I'm new...

[Cassie]

Hi all,
I'm new here and I have one budgie who is proving to be more than a little difficult to tame so I was wondering if you could give me some advice.
He still doesn't have a name, as I've only had him two weeks.
When I saw him with the other birds in his cage he was very outgoing and friendly, and when in his cage he is very chirpy and playful. But when I get him out he bites and usually flies away. I have had three budgies before him but he is proving to be the most difficult and I'm stuck on what to do.
Help!

[Donna]

Welcome, Cassie!

I too am a new member and just joined a couple of days ago. You are probably much more experienced at having Budgies than I am but I will tell you what I have learned so far from experience. (And I have only had my 2 Budgies since June 10th.)

As much as I've wanted to get my little guys out of the cage and hold them, I've found that going slow with them is the main thing. I have taken tips from others on putting my hand in the cage slowly and even go through holding my hand still for periods of time while I talk to them softly. In time I have been able to inch my finger slowly towards them (a little at a time) and then sometimes they let me stroke their bellies. (Other times, they don't.)

I have removed my birds (against their will) to get one on one contact and work with them but I try not to scare them by being aggressive with them. After I reach for one and pull them out, I usually put him on my shoulder and then walk out of the room to a SMALL bathroom that is nearby. I close the door and usually just sit down on the floor and talk softly to him for a few minutes. Every once in a while I reach up and inch my finger towards him and if he backs away, I usually take my hand down and try again after a bit. Both of my Budgies are coming around and trusting me more and more. I am finding that it's more effective when I do this on a daily basis. I know that I am moving forward with my guys because when I open the door to the cage, they usually come right out on their own while I sit at my computer and talk to them. They play outside the cage on their own and will go back into the cage on their own since I've made a play area that goes from the cage to the floor and so they can climb up and down. Both of my Budgies have their wings clipped and so they can't fly, but only flutter.

If your Budgie doesn't have his wings clipped, it is probably harder for you to tame him because he can probably fly away. I have to take my Budgies out of the cage to another room (one at a time) or they'll want to hurry directly back to the cage because they call each other. I know that I've made progress because after just a couple of times, my Budgies don't call each other out of fear and they are now singing to me as I let them rest on my shoulder while trying to tame them.

I am finding out that as much as I want to RUSH my taming and hold my little guys, it's best to just take things slow and in time they will trust me. If you try and rush things by being too aggressive, taming your Budgie may take longer.

I hope I have helped you some. Let me know how it goes for you.

Take Care,
Donna

[Donna]

Hello Cassie,

It's me again. I just thought of another thing that might help you when it comes to taming your newest Budgie. Something I've done is use a dowel or a small branch from a tree and I slowly bring it towards my bird as I speak softly to it. It didn't take long for my Budgie to trust me enough to step up on the dowel or stick. If you just gently press it against the belly of your Budgie (right above where the legs join) your Budgie will almost always automatically step up on it. Make sure you hold the dowel or stick horizonally against your Budgie so he can step on the length of it. As soon as he feels comfortable stepping up on the dowel or stick, he'll at least show that he is trusting you more. In time he'll approach your finger.

I also feed my Budgies a treat (millet) from my fingers maybe once a day just to tempt them to come out. Since they are eating from my fingers, they associate that as a loving gesture and are trusting me more, also. Just hang in there and you'll have a tame friend before you know it.

Have a Great Budgie day!

Donna

[jayjay]

the dowel method works for some very fast and others not so well. my budgie before jay never went through the dowel training stage and was content to jump up on my finger to feed the first few days, but with jay, he responded better to the dowel first. once he was willing to go on the dowel, it was about a few hours later that he was brave enough to step onto my finger to feed. that said, he still prefered the dowel and it was still the method of choice if he was out playing and i needed him to go back in his cage.

having had him for 2 weeks, i suggest you give him a name. its good to get them use to hearing there name so they know that you are adderssing them or trying to get there attention. i always say hi jay jay when i enter the room and bye jay jay if im leaving for extended periods ( i try to say be right back if i won't be gone long).

