Hi everyone. I've been hanging around here for a while now, learning everything I can about budgies. I think I've read just about every page Lisa has on keets. I just bought two tonight and I'm very excited. They're both babies and I think they're both males. Kinda hard to tell, but there's a slight tinge on blue on the cere.

They are (understandably) SCARED. At first, they fluttered about the cage quite a bit (especially the green one) and walked around the bottom of the cage. The green one is very vocal and I can tell he was mad. (ack! ack! ack!). They have finally calmed down some and are now on the lower perch in the cage. I have water and food feeders mounted by the top perches but they haven't touched them yet. I also have food dishes with treats and millet by the bottom perch.

I'm wondering, do they know that those things by the top perches contain water? I put a dish of water on the bottom of the cage just in case. They both have already taken baths (by accident) and in fact one is a little soaked!

I'm talking to them a lot and I have the TV on as I fix dinner. I'm almost as nervous as they are! I think I'll call the green one Kiwi. I'm not sure about the blue one. Maybe Bluebird. I don't have much of an imagination but I kinda like it. I dunno. I'm open to suggestions on the name.

I'm using a shirt (for now) as a cover and have the whole cage covered except the front. Any advice for making the birds feel safe and at home?

An acking bird on the first day, as strange as it may sound, is a pretty good sign. Most really scared keets will sit quietly, hiding in a corner, for the first few days. It's a good idea to have both food and water where they absolutely cannot miss it (keeping some on the bottom of the cage and the top is good). They'll catch on eventually.

My new keet has taken a few accidental baths herself, hah. It's kinda funny. I came home from work today and she was soaked, and I know it was due to her clumsiness.

How big is your cage? If you can cover the whole thing with a T-shirt, it might be too small for two. They need space to feel comfy. Of course, they will be ok in it for a while, but consider that for the future.

Other than that, it sounds like you're doing fine. Just give them time to get used to you and their new home, change their food and water daily, and when they stop running from the scary-giant hand, it's time to start finger training. Sounds like you've read up on all that...so good luck and I hope everything works out for ya

Also, if they're babies, you can't be sure really what's male and female until they get a little older. The more vocal tend to be the males. If your baby starts singing quite often, it's more likely a male. If it starts chewing on anything and everything it can get it's beak on and only phweeps instead of singing, it's more likely a female.

Take the water out of the bottom of the cage, heres why! birds do their bathing in the morning because it drops their temp when wet and this gives them the rest of the day to clean and dry their feathers. please cover them well tonight where one is already wet. AT night their temps drop auto and you can make him chilled, keep him from drafts and cover the cage to keep them warm. Secondly I'd like to say welcome in which i should of said first. just be patient and let them get use to you and there new home. They know what water is and food, they'll find it okay. Just be calm around them, they will be a little unsure for abit. Soon enough they'll be singing pretty tunes. You'll be just fine. Hope to talk to you again and take care for now!

Thanks guys! Bluebird has actually chirped a few times and is walking around on the perch a lot. He seems very curious. Kiwi is the most scared of the two but he has stopped the acking and looks like he'll be ok.

It's a good sized cage (about 22" wide by 18" deep and 15" tall). The shirt is a button-up dress shirt (men's large) - not quite enough to cover all the cage but it helps. I've got a Walgreens so I'm gonna check there tonight to see what they have.

I'm so happy to finally get my birds. I've got natural wood perches (no sand!), a toy with a bell, a swing, and a regular perch on the bottom. Got the millet in there for when they're ready.

Thanks again! I'll take all the advice I can get.