My Bird's Story
I always loved animals. I grew up with 9 cats! Sure, they were stray and used to hang out near my door..But I treated them like royalty. My parents wouldn't allow pets at home. But after I entered 8th grade, my dad got me 4 adorable budgies on my birthday! But after 4 wonderful years with them, my mom gave them away to her landlord (He loves pets as well and takes care of them amazingly well too). She did that because we were shifting and she didn't want to take the birds along to a new home. I was heartbroken. No one's life is perfect and we all don't get what we want. Anyway I don't want to make you sad with this story. Coming to the part where I finally adopted my sweet friends..
I had just entered Professional College. I really wanted to have pets at home. Knowing mom, she wouldn't allow cats or dogs. I visited a pet market near my home. There, I saw these really cute and adorable Budgies all crammed up in a sorry state! I had done all my research from talkbudgies.com and knew what to look out for. But I wasn't prepared on witnessing this! Animals weren't maintained well at the market. I bought a few birds, a cage and bird food from there. After cleaning up the cage with vinegar, I let the birds enter their cage. I added lots of vegetables to their feeding bowl regularly, but they didn't take interest in it at all! However they loved coriander leave and gleefully munched and bathed in it whenever I provided it to them. I then began adding their favorite seeds to the veggie mix and voila! They all munched on the veggies too! It became their favorite meal and I started giving it to them more often. What I hadn't anticipated was that they wouldn't know how to fly. One day, after carefully scrutinizing their behavior and mood, I concluded that they're finally comfortable enough to fly out. I opened the cage door. They refused to come out. I then put my finger in, in the hopes that my favorite budgie steps on it like he usually does. He wasn't very keen on stepping up that day. I opened the cage door a couple of times that week (Of-course making sure that the room was bird proof before they come out), and one day one bird flew out by mistake! But he looked shocked! He tried flapping his wings, but crash landed on the floor. I was confused. It then hit me that they're probably bought from Bird Mills and sent directly to markets where they had no space whatsoever to open their wings or exercise. I was heartbroken when I realized that my birds haven't even had their first flight! I then encourage them to come out by luring them with their favorite coriander leaves. At first they just hung around their cage or higher surfaces. I covered my floor with carpet so that they don't hurt themselves when they fell down unable to fly. Soon..very very soon...they started flying better. And one day they flew around really fast and I was so overjoyed that they're enjoying themselves and doing what they're good at..flying high and chirping away gleefully. My research on keeping them happy and healthy never stops. It's one of my favorite activities of the day. Soon I bought a few Cockatiels as well. And I got two aviaries custom-made for my little babies! So that they can exercise inside it as well. On a completely different note, I've started eating healthier as well because of these cuties.
Here's a glimpse of what I eat now:
Since they try to nibble on whatever I have in my plate when they're out partying in my room.
'Me' time is not just 'Me' time anymore! Since I work all day and most of the evening, I come home late at night, but when I do make time for myself, it's never just me making time for myself, it's me making time for the 'Birds & Me'! We almost do everything together. Watch movies/tv shows, play games, read... I'm blessed to have these cute babies with such wonderful personalities in my life!
So folk's, their story is still being written (with the prettiest bird feather that my tiel molted off weeks ago..Just Kidding!)..and they're happy, gleeful, moody, funny, sooo adorable and cute all the time!! Comment below to share your companion's story.
I had just entered Professional College. I really wanted to have pets at home. Knowing mom, she wouldn't allow cats or dogs. I visited a pet market near my home. There, I saw these really cute and adorable Budgies all crammed up in a sorry state! I had done all my research from talkbudgies.com and knew what to look out for. But I wasn't prepared on witnessing this! Animals weren't maintained well at the market. I bought a few birds, a cage and bird food from there. After cleaning up the cage with vinegar, I let the birds enter their cage. I added lots of vegetables to their feeding bowl regularly, but they didn't take interest in it at all! However they loved coriander leave and gleefully munched and bathed in it whenever I provided it to them. I then began adding their favorite seeds to the veggie mix and voila! They all munched on the veggies too! It became their favorite meal and I started giving it to them more often. What I hadn't anticipated was that they wouldn't know how to fly. One day, after carefully scrutinizing their behavior and mood, I concluded that they're finally comfortable enough to fly out. I opened the cage door. They refused to come out. I then put my finger in, in the hopes that my favorite budgie steps on it like he usually does. He wasn't very keen on stepping up that day. I opened the cage door a couple of times that week (Of-course making sure that the room was bird proof before they come out), and one day one bird flew out by mistake! But he looked shocked! He tried flapping his wings, but crash landed on the floor. I was confused. It then hit me that they're probably bought from Bird Mills and sent directly to markets where they had no space whatsoever to open their wings or exercise. I was heartbroken when I realized that my birds haven't even had their first flight! I then encourage them to come out by luring them with their favorite coriander leaves. At first they just hung around their cage or higher surfaces. I covered my floor with carpet so that they don't hurt themselves when they fell down unable to fly. Soon..very very soon...they started flying better. And one day they flew around really fast and I was so overjoyed that they're enjoying themselves and doing what they're good at..flying high and chirping away gleefully. My research on keeping them happy and healthy never stops. It's one of my favorite activities of the day. Soon I bought a few Cockatiels as well. And I got two aviaries custom-made for my little babies! So that they can exercise inside it as well. On a completely different note, I've started eating healthier as well because of these cuties.
Here's a glimpse of what I eat now:
Since they try to nibble on whatever I have in my plate when they're out partying in my room.
'Me' time is not just 'Me' time anymore! Since I work all day and most of the evening, I come home late at night, but when I do make time for myself, it's never just me making time for myself, it's me making time for the 'Birds & Me'! We almost do everything together. Watch movies/tv shows, play games, read... I'm blessed to have these cute babies with such wonderful personalities in my life!
So folk's, their story is still being written (with the prettiest bird feather that my tiel molted off weeks ago..Just Kidding!)..and they're happy, gleeful, moody, funny, sooo adorable and cute all the time!! Comment below to share your companion's story.
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1 comments
hey amy, thanks for sharing your story. it helped me alot. i have 4 budgies and they refuse to eat anything but seeds and they also love coriander. now i know how i get them to eat veggies. i have a question hope u can help me. i would like to know veggies that have calcium for my budgies other than broccoli as i cant find it in my city( i m frm bihar).
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