trust and noise questions from a new budgie owner

[Erynn]

hi everyone i just bought the cutest budgie a week ago
don't worry i did research on these guys for a year before buying
but now that i have one i have a few questions
1. my budgie does not cheep, every once in a while he will but he is definitly not noisey i just wanted to know if the cheeping will come with time b/c he was very noisey/active at the pet store
2. he is not very active he has toys but never uses them he just sits and eats
3. how long does it take for a budgie to fully trust you? and how do you know?
4. how do you get him to take a bath? i have tried shallow water, running tap water spray, spray bottle, he doesn't like anything and he is entering his first molt and i don't want him getting to dry
5. when should we get him a friend we were thinking in a few days but should we wait longer? the new bird would be from the same store
6. how big of a cage is good for 2 budgies with clipped wings
7. can you mix species of birds? i think no but i have to ask
thanks for your help Erynn

[Monica]

In a new environment which is unfamiliar territory they are worried first as they don't know what will happen. Once he gets settled in he'll be chirping more, playing with his toys, etc!

As far as trusting, this may vary from bird to bird and how one goes about handling them. He'll be warry at first though normally a good bond takes a month or so to get fully established. Like I said though, it varies. For some birds, they only need a couple days, while others might need years.

As far as bathing, just mist him for now as this may be least stressful, though don't do this too often as he still has to get acclimated to his new home.

If you would like to get a second bird though want the trust and friendship of the first, wait until you have that trust and friendship established first before proceeding with another bird. This way the second one can learn quicker that you are not all that bad, after quarantine.

For two budgies, a minimum sized cage of 2' square would do well, though bigger is always better, if you can afford it, and that the cage is proper to their size.

As far as mixing species, yes and no. In a very large cage, budgies can be mixed with cockatiels and grass parakeets, never with finches or canaries. However, if you want another bird of a different species, it's best for it to have it's own cage anyway (for quarantine first of all, and to seperate the two birds if need be).

[Barak]

Originally Posted by Erynn

hi everyone i just bought the cutest budgie a week ago
don't worry i did research on these guys for a year before buying
but now that i have one i have a few questions
1. my budgie does not cheep, every once in a while he will but he is definitly not noisey i just wanted to know if the cheeping will come with time b/c he was very noisey/active at the pet store
2. he is not very active he has toys but never uses them he just sits and eats
3. how long does it take for a budgie to fully trust you? and how do you know?
4. how do you get him to take a bath? i have tried shallow water, running tap water spray, spray bottle, he doesn't like anything and he is entering his first molt and i don't want him getting to dry
5. when should we get him a friend we were thinking in a few days but should we wait longer? the new bird would be from the same store
6. how big of a cage is good for 2 budgies with clipped wings
7. can you mix species of birds? i think no but i have to ask
thanks for your help Erynn

Every time I add a new anything to Binky's cage she freaks. Large item, longer fear. Change is difficult for humans too. Most of us don't deal with change in a healthy way. Each bird is as different as we are. Some take longer than others. Just give the bird time to adjust between each change. Binky has a wonderful bath, but has used it only twice (accidentally) by slip and fall. She prefers to be "misted" with a spray bottle. Offer her choices and see what she is comfortable with. Let her character evolve and she will communicate her desires to you. Or you can just hose her down.