# Panting



## hbxninja (Nov 21, 2016)

Hey everyone,

I've got question. Cosmo does some heaving panting when I put him on my hand and launch him. I do this for exercise. I throw him maybe 3 feet in the air, and catch him as he glides down. I do this maybe every other day, and other than that he doesn't do much flying, although he does flap in his cage a lot. His wings are still trimmed, and still growing back from when I got him. I got them trimmed when I bought him. He's 35 grams.

Is he overweight, out of shape, or is this normal?

I feel like this is normal, just like anyone running, but I just want to be sure 

Thanks.


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## Birdmanca (Jan 24, 2008)

Possibele he could do such little exercise that this exerts him at first, so he pants. He could just need to build up his energy level. or maybe does have a breathing problem. Just one more thing to observe as you care and interact with him. Could be no problem at all.


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## JRS (Sep 3, 2016)

Maybe the heavy panting is due to stress from being launched 3 feet into the air. :scared:

If his feathers are regrowing and he's building up his flight muscles naturally when he'll "flap in his cage a lot", I honestly don't think you need to be doing that. Does he actually appear to enjoy it? I.e. If you placed him down on the cage top and offered your hand for another go, would he happily hop on?

I think it would be better if you just moved your hand gently up and down to encourage a bit of wing flapping or tried to gently encourage more balance type exercise/play for example, balancing on a tennis ball (under supervision) or even simply reviewing your cage perches (a safe wood cleaned branch from the garden, securely threaded through the bars but with a spindly free ended branch off it, that would sway as Cosmo climbed along).


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## iHeartPieds (Jan 9, 2017)

I agree with JRS. I commented earlier but my internet did something weird and I don't think it posted. I don't imagine being thrown into the air and flapping it's wings frantically while it falls is very enjoyable for your budgie. This will lower your birds trust in you as it begins to associate being on your hand with something scary happening. Having distance between the perches in your cage can encourage your bird to jump and use it's wings to go between them. Even once your birds wings grow back, I don't recommend forcing it to fly like that. The normal weight for an american budgie is 25-40 grams so yours is an average weight. Most budgies love to fly and will do it on their own. If you really want to encourage flight, you can try teaching your bird to do flight recalls, starting at a very short distance (like a few inches) and then increasing it as your bird gets more familiar with flying to you and it's feathers grow back.

Another good way to ensure your bird doesn't become overweight is to ensure it's getting a healthy diet. 
A Healthy Diet for your budgie


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## hbxninja (Nov 21, 2016)

CassiesCritters said:


> I agree with JRS. I commented earlier but my internet did something weird and I don't think it posted. I don't imagine being thrown into the air and flapping it's wings frantically while it falls is very enjoyable for your budgie. This will lower your birds trust in you as it begins to associate being on your hand with something scary happening. Having distance between the perches in your cage can encourage your bird to jump and use it's wings to go between them. Even once your birds wings grow back, I don't recommend forcing it to fly like that. The normal weight for an american budgie is 25-40 grams so yours is an average weight. Most budgies love to fly and will do it on their own. If you really want to encourage flight, you can try teaching your bird to do flight recalls, starting at a very short distance (like a few inches) and then increasing it as your bird gets more familiar with flying to you and it's feathers grow back.
> 
> Another good way to ensure your bird doesn't become overweight is to ensure it's getting a healthy diet.
> A Healthy Diet for your budgie


Ok. I read somewhere that doing the launching was good exercise for him. I didn't even think that I was scaring him, sorry.
I feed him about 1 1/2 tablespoon of seed, and various fruits and veggies.



JRS said:


> Maybe the heavy panting is due to stress from being launched 3 feet into the air. :scared:
> 
> If his feathers are regrowing and he's building up his flight muscles naturally when he'll "flap in his cage a lot", I honestly don't think you need to be doing that. Does he actually appear to enjoy it? I.e. If you placed him down on the cage top and offered your hand for another go, would he happily hop on?
> 
> I think it would be better if you just moved your hand gently up and down to encourage a bit of wing flapping or tried to gently encourage more balance type exercise/play for example, balancing on a tennis ball (under supervision) or even simply reviewing your cage perches (a safe wood cleaned branch from the garden, securely threaded through the bars but with a spindly free ended branch off it, that would sway as Cosmo climbed along).


Ok, as I said to Cassie, I read somewhere that this was good for them. He also likes to fly to my shoulder, so I hold him away from it, and he flies there. Would that count as flight recall?

Anyway, he does hop back on my finger, so he seems to enjoy it. I'll just stop doing this to be sure


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Your bird is probably scared :w00t:, being that you have said his wings are clipped and his flight feathers have not grown back yet, it is very scary to be thrown into the air and not have control over the outcome, and not a good process to develop trust. I would suggest you do not do this anymore and let your bird naturally develop the ability to fly as his feathers grow back.


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## hbxninja (Nov 21, 2016)

Thanks everyone. I had no idea it would stress him, and I feel so bad for the tough times i put him through. I will stop doing this right away, and try doing flight recalls instead.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Talk Budgies would never consider tossing a budgie with clipped wings into the air to be a "Best Practice" for a budgie's exercise.

Please be sure you take the time to read through the Budgie Articles and stickies throughout the Talk Budgies Site.

It may take time for Cosmo to get over the stress and trauma of the "launching" sessions he's experienced.

Please spend time with him in a calm and reassuring environment to help rebuild his trust and let him know that he will have nothing to fear in the future.

I'm closing this thread.*


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