# And my budgie flock doubles in size! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 28, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292 "2016-11-28T16:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/101 "2016-12-17T05:04:34Z")
They’re turning out beautifully! ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/102 "2016-12-17T22:18:23Z")
I was in Petco buying cat food yesterday and also wanted to look at the budgies since I’ve been following along here. No, I didn’t get one! 😃 But I did see a tiny green one that I suspect looks very much like your babies will soon. S/he was trying to eat but was getting bullied by an Uncle Obese and the others were pushing her around, too. I was pretty tempted. Our house is just too cold and drafty in the winter, plus CATS. It was hard enough with a larger cockatiel. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/103 "2016-12-17T22:29:36Z")
Still adorable, and very exotic-looking… :-3 ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/104 "2016-12-17T23:28:28Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > I was in Petco buying cat food yesterday and also wanted to look at the budgies since I’ve been following along here. No, I didn’t get one! 😃 But I did see a tiny green one that I suspect looks very much like your babies will soon. S/he was trying to eat but was getting bullied by an \*\*Uncle Obese \*\*and the others were pushing her around, too. I was pretty tempted. Our house is just too cold and drafty in the winter, plus CATS. It was hard enough with a larger cockatiel. Fortunately their Uncle Obese is super sweet and moves aside from the food dish if anyone else wants to eat so I don’t anticipate him being a problem. Their father however, is a little jerk so I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t bully them. We finally figured out hand-feeding! I’m so glad to be able to take some of the pressure off of momma. I can sort of tell them apart now, too. Although it’s really too early to tell I’m thinking I have a boy and a girl. The boy, Otca, is slightly larger and is a better eater. The girl, Aqua, is a little squirmier. They like their formula to be very soupy and to suck it themselves off of a plastic spoon while I hold them. No metal spoons and definitely no syringe! I put a little bit of millet in their nest box for them to explore. I hear them walking around and mouthing the wood in there so I figured they might like to peck at it a bit and learn about feeding themselves. I did see them putting their heads down and checking it out. Here they are in their nest. They sleep with their heads in a corner and always look a little shocked when I first open up the top. That’s millet sprinkled in there, not poop. [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/663/30867156374_b87e42beed_z.jpg "Nest box") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/56821557@N06/30867156374/in/dateposted-public/) I’m glad people are enjoying the budgie adventure with me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/105 "2016-12-17T23:34:12Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Green and Turquoise went at it like rabbits but she won’t let blue near her. Even now when she’s not mating at all, she loses her mind if Blue tries to woo her. > [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Fortunately their Uncle Obese is super sweet and moves aside from the food dish if anyone else wants to eat so I don’t anticipate him being a problem. Their father however, is a little jerk so I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t bully them. I feel that somehow there is some parable about confidant jerks and “nice guys” to be found here, but perhaps I’m overreaching :p. Super-cute babies, now that they are fuzzed out :). I have to admit newly hatched altricial birds squick me out ever so slightly - I think I get nervous by how vulnerable they look. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/106 "2016-12-17T23:38:23Z")
I’m impressed that you can tell them apart! Do you think the corner feels safer or warmer to them? I’ve shared this thread w/ a non-Doper friend and now he’s following along; we were trying to imagine a Pixar-style short about the 5 of your budgies, especially Uncle Blue letting the dad feed him. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/107 "2016-12-18T00:02:58Z")
Are you going to keep them with the mom after they’ve matured, or will they get a cage of their own? I’m sure you don’t want to put them in with the two older males. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/108 "2016-12-18T00:10:40Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I feel that somehow there is some parable about confidant jerks and “nice guys” to be found here, but perhaps I’m overreaching :p. > > Super-cute babies, now that they are fuzzed out :). I have to admit newly hatched altricial birds squick me out ever so slightly - I think I get nervous by how vulnerable they look. I think the poor fatso would have been a really good dad so it’s too bad she went for the bad boy! And yes, altricial bird babies sort of look like grubs 🙂 > [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I’m impressed that you can tell them apart! Do you think the corner feels safer or warmer to them? > I’ve shared this thread w/ a non-Doper friend and now he’s following along; we were trying to imagine a Pixar-style short about the 5 of your budgies, especially Uncle Blue letting the dad feed him. I can’t tell you how infuriating it’s been when I’m feeding her and her husband is feeding a middle-aged, male, obese budgie instead! > [@cochrane](#): > > Are you going to keep them with the mom after they’ve matured, or will they get a cage of their own? I’m sure you don’t want to put them in with the two older males. They are mostly only closed in their cages at night. Probably at first I’ll put them and mom in one cage and the boys in another at night until I know how everyone is getting along. Right now the boys are sleeping together in one cage and Green is free and out all night so she can get down to the nest box when she wishes. ---