as for taming outside, theres no need to rush. 2 weeks is by no means a lengthy amount of time and he may just be getting use to things still. remember, outside the cage, they have to deal with new surrounds that they may not be comfortable yet. being in a cage in that surrounding is different than being outside the cage in the same surrounding, there isnt that sense of protection from the cage. if you feel he is comfortable with you handling him in the cage, it wont be long before he is comfortable outside. give it a few more weeks.

another thing, avoid placing him on the gorund if you can. they feel most vulnerable there, especially if they can't fly so place them on a desk or something. hold them high if they are on your hand. don't chase after them if they do fly away, just talk and slowly appraoch with a toy if you have one (jay loves raffia so i usually use that to lure him to me hahah).

all in all, just be patient. its only been 2 weeks, you have many many more years to bond.

[HollyT]

Great tips!

here's a bit... Try just sitting near his cage and reading or talking to him. Let him get used to your presence. When you pass by put a little treat into the food dish if it will easily slide between the bars you won't have to make a production out of this.

Keep in mind your a large predatory creature as far as your budgie is concerned, patience and time are your friends. Sometimes its easier to let your budgie come out on it's own. Once he's comfy with your presence, sit in front or near the cage with the door open...offer a treat...and just talk to him, encouraging playful words see how it goes...

Little by little...let the bird dictate the speed of your lessons. It took me a good solid year to gain complete just and handling with my budgies. You learn just as muc has the bird!

Good Luck!

[snowy]

Welcome Cassie! you stole my name lol :p (my names cassie too)

[Budgiekin]

Hi Cassie! Welcome to the site! We are so happy you joined the forum! You've been given great advice so I don't have anything to add!

What colour is your budgie? Do you have some names that you are thinking about calling the little fellow? Can't wait to hear more about your little sweetie. :p

[Cassie]

Some names I have in mind are Oscar the Grouch, Napoleon, Solo, Scooter. They are all ones I've considered, but none of them reallly fit, though Oscar comes close, but its a really common name.
Anyway, here are some pics.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g74/4them/Budgies/Yellow.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g74/4them/Budgies/Albert22.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g74/4them/Budgies/playing.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g74/4them/Budgies/Glare.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g74/4them/Budgies/grumpy.jpg

Can you see why I thought of Oscar the grouch???:p

P.S. Hiya Cassie (LOL) you're one of only two people I've met with the name Cassie, appart from me, but my name really is just Cassie, not Cassandra :P

[snowy]

your bird is sooo cute! he reminds me of the name tweety because my aunties old bird was yellow and he was tweety.

[Donna]

Hey Cassie,

Your Budgie is beautiful. I really haven't seen many that are yellow and so I love the fact that (he/she) is different. I know how hard it is coming up with a name for your little friend. My family teased me for a month because I just couldn't decide on a name. And I had 2 to name, ha! I think "OSCAR" is a cute choice and yes, I can see why you thought about "Oscar the GROUCH." Tee Hee!

Have a GREAT Budgie Day!

Donna

[Cassie]

Awww! Your boys are adorable!!

[laci5]

Everyone has such beautiful budgies... I like the name Oscar too! But I think that you might have a female there. I could be wrong... how do you all get your pics on the website? I'd like to show pics of my budgie too, but have no idea how.:S

[abel]

I think your budgie is adorable. I love the colors-- reminds me of an easter egg!:p I have a step niece named Cassie Dawn. (Real name, Cassie-- not Cassandra). Well, good luck deciding on a name, and welcome to the site!!

[JuliesGonnaDance]

I love the name Napoleon, partly because I'm obsessed with the movie Napoleon Dynamite! :p

[jayjay]

you can upload pictures to the budgie gallery. link is at the top.

[Cassie]

But I think that you might have a female there.:S

No I don't think so, his cere is very pink and both my friend who breeds and the man I bought him from said male. The flash makes him look femalish sometimes.
And I have decided on the name Oscar (but he has earned himself the nickname "the Beast") :p coz he bites.

[jayjay]

actually, only recessive pied budgies that are male get pink ceres. all the others generally get blue while the females get pink. the other confusion to all this is that recessive pied females also get pink. you'll know if you have a true recessive pied if your budgie doesn't end up with an iris ring after the first year or so.