# Can I still tame older budgies?



## sunnybobopeppi

hello! two of my budgies are a bit older... they are three. I could not tame them when they were young for many reasons. since most birds have to be young to be tamed and such now that they are older can I still tame them? when they were younger they knew the little bit they sat on my finger let me rub their belly. but now... well... not anymore. I'm lucky if they put one foot on my finger but then run away. it's sad because me and my family bred them, bought their parents in a pet store two years later they were in love and had babies and we spent some time with them and now we have grown apart.

Now for my questions:
I love my budgies so much. and I want to tame them to trust me and love me back. but they are way older then the age budgies should be tamed so my first question is: Can my older budgies still be tamed? and: If yes, how?
thank you! I'm new here but I can already feel the love and support in this community

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...K8BGAs/s0/IMG_20190615_083548_930+%281%29.jpg


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## iHeartPieds

Definitely. I rescued two adult budgies once who were terrified of hands and people. One of them is the white and blue hen seen in my profile pic. It takes a lot of time and patience and they are less likely to form a super strong bond to you but it is possible to get them decently tame.


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## alba

Yes! I've adopted many of my budgies from shelters (age range 3-6 years old) and they were all very skittish and frightened of hands at first. With patient training they all learned to sit on hands, and one of them became super cuddly and in need of constant head scratches!

I'll be honest, having another bird that is pretty tame definitely helps taming another. Sometimes if they just see you give another bird scratches or treats from your hand they quickly learn that people are nice. 

When I didn't have a tame bird to set the example, it was always a months long process, but always successful in the end.


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## FaeryBee

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

Yes, you can definitely work with your budgies to tame and bond with them even though they are older.

To bond with your birds, you need to build their trust in you.
They will have to learn over time that you will not hurt them.

To build your birds' trust, sit by their cage and read, talk or sing quietly to them 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 them so they will learn that your hand is safe and will not hurt them.

After a week of resting your hand on the outside of the cage, rest your hand inside the cage when you talk. 
Don't make sudden moves, don't try to touch them. 
Let their get used to the idea that the hand is now in their safe place and not harming them.

After 2 weeks, begin moving your hand slowly toward your bird. If they become agitated, stop moving your hand and just hold very still until they calm down. When they are comfortable with your hand near them, you can offer them a bit of millet or a few seeds.

Always work at your birds' pace. 
Move slowly and talk reassuringly and calmly to their whenever you interact with them.

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## sunnybobopeppi

*Thank you everyone*

thank you, everyone, for replying so fast, you are the best!


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