# budgie frequently panting?



## les8ean (Oct 23, 2021)

We recently got a new budgie to keep our other one company, but we've noticed he seems to be panting frequently, even when nothing is happening to cause it (he hasn't been flapping around, there's nothing stressful happening, etc). We're very worried, and I was wondering if anyone has any ideas of why he's doing it, or if he's sick in some way?
Video of him panting


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

How recently did you bring him home?
Panting is often a sign of fear…. Budgies are usually very submissive when you first bring them home, but this is because they are scared, rather than interested in interaction.

Does he do this when left to himself in his cage?


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## les8ean (Oct 23, 2021)

we got him maybe a week ago? And we only really lock the budgies in their cage when we're going out, or at night.
I haven't noticed him doing when he's around his cage though... So it could just be fear


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

les8ean said:


> we got him maybe a week ago? And we only really lock the budgies in their cage when we're going out, or at night.
> I haven't noticed him doing when he's around his cage though... So it could just be fear


Let him have a lot of cage time since he’s so new. Like, a week or two. The cage should be in a common area where he can see/hear the household, don’t lock him away by himself.

You can then start slow 


Move up to just resting your hand on the outside of the cage for 5-10 minutes a few times a day.
After a week or so of that, you can move to just placing your hand "in" the cage. Don't touch him, go near him or even move. Just rest it there for the same 5-10 minutes a few times a day.

He will eventually stop freaking out about it and slowly move up to investigating more-likely-than-not. Then you can work on treat placement in the hand to see if you can then lure him to step on it to eat from it (again without moving).

Then go from there based on his comfort, but at his speed. Don’t ever grab him, let him come to you. 
Once he is good at this and comfy with the idea of “hands”, you can start letting him out of the cage in a safe place.


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

les8ean said:


> we got him maybe a week ago? And we only really lock the budgies in their cage when we're going out, or at night.
> I haven't noticed him doing when he's around his cage though... So it could just be fear


I also just caught that you have more than one?
Are they housed together?
Did you get them at the same time? If not, are you quarantining this little guy from the other(s)?
How big are the cages?


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## les8ean (Oct 23, 2021)

we got them at different times (a few weeks apart) but from the same breeder, who said they were hand-raised (but they are admittedly still fairly wild...). We got the second one because the first would frequently sit at a mirror and try to feed or preen her reflection, and we figured she wanted company.
The cage is fairly large, similiar to (if not exactly) this one. We didn't think to quarantine them, but within minutes of introducing them they were preening and chattering at each other and being adoring to one another. They follow each other around the cage, and will feed each other. If one of them goes somewhere that the other can't see, they'll call out to one another.








(Original budgie is the blue one, newbie is the white one)


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## srirachaseahawk (Sep 5, 2021)

Glad that they are getting along!
But a few things.

Ditch the fleece hut. You seem to have a mixed gender pair and you have to do everything possible to discourage breeding. Nests, boxes, tents, etc. all, right out. Even in same sex pairs, nest sites can make them broody and hormonal.
A cage should be wider than it is tall, I can’t tell from the link which one you have.
Ditch all mirrors, they are not at all good for them psychologically.
Please review the “stickies” on each of the sub forums, they have a wealth of info on handling, mixed pairs, food, cage, toys, etc.


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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*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*The budgie looks to be fairly stressed being on your hand. I would recommend that you stop trying to handle him at this point in time.
Allow the budgie to have time to settle into it's new environment.
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.

What are the budgies' names?

You have a mixed gender pair so you are going to need to do everything necessary to prevent breeding.*
*You should never stroke your budgies' back or tail. If you are going to pet either of them, then confine that to only the head, neck area.*
*Petting the back and tail stimulates a bird's hormones.*

*A heartfelt plea to forum members new and old*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*

*It is not recommended to have mirrors in your birds' cage as interacting with the mirror can contribute to your budgie(s) becoming aggressive and/or territorial.
Additionally, some budgies will begin regurgitating to the mirror to the point where they actually become malnourished. You would be better off to give them shredding toys instead. Please remove any mirrors from the cage.

The budgies should not be out of the cage unsupervised.
Budgies need in-cage time just as much as out of cage time. They need to be able to enjoy the time in their cage.
When you have a new bird, you should let it adjust to the new environment much more slowly than it sounds like you have been doing.

The hut needs to go for more than one reason. When you have a female you should never have anything in the cage which can be used as a nesting site. Additionally, fabric/fleece huts are not safe for budgies.

Dangers of Rope, Snuggle Huts, Fabric and Tasseled Toys

I can't see the cage that you tried to link. What are the dimensions of the cage you have? Length, Width, Height?*

*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.*
*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*
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*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
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*Cage sizes.*
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*Resource Directory*


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## les8ean (Oct 23, 2021)

they're names are Mr. Pips (blue) and V.P (short for Vanilla Pancake) (white).
We have since removed any mirrors (and the fleece hut) from their cage. We are working on looking for new perches as well, to replace the rope perches we currently have, but money is a bit tight right now, so it might be a while before we can find a suitable replacement.
We make sure that one of us is always in the room when the budgies are out of their cage.
The cage is 49cm wide, 77cm long, and 87cm tall
When the birds are out of their cage they they usually wander around on top of it (we have a wooden playplace up there for them) or jump around inside it. But we have a lot of trouble getting them to come to us so that we can put them away when we need to go out or put them to bed. They're flight feathers have been trimmed down, but they still fly quite a bit, so it can be hard to catch them.

We will try to minimize interaction for a while and just let them become accustomed to their environment and our presence
Thank you all so much for your advice, it's very helpful.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Mr. Pips and V.P are precious!! 💜💜 

Your cage is a fine size for two budgies.

I have untamed budgies that go back in their cage because I've used positive reinforcement training to teach them they will get a reward when they do so.

Initially, when I was ready for them to go back in the cage I would first dim the lights and pull down the shades in the room. If the radio or TV was on, I turned it off.
Then I would stand by their cage and ringing the bell on one of their toys while telling them, "It's time to go in your cage now!"

Once they went back into the cage, they were given a small bit of millet. 
This method worked well and they now go in the cage when asked to do so without the lights being dimmed or the blinds lowered and the TV or radio can stay on. 

Getting the millet reward is the best part of "going back home"*


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## les8ean (Oct 23, 2021)

Just wanted to come back here to thank everyone in this thread!
It's only been a bit over a week, but there have been definite improvements!
Mr Pips and VP have both been getting much friendlier since we took the advice on this thread, even flying over to us to spend time with us on their accord 
So again, thank you to everyone who replied to this thread!


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Glad things are improving, would love to see more of them.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hoping you'll start an on-going picture thread for Mr. Pips and V.P so we can see updated pictures of them frequently!!*


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