Budgie Care List (for adoption of Budgies, in this case, Magoo)

Magoo is being adopted by a very nice person who works with K. She is excited to have him as a pet, and will take good care of him. It is a necessity as he and Sutcliffe are fighting badly, daily. Someone will eventually be hurt. They are knocking each other off perches and pinning each other down on the ground or side of the cage.

I wrote this list of Budgie Care Guidelines for the new owner. Readers are welcome to add! of course there are lots and lots of things to know about taking care of budgies. I wanted to go over the basics here. More re Magoo's adoption soon!

Budgie-General Care

Our vet is: Animal Avian Hospital of the Village, in Rice Village. They are really into birds. 2422 Robinhood, Houston, Texas, in the Rice University Village. 713-524-3800. He doesn’t really need any care, unless you want the vet to clip his wings for you.

Food-

It is good to give them food that has a mixture of seeds and pellets. We use “eggcite” but other types are also ok.

Regular feedings:

They need their bowls filled every day. Even if it looks full, the empty husks are left on top by the budgies and they can’t find food underneath the husks; therefore, some budgies starve because their owners think they have plenty but they really don’t know how to get at it.

However, if you want to leave the budgie(s) alone for several days, leave plenty of hanging “snack sticks”. About ½ stick per day per budgie seems to be the right amount. We have left the budgies up to a week with these and while the cage is a bit messy on return, the budgies do fine.

Special foods:

They shouldn’t get treats every day, as that will make it harder to train them. Use millet seed in your hand to tame the budgie. You will have to be patient but if you try every day, in a couple weeks or so the budgie will eat millet seed while sitting on your hand!

Vegetables and fruit:

They like cilantro or lettuce, and you can give that as often as you like. (Once it is wilted it has to be removed or they get runny stools). They also like strawberries, but even ½ strawberry is more than they can eat. I usually put ½ in the cage and then when they have had it for a day, take it out before it gets gross. Apparently they aren’t supposed to eat avocado. If you want to try a new fruit or vegetable, put it in every day for a couple of weeks. The budgie will ignore it for a while then get used to it and eat it with joy.

If the budgie can’t reach his beak to get at the food, then they won’t eat it. Ditto for water bottles. So the food has to be hung near a perch at “beak height” or so.

Water:

Fresh water is important. I use a hamster style bottle. Some people use water bowls/trays. I also give them “showers” with a spray bottle about once a week. They really like it! Of course the spray bottle should be used for water only.

Perches:

It is important to have wooden perches, as budgies like to chew to keep their beaks clean and trimmed. They like pecan or maple or any fruit tree branch. Don’t use cedar or magnolia. You can also buy wooden perches. Some plastic perches are ok too, but not all perches should be plastic as that can irritate their feet. It is important that perches are placed so that they can easily stand and access food and water.

Dangers:

Sprays that smell like cleaning sprays, fluids, are dangerous. Budgies are very sensitive to chemicals (remember the “canary in the coal mine”). Sometimes they can get a toenail caught in something in the cage, so any wires used should not have loose ends sticking into the cage. Doors on the cage should be closed with a “twisty tie” so the budgie doesn’t escape. Some human foods are dangerous; check on the internet before trying if you are unsure. If they are out of the cage, getting slammed in a door, stepped on, etc are all dangers of course.

Communication:

Budgies like to be talked too. They seem to know their names, maybe. leave the radio on for them during the day to prevent loneliness and give htem something to sing too. A quiet “jngle” means “danger” so the sound makes them feel reassured. They also like to be talked to.

Training:

With a lot of attention, a budgie can get very tame, especially if talked to. Also budgies get tamer if they are the “only bird” as they see you as their flock. But don’t be fooled by affection; if the budgie gets away outside, he will fly away (mainly due to getting disoriented). The most elemental training exercise is “finger sitting”. If a budgie is not paying attention, “finger ladder walking” is a good way to help him focus.

Other thoughts:

We put the birds out in the AM (weather permitting) and inside in the PM when the weather will not go below 60 degrees. Below 60, it is too cold for them. I also like it as then seeds don’t make any mess during the day. They do throw seeds around when they eat, because they “hull” (peel) the outside of the seed off and discard it (drop it). The hull is very fine so it floats down. I use a netting around the cage that you can get at the pet store to cover the cage and it helps quite a bit.

Budgies combine urine and feces into one type of elimination. Normal is white with blackish/green middle, more or less.

History of Magoo:

Magoo was hatched in 12/07. You can see a lot of documentation about him here. http://boobudgie.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html and other places on the blog (ie, this blog!!!).

