# New budgie, is this a bad sign?



## Bouloz (Oct 15, 2020)

Hello, I'm a new pet owner :wave: I haven't gotten a chance to introduce myself or my budgie. :green budgie:
I only recently got him 4 days ago and I noticed before yesterday (2nd day) and yesterday (3rd day) that he has some poop stuck near and at his vents.
While doing my research prior to owning him I used to see that this is an urgent warning sign that something is wrong and given the fact that I've only had him three days I'm panicked as to what to think of this. :sad: I would appreciate any advice or help!

*First some background:*

he's 4-5 months old I think.
He's been very quite, hasnt chirped once yet. He would occasionally grind his beak though, usually after eating, before sleeping, when he's resting and on some instances when he's been spooked by any sudden movement or noise and is really scared?? which confused me since I read beak grinding signifies comfort so I dont know if anyone else has experienced this with their budgie.
At first he wasnt touching his food bowl, but when I placed it next to the highest perch (which he hasnt left in 3 days haha) he's been eating regularly (4-7 times a day). So far I've only given him seeds similar to what he was used to at the store. I've prepared some chop for him and packed it in the freezer, and was thinking of introducing it in a day or two, or is that too early?
He hasnt played with any of his toys or chirped. But he seems to enjoy when I talk to him, and we played the slow blinking game a few times.
I havent seen him drink water once which is concerning me, and his water dish looks very clear, clean and untouched.
His droppings on the first day were watery, but on the second and third day it was dark brown with white, and compact.
He seems to sleep fine (though before yesterday he didnt get enough sleep unfortunately), and his breathing seems normal.
I saw him preen himself twice on his first day, but not on his second or third day. (So I'm not sure if this might be a cause for his dirty back feathers, bc he isnt cleaning himself perhaps?)

Right now I'm not sure if I should be alarmed, or if I should try and clean him or take him to the vet or what step to take bc he's untamed and still pretty scared. :sad3:

I attached some pictures (sorry they are terrible I had to stoop at weird angles to try and get them :s)


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Hi :wave:welcome to the forum. It is quite normal when you first bring a budgie home for them to be acting as your bird is acting. They are usually very quiet and you don't see them move much or make any sounds and frequently the droppings will be irregular, if the droppings do not return to normal after the bird becomes comfortable in the new surroundings then it would be advisable to see an avian vet for further assessment. I am assuming that the bird is not currently sitting around fluffed up and looking ill. They will also seek out the highest spot in the cage to sit as they view it as the safest spot so moving the food up there was fine, they don't drink much water so it is not uncommon that you don't see him drinking. Keep an eye on the vent area you do not want too many of the droppings to get stuck there and prevent free passage of them. Give him time with the toys he may not even realize that they are something fun. Do not attempt to pet or handle him at this time, this is a time for him to become comfortable in his new home without any added stress.What have you named him, would love to see more pictures from a different angle  when he is comfortable with you taking pictures. I would wait until he is a bit more comfortable and droppings become normal before offering him the chop and do not be surprised if he does not touch it as he may not recognize it as a food source, it may take time for him to try it.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You've been given great advice and I agree completely with Cody's reply. Meanwhile, be sure to read through the many budgie articles and "stickies" we have around here to ensure you're up to date on everything! If you have any questions after doing so please be sure to ask as we'd love to help. 

We hope to see you around the forums and your little budgie as well! :wave:


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## Bouloz (Oct 15, 2020)

Thank you for welcoming me!! And my and my family are torn between calling him Cheeko or Bouloz (a name based on an old cartoon my dad used to love :tongue: ) so you can call him either for now!

I'm happy to update that yesterday he preened himself, chirped once, and I havent seen anymore poop stuck to his vents until now! So I guess he's still adjusting! (attached a pic). He also jumped into his food bowl today and chirped three times (I was playing music), before starting to nibble his lunch it was so cute I almost cried 

His droppings seem to be regular, they all look like compact circles that are dark brown/green with white.

I'm having a new concern with him though, I'm not sure if he's sleeping well. I noticed that since yesterday he seems to be doing the slow blinking more than he was on his 2nd and 3rd day, at first he would do it when I do it and when I talk to him, but yesterday and this morning I've noticed he blinks more often and his lids get half shut and he blinks for longer times, and I'm not sure if it's because he isnt getting enough sleep so he is sleepy or something is up.
Here's a video (sorry the quality is terrible, I kinda broke the camera on my iphone rip)


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

He looks ok to me, budgies nap during the day for sort spurts which is normal you do not have to be concerned unless you see him sleeping puffed up all day long. Are you covering the cage at night? You can cover the cage top and 3 sides completely and bring the cover about 1/3 of the way down from the top on the front of the cage and keep on a small night light, that can sometimes help to make it more comfortable at night.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

Your new little friend is quite handsome!

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

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.

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.

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## Bouloz (Oct 15, 2020)

Thank you Cody I will be trying this tonight, I hope he manages to get enough sleep this time.

And thank you FaeryBee for all the info and links, I looked through a few of them earlier and will be sure to check out the rest!


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