# Taming old budgies



## Staceyy (Sep 2, 2021)

Hello, 
My name is Stacey and it's the first time i post on your forum, please excuse my poor English.
I am now the owner of two budgies,Lucy which is almost 5 and Monks which is 1 yo. 
They both never had any interaction with humans and they were kept their whole life in the cage. (Also its my first time that im trying to tame budgies)
I ve watched hours of youtube videos to be fully educated about these little creatures.
Ive made a lot of progress with Monks in a period of 2 months, he sits on my hand, he lets me take him out of the cage and bring him back in but he is still so scared of me and i can't understand what i should do further for him to like me more. He is used to my right hand but dont accept my left hand how is this possible?
I tried to let Lucy out of the cage even though she is not tamed at all but she is not coming out whatever i do.Its like there is no hope with her... And i dont wanna give up and let her spend the rest of her life in the cage  
Do you have any advice to give me about my old scared budgie?
Also whats the next step with Monks? It feels like there is nothing i can do from now on. Should i just let him out all day to get used of me and the environment?


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## Nausicaa (Jul 22, 2021)

Hey, Stacey! Could you tell us a bit more about the backstory of both birds? Were they kept together by their previous family? What were they fed, were they mistreated etc? Also, are you sure you have sexed them correctly?

I too have a (probably) older budgie, Iris, who flew through my window in late February and a one year old, hand-fed, Dawn. Let me tell you, two months is nothing when it comes to adult, untamed budgies, especially females. It will take a long long time for Lucy to get used to people, and there's always a chance they'll never be as tame as a budgie raised by humans. I presume they're in the same cage, right? First off, could you post some pictures of the setup? A stressful environment, both inside the cage and outside, can be root of a lot of problems. If leaving the door open stresses her, then don't do it for now. Our human brain makes the connection to prison, but for Lucy it's her home and you've left the door unlocked, for burglars and killers to come inside. Check out the stickies of the forum to make sure you're giving them the right foods, cage size and so on, and we can start from there. 

Persistance is key. If Monks doesn't recognize your left finger as the same thing to the right, then try and get him used to it. Don;t forget how huge and intimidating we appear to a tiny parrot. You can try and get him to eat from the palm of you hand, for example, play with toys together or simply under your supervision in budgie playground. He's a boy and boys are great at mimicry, so speaking to him, repeating short words to get him used to you and to help him repeat them would also be fun. Also, don't overdo it with training. Let them also relax in their cage, play with their toys and each other. 
Btw, when you say Lucy won't come out "whatever" you do, what does that mean exactly? Coaxing her with millet? Simply leaving the door open? 

PS: Feel free to PM me in greek if english complicates things.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hello Stacey and welcome to the forums! 

I agree with Nausicaa above. You’ve come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices! Please be sure to have a look around the forums’ many budgie articles and “stickies”, mentioned above, to ensure you’re up to date on everything. If you have questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we’d love to help. 

Best wishes with your little ones. 

Cheers! 👋


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being

Nausicaa has given you excellent advice.
To build your Lucy’s trust, sit by her cage and read, talk or sing quietly to her for a period of at least 10-15 minutes, 3 or 4 times day.
After about a week, rest your hand on the outside of the cage when you talk to her so she will learn that your hand is safe and will not hurt her. 

Although Lucy may never feel comfortable venturing out of the cage, you can still give her a wonderful life.
Lucy is fortunate you have adopted her and Monk.
*
*Avian Association of Veterinarians*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*
*
Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*
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*


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