Magoo Update

Magoo is a very wonderful bird.  He is energetic, playful, and very brave, sometimes even foolhardy.  He has always been like this--after all, his first flight ended in near disaster as many of our gentle readers well recall!  He has no fear of wandering outside of the cage, he is perfectly happy flying back to the cage from a finger--even if he lands on the floor, he will climb right up the cage from any angle and get right back in.  He has found his role in the flock, and he is no longer courting Mary ann nor challenging Sutcliffe, but he is by no means subdued.  He is tame but "bratty", he likes being the "decider" about what he is going to do, and finger sitting isn't always on his agenda!  He was the first to play with the bell toy, while the others observed the toy with distrust for several more days.  How much of this is his being young? How much is just testosterone? How much is Magoo's special unique personality independent of these other factors (I am convinced that personality diversity is just one more genetic trait that promotes survival of the flock).  While it was stressful and not easy to organize, it really is nice to have Magoo in the flock, as he is clearly very happy and integrated well.

What if Oedipus Rex Had a Happy Ending?

For the first several weeks of Magoo's arrival, he was getting quite aggressive with his dad Sutcliffe, and rather romantic with his mother.  By romantic, I mean doing the head bobbing, stretching, feeding, and insisting on being next to Mary Ann all the time (and squeezing Sutcliffe out).  Typically, Sutcliffe would just move to the other side of Mary Ann, find another perch, or generally ignore Magoo.  If Sutcliffe was eating, or grooming, Magoo would hop over and try to disrupt him.  Was Sutcliffe being replaced by his own son?  Was Magoo to bring the shame of Oedipus upon our lovely budgie family?

Sutcliffe finally had enough.  He was not overly aggressive, but he used well timed (and perhaps well placed?) pecks to limit Magoo's romantic overtures and also, twice, knocked Magoo right off the perch.  Magoo had to humbly climb back up to the perches.  There are low perches, but the budgies normally reside in the top 1/3 of the cage, so it was a rather long way up.  It seems that Magoo had time to think his actions through during his climb, because after those two firm warnings from Sutcliffe, Magoo has simply become a regular member of the family.  Everyonein the flock participates in the ordinary occasional challenge to a perch spot, or feeds one or another member of the flock, but the overt courting of the mother and aggression towards the father has stopped.

Magoo Has Returned

Magoo has been unadopted as a Ringo by the adoptive family.  Our lease only allows for two birds, but we have now snuck in not only Boo (from the beginning) but now, Magoo. J. fetched Magoo in the ice and snow in Maryland and drove with him for two days from MD to TX.  He did very well in his little carrier, other than when once he got a bit cold going from the car to the motel.  Unfortunately J wasn't comfortable taking him right through the lobby, so he ended up staying in a less then pleasant, in fact, rather old holiday inn.  They both survived.  Upon arrival Magoo was placed in the very large cage  with his dad.  They did great!  Magoo did everything that a budgie does in a very short time.  He ate, he hopped and drank from the water bottle, he chewed on a stick, he rubbed his head on a stick...ahhh.  He was  a very happy budgie.  When Mary ann was added, he did ok (a day later).  Yet, the third day, Boo was added.  Magoo got really stressed.  He was shaking rapidly, with quivering wings, at high frequency, low amplitude.  Poor Magoo!  We removed Boo, and Magoo did well.  After  another day, we re-added Boo and all did well.  At this point, the pecking order seems to be Mary ann at the top (as always), then Boo=Magoo, and at the bottom, it appears, is Sutcliffe.  Though really, Boo is mean to everyone, but Mary ann trumps her.  Magoo is only mean to Boo and Sutcliffe.  And Mary Ann is generally mean, but she tolerates Sutcliffe the most.  So it is a bit circular.  So the cliche that applies may not be "pecking order" but "round robin".

The Ringos

The Ringos new family have decided they don't want them anymore. You may recall how Magoo, and Mia, were adopted by a family. It seemed at first that the family was very happy and appreciated them both. Well, a recent phone call indicated, not so fast, Ringos. Apparently the new family wants to give them back! It is a logistical puzzle to figure out how to get them back here. I would also be happy to let one or both of them be adopted to a new "forever home". The current plan is to either give Magoo to a friend in Maryland, or, fly up there to bring him back on the airplane. We'll sell Mia on Craig's list or give her to the shelter. These latter two plans are not minor logistically, since we are in Texas and the budgies are in Maryland. I must admit it is stressful. Others have offered to take the birds temporarily, but, that will only temporize the situation. An adoption has to be a forever home, I can't go through having to find them yet another home in six months time, again.

M and M (Magoo and Mia)

Good news from the adoptive family. They are enjoying Mia and Magoo (M and M). Magoo has been doing very well with finger sitting. Mia has stopped acting neurotic, and when Magoo is finger sitting, he calls her with a little "chiRRRPP". That, I think, is pretty cute. They didn't rename Magoo "Ringo" so I will call this famiy "the Ringo's" to honor them with a good bird name. Anyway, the Ringo's have been very patient with M and M and working regularly with them. I certainly hope Mia will make progress and not discourage the wondeful Ringos.

