# Budgies not getting along



## Wendy W (Jan 5, 2022)

Hi, new here!
I got a free female from a lady who was having trouble with two females getting along. She had them separated, and I believe had the cage covered a lot. I thought I would rescue her!
She was in a tiny cage, so I bought a flight cage and lots of toys for her. She was super quiet, and thought she was lonely, as I was at work all day. I spend time in the afternoon and evenings with her. Anyway, I bought a male to give her some company, and they seem ok together, but sometimes she's agressive to him, pecking on the head and knocking him off the perch. (He has his wings clipped, so he just falls). I feel bad for him, he is super mellow and seems really sweet. Not sure what to do. I don't want her teach him agressive behavior. Do I put her in another cage and get a male friend for him? Or all together?
Any advice is much appreciated!!


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*What are your budgies' names? 
Do you have pictures of them you can share?
Full frontal pictures of their ceres taken in natural light, no flash and no direct sunlight would be helpful.

How long have you had the male?

You need to separate the two budgies into individual cages right away. 
The female is bullying the male and it is going to detrimentally affect him emotionally if she doesn't physically injure or kill him.
Getting a male wasn't a good choice as you would have had to actively done everything necessary to prevent breeding if the two were caged together.

Ensure the cages are the proper size. The very minimum size I would recommend would be 30" Long x 18" Wide x 18" High.
The spacing between the bars must not be more than 1/2 inch. The BIGGER the cage, the better. Budgies fly laterally so Length is more important than Height.

How large is the cage you have them in at this point in time? Length, Width and Height.

You should not have put the male in with the female until the male had been properly quarantined and the budgies should have been introduced in neutral territory after the quarantine period.

Quarantine means housing the new bird in a different cage in a different room than the current bird (as far away from the room the current bird is in as possible) for a period of 35-45 days.

Budgies mask symptoms when they are ill. Symptoms may not show up for over two weeks. 
Often you will not even realize your bird is not well. Many budgie illnesses are airborne which is why you need to quarantine your new bird in a completely different room.*

*Quarantine - Is it Really that Important?*
*Quarantine Your Birds*

*Not all budgies get along. Anytime you get an additional budgie you must be ready, willing and able to house it separately on a permanent basis if necessary.

I would not recommend going out and getting another budgie as a friend for him at this point in time.*
*You need to give him space of his own and let him have the opportunity to settle into his new environment.*

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

*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*

*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*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory*


----------



## Wendy W (Jan 5, 2022)

Got the female Dec. 23rd. The male Jan.1st. The cage they are in is 30" long, 18" wide,18"tall. 
Karen, my first bird, is definitely a female, Paul, my newer one has a very blue cere so I know he's male.
Thank you for your help! 
I will get a larger second cage and separate them


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

If Paul is a mature bird with a blue cere then yes he is a male, however a young female can also have a pale blueish cere and are often mistaken for a male because of the blue tint. A young male will have a pink cere that will turn to blue, in most mutations, as he matures


----------



## Wendy W (Jan 5, 2022)

Cody said:


> If Paul is a mature bird with a blue cere then yes he is a male, however a young female can also have a pale blueish cere and are often mistaken for a male because of the blue tint. A young male will have a pink cere that will turn to blue, in most mutations, as he matures


Thanks I didn't know that!
Paul does seem younger, he's smaller, but his cere is very blue... He's the yellow one 😊


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and welcome to the forums! 

Yes, as you said, Paul is male and your other budgie is female  FaeryBee has given excellent advice and I agree with her 100%. Please be sure to keep us updated on how things go. 

Meanwhile, you've come to the best place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices! As you read through the links provided above, feel free to ask if you have any questions. 

It's great to have you with us and hope to see you around! 

Cheers 👋


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Karen and Paul are adorable!

If you give them out-of-cage time together, be sure that Karen does not bully Paul.
If she does, then you'll need to give them their out-of-cage time separately. 

As mentioned, I recommend you replace the wooden dowels with natural wood perches.

I would also suggest you put the white paper toweling on top of the bottom grate. It makes clean up much easier and you can easily change it a couple of times per day.
It also makes it easier for the budgies to walk across the bottom of the cage. Another good option to use is blank newsprint, also known as packing paper. 

Best wishes!*


----------



## Wendy W (Jan 5, 2022)

Ok, so I think I am bird crazy now!!
Karen and Paul are loving on each other, lots of "grooming". Getting along great. Paul looks younger, but his feet are more beige than pink. Does that mean anything? He seems happy and healthy, likes to play, etc.
On the topic of me being crazy, I rescued 3 brothers from a lady who wanted to "get rid of her birds".. I only say crazy because I have no wish to be a breeder, and have to figure out a place for their cages..
Ian , Angus and Pat are,as I was told, bonded brothers who freaked out if they were separated. Ian and Angus are almost identical. Pat looks a lot like Karen. Also, Pats cere is white ish, I think he's still a male, but not positive (hence the name😉)
Will try to post good picks. They came with wings clipped, hacked by lady, thank God they are ok... They are in a tall cage right now, and seem happy. Am planning on another flight cage for them. I would love to get a huge cage for all, but I don't want to upset the Paul and Karen love affair!!


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Since Karen and Paul are mixed gender, you must do everything necessary to prevent possible breeding.*

*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*

*Hopefully, you have the rescued birds in quarantine at this time.
Quarantine means housing the new bird in a different cage in a different room than the current bird (as far away from the room the current bird is in as possible) for a period of 35-45 days.

Budgies mask symptoms when they are ill. Symptoms may not show up for over two weeks. 
Often you will not even realize your bird is not well. Many budgie illnesses are airborne which is why you need to quarantine your new bird in a completely different room.
*
*Quarantine - Is it Really that Important?*
*Quarantine Your Birds*
* 
It is also a good idea to always take a new budgie in to see an Avian Vet for a "well-birdie" check-up. This allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet and the vet can establish a baseline for your bird in case of any future illnesses or injuries.

Please do not overdo it on trying to rescue budgies. You need to ensure you have the time, space, and financial resources to care for ALL your budgies properly.*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense*


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Is that little snuggle tent still in the cage, if so please remove it Dangers of Snuggle huts, tents, fabric housing, rope...


----------

