# New budgies won't play



## HeatherMc (Sep 10, 2021)

Hi everyone! My name is Heather and I am a first-time budgie owner. My babies Mochi and Chimmy came home two days ago, and they seem to be settling in very well. I couldn't be happier.

My only concern is that they haven't been interested in any of the toys I've put in their cage. I'm worried about them being bored and coping with it in an unhealthy way. Is it normal for new budgies not to be interested in toys right away? Am I expecting too much too soon? Thanks in advance.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Yes, this is normal and you are expecting too much too soon. It takes a couple of weeks for them to settle in and be comfortable in their new home. Don't try to touch them or pet them, they have to learn to trust you, the best thing you can do initially is just sit by the cage and talk to them so they learn you are not a threat to them.


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

They are cute though!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*

*Avian Association of Veterinarians*

*It is very normal for a budgie to sit quietly in one spot and not move much when it is first brought home.
You may not see your budgie eating or drinking for a few days and this is normal.
While it is fine to offer a spray of millet for a day or two, it is very important that you also have a high quality seed mix available in the cage. 
Otherwise, budgies can quickly decide they aren’t going to eat anything but millet leading to obesity and nutritional disease.

Budgies drink only tiny bits of water at a time you may not see this happen as they often wait until you are not around before drinking.

Rest assured that if your budgie is pooping normally then it is also eating and drinking.

Budgies need a minimum of two weeks to settle into their new home and you should not be trying to touch or tame them at this time. They are often submissive initially because they are terrified.

You can cover the top and three sides of the cage to help them feel more secure. Play music or the TV for them when you are not around during the day.

Taming and Bonding is all about helping your budgie learn to trust you and it takes a great deal of time and patience on your part.
You should never grab your budgies or force them to be touched.
To bond with your budgie, you need to build their trust in you.
They will have to learn over time that you will not hurt them, grab them and try to force them to allow you to hold them.

To bond with your birds, you need to build their trust in you.
They will have to learn over time that you will not hurt them.

To build your birds’ trust, sit by their cage and read, talk or sing quietly to them for a period of at least 10-15 minutes, 3 or 4 times day. 

Why do you have crumpled up paper in the bottom of their cage?*
*You want to put either blank newsprint (packing paper) or white paper towels across the grate in the bottom of the cage.
Please provide the cage size: Length, Width, and Height.*

*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*
*The information in this link will give examples of better options for perches:*
*Essentials for a Great Cage*

*Your blue and white pied budgie is a female.
Would you please post a full frontal picture of the yellow pied budgie? Take it in natural light with no flash and no direct sunlight.
I'm trying to determine if that budgie is a male. 

If you have a mixed gender pair, you will need to do everything necessary to prevent breeding.*
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*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
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*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
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*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.
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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*Resource Directory*


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## HeatherMc (Sep 10, 2021)

Cody said:


> Yes, this is normal and you are expecting too much too soon. It takes a couple of weeks for them to settle in and be comfortable in their new home. Don't try to touch them or pet them, they have to learn to trust you, the best thing you can do initially is just sit by the cage and talk to them so they learn you are not a threat to them.


Thank you so much. I'll let them be for a while longer. All the advice I've read has said not to touch them yet, and I haven't made any attempt to do that at all. I talk to them a lot, though. I also read them poetry and bedtime stories. 🥰 To my surprise, they don't seem to mind when I open their cage to fill their food and water bowls.. Maybe that's a step in the right direction? ❤ Thanks again for the help.



srirachaseahawk said:


> They are cute though!


Aw, thanks! 🥰


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the forums! 

FaeryBee has given you excellent advice and resources! Mochi and Chimmy are very cute. As they settle in, they’ll become more curious and adventurous.

Meanwhile, you’ve come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices! Please be sure to have a look around the forums’ many budgie articles and “stickies”, included above, to ensure you’re up to date on everything. If you have questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we’d love to help. 

Best wishes! 👋


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