Adding a flock member after a death.

For any of you that have experienced the loss of a flock member, how long did you wait to add another? Were you disappointed in the flock member you added? Constantly comparing them to the lost member?

Pigpen seems relatively fine without No Name. She's noticed that he's gone and is contact calling for him occasionally, but other than that, she doesn't seem too upset. She's been flying around, playing with her toys and eating normally.

I don't like the idea of keeping her without a flockmate, even if she already has Cheney Bird. Since she's always refused human interaction, I personally feel it's beneficial for her to have same-species interaction of some kind.

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. I agree she likely needs a flockmate. I don't think you would scar her by getting someone sooner opposed to later. When it is right for you it will work for her. When Tweetsie died I gave Lilo to a friend's son who kept budgies about a week later. She is very happy in her new home with her flock.

Julsiebean wrote:

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here. I agree she likely needs a flockmate. I don't think you would scar her by getting someone sooner opposed to later. When it is right for you it will work for her. When Tweetsie died I gave Lilo to a friend's son who kept budgies about a week later. She is very happy in her new home with her flock.

Honestly, I'll probably end up getting her a flockmate Wednesday or so. A local breeder has quite an excess of handraised American budgies for $15.

I've called a local pet shop that couldn't tell me where they got their budgies from, but that they had a "buy one, get the second for half off" sale on them. PetCo is out because I've got suspicions that their whole stock of budgies may carry some kind of hidden cardiovascular disease. Pet Supplies Plus could only tell me they got their budgies from a supplier called "Fish Mart".

I want one from someone I trust has their best interests at heart. All of this breeders birds are handraised, handfed, and have had their first vet check.

^Sounds like the way to go. Maybe the new budgie would work as a, I dunno what the word is, but like, a bridge between you and PP? As in, a handraised I am assuming is tame, and would allow itself to be handled and maybe PP would catch on to that. Does this make sense? I need more coffee, I am exhausted.

Julsiebean wrote:

^Sounds like the way to go. Maybe the new budgie would work as a, I dunno what the word is, but like, a bridge between you and PP? As in, a handraised I am assuming is tame, and would allow itself to be handled and maybe PP would catch on to that. Does this make sense? I need more coffee, I am exhausted.

Yeah, that makes sense. Though, she'd see No Name let himself be picked up and eat millet from my hand and she hadn't caught on yet. Maybe if I can get one to step up willingly, she'll catch on that I'm not so scary.

Julsiebean wrote:

^Sounds like the way to go. Maybe the new budgie would work as a, I dunno what the word is, but like, a bridge between you and PP? As in, a handraised I am assuming is tame, and would allow itself to be handled and maybe PP would catch on to that. Does this make sense? I need more coffee, I am exhausted.

I know exactly what you mean. It brought to mind this video... maybe it will work with your birds as well.

I think you may want to wait until she's done contact calling for him. She may not be done her own "mourning process".

I'm really glad she isn't taking it too hard. You sometimes hear stories of birds mourning for months for their lost companion.

Also, my vote is on the breeder. "Fish Mart" sounds like it specializes in fish, not birds. As for the "buy one get one half off", I don't like it. Makes me think that they are just ordinary items.

Plus, a handfed budgie could be really fun.

That video is True Love Aviary, based in Winston Salem. I was on a waiting list for one of their babies, but had to decline. They have beautiful birds and my next lovebird will come from them. I've spoken to the guy Rodney a few times. Nice people. The lovebirds come with a price tag, but the work they put into those babies makes it worth it.

Last December died my old bunny (Kubus) and budgie (Lemonade). Kubus I drove to the pet ER, the same place as my vets, but after hours they charge more as it is ER, he was already cold and dying in my hands. I couldn't wait and I want to safe him pain, so I drove him to ER to put him to sleep. Kuba was diagnosed with liver shout down.

About budgie: Lemonade was Mango's girlfriend. She didn't show or at least I didn't see any symptoms of sickness. We woke up(I believe one Sunday) and she was down cold in the bottom of the cage. Mango has another 2 budgies at that time, but no more his girlfriend. I believe after a 3 weeks we took Plum from our friends. Plum was almost one year old, and he "disappointed" our friends expectations; they thought, that budgie will follow them as a dog...

Anyway, at the beginning Mango was upset, but very fast he "adopted" his little fellow and took care of him. Plum is also male, and together with Mango they are non-separated couple. I know Mango, he always have to take care of other bird, and since at that time Blueberra and Coconut was bonded I didn't want to wait to see him depressed. Even my bf was against the idea, but now he knows I did the right thing.