**Author:** ![CerebrAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@CerebrAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CerebrAl)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/109 "2016-12-18T01:26:42Z")
can you train them not to crap in their food? ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/110 "2016-12-18T03:18:43Z")
Here’s how they’re spending a cold, winter evening - all cozy on a heating pad. It’s actually 75 in here but when I’m changing out the nest box, they like being all cozy and covered. Also, what kind of weird bird has babies in the winter?? [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/721/31596233751_4b7a1a13d1_z.jpg "Cozy!") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/56821557@N06/31596233751/in/dateposted-public/) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/111 "2016-12-18T03:50:48Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Also, what kind of weird bird has babies in the winter?? It’s summer in their home, Australia! ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/112 "2016-12-18T04:08:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > It’s summer in their home, Australia! Ha! You’re right! I hadn’t even thought about that 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/113 "2016-12-18T04:18:02Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > Ha! You’re right! I hadn’t even thought about that 😃 I was kind of joking. In Australia they breed at any time of year after heavy rains. In your case, your birds seem to have been trying to breed continuously all year long. It seems to be a matter of chance that they happened to get this brood off when they did. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/114 "2016-12-18T13:04:57Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > I was in Petco buying cat food yesterday and also wanted to look at the budgies since I’ve been following along here. No, I didn’t get one! 😃 Public Service Announcement: Our original budgies came from a local bird rescue. Keep that in mind if you are in the market. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/115 "2016-12-18T22:15:10Z")
Yeah, I’m not a fan of buying pets, especially from Petco where ALL the bettas are ALWAYS sick. ☹ But this little green one budgie is so cute and was being picked on. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/116 "2016-12-20T18:11:02Z")
Not demanding them or anything, but the last day or so has left a void budgie updates could start to fill. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/117 "2016-12-20T19:58:47Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Not demanding them or anything, but the last day or so has left a void budgie updates could start to fill. I’m only too happy to give updates 😃 I just don’t want to bore anyone! Everybody is doing well. The babies have started looking out of the nest box which is adorable and they’ve started pecking at millet. I don’t know if they’re eating it or mom is but someone is! I put it in their box (because that’s what I read you do) and this is supposed to help them wean. They see mom eating it so they copy her. They’re still very babyish though. They don’t want to explore when I have them out of the box and instead just want to sit in my warm hand. They both fell asleep in my hand earlier. They do lots of bickering between them and especially at night they’ll suddenly explode in squawks of anger and it scares the crap out of me! They both look like miniature budgies now, all lovely and green and yellow. I’ll take some pictures this evening and post them. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/118 "2016-12-20T20:22:33Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > I’m only too happy to give updates 😃 I just don’t want to bore anyone! > > Everybody is doing well. The babies have started looking out of the nest box which is adorable and they’ve started pecking at millet. I don’t know if they’re eating it or mom is but someone is! I put it in their box (because that’s what I read you do) and this is supposed to help them wean. They see mom eating it so they copy her. > > They’re still very babyish though. They don’t want to explore when I have them out of the box and instead just want to sit in my warm hand. They both fell asleep in my hand earlier. They do lots of bickering between them and especially at night they’ll suddenly explode in squawks of anger and it scares the crap out of me! > > They both look like miniature budgies now, all lovely and green and yellow. I’ll take some pictures this evening and post them. This is wonderful, thank you! A handful of warm, content baby budgies sounds like you’re holding the happiest place on earth. Maybe pet stores can set up a pay-by-the-minute service where you can chill out holding baby birds, like a de-stress nest. I look forward to the pictures very much. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/119 "2016-12-20T20:57:11Z")
I look forward to the pictures, too! I’m grinning over baby budgie bickering. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2016, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292/120 "2016-12-20T23:51:04Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > I look forward to the pictures, too! I’m grinning over baby budgie bickering. 😃 There’s a tongue twister in there somewhere. I keep thinking Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers and trying to extrapolate… maybe Bouncing Baby Budgy Bickers or something. And… photos!!! I doubt anyone reading the thread will be bored, as that’s why we’re all here :D. Oh yeah: the last photos you posted, they’re really starting to look like birds as opposed to, I dunno, fetal dinosaurs or something!! Especially where the nostrils are - that just looked STRANGE on the nekkid baby birdies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-my-budgie-flock-doubles-in-size/773292.md?page=7)