getting a 3 year old budgie to perch on my finger

[alex: birds r ace]

I have a 3 year old budgie and i am trying to get her to perch on my finger. I put my finger on her chest where her legs join her body and say 'step up'. But she puts one foot on my finger and jumps straight off the other side. I have these training sessions with her daily, but i cannot see any signs of improvement. Shall I carry on with the training sessions or shall i try a different method. If so what different methods are there and which is the best one.

[Budgiekin]

Maybe you should try taking your sweetie out of her cage to work on training her. What I have found helpful is to take my budgie out of his cage, hide the cage in another room so he can’t see it and let him run around on the carpet for a bit. Then what I do is work on step-ups on the floor with him. To keep him from running out of the room, I actually build a barrier with blankets around me and my budgie. That way, he has really no-where to go except on your finger. It might be worth a shot! That way your little budgie won’t be distracted by all of the stuff in her cage and can focus on you and getting trained.

I would recommend doing these sessions for short periods of time (for example no more than about 5 to 10 minutes), but I would try doing multiple sessions spread throughout the day (like three or four). That may also help with you getting her used to the step-up training.

Let us know how it goes with your sweetie pie! We’d love to hear how she is doing!

[alex: birds r ace]

thanx for your advice, i'll try it. i will write another message latter on to tell you how me and my pretty budgie is getting on. once again thanx for your advice.

[Amy]

Thanks budgiekin I'm having the same problem with my birds, I'm going to get their wings clipped soon.

[alex: birds r ace]

thanx everyone it seems to be working. although she will still not hop onto my finger she seems alot tamer, and she will let me gentally lift her onto my finger, she will stay there volanterily for long periods of time while i speak softly to her. once again thanx.

[Amy]

In your avatar she looks fabulous!!

I'm glad she's getting used to you!

[Mistyoriline]

Thanks budgiekins for the tips once again:)

[Kelly27]

I had the same problem with Camilla, she seemed so reluctant to sit on my finger. Just keep trying!
Kelly
xXx :budgie:

[Joey]

I have a old bird that was 4 years and 2 months that is tame.I dont listen to that nonsence about talking to them and putting your finger in the cage and being patient.......etc.Maybe it works for others but not for me.I just clipped his wings and held him every day he kept on biting me but not anymore, budgie bites are nothing cockatiels really really hurt!

[Aquiel]

I have a old bird that was 4 years and 2 months that is tame.I dont listen to that nonsence about talking to them and putting your finger in the cage and being patient.......etc.Maybe it works for others but not for me.I just clipped his wings and held him every day he kept on biting me but not anymore, budgie bites are nothing cockatiels really really hurt!


please dont take what Im going to say in the wrong way, but it was the first thing that came to mind when i read your post...

Do you also belive that a child should be just dropped into the deep end to be taught to swim? :p

[Budgie_Birthday]

Was there something wrong with what he said?

[Aquiel]

Was there something wrong with what he said?

there was nothing wrong with what was said, it was just when he said I dont listen to that nonsence about talking to them and putting your finger in the cage and being patient....... Putting the kid in the deep in to teach it to swim was the first thing that came to my mind. I ment nothing by it, I actually kinda giggled to myself when I thought that.
There is nothing wrong with, throwing... "patience" as he put it, out the window, to tame budgies. If it worked for him, and his birds are happy, thats all that matters. :) :budgie:

[Joey]

If you threw a child into a deep end of water he would learn how to swim very very quick!:)

[jonathanH]

um no if the child doesnt no how to swim or never swam befor he or she would drown it is the same with budgies you need to have patience with them if you want them to be tame or they will never be tame ya they might get use to u but they wouldnt be like a tame bird is! all you need to do is have patience or the job will never get done!

[Amy]

I've tamed Billy and Lily in a matter of days!

[Joey]

thats the only way my breeder thought me and it works and ill follow my breeder......:D
THANK YOU

[Amy]

I do tend to agree with Joey in a way.

Billy and Lily got tame by me catching them in a bird net, me holding them and tickling them, now I have 2 birds that will willingly hop on my finger when my hand enters the cage.

You do have to be patient though.

[Bea]

That's the dramatic method of taming. If it works it works fast and is great for impatient people. If it doesn't, then you'll have set back taming so far as you'll have given your budgie a fear of hands. That's the method i used to tame Ozzie, i held him for two hours before putting him in his cage. However, he was 6 weeks old and in a new place with no comfort zone, no routine, nothing he was used to. I became his comfort zone. If it was an older bird with established routines and comfort zones, i believe this method would be more likely to scare the heck out of the poor bird.

[Bobbys girl]

I think that talking and spending time with your budgie will in the end give you a very happy tame budgie. I know from experience that Bobby would not go near my hands, but it didn't take long after talking to him that he started responding to my voice, and willingly came to me. Now we have an amazing bond, and I am trying the same with Sunny. The effect hasn't been as fast but I can tell that it is working, as he no longer flies to the upmost corner of the cage when I come near him. Forcing your budgie to come to you is just going to make him more afraid of you in the end, and you will NEVER have that special bond that you could have if you took the time to train properly. All budgies are beautiful as pets, but there is nothing more heart warming that your budgie giving you a kiss goodnight :)

[Amy]

They did have some training before that though. I've been putting my hand in the cage and getting my hand closer each time, but now they just hop on to it!

I do think you need a bit of patience for this method.

Yesterday I had Billy and Lily sitting on my hand for at least 30 mins!

[Amy]

They did have some training before that though. I've been putting my hand in the cage and getting my hand closer each time, but now they just hop on to it!

I do think you need a bit of patience for this method.

Yesterday I had Billy and Lily sitting on my hand for at least 30 mins!