# Hitting a bump with taming my 2 budgies



## Karina B (Jan 11, 2019)

Hello everyone. :rainbow:
First of all thank you for this site, as it has inspired me to get 2 budgies to accompany me through the daily life and has taught me how to handle them. I just wanted to post this, since this is my first post. Now, to the matter in hand.

My 2 budgies Snowy and Sunny (The name kinda tells their colours) have been with me for 2 months now, and I've interacted with them every day. I knew, that 2 budgies would make the taming process harder, but having one budgie staying home alone, most of the time, while I was studying at the university, sounded unbearable.

You see, I've followed steps, like getting them acquainted with the surroundings and my daily life. To get them to know me well, I even placed them next to my desk. I already knew from the start, that they weren't hand tamed at all, but they came from a local canary breeder. The guy bred canaries for shows and had a pair of budgies (3 months old) as well, that he sold me with everything included (cage, food, toys) for a nice price. Being a student, I don't have many funds to help me through the month, and he was almost too nice about it. From here I chose Snowy, the only bird in the cage that sang, while 3 people were staring at him, and Sunny the more shy one.

I gave them some weeks to settle in. Touched their cage gently whenever I left and returned, and sat in front of their cage talking and singing. When I sing Snowy usually turns it into a duo. Yes, at first they went into full panic whenever my hand came into the cage, but they're over it now, because now they've learned about spray millets. Snowy is the more outgoing one. And if I hold anything, that could be recognised as spray millet, Snowy will come first, with Sunny hot on his tail(feathers), and they will sprint to my hand! With this method, they easily sit on my hand, altough Snowy has food jealousy and wants it all for himself. But this is where I've hit a bump. 

I can't rely on food forever? It feels like bribing someone to be your friend. When I open the cage, they usually jump onto the entrance to get millet, I guess? I am trying to get Snowy to jump onto my finger first and SOMETIMES he'll get a treat, but it only works at the entrance. In the cage it only works with food in my hand. Sunny can get on my finger as well, if I have food, but Snowys' jealousy kinda ruins my training with him. So I'm sticking with training snowy at the moment. Now they have a tendency to jump out of the cage to sit on the top, and this gives me troubles, since they can't perch correctly yet. So getting them back into the cage is problematic. Sometimes I wait for them to get back into the cage on their own, and one time I was lucky with trapping them to perch with food.

Of course I don't want this to continue, and I want them to properly perch on my finger. When they started to jump out of the cage, they kinda ruined my taming schedule, since I wanted to bring them outside, when they've finally learned how to perch.

Does some of you have a tip, that can help me pass this bump and make them recognise my finger as the best perching stick ever? :blue pied:


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## Goldenwing (Oct 4, 2017)

Hello and :welcome:

This is a great place to learn more about best practices in budgie care! For training suggestions, I recommend looking at some of the training journals (Dodo's is excellent) and the stickies. 

It is helpful to keep in mind that taming, bonding and training take time. Budgies go at their own pace, which can seem very slow for us. It took me months to get my bird to eat from my hand, then step on my hand with food in it. Eventually she would step on my hand when I put it near her, but I trained her with food first. Like I said, it takes time and patience.

In terms of training, having a specific time and place to practice can help. At first, you will likely not get your birds to want to do something all the time. It can help to practice out of their cage too. Their cage is their home, their safe place. They tend to not like us invading this space, even when they are well bonded and tamed. Early on, I would train my budgie when she was on a perch out of the cage.

If we are too anxious for something to happen, that tends to make it worse. Take trying to get a budgie back in its cage as an example. It is always harder when you are in a hurry and let that show. This last bit is my own experience, not the expert advice of many people.

So relax, know that it can happen with time, and enjoy the process of working with your little feathered friends. 

I hope this helps! Good luck!


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## Karina B (Jan 11, 2019)

It would be nice if I could train them outside of the cage, since I've made my own perch for them to sit on, but I just don't think they're ready for something like that. I know, I shouldn't worry too much about them climbing on the cage, but I just want them to be my friends :blush:.

I'll keep going slow and steady and try to look at the journals and stickies  Thanks for the help. 

The worrysome newbie budgieowner Karina :cobalt:


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi Karina and an official :welcome: to Talk Budgies! 

It's great to hear that your little ones are doing well, and that the site has helped you so far. 

You've been given great advice above, as well! The thing here is, they trust you, but don't have a bond with you yet, which is why they don't see a point in perching on your finger for extended periods of time without a food bribe. 

Building a strong bond takes time, months, or even years. Even after having my little girl for six years, we are still learning from one another. Take this time to continue being patient and bonding slowly with your budgies, spending lots of time with them, just being a flock mate to them. Eventually, they'll start to bond with you  

Meanwhile, keep on reading through the forums!

If you have any questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help. 

Hope to see you around, and to meet your two little budgies soon!  

:wave:


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi, Karina
Welcome to the posting portion of the forums. 
We're glad to have you with us.
You've been given good advice. 
Taming and Bonding takes a great deal of time and patience and each budgie has its own individual personality. Generally, they don't do things according to "our schedule" and one must proceed at their pace. 
Take your time and enjoy the journey with your little ones.*


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