Update Mia and Magoo Thrive

We have heard an update from the Adoptive Family (AF) regarding Mia and Magoo (M and M).  Apparently Magoo is doing very well with finger sitting.  Also, amazingly, Mia will sometimes sit on a finger, and perhaps is more likely to do so when Magoo beckons her with a chhiirrrPPP.  That is amazing for timid little Mia!  I am not sure if Magoo is now Ringo, or not-will check on that.  The AF is clearly working regularly with M and M, and it seems to be paying off.  There is an adorable dachshund in the family, who seems a bit excited about the new additions.  But being intelligent, as dachshunds are, he has learned to not bark at them (which in turn got them rather flustered).  This is all very good news.  Whether or not the budgies stay part of the new family may depend a bit on the dachshunds adaption to them.  I was under the impression that dogs and budgies tended to get along well, but of course every dog, and every budgie is different.

Good News

As you can see here, this blog entry celebrates Mia and Magoo. They are definitely a "pair" and an adoptive family has been found, at least temoporarily, here in the greater suburban Washington DC area. It is a family I know, as I work with the mom and the dad in the family. They have several daughters, who are interested in having their own pets. I hope they really have fun with Mia and Magoo! I set up their cage today, and will set up another cage for the remaining three as well. The aviary will be moved, empty, with the moving van to Texas. I have purchased food, litter, and a book and magazine to help the girls learn about budgies. I am so excited that these wonderful birds will have a good home and be a part of the lives of young people.

Happy Boos Day! January 22, 2008-Pecking Orders

Yes, another week has gone by, and once again is is BOOS-day!

To celebrate Boo's day, we'll talk about Boo's status in the pecking order, how it isn't predictable, and how it might be informative regarding budgie politics generally (warning: they are quite complex). I will list pecking orders from top bird to bottom bird and annote when and how Boo filled these various roles.

1st. Boo was top bird when s/he and Lola were alone together in a cage. In fact, Boo was so aggressive towards Lola, that I was afraid that the latter would never get to feed properly nor sleep comfortably.

2nd. Boo is currently second on the totem pole, with Mia in third place. However, when it was only her/him and Mia in the cage, Boo was decidedly "Bottom Bird". He even rolled on his back in a pathetic way when Mia pecked her/him! This led the vet himself to say "what a submissive little bird!" The order is: Mary ann 1st, Boo second, Mia third. Boo and Mia bicker a lot.

3rd. With both Sutcliffe and Mary ann in the mix, along with Boo, as well as Lola, it was: Mary ann 1st, Sutcliffe second, Boo third (although seemed close: and sometimes Boo seemed tied with Sutcliffe for second), and Lola decidedly coming in last (as always).

Where will Magoo fit into this pecking order? And what might be a good way to research the pecking order with more combinations? I am thinking: try the following combinations:

-Boo with Magoo

-Boo, Magoo, and Sutcliffe

-Boo, Magoo, and Mia

-Mia and Magoo only

-Magoo and Mary ann only

-Magoo, Sutcliffe, and Mary ann

Magoo and Mia only

-Boo, Magoo, Sutcliffe, and Mary ann

-all five (this is the long range goal for the new big cage, in any case!)

All you math and engineering wizards can probably think of a very good way to organize and research this! A matrix for this is welcome.

New Habitats

The three cage still-life we previously had, has been migrated to a one cage, two tier habitat. The new cage was purchased via "Ebay". It arrived a bit banged up, but not worth contacting the seller about. In any case, the new cage is much more harmonious, working towards restoring feng shui to the budgie world. K for one is very pleased that 1) the netting used to keep seed and feathers from flying out of the cages fit the new cage (Thanks for the netting O and O!) and 2) there will be a lot less clean up overall with things consolidated in this manner. Everyone seems perfectly happy with their new home! The bottom tier contains Boo, Mary ann, and Mia. The top tier, Magoo and his dad, Sutcliffe. As soon as Magoo seems completely healed, we will merge the two into one (a handy feature of this new cage-we can remove the middle divider and make one big cage). Boo and Mia are hardly fighting at all, and Boo seems happy, and unharrassed, as he munches on the millet seed that O and O recently sent (Thanks!). Everyone else is also enjoying the millet seed. The homes are also decorated nicely with the new Christmas toys that M and family sent (Thanks also!). Of course, the one with the baby building blocks on it went into Magoo and Sutcliffe's cage.
Magoo continues to heal. However, he is exceedingly wild. Today while K was adjusting a perch in his cage, he flew out, and flew right into the window pane. Sigh. I hope his James Dean personality doesn't lead to a similiar "live fast, die young" fate.

Say Hello to Magoo!

The poll showed that Magoo is the winning name. Thanks to everyone who voted!
And as you can see, our baby bird is healing very nicely. You can see some white feathers on his/her chest: this is where feathers were pulled off and are regrowing. His/her muttonchops (my name for the feathery jowl area on a budgie) are growing back gradually. The chin remains a bit bare, and there are a couple of smudges remaining from the goo episode. However s/he is doing a good job rubbing sticks with his/her head and beak to clean these smudges. Otherwise our baby is doing great! MIlestones include her/his standing on both feet equally, eating with pleasure, biting us (the human guardians) and flying, once again, with reckless abandon. However, we will be keeping a close eye on this baby, and also, Magoo's compatriots.