How to Stop Budgies from Biting at Once: The 10-Step Method
Last updated on May 7th, 2024 at 01:14 am
Written by Isra P
If you need to find out how to stop budgies from biting, you have come to the right place. Parakeets are great pets. Unfortunately, sometimes they bite, and it hurts.
However, you have to resist the urge to yell or hurt them in any way. You need to realize that they don’t do that unless they have no other choice to get your attention.
Just follow the 10-step method, and the solution will present itself.
Why do Budgies Bite?
Your budgie might be biting you for any number of reasons.
The first thing you must do is to determine whether the budgie is actually biting or if it’s more like a poke. When budgies really want to bite, it can be painful.
Poking is not painful at all and feels more like a slight sting. If that’s what you are feeling, it’s probably your pet playing around.
Actual biting, however, is a different story. It may pierce your skin and can open a wound. If that’s the case, you have to pay attention to the cause of the problem.
As soon as the bite occurs, look at what preceded the action. For example, it could have been that your budgies were eating their favorite snack, and you interrupted them.
Study your pet’s behavior that led to the biting. That will provide you with the necessary insight to solve the issue.
That said, there are a few common instances that might motivate your budgie to take a blood sample without your permission.
Hunger or thirst
If budgies are hungry, they will chew on whatever they can find, and that includes your fingers! Think about it. Whenever you are starving, you aren’t exactly in the mood to be friendly to anyone.
Your pets behave in the same way. Lack of food means your hands suffer.
Fear
It isn’t hard to guess that fear is the number one reason for budgies to bite. The uneasiness can be caused by arriving at a new place, being chased or mistreated, touching them before they are ready, yelling, or physically hurting them.
Anything that looks like a threat to their safety and tranquility is grounds for getting your skin chomped.
Boredom
Your budgies need attention from you, or they will get bored. When they get bored, you get bitten. It’s as simple as that.
They require care and love. If you deny them that, they will feel neglected and retaliate by biting.
Fun
Quite often, biting may be associated by budgies with playing.
This situation tends to arise if, at some point, at the beginning of your bonding time, you keep playing with them after they have taken a bite.
Unfortunately, that reinforces the negative behavior. You will keep getting bitten until you make your budgies realize they will not have fun as long as they maintain the unwanted habit.
Defense
Budgies are similar to other animals; they like to have their own space to feel safe.
However, if they are not used to seeing you, they might perceive your presence as a threat and will proceed to bite you whenever you get too close.
Mating
No one likes to be alone, and that includes budgies. During the mating season, the sudden increase in their hormones might make them hostile if they are alone and mistake you for their mate.
As long as they see you spending time with someone else, they are likely to get jealous and bite you.
Fatigue
Sometimes you may be in the mood to play with your budgies, but they might disagree.
Trying to force them to play when they desire to rest is a bad idea resulting in a painful close encounter with their beaks.
How to Stop Budgies from Biting the Simple Way?
Once you know what makes your budgie chew on your skin, you can address the problem.
Whether it’s fear, hunger, boredom, fatigue, or anything else, keeping your eyes open will give you the answer.
Now, some of the techniques to make your bird more friendly are easy to apply, while others might require some effort and analysis to make them work.
Still, you must address all causes if you genuinely desire to have a harmonious relationship with your pet.
1. Begin acclimatizing
After acquiring new budgies, before you try to tame and turn them into your new friends, you have to make them feel at home. In the beginning, budgies are likely to watch their surroundings quietly.
Give the birds some time to get used to the new environment and you. Then, talk to your pets every day, so your voice becomes familiar and trustworthy.
After a short while, they will play and move around a lot, indicating the ideal time for training.
Then use your hand or a perch to pick them up if that makes you more comfortable. Doing this lowers the chance of getting bitten.
2. Bond with them
Budgies can make good friends. Still, it would be best if you didn’t try to rush the bonding process, or your hands will suffer.
Instead, you have to give them some space, watch the way they behave, and approach when they seem more open and in a playful mood.
It might take two or three weeks before they are ready to bond, so be patient.
3. Approach carefully
Exploration is a part of budgies’ natural way of behaving. So often, you will find them walking on the floor and sneaking into dark corners.
At that moment, you have to approach them carefully if you want your pets to keep trusting you.
Walk to your birds slowly, making sure you are in their line of vision as you talk with the friendliest tone possible.
When you are close, crouch and allow them to step up on your hand or perch. That will make your budgies feel more comfortable with you, which means less biting.
4. Treat nicely
Like most birds, budgies are pretty fragile. So please don’t be too harsh as you pick them up, or they will get defensive around you. As you get close to the cage, speak to them in a firm but loving way.
If they keep their distance or run away from you, let them be for the time being and wait until they are ready.
5. Feed properly
Nutrition is an essential part of all pets’ well-being. Budgies aren’t an exception. Therefore, you need to provide them with everything they need and enjoy.
Seeds and pellets are a great starting point, but eventually, you will need to upgrade your budgies’ diet with fruits such as apples, bananas, pineapples, and mangoes.
Vegetables like carrots, lettuce, and spinach are excellent alternatives to keep them healthy and happy as well.
6. Provide rest
Learning your bird’s feeding and resting schedule is a must. You have to avoid training or playing with budgies when they are resting or sleeping.
Furthermore, you have to give them a break if they have been moving around a lot. Once the sun sets, it’s better to let them inside their cage to rest until the next day.
7. Breed or not
If your budgies are around six months or more, they are likely entering their mating season. Still, they shouldn’t be allowed to mate until at least ten months.
Lonely budgies can get aggressive if they perceive you as their partner and you ignore them.
The way to solve this is by just letting the budgie get over it, getting other people to spend time with the bird to weaken the bond with you, or finding a partner for your budgie.
8. Entertain appropriately
All parakeets need entertainment. If you don’t fulfill that need, they might get bored, upset and begin torturing you with their beaks. In other words, get them toys.
The ideal ones for them consist of wood, cardboard, and leather. Replace them now and then to keep their interest.
Budgies naturally enjoy chewing on almost anything they can find, so you should make it easy for them not to choose your fingers.
9. Schedule quality time
Spending time with your budgies is a great way to prevent them from getting anxious and nibbling on your skin. Set aside a specific time each day to train and play with them.
10. Get a vet
If everything else fails, your budgie might be sick, so a visit to the vet becomes mandatory. The vet should be the last resort because a bird biting you usually is not a serious issue.
In the following video, you will learn what you can do to make your budgie more friendly:
What Happens if a Budgie Bites you?
There is no need to panic. Even though a bite might get you by surprise, there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage and keep your bird in check.
You have to remember the idea is to respond in a way that doesn’t scare it off while making it understand the behavior is unacceptable.
Control your reaction
As soon as you feel the beak going for your skin, you have to remind yourself to keep your cool. Move your hand downward slowly, so the budgie focuses on not falling down and not in taking your skin off.
When the biting stops, use a perch to pick up the budgie and proceed with a few step-ups until your pet calms down.
Once that happens, try to bond once more. Then, repeat if the biting resumes.
Knowing how to stop budgies from biting is the first step towards building a good relationship with your pets.
If the biting continues, keep going.
It may take several attempts for your pets to understand what you are trying to do, but eventually, they will get the point. In the end, both of you will be happier.
