# Scared Budgie



## Nur (Jun 30, 2021)

Hello everyone, i have my budgie for a few months now and i still made very little progress with him. He was found on the street very tired and i had to adopt him because the house he was going to go wasn't suited for bird that is very scared of everything. He has no problem when i'm sitting at my desk in the room, makes cute noises, preens himself and sleeps normally but when i get close he gets very tense. He doesn't come out of his cage unless he wants millet and that's the only time i can get him stand on my hand for a few minutes. The second he's done with the millet he goes back to his cage. I tried to close the cage door so maybe when he couldn't get in he would stay outside more but he got really stressed so i had to open the door. He is generally very scared of things he is not used to. Also I had to apply medicine to his face in the first week so that wasn't very helpful obviously. I can coax him out of his cage with millet but I don't know how to keep him out because like I said, when he's done with millet or something scares him, he immediately go back to his cage. I really don't know what to do. I just don't want him to live in constant fear of everything.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

You have to slow down and go at the bird's pace. You don't know what traumatic experiences he had out on the street or prior to that that has influenced his behavior and by trying to push him into doing something he is not ready to do only makes matters worse. He sees his cage as his safe place so if he chooses not to come out then you must respect that. When you are in the room with him just open the cage door without trying to coax him out, let him see that the door is open and he can do as he chooses, he has to come to know that you can be a friend without trying to get him to do something.


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## Nur (Jun 30, 2021)

Cody said:


> You have to slow down and go at the bird's pace. You don't know what traumatic experiences he had out on the street or prior to that that has influenced his behavior and by trying to push him into doing something he is not ready to do only makes matters worse. He sees his cage as his safe place so if he chooses not to come out then you must respect that. When you are in the room with him just open the cage door without trying to coax him out, let him see that the door is open and he can do as he chooses, he has to come to know that you can be a friend without trying to get him to do something.


That's usually what i do actually. When i said i can coax him out what i meant was he doesn't runaway when i come close with a millet. Only time i coax him out is when i'm gonna clean his cage. Normally i just open his door when i wake up and door stays open all day and then put a millet on the desk. When he sees it usually comes out but like i said doesn't stay out for very long. I'm afraid the longer i just let him stay in his cage the more he's gonna become fearful of things. He used to come out of his cage more. He started not to come out in the last few weeks. I also noticed he started molting could that be a reason for him to not wanting to come out? Molting started around last week but i don't know if it would effect him longer. But apart from that he is still generally afraid of me.


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## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

The fact he comes onto your hand to eat the millet means you've made more progress than you realise. All that's left is time. It's also a good thing he considers his cage his safe space, it means eventually when he's comfortable with you, you won't have to deal with him constantly trying to break out of the cage to be with you, since he's happiest in the cage.

I think you'll make great progress if you continually show him that he's able to go into and out of his cage whenever he wants. The realization that you're a friend, not an enemy, will slowly sink in, and he'll associate you with good things (millet vendor, cage saviour). Like Cody said though, you have no idea what his past was like, maybe his previous owners weren't very nice, so it might be slow progress but I have a feeling you'll eventually get there. Just keep up the regular socialization, talk to him, let him get used to you sitting near the cage. Bit by bit, he'll start staying out longer, even after he's eaten the millet. Just make sure the environment is calm and relaxing, no sudden noises, movement, or anything unpredictable.


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## Nur (Jun 30, 2021)

ChickWas said:


> The fact he comes onto your hand to eat the millet means you've made more progress than you realise. All that's left is time. It's also a good thing he considers his cage his safe space, it means eventually when he's comfortable with you, you won't have to deal with him constantly trying to break out of the cage to be with you, since he's happiest in the cage.
> 
> I think you'll make great progress if you continually show him that he's able to go into and out of his cage whenever he wants. The realization that you're a friend, not an enemy, will slowly sink in, and he'll associate you with good things (millet vendor, cage saviour). Like Cody said though, you have no idea what his past was like, maybe his previous owners weren't very nice, so it might be slow progress but I have a feeling you'll eventually get there. Just keep up the regular socialization, talk to him, let him get used to you sitting near the cage. Bit by bit, he'll start staying out longer, even after he's eaten the millet. Just make sure the environment is calm and relaxing, no sudden noises, movement, or anything unpredictable.


I never take care of a bird before so everything is new for me and when i watch videos people immediately taming their budgies and even started to train them in the first weeks i just feel like i'm not doing my best with him. I doubt he lived in a good house before i got him, because he was very skinny and he had an infection on his face. So i just want him to live a nice life now. Thank you so much for your answer, it really eased my worries.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

During a molt they can become much more quiet than usual and sometimes a bit grumpy. It takes a lot to grow in the new feathers, you can offer him some shredded hard boiled egg white for extra protein during a molt although at this time he may not see it as something edible but you can give it a try.


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## Nur (Jun 30, 2021)

Cody said:


> During a molt they can become much more quiet than usual and sometimes a bit grumpy. It takes a lot to grow in the new feathers, you can offer him some shredded hard boiled egg white for extra protein during a molt although at this time he may not see it as something edible but you can give it a try.


This is another issue i have. He only eats the mix i made that has oats and few different seeds. And i give him millet out of my hand but other than these when i put something else in his bowl like chopped veggies or egg he doesn't even get close to the bowl. Even when i put millet on top of it. I don't want him to get hungry because like i said he was skinny when i got him.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*It can take several weeks (or even months) for budgies to decide to try a new food.

You just have to keep trying. Look at the stickies in the Diet and Nutrition Section of the Forum for ideas on how to present foods.
I suggest you try "chop" and try budgie bread as well.

Fruit is high in sugar content so vegetables are actually healthier for your budgies with fruits given only occasionally (once or twice a week)*
*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Taming and Bonding is all about helping your budgie learn to trust you and it takes a great deal of time and patience on your part. 
You should never grab your budgie or force him to be touched. 

To bond with your budgie, you need to build his trust in you.
He will have to learn over time that you will not hurt him, grab him and try to force him to allow you to hold him. 
Bonding means allowing the budgie to be the one to choose if/when it wants to be with you.

Always work at your budgie's pace. 
Move slowly and talk reassuringly and calmly whenever you interact with him .*


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