Budgies...eek

Question
QUESTION: I have 2 keets. They seem to be very very.. scratchy!!
I am worried because i have read previous answers, he does scratch his beak into perches.. so i am quite worried. The thing is, my mom won't let me take it to a vet. So is there any remdy, thingy to treat it?
Now im guessing both of my keets are scratchy!!
ahhh
how do i keep my budgie entertained :)
My budiges.. They never get out of the cage.. I try to make them, or sometimes i just sit there waiting bt they never do. (i have 2) I think one of them is hand trained But the other is to scared so i don't bother. So the female one, i train, TRY to make it STAY on my FREAKING shoulder.. never does
HOW do people do it.. WHAT'S THE MAGIC

ANSWER: It sounds like you may have a problem with mites or lice.  They're little parasites that live on the bird's skin.  You should try to convince your mom to let you take them to a vet.  While there are some supposed "remedies", they often do more harm than good, and in some cases have been linked to serious health problems like liver cancer!  Your vet can give you a powder to kill them, quick, easy, and cheaper than many over the counter methods.  If your mom doesn't want you to take them because its financially difficult, there are programs and payment methods available.  Being able to care for your birds is part or responsible pet ownership.

Budgies have varied attention spans.  One of my birds will sit on my shoulder, staring off into space for hours, but my other two get bored freakishly fast, and destroy anything they find.  Mirrors are a staple for budgie entertainment.  They love to talk to their reflections.  You can find lots of toys with bells (trust me, you get sick of them LONG before they do!), but you may want to strangle them after a while of hearing dinging at all hours, day and night!  Also, anything they can shred is wonderful!  Toilet paper rolls, Chinese finger traps, or those little cupcake wrappers are all inexpensive little toys for them!

Training can be tricky, depending on the bird.  Like I said, mine will sit there for hours, and he often screams if I try to move him!  Its usually easiest to tame them if they're under a year old, and the younger the better.  To teach her to settle on your shoulder, give her some incentive to stay.  Offer her treats while she's up there, or give her some reason to want to be there.  Sit down with her while listening to the radio, and she'll probably happily sit there, chirping along.

I hope these suggestions help, best of luck!
-Leah

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QUESTION: well you see
my birds are weird..
and i mean the female one
i try to PUT HER ON MY SHOULDER.. i can't even get her out of the cage.. whenever she in the cage sitting on my hand, she's fine.. but when i start to slowly go "outside" She will frek and run away...OMG IT'S SO FREAKING HARD..
i think they older then 1 years old. CCan i use the spray thingy in pet sotres for relieveing lice/mites?
Oh..im not sure which one it is.. but the poo looks like i has some seeds in it? o.o Are u sure i should get thema mirror? I'm pretty sure there not that lonely since they have eachother...

ANSWER: Give it time.  It will probably take a while for her to get used to being out of the cage.  For now, just let her sit still on your hand.  Taming budgies takes practice and a lot of patience.  Talk to her, and praise her if she stays on your hand.  This will also help distract her while you slowly move her.  Keep trying, and she'll get used to it eventually, or she might not.  Especially if she's older than a year, its going to be trickier.

I wouldn't recommend pet store sprays or anything like that.  They almost never work, and can actually poison your bird.  Most of the products and medications you can buy at stores are watered down versions of what a vet would prescribe, and are ineffective and expensive rip offs, but they make money off them, so they continue to sell them.  Go with the vet; save yourself and the birds the time, money, and hassle.

The poop does change from time to time, and some seeds in it is pretty normal.  As long as its more or less consistent for them and what you're feeding them, its probably fine.  Things like runny or bloody poop are signs of a problem, but it sounds to me like its normal.

You don't have to get them a mirror, but most birds do love them.  They may have each other, but its fun for them to play with the little bird in the mirror too.  You can get probably hundreds of types of toys for them, have fun with it!  There's no one toy that they're guaranteed to love, and there's no one toy that they're guaranteed not to!  Shop at pet stores, online, just about anywhere and you'll find something cool for them.

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QUESTION: She has also been sleeping more...:( She always get tierd when i try to tame her!!
Okay, so how much would a vet cost? Well, i live in the CA FAR away from LA LV Oakland etc.

Answer
The fatigue is probably due to the stress of training.  Unless she starts acting weird or having other problems, I wouldn't worry about it.

As for the vet, I have no idea how much it would cost.  It depends on the vet, the prescription, and a lot of other things.  Most prescriptions for things like this are around $20, at least in Oregon where I'm at.  Almost all vet offices do offer payment plans and or discounts though if you can't pay the bill.