04/07/2022
INTRODUCING NEW BUDGIES INTO HOUSEHOLDS
HEARS A FEW TIPS 😊
Hi guys Bringing a new budgie home as a companion to your pet budgie and a new friend for humans is not as simple as it seems. It is extremely disappointing as a breeder to watch your carefully handtamed bubs crash and burn in their not-so-forever home due to the owners not understanding budgie pecking order. This is a real problem when the new bird comes into a household with a budgie that has been the only precious pet for some time and/or is handraised. So I thought I would write a few tips for people to think about before getting a handtamed bub to add to their family.
1. Quarantine
Any bird, whether a tame bub or an adult aviary bred bird, needs to be quarantined and kept separate from other birds for at least a couple of weeks to make sure they are healthy before integration. Worming and external parasite treatment is a good idea at this time. This time can also be used fo you to bond with your bub on its own with gentle handling within the cage.
2. Introducing Birds
Once quarantine is complete, the bub can be slowly introduced to your other bird. I suggest initially leaving the new bird in its cage and positioning the cage next to your older bird's cage. Let the older bird get used to seeing the bub from this safe place. You need to let your old pet get used to having the new one around. Let them talk to each other through the cage. Play with each one separately and let them out at separate times. I would do this for maybe a month.
Some birds will be so happy to have another bird around that this step would seem pointless but it isn't if you want to personally bond with the new bird. After a month, allow them to interact together outside the cage. Maybe leave the cage doors open so they can go in each other's cages freely. You will soon see if they are ready to stay in one cage or not. This process will take as long as it takes. But birds are very social so even the crankiest ones normally finally succumb to the thought of getting a grooming session from another bird.
3. Failed Integration Reasons
Main reason for failed integration is moving too fast too soon. Addition of the new bird into your pet bird's cage immediately is a recipe for disaster. Two things could happen here; a) bad interactions between your feathered friends or b) loss of bonding between you and the new bub.
a) Birds can be extremely territorial and a solitary budgie will fight to defend its belongings ie its cage and its human. Never underestimate how jealous your feathered family can get of attention given to another bird or how vigorously it will defend its turf.
b) As a breeder, it is frustrating to spend time taming a bub down for someone and then hear that the bird has gone wild or has bonded to its bird companion rather than its human. This only happens if the time for bonding described previously is not adhered to.
Handtamed bubs need to see you as their family before they meet other birds. Having been raised by bird parents, their natural tendency is to look for companionship and affection from another bird rather than you. So its takes more work to get and keep an emotional connection with a handtamed than compared to a handraised, where the bird already identifies humans as big birds. Because of this and a lot of people wanting an easy fix, I generally recommend a handtamed bub go to a home where there are no other birds. If you already have birds and want another loving friend, handraised bubs are better. But even handraiseds will go wild or bond to another bird if not given enough hooman attention. If you want loving pets, you must spend time with them and continue to spend time with them all their lives and respect their instinctive territorial behaviour when introducing a new family member.
Hope this helps