Thanks for the quick reply Juztiny.

Is it possible to tame an untamed Budgie? I'm currently looking into getting a single Budgie as I like the idea of bonding with the bird and not a pair of Budgies bonding with each other.

If taming an untamed Budgie is difficult then by any chance do you happen to know of any Common Budgie breeder?(My guess is that birds from breeders are usually tamed)

This post has been edited by liette`: May 5 2008, 08:04 PM

If you want to buy a tamed Budgie, then the price won't be RM20-30 each. If you want to tame an untamed Budgie, very difficult. Unless you know the technique well. Even just hold it, it will bite you, very painful though. To get a tamed bird, better buy still under hand feed baby, the risk is there, it may not survive under your unexperienced care.

I'm buying a pair of baby love birds (less than 2 weeks old). Just cost around RM45 each bird directly from a breeder. The risk is there, I'm not sure I could succeed in bringing them up or not.

Anyone know what is most good diet for Merbah Jambul?
I want to make it as good as can

Untamed birds do not seem so appealing. Anyway, what is the price range for a tamed Budgie? Is there a basic care-sheet for raising chicks?

I have seen someone wanted sell a tamed Budgie for RM128. (refer http://homeapet.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=5351) I got my tamed Cockatiel only RM150. I also don't know much about hand feeding chicks, have to rely on the breeder's guidance.

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Added on May 5, 2008, 9:04 pmBelow is extracted from bird forum for your reference:-

Salam sejahtera semua. kali ni saya nak berikan petua bagimana nak jaga suara Mj agar cun, tajam dan keras suaranya. Bagi yang ada menyimpan Mj yang suaranya sengau sama ada dari Siam atau kampung bird cuba amalkan petua ini. Laughing Laughing

1. Jadikan buah petola sebagai makanan MJ. Sesetengah MJ suka makan tapi ada yang cerewet langsung tak sentuh. Buah petola yang muda akan menggalakkan Mj berbunyi dan mengurangkan kandungan kolestrol burung. Sebaik-baiknya diberi 2 kali seminggu dengan dibelah dua dan digantungkan pada sangkar. Bagi yang tak mahu makan jangan putus asa berikan berulangkali lama kelamaan Mj akan makan juga.

2. Berikan jambul makan cili padi yang bersaiz kecil dengan dibelah dan dimasukkan ke dalam mulutnya. Selepas diberikan cili padi burung tu perlu dimandikan kerana cili padi panas dan akan bertindak balas dengan cepat. Sekiranya diamati akan lahir bunyi-bunyi lain yang belum pernah dikeluarkan. Awas jangan beri selalu sebaik-baiknya sebulan sekali untuk membersihkan suara dan mencuci kahak dan lendir yang ada pada burung.

3. Bagi yang ada memlihara burung daun (GGBL) atau murai batu, letakkan burung tersebut berdekatan dengan MJ kerana MJ akan meniru bunyi-bunyi burung tersebut dalam jangka masa yang agak lama juga. Kalau burung tu burung yang muda atau yang sengau lebih mudah peniruan dilakukan dan dalam jangka panjang akan hilang bunyi-bunyi yang tidak dikehendaki itu.

PERINGATAN: Perubahan pada bunyi MJ bukanlah dalam jangka masa yang singkat sebaliknya memakan masa yang agak lama. Kita perlu bersabar dan kita akan dapat lihat perubahan yang berlaku pada burung kita. Selamat mencuba. Laughing Laughing



This post has been edited by Juztiny: May 5 2008, 09:04 PM

Woot! Thanks for the link, appreciate it a lot! Usually are the wings clipped prior to purchase or do you have to clip them yourself? And for the bedding below the cage wire mesh, newspaper will be good enough?

Normally the wings are not clipped, unless you requested it. Or else can clip yourself by referring to internet site (find through google). No need bedding, just wire cage will do, easy to wash daily and you could put in a bowl into the cage for its own bathing.

Last question, is it the norm for pet birds to have their wings clipped or is it deemed cruel by bird keepers? Wouldn't want to do something harmful to my pet.

