Littoface
05-09-2011, 11:31 AM
Hi there! I decided to do a training journal of my own, to encourage me not to give up.
Winter and Spring are my husband's budgies, but they've known me for about two years and are now living in our new apartment with us. Both are girls (though they've tried to mate... silly birds <_< ) and both are skittish around hands.
Winter is the calmer one and looks at me and chirps back if I sit outside her cage and make noises at her. Sometimes, if I put my face up to the cage, she'll come up and "taste" my lips.
Spring is panicky! We've had to grab her on several occasions, and she flutters around the cage when the hand comes in, so I thought for sure that she would take longer to warm up to me.
So... here goes!
May 07
I bought some millet and slowly moved it into the cage, holding it between my fingers. The girls jumped up on the sides of the cage and neither bird made a move for it. I moved the millet towards Winter slowly. She moved away from it but I followed her. After a couple of minutes she gave in and ate some. I didn't try anything with Spring, but she was watching Winter eat and seemed interested (or jealous? haha).
May 08
I tried giving Winter millet again. Again, they stuck to the sides of the cage and didn't go for the millet. When I put the millet up to Winter's face, she ate some. I tried to move the millet veeeery slowly to Spring. At first she moved away to the other side of the cage, so I went back to feeding Winter. But after a while I tried again and to my delight, Spring ate some millet from me!
Later on, Winter was sitting by the cage door, and didn't move away when I opened it. I sloooowly moved my hand in. She still didn't move! She was looking at my hand the whole time. I tried pressing my finger gently against her chest, but the moment I touched her, she stepped off to the side and away from me. Progress? I'm not sure. D:
May 09
Both budgies will now eat the millet from me but only after a few minutes of following them around the cage. I had both eating at the same time. : D But they still won't move towards the millet. If I move it slightly away from them, they stretch out until they can't reach it anymore, then just sit there. I tried keeping my hand near the middle of the cage, but they just stare at me and cling to the sides of the cage. I also tried the blinking game with them today and they respond. In fact, I looked away for a bit when I was holding the millet in the cage, and when I looked back, they both looked like they'd fallen asleep!
Now I'm wondering how to get them to come to the millet instead of waiting for the millet to come to them...
Winter and Spring are my husband's budgies, but they've known me for about two years and are now living in our new apartment with us. Both are girls (though they've tried to mate... silly birds <_< ) and both are skittish around hands.
Winter is the calmer one and looks at me and chirps back if I sit outside her cage and make noises at her. Sometimes, if I put my face up to the cage, she'll come up and "taste" my lips.
Spring is panicky! We've had to grab her on several occasions, and she flutters around the cage when the hand comes in, so I thought for sure that she would take longer to warm up to me.
So... here goes!
May 07
I bought some millet and slowly moved it into the cage, holding it between my fingers. The girls jumped up on the sides of the cage and neither bird made a move for it. I moved the millet towards Winter slowly. She moved away from it but I followed her. After a couple of minutes she gave in and ate some. I didn't try anything with Spring, but she was watching Winter eat and seemed interested (or jealous? haha).
May 08
I tried giving Winter millet again. Again, they stuck to the sides of the cage and didn't go for the millet. When I put the millet up to Winter's face, she ate some. I tried to move the millet veeeery slowly to Spring. At first she moved away to the other side of the cage, so I went back to feeding Winter. But after a while I tried again and to my delight, Spring ate some millet from me!
Later on, Winter was sitting by the cage door, and didn't move away when I opened it. I sloooowly moved my hand in. She still didn't move! She was looking at my hand the whole time. I tried pressing my finger gently against her chest, but the moment I touched her, she stepped off to the side and away from me. Progress? I'm not sure. D:
May 09
Both budgies will now eat the millet from me but only after a few minutes of following them around the cage. I had both eating at the same time. : D But they still won't move towards the millet. If I move it slightly away from them, they stretch out until they can't reach it anymore, then just sit there. I tried keeping my hand near the middle of the cage, but they just stare at me and cling to the sides of the cage. I also tried the blinking game with them today and they respond. In fact, I looked away for a bit when I was holding the millet in the cage, and when I looked back, they both looked like they'd fallen asleep!
Now I'm wondering how to get them to come to the millet instead of waiting for the millet to come to them...