Budgie Nail Clipping Question and more...

[wbruder17]

I saw someone mention before that they clipped their budgies toenails. Does this NEED to be done? Or will the nails file themselves down somehow? My budgie has a beak filing board, but nothing that would file its nails. I don't want to do anything to it that would make it hate us more.

She (?) Is a nice enough bird. She doesn't really like us much, but we force her to hang out with us and come out of her cage to get to her beloved millet. She is not mean at all, no bite or anything. Its just obvious she doesn't much care for us, no matter what we do.

My dh finds her personality endearing, and I guess I do too (she's the cranky bird who hates us), but we both wish she would warm up to us a little. We include her in everything.... computer, tv time, perching on the windowsill during dishes, etc. She absolutely WILL NOT come out during the day unless she chooses to (we leave her door open all the time) and its a fly, catch situation when we get her out at night until she finally resigns and sits on our shoulder.

She sings and plays during the day, as her cage is next to the window and we have lots of wildlife for her to watch, as well as a mirror and swing in her cage. She has a treat bar and a very nice cage, which the door only closes as night.

Any comments or advice would be appreciated. We don't want to get another bird for her, as she will NEVER be nice then, but we worry also that she may be lonely. We have 3 dogs, and she chirps and sings when they bark. She also loves the music we have playing...especially bluegrass! I think she is generally a happy bird, she just doesn't like us, and that makes us sad.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

If you have a perch like a pedi perch you don't have to worry about nail clipping if you only have wood perches then you do. Can't help on taming as none of mine are tame.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have had this trouble in the past with parrots in that no matter what you do for them, you swear they hate you. LOL I have a cockatiel right now that is about to turn 15 years old, having had him since he was 6 weeks old. I did EVERYTHING I could possibly do for this bird, just as you have done here. And he bit at me, shook with fear and never considered me part of his flock.

Well, I don't believe in giving up on a bird, let alone giving him another home where he could possibly been abused. So I allowed him to be himself. He too could never tolerate a mate, and I don't advise unless you truly want another bird.

So I kept up the love with this bird even though he seemed unhappy. And kept pouring on the love. Well, he came around eventually. Took til he was about 10 years old, LOL...LOL...LOL But he is the sweetest bird I own now. He now INSISTS on interaction and is the life of the party.

All I can tell you is to keep up with the loving. Don't try to push him. I know you wanted a sweeter bird, and I did too. So I will tell you that because he was so cranky, I did go to my breeder and get me another bird!! LOL And she turned out to be the love of my life. BUT!!! Don't give up on him yet.

As far as trimming nails. It depends on their level of activity. My Lovebirds are so active that I have only once trimmed a few of their nails. While the lazy Cockatiels need theirs trimmed about every 2 months. I hate it, and so do they, but you have to trim them or the nails will get too long. The blood vein will grow too long down the nail and you will have to cut and work the nail back to a proper size. Pain in the rump.

I use gloves on my birds, holding them upside down while someone else trims the nails. I use guillotine nail clippers, that I normally use on the dog. This type of nail trimmers won't shatter the nails of the birds.

Good luck with your bird. I hope he comes around soon for you and understand your position. But some birds just don't warm up to humans as well as others. You take your chances with birds. But don't give up yet!

 

[wbruder17]

Oh, we won't give up. She is ours for life, whether she likes it or not! We just got her a large emory perch. Its supposed to file her nails for her. And we took away her favorite perch and replaced it with this one. So hopefully we won't have to traumatize her with a nail clipping. They ARE too long... but not unhealthy yet. Hopefully the perch will solve the problem.

She is super cranky, but we still love her. She is always "cchhh cchhing" us. Its amusing and we like to "talk" like her. You know, make up a conversation about what we think she would be saying to us. "I HATE you. Why won't you just LEAVE ME ALONE?" Just give me my millet and GO AWAY!".... in a crabby, old lady voice.

But she doesn't bite. And she isn't mean. So we will take her the way she is, spoil her rotten, and listen to her complain about how horrible we are.

The only animals I will ever rehome are roosters and the baby chicks I breed and raise for that purpose. My pets are mine for life..... just look at the dog I've had for 10 years that DESTROYS my house from seperation anxiety and noise phobia....

 

[theparrotletdude]

Try to get about 2 concrete perches in the cage (they're sold here http://www.birdieboutique.com) That should keep them relatively short.

 

[galanie]

Dr. Ross Perry, THE bird doctor in Australia, says no no no, do not ever use those sandpaper or concrete perches. They will irritate their feet and eventually cause problems. Just clip the nails from time to time or have someone do it. Personally I've not had my cockatiels nails clipped for a year and they're getting along fine. No sandpaper or rough perches here either.

 

[tstevenson]

She sounds quite happy to me! If she sings and stuff, probably just paranoid about you as you have eyes on the front of your head which means you want to eat them to her! haha. When i read that blinking and winking to budgies meant like smiling to them, my budgies blink and wink back and flutter their eyelashes which is probbaly the most affection I get out of them! Also its a female budgie if she has a brown cere, or a boy if its blue. or no colour yet if its a baby x

 

[MrNappy]

LOL, i have budgies but not bigger birds, i have read that smart birds (parrots) they act as if YOU don't own them, THEY own you. So you basically you gotta let em do what they wanna do (mostly, no chocolate no matter how much they want it)