Well, I think clipping a bird's wing is more safer and the bird is easier to be tamed also. This is because the bird wont have to spend time flying over from curtain to curtain and avoiding being caught by you.

Clipping a bird's wing is not cruel. The wings will grow back eventually.. Its not that you cut off the whole wing, you are just clipping the few front feathers and they will grow back the next molt. But when you are clipping the wings yourself, just be careful not to trim the blood feather.

And for bedding, newspaper would just do but just keep in mind you have to change it twice a week or once every week.

As for raising chicks, you dont even have the experience to raise an adult bird, let alone a chick. Most budgies in store are under 6 months which mean they are still young and taming can be done easily.

Just FIY, it is advised not to use plastic cups for water or anything. Because they can be stratched easily and the stratches are perfect breeding places for bacteria. Get a stainless steel one.

I assume that you know what to feed you birdie. If you are not sure, please ask.

Thanks for enlightening me. I always thought that 'clipping' translates to 'clipping the wings to the body'. So to speak, does it mean that we have to clip the wings after every molt or is there a specific time where you should re-clip the wings?

About the chick, I've contacted the breeder that Juztiny referred me to(all his Budgies are tamed) and he said that for a beginner, a 4 month old bird would be the best. Correct me if he's wrong.

p/s : Is a 4 month old bird still considered a chick?

This post has been edited by liette`: May 5 2008, 10:09 PM

lol...you mean chopping the wing? Thats cruelty. Everytime you see feathers growing you can just trim it.

Well, 4 months budgie is completely fine. And I assume you would want the birdie to bond with you right? That means you will have to spend quite a lot of your time with him/her. Not to mention DIY toys.

No, not chopping. I thought people clip the wing to the bird's body using some metal clip.

No prob, I can spend hours staring at my scorpions and they're not interactive. RM128 a reasonable price for a 4 month old tamed Common Budgie? For cages, do you have photos of those you recommend for a single bird?

I dont really know the price for a tamed one cause I usually bought the untamed ones. lol...

For cages, length would be more important than height. So get a long one instead of a tall one. I think a 1.5 - 2 ft one would do.

Happy bird keeping!

And you tamed them yourself? Cool. Is a 4 month old bird the same size as adults or smaller alot?

Also, the price range of said cage? Wouldn't wanna get conned by pet shops nowadays.

This post has been edited by liette`: May 5 2008, 10:35 PM

LOL...I didnt tame budgies myself cause I bought 2 at the same time so they paid attention to each other rather than me. And I dont really have the time to tame them (Oppss) LOL...

Well, for cages, I bought a 2.5ft for RM55. And that was three years ago. Where do you live? If you couldnt get a big one, then get one with average size. As long as you take the bird out, he would be fine. Just visit the petshops in your area. Ask and compare the prices.

Why dont you pay a visit to your breeder and see how he keep his birds? He might have an extra cage for you. LOL..

I live at Kota Damansara.

What's the size of a full grown Common Budgie?

I cant really tell as it varies from individual to individual. But they are considered small size birds. Smaller than a cockatiel, for sure. When will you be getting your birdie?

Maybe in a couple of weeks. I'm a college student so I'll have to save up for the expenses. In the mean time, I can read up more about Budgies.

Seeds, any recommended brands?

Oh...so you are renting your own room? Or staying with parents? Cause budgies can be noisy at times and I am sure you wouldnt want to disturb your friends.

Normal seeds will do. I usually bought the Golden Emas 10 or something like that. Cause it is the only brand available. Dont ever buy seeds from a big sack. (The shop keeper will ask you how much you want and they will weight for you.)

And seeds alone wont be enough, they will need a wide range of diet, eg pasta, eggs, veges, fruits, brown rice, etc etc. So better prepare your budget right now.

This post has been edited by prophet007: May 5 2008, 11:06 PM

Staying with parents. Budget for maintenance wouldn't be a problem. All I have to save up for is the immediate need of RM128 for the bird and for the cage.

How old are your Budgies now? Still alive?