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Another mouth to feed...

tyflier

tyflier

[Insert Witty Commentary]
...only this one needs to eat every 3 hours for the next 2-3 days, and than 4-5 times a day for another week. What have I gotten myself into??

I brought this little guy...girl...thing...home last night. Some of you may remember me poisting pictures of a cockatiel I bought for my daughter's third birthday over the summer. Sadly...the cockatiel doesn't really like her all that much. SweetPea is too bonded to me, and doesn't want much to do with anyone else. Of course...I raised Sweetpea straight from the egg with hand-feedings, so it's no wonder he has bonded to me so strongly.

So...given the opportunity to hand-raise this little 4 week old budgie...I jumped at the chance. I figure it will be extremely educational for my daughter to help me hand-raise this little one, and perhaps if she is holding while I do the feeding...this one will bond to her as strongly to her as to me.

So here is the new addition. No name, yet. We want to have a chance for it to settle in and start showing some personality...

Thanks for Looking!!
 

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Eriathiel said:
Awww! What a great choice! He's a cutie! I'm sure she will love him!
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Oh, she already does. This one wasn't a surprise as much as the others have been. This one...I picked her up from the babysitter after work and had it in my hands for her. She is definitely in love....
 
He is adorable! I don't think I'm gonna own any birds anymore but they used to be a favorite of mine to have..If I ever do get a bird again I really want it to be an Amazon gray parrot..they are so smart and full of personality.. :0)
 
Maize411 said:
He is adorable! I don't think I'm gonna own any birds anymore but they used to be a favorite of mine to have..If I ever do get a bird again I really want it to be an Amazon gray parrot..they are so smart and full of personality.. :0)
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No such thing as an Amazon Grey Parrot. You mean an African Grey, and yea...they are great birds. There is an 8 year old at the shop named Nina, whome I absolutely adore.

I, however, would LOVE to own a double-yellow Amazon...but there personality and attitudes demand that I wait until Zayne is MUCH older before getting one. They are "one person" birds, for sure, and they like to bite little fingers...off...seriously...
 
dogsNdragons said:
awwwww, too cute.

I've hand fed many different parrots but never a budgie. Congrats.
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I've hand fed many cockatiels, African greys, B+G macaws, Cockatoos...this budgie is actually the most difficult because it is so freakin' small.

I'm using the smallest syringe body I could get a hold of, and it still just barely fits in it's mouth. Plus...when it's hungry...instead of simply yelling at me...it bites...hard...and tries to eat my fingers.

But...it's only been 24hours since pulling it from the nest box, so it *should* settle into a routine in the next day or two...
 
Cute! I love birds, my mom had quite a few when I was growing up. I wouldn't mind having one one day, but it'll have to wait til my son is older, right now I got my hands full with my toddler and all the pets I already have, heh.

I have no idea what kind I'd get though, I'd have to do my research, probably some kind of parrot though. My mother-in-law has an African Grey, my mom used to have parakeets, a cockatiel, and my favorite was the red-headed Conure she used to have named Sam. Sam used to chase the kittens we had around on the floor, it was TOO funny!!

Oh, but even before a bird I think I'll end up getting a turtle. I've always wanted a turtle too, used to keep them over the summers when I was a teen then release them in the fall. I'd like to keep a captive bred one. I'll have to wait a while on that too cause as it is, I've had to talk hubby into letting me have any of the critters I already own, heh. Altho he didn't give me any resistance in getting my corn snake, probably because he had had a snake himself years ago.
 
Well, I've hand fed cockatiels before, and judging by how many feathers he already has I'm suprised you're having a hard time finding a small enough syringe. Granted by the time a baby cockatiel has feathers they've got much more size to them, but I've fed them since out of the egg before and ended up using an eye dropper.
When they're that little they're so ugly their cute.
 
what a cutie!! but I am not surprised that he is biteing :) I have hand-fed many little budgies.... normals and english .... but I always pulled them a lot sooner than your little one :) but Always, I dont care what parents they were from or when I pulled for hand feeding, they Always go through this stage of biting from about 5 weeks til 6.5 weeks of age. After that then they are a dream but during that 1.5 weeks? OMG lol Good luck :) And of course, they are Always done being hadfed by 7 weeks. Never had one go longer than that no matter how I tried lol

I have done many birds, TAG's, budgies of course, tiels (normal, whiteface and yellowface) sun conures.... etc :) but the hardest to do was the budgies, just because of the biteing LOL
 
Oe of my zebra finches used to reject her white babies when the feathers came through. They had to be syringe fed and it was the fiddliest job ever!
 
Sweet lookin' budgie, Chris. LOVE the powder blue on the cheek!

Good luck to you and Zayne with the bonding process!

regards,
jazz
 
That's cute! You never know what may happen with the tiel when he goes through puberty. I hand-raised my daughter's Senegal. He was my baby. Then I handed him over to her, and he totally hates me now, and loves her!

The good thing about bird babies is you don't have to feed at night!
 
What a cute little bugger. I really like parakeets. Last year I thought about getting one, but I was also thinking about getting a dog. It was a one-or-the-other choice, and I made the wrong choice...

I hope he and your daughter become good friends. :)
 
Thanks, everyone, for the comments and compliments!

Wylie-
All birds are different. You really need to know what you want from a bird, and what you can give back. For example...you can't really get a cockatoo unless you want another "mate" for the rest of your life. They are GREAT birds...but extremely "clingy" and needy towards their whole flock, not just one person. And LOUD!! Finches, canaries, doves...they don't need alot of attention, thrive in captivity with minimal care and "benign neglect", come in beautiful colors, and make great "low-maintenance" birds...or at least as low maintenance as you can get....and they are pretty quiet. And the different personalities run the gammut as much as people. Every species, and every individual within the species.

Dean-
I'd have to say that yes...you made the wrong choice. I love dogs, as long as they go home with someone else ;). I consider myself lucky to not own my own house at this point, because if I did...I would also be the proud owner of a B+G macaw I have been feeding since before he had feathers...

I never really understood birds and their owners before I started working with them. I have to say it is an experience I am glad I am having. The baby, who who has been named "Budgie"(aren't we creative? :D) and Zayne are getting along well. So far, I am the only one that has gotten bitten, but...I'm sure that will change. Zayne does a really good job of holding Budgie while I feed her(Zayne decided Budgie is a girl...), which is much easier with an extra hand...even a 3 year old hand ;), and I'm sure her presence during feedings will help with the bonding.

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the comments and well wishes!
 
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