# Flock having major issues



## fruitybudgie (Nov 30, 2020)

Hello. Before I start let me give you a backstory on my budgies.
I brought Blueberry and Mango home from the pet shop in Aug 2020. The two were a cute pair. Unfortunately, Mango passed away randomly in November of 2020. Since then we have made sure that we don't use anything that can harm the budgies. Soon after, we got a budgie to keep Blueberry company, named Angel. They got along well. Fast forward, to March 2021, we get two new budgies named Bubbles and Luffy. They budgies quarantined but Blueberry was constantly calling out for these new budgies. Angel and Blueberry stared at them, chirped at them, followed their direction from their cage when they were let out. ( blue and angel were in their cage when the babies came out cause of quarantine). Whenever we would let the older ones come out, they would fly to the baby cage and try to sit there but we moved them away. Bubbles would get a bit annoyed at times and would make an annoyed chip.

Then, they were all let out at the same time. They just stared at each other. No chirping. No talking. Just them staring. We thought "hey maybe it was just a bad time" So, we tried again. But all Blueberry does is bother the babies. Steps on their tails and has even kicked them in the stomach. Bubbles is always getting annoyed and panting. It's mostly bubbles who is struggling.

Furthermore, when we let out the babies but let the older ones sit in the cage now, the babies will climb to the older ones cage and sit on top of it and run around. Blueberry will then bite their feet. Other-times, the budgies will climb on the older budgies cages and just fight with them. Blueberry will usually pick a fight by biting them, getting too close, growling at their beaks. Sometimes she will just fly of their heads and almost taunt them...
Another thing I noticed is Bubbles pants a lot. Has heavy breathing, She came to us at 6 weeks with no grown flight feathers and isn't growing at all. Luffy has blood feathers that are growing and have even broke (no worries I pulled them and used corn starch). But it seems like Bubbles is so tiny for a budgie. Currently she is just eating seed from the pet store because she still fears other foods. Our older budgies eat fruits, some veggies, and pellets with some seeds as treats.

I need help! My older budgies are not tame and will not step up. Blueberry will only fly to my finger when I have a treat. On the bright side, Blueberry understands clicker training so willl follow the target stick, bite it and understand that she will get a treat. I've been using this to have her fly around the house to me. Angel on the other hand will only sit on my hand when I have a treat, eat it, then leave. Bubbles and Luffy are terrified of human hands and won't even eat millet even if my hand is at the very end of the stick. What do I do with four untamed birds who do not get along and one breathes super fast?
Please help my little flock!!!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*It would be best if you put the cages in different rooms when you are giving one set of budgies their out of cage time.

Not all budgies want to interact with humans. I have several that are not hand-tamed and do not step up. However, they have been "trained" to go back in their cages by using positive reinforcement training. (Check out the stickies in the Training and Bonding section of the forum.

Since Bubbles is breathing heavily on a regular basis, it would be best for you to have him checked out by an Avian Vet.

Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma. 

This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.

When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment. 

This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recovery than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.

If there are no Avian Vets near you, please find an Exotic Pet Veterinarian with experience in dealing with small birds.

Having your budgie examined by an Avian Vet allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet in case your bird needs care for an injury or illness in the future. Additionally, it is always helpful for the vet to have a baseline for your bird to refer to should it need future treatment.

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.

SITE GUIDELINES

List of Stickies

Posting on the Forums*

*Please do not use phone emojis when posting*

*Let's Talk Budgies!

How-To Guides

FAQ

Articles

Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense

Avian First Aid

Quarantine IS Necessary!

A heartfelt plea to forum members new and old

Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads

Cage sizes.

Essentials to a Great Cage

Resource Directory

If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask!*


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