budgie fight help!

[jesijames]

I have two budgies, fluffy and piggy. They got in a very breif pecking fight over a spot on a perch thatlasted about 5 seconds. Fluffy got pecked right in a vent hole and bled a little. Is she going to be ok? Will her breathing be ok? I am freaking out! Thank you in advance for any advice.

[Sarah]

What do you mean when you say vent? When we say vent we mean a polite term for the rectum. I think you might be referring to her nostrils, commonly referred to by us as nares.

Either way, she should be fine. It would be best to clean the wound (wherever it is) carefully with a very soft damp rag and then cover it with neosporin. You should repeat this process a few times a day until the cut is well healed. It may make your life easier to hold her in a little hand towel. Barring infection, everything should be fine.

In general I have a zero tolerance policy for violence between my budgies and encourage others to as well. However, this situation seems so minor from your description. I will say if they fight again and Fluffy gets another cut, you should seriously consider separating them. These things can escalate from bullying in no time, and it would be a shame for you to come home to a savaged bird.

[jesijames]

Yes, I meant nostril, sorry! Thank you for your response. I did clean it with a q-tip but I will put some neosporin on it too. I am going to separate them I just feel bad that they may be lonely, but it is better than a seriously injured bird.
How can I go about getting them each a new friend?

[Sarah]

Could you give me a close up shot of both of there ceres or noses? This way, I can figure out their gender and ages, and advise you on how to pick new friends for them.

[jesijames]

Yes I can do that when I get on my laptop and get some digital pictures that are the proper size for attaching. Thank you! I will be back later with the pictures.

[jesijames]

  The bird with the orangish/brownish cere is Piggy, the other is Fluffy. I am sorry about the pictures, I just got my camera and really don't know how to use it well yet and I also cropped the images so they would be of acceptable attachment size.
  I have been told (not sure if it was this website or the other parakeet site I go on) that they are both female. I have had them since March or April and I was told they were at the pet store for "at least a month", I know this doesn't mean much  as far as age, but it is the only information I can give. If the pictures are not good enough, I can try to get more.
  I have separated them and they chirp to each other. I feel bad, but I just know it is for their own good.
  Thank you so much!

-Jes

[Sarah]

They are both female.... Piggy is at least a year old, and Fluffy is not even half that. They were probably fighting because of the age difference, and because they were two females caged alone- both of which are often delicate situations.

I would suggest getting two males to be their companions. Males are not dominant, and are cheery and playful in comparison that they tend to balance the situation. It could be that you could even cage all four together farther down the line. If you need to know how to tell the difference between young males and young females, check this thread: http://budgieplace.com/forum/index.php?topic=737.0

[jesijames]

Thank you so much Sarah! I didn't realize they were that far apart in age. I knew Piggy was older, but did not know it was that much, as I am not an expert or very confident in my assessment. I think this time I will buy the males from a breader who is knowledgable, instead of the chain pet store.
Thanks again!
I will be back if I have questions but definitely when I find the right companions for them- with pictures!
-Jes

[Sarah]

Sounds great!