The Taming of the Zeke

[Linaeth]

I've had a Zeke a week now, and he's okay with my hands being near him now, as long as I move slowly. He was handfed, but if these guys aren't sold straight out of the nursery, they all go out in the cage in the main shop and aren't handled extensively, so he isn't thrilled about the idea of being held. He doesn't seem afraid of me at all, just skittish about being touched. He's perfectly fine with skimming across the top of my head or smacking me in the face with a wing while he's flying around, and has a couple of times had to hop onto my arm to get past me if I was in his way, but no where near stepping up and staying there yet. He has started picking at his millet spray, so I intend to abuse his love of it for taming purposes, of course. >.> I don't have many plans for the weekend and got off work early tonight, so I plan on spending lots of time working with him the next few days. Wrangling him back into the cage has been a chore, but it's getting easier. I've been refusing to grab him by hand, and am bad at grabbing with a cloth (he's exceptionally fast, even for a budgie), so I just have to follow him about and try to steer him back into the cage. I had to spray him down once, since he didn't tucker out for a good 45 minutes, and he was still able to fly pretty well all wet. He really is something. I'll keep you guys posted on how he's coming along. ^___^

[i love Budgie]

Looks as if you are making progress :) Remeber to be patient with your bird when taming him :) I can;t wait to follow this blog :D

[Linaeth]

Yeah, I'm a very patient person, typically. I only had to force him back into his cage because I had to go to work. Stupid work...I wish I could quit and hang with my pets full-time. :/ Zeke flew all around the room and chirped happily while I watched some anime this evening, though. I left him out until he felt like going back into his cage. He continues to stare curiously at my finger and question the safety of the millet I present, but is pretty calm with me close, and gets all excited when I talk to him. This is pretty much how it went for August, too, so it seems he will move along quickly. What can I say? Animals love me. XD

[Budgiekin]

Awww, isn't Zeke a spunky, energetic little guy. :)

He seems to be coming along very nicely, and while he may not be the most cooperative at times, he is doing very well.

Keep up the great work with your new little one!

(I love his name by the way. :))

[FaeryBee]

I think Lord Budgford St. Augustine is adorable!
Looking forward to following your training journal. :)

[Linaeth]

Hooray, Zeke consented to climb onto a perch my hand was somewhat near. ^^ He budged away for a bit, then lost his footing and clung to the cage bars, but I sat there and talked to him (and held out some millet), and he climbed back onto the perch eventually. A little bit of progress. He seems almost to have more of a hand-phobia than August did, even. I feel awful, though, because I have to catch him and stuff him into his carrier tomorrow to go to the Bird Shoppe where he and August will be boarded for three days while I'm out of town. :/ He'll get to see his old friends there, though; that's the place I got him from, and he was hatched and raised there. And August will have a blast, I'm sure.

[Linaeth]

Zeke is starting to be a lot calmer around me...and a lot more hyper in general! He didn't charge his way past me out of the cage when I changed his food bowl this morning. A big change for him, as he really seems to hate hands, and starts budging around as soon as my hand comes near the cage. He's calming down a lot faster when I move my hand into the cage now, too. I make sure to talk to him with my hand inside the cage for a bit a few times a day, and I hang out and play Persona in the room with him, which both birds love to watch. He and August are starting to call back and forth across the hall a lot, too. I think they're going to be best buddies. And maybe August can help teach him hands are okay!

[Linaeth]

So Zeke has become quite the little chatterbox lately. He's very active whenever I'm in his room, hopping all over, flying laps around the room, calling to August (and me, it seems, if I try to leave), and singing along with my video games. He loves explosions. Typical teenage boy. :p Still doesn't like hands too near him, but he seems a bit calmer still. Must not be too afraid of me, if he'll fly straight into my face or chest to get out of the cage (sometimes lands on my arm, then realizes where he is and flies away) and swoop down almost onto my head when he's flying around, eh?

[Linaeth]

Update time! Zeke is still quite shy and nowhere near wanting to be picked up, but he will now eat treats from my fingers sometimes...so long as his buddy August does it first. :XD: August, though, after meeting Zeke, has seemed to untame a bit, if you will, and now shies away from my hands as well unless I have food or a toy. I'm afraid this will cement into Zeke's mind that hands are bad, as he copies August. He's seen me hold August a couple of times, but now August won't step up at all. :/ He used to be so cuddly and eager to play with me...but now I have two untame birds, albeit ones who like getting treats from me. I was so certain August would help me tame Zeke. Guess I'll have to kind of start over and try to tame them together? We'll see how it goes.