Good luck Kay!

zazanomore wrote:

I think you may want to wait until she's done contact calling for him. She may not be done her own "mourning process".

As far as I can tell, she's stopped contact calling for him in favor of trying to win Cheney Bird's affections. I'll wait a few days and see, but it seems like I'm the only one here whose upset over this.

Mango didn't react immediately. He started vocalizing after couple of days. But every bird is different. Only you'll recognize your birds reaction...

Margaret wrote:

Mango didn't react immediately. He started vocalizing after couple of days. But every bird is different. Only you'll recognize your birds reaction...

I kind of almost hope she has some kind of reaction to him being gone so I won't feel so weird for not wanting to get out of bed today.

You'll see in next days. If there will be no reaction, better. I'm not sure after how many days exactly Mango started being laud and frustrated, but difference in his behavior was huge. Like I said, every bird is different, you never know. Maybe she'll bond with Cheney Bird. In my situation there was 3 birds left: Mango and bonded pair, so it was normal Mango felt lonely.

KayLayUh wrote:

Margaret wrote:

Mango didn't react immediately. He started vocalizing after couple of days. But every bird is different. Only you'll recognize your birds reaction...

I kind of almost hope she has some kind of reaction to him being gone so I won't feel so weird for not wanting to get out of bed today.

Don't feel weird about being upset over the loss of a pet.

KayLayUh wrote:

Margaret wrote:

Mango didn't react immediately. He started vocalizing after couple of days. But every bird is different. Only you'll recognize your birds reaction...

I kind of almost hope she has some kind of reaction to him being gone so I won't feel so weird for not wanting to get out of bed today.

Aw, Kaela... It's not weird to be sad about the loss of a pet.

As a matter of fact, it's quite normal.

You're not weird, I wouldn't want to get out of bed either. What's weird is how many people think we aren't supposed to feel grief when we lose a pet. Especially in the workplace. You can lose a relative you haven't seen in 20 years and people will be worried about you. You lose your cat that you've had for 21 years and they think it's weird if you take the rest of the day off. That's wierd. You feeling bad, that's normal, and I'm just sorry you are going through it.

I was typing at the same time as Glass Onion. She was more concise.

Thanks guys.

Honestly, I'm much less sad about distant relatives that I've never met dying than I am about pets dying. I live with and see my pets every day. Fifth cousin twice removed that I met once at a family reunion when I was five doesn't rank quite the same way in my opinion.

Quote :

Fifth cousin twice removed that I met once at a family reunion when I was five doesn't rank quite the same way in my opinion.

KayLayUh wrote:

Thanks guys.

Honestly, I'm much less sad about distant relatives that I've never met dying than I am about pets dying. I live with and see my pets every day. Fifth cousin twice removed that I met once at a family reunion when I was five doesn't rank quite the same way in my opinion.

That's normal too, IMO. The person, for all intents and purposes, was a stranger to you. A pet is a brother or sister or kid.

...unless you had very close relative, who died recently and you loved him very much and you even wasn't able to go to his funeral. In that situation pain is bigger and deeper, trust me...

Margaret wrote:

...unless you had very close relative, who died recently and you loved him very much and you even wasn't able to go to his funeral. In that situation pain is bigger and deeper, trust me...

That's a different case entirely.

Margaret wrote:

...unless you had very close relative, who died recently and you loved him very much and you even wasn't able to go to his funeral. In that situation pain is bigger and deeper, trust me...

My grandfather passed away December 2009 and I honestly wasn't nearly as upset. It was pretty obvious he was up there in age and in failing health, so it was expected and everyone had time to prepare.

I think the death of anything is easier to handle, at least for me, if I'm expecting it and know it's likely.

I don't know how I'd react to the death of someone close.

My grandmother took me to her future grave site and asked me to be the one to say her eulogy. I broke down in tears.

zazanomore wrote:

I don't know how I'd react to the death of someone close.

My grandmother took me to her future grave site and asked me to be the one to say her eulogy. I broke down in tears.

For me, it depends on the person and whether I knew it was coming or not.

The most recent grandfather that passed, I was upset about. But I wasn't nearly as upset as I was about the grandfather that passed relatively unexpectedly in 2006. When my grandmother passed in 2001, I don't remember being upset at all; but we also weren't very close.

I would be admittedly very un-upset if anyone left in my family now passed away. I'm not particularly close with any of them and prefer not to see or have contact with them.