Why does a parakeet do this?
My little cousin got a small female parakeet a little over a year ago. When he first got her, she didn't eat anything but millet spray and was too scared to come out of her cage. We thought this was normal because she was in a new place. But she still today hardly eats and never comes out. I don't know why this bird acts like this. Any advice?
Comments
Bird Seed: Bird seed is the core of the parakeet's diet, but shouldn't be served exclusively because it is not a balanced diet. Purchase the seed from a pet shop, or feed store. Any of the small hookblll diets prepared by Kaytee, Abba, Kellogg, or Scarlett are excellent products. Avoid buying seed sold in the grocery store. It is often several years old, and has little nutritional value.
Birds from pet stores - especially parakeets when they are in those big cages all together - are not socialized or handled enough by people. Think about it. You're in a confined cage with a bunch of other birds. Every once in awhile (when someone picks out a bird to buy) a human reaches in and GRABS a bird and takes them away.
Then one day - they grab YOU! The best way to get a bird is to check local rescues - Craigs List, and Pet-Finders, to give a bird a home, and to get a nice 'broken in' friendly pet.
To get a bird use to you takes alot of time and patience. And as already said, she should be getting a good parakeet seed/food. Zupreem makes a nice pellet food for parakeets. Millet is the equivalent of junk food to us. Birds love it, and it has some nutritional value, but also contains a high level of fat. Could be the little thing is malnourished. A trip to a good Avian vet might be a good idea.
If a budgie is scared when it first comes home, that's normal. That's not normal for a parakeet that you've had for one year. Your parakeet sounds like it wasn't hand-fed as a baby. If it was hand-fed, it would be used to humans and would be friendlier. Or, it may be afraid of people. You can talk to your parakeet and try to get it to hop on your finger. If it's afraid of your hand, you can use a hand-held perch to get it out of the cage. Don't make any sudden moves or grab the parakeet. That will scare it. If your parakeet seems very scared, give it a rest and try taming later.
I highly recommend taking your parakeet to an avian vet for an exam. Parakeets are good at hiding any illness and you want to catch anything early so it can be treated. Sometimes parakeets that don't play or eat much are ill. If it's not ill, it could be depressed. You need to know what your parakeet's problem is so you can help it.
I have a budgie, which I got about a year ago too, and at first it was quite shy and stayed in it's cage. (Though it's eating patterns were fine).
Now the budgie always comes out his cage and doesn't want to go back in.
I think it's just the personality of your parakeet. Some birds are outgoing and lively, some are shy or lazy and thus stay in their cage. Who knows, it may grow confidence to go out his/her cage, but I doubt it. It's true personality should have prevailed by now.
Then again, I don't know it's environment. If you put on a TV or music it will be slighlty be more relaxed I think, although don't expect it to hop out as soon as you turn off the TV. Spend some time with it, perhaps buy toys or mirrors which all birds love.
This could be for many reasons.......
I got my parakeets from a center and all my parakeet where scard to come out of the cage because of their past owners
Somtimes though the location of where he keeps the bird might be a problem. They like to stay high up. I don't know why he does not like to eat though ..... have they tried to feed him fruit and stuff?
I think it is because of the new place. I had a parakeet before and to make him more comfortable, i spent time holding him and talking to him to let him know hes in a safe place. Try it.