TiggerInNY said:
He did start eating and drinking. Hope that's a step in the right directions. But when he does this crazy behavior nobody is around him. I'm in the kitchen, but not bothering him. I feel so bad for this little guy. The lady at the pet store said that if we get 2 birds, they won't interact with us. Is this true?
Please consider the following my opinion after years of living with birds, we have rescued 3 or 4 -- 2 fell into the pool, 2 at feeders. 2 at pet stores, terrible conditions and also have hand-reared birds....
whether a bird will interact with you or not will depend on the bird....Some do, some don't......and you will not know until the bird grows up...some babies are sweet and turn into holy terrors....Some birds do imprint on their owners and pine away if they do not receive attention. Some species such as umbrella cockatoos are so dependent, they are like infants or 2 year olds....I would never own one of these because I am not home 100% of the time, litterally.
ok, back to budgies or keets...Parrakeets are sweet birds overall.....they are perfect solo birds for grrandma or auntie - who are home....if your family works outside the home, then perhaps 2 birds are better....we pair all our birds we can, however, some birds will not accept a cagemate. Yours is young enough that should not be a problem. With keets, it will not matter if you select another male or female. Most pet stores will tell you that you cannot sex young birds, a distinguished eye can....but for a companion it does not matter, it would if you had 3....
Some birds will talk, some will not - again, if they are paired or alone, this is up to the bird. Males tend to talk more than females, but females will talk...more if grandma or auntie are with them full time.....
OK back to the question - if you spend time with both birds, they will pay attention to you, they will talk and they will be happier.....if you then leave them during the day, they will have a companion.....If your birds are less likely to bond with people, then if they have a companion, taming will be harder for you. My source bood discourages a single bird, unless the bird can receive constant attention during the day....
I love budgies and recommend them as a "first birds"....Even if they do not talk, they will whistle and chirp when happy and are so fun to watch....Ours presently are not tame, as they are both replacement birds from the original who was 13 years when she died.
So, if you have a snitty female who needs space, she will prob. not grow up to be a good companion. If you have a dependent male, who is inclined to talk, he will be a great companion, with less work....and everything in between.....clear as mud, right.
My suggestion, is to pair him/her with a companion - and work with both birds alone and together...make sure their wings are kept clipped....
If you wish to wait to see what type of household you have, ie the bird is spoken to int he am and pm and there is not much playtime, you can always purchase a small cage, and a second bird.....let them sit side by side for a while and introduce them....it will be harder at a later date, but always possible....agan some birds accept companions later better than others. Our keets have always accepted a companion......
I'll check in later in the day and see what you think....
Good Luck...