "just be birds", then you'll be fine.
> I have two Prevue Hendryx F050 Flight cages and the budgies get lots of out of cage time. (They have their own room, however!)
> ...


I wish I'd gotten that cage to start!!!!! I want the side doors! I may just have to buy that one instead... 

Good to know. I wasn't sure if it was just over the top, or actually useful. But with the six of them, it might help!


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The problem with the side doors on the F040 and F050 cages is that the doors are spring loaded. 
You have to keep them clipped for safety. 
Otherwise, if a budgie hits one too hard it can come open and then close on the bird's leg, wing, neck etc. and cause serious injury.
(Yes, I had that happen and it was devastating!)
*
*Clips for Spring Load Side Doors*


----------

