# Patience is key!



## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Me again, after a long, long while. We originally had 2 budgies, Coco and Auston, but found that they weren't really getting along, and eventually we gave the female budgie Auston to a very nice lady who is taking care of her.

We kept Coco the male and have had him for 3 years now. He's been a cage bird the entire time and myself and the kids never seemed to be able to hand train him.

Well apparently we just weren't patient enough.

Since we've all been home with this covid-19 stuff, we've spent ALOT more time with Coco and talking to him consistently. He seems to finally be starting to trust us, and lo and behold, he goes onto our hands to eat treats now. He is addicted to millet. Every day now he approaches the cage door and is looking for us to feed him. The kids are really enjoying this new found friendship now.

I'd like to eventually take him to the stage where he can come out of the cage to get some play-time. I've ordered a play set for him that he can go onto outside the cage, and I hope he takes to it.

Should I continue on this path of hand-feeding/training him, what is the best way to coax him out of the cage? As it stands now, he's right at the open door of the cage while we feed him, so it seems like he's getting comfortable, I don't want to force it though.

Here he is just yesterday on my hand and eating









As you can see, he's fairly comfortable right in my hand, but I don't know how I should proceed to the next step.


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## Blingy (Feb 26, 2018)

Coco is so cute and congrats on the great progress with taming and bonding. When it comes to being ready for him to have out of cage time, you should never force him to come out against his will. Let him choose to come out if and when he is ready. His cage is his safe place so if you physically take him out against his will, you risk him no longer seeing his cage as safe, and you also may undo the progress you’ve made with bonding. Try putting a perch on the door of the cage and have the door open. Put his playstand just outside the cage (he may be scared if it for awhile when it first arrives so have it there all the time if possible so he gets used to it quicker) and sit by his cage and encourage him to come out by talking to him. Try millet if he likes millet. You can also just leave the cage door open, when you are free to supervise and just see if he decides to venture out. Some budgies take awhile, and others (like mine) zoom out the second the cage door is opened. Of course, safety is the most important thing. Cover all mirrors and glass doors/windows, returns off ceiling fans and lock any dogs or cats in another room. Good luck.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Kellie has offered you excellent advice!

I'd but a few perches on the outside of the cage and be sure you put a favorite toy or treat on the plays tand (put the play stand either on top of the cage or near the cage) when it arrives.

I'm glad to hear Coco is doing well and I look forward to your updates in this thread!*


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Well, we just had an adventure lol

As I was working in the basement, my middle daughter was hand feeding Coco at the door of the cage. Coco flew out, and the kids got scared. They came to get me and i told them to just let him be, he'll eventually want to go back to the cage. He hung out on the TV, the window sill, the railing, and then finally after a few hours got really comfortable.

He seems to really love my youngest 8 year old daughter. She was just on the iPad on the couch and he kept walking up close to her shoulder to see what she was doing. She was nervous but i told her to stay calm, everything was fine. I got some millet in my hand and called him and he flew right over to eat from my hand. I then calmly walked him back to the cage.

Success!

All in all he had a good 3-4 hours out of the cage flying around. We got some pictures of him out of the cage finally!

On my finger









Hanging with my daughter checking out what she was up to


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## Blingy (Feb 26, 2018)

That is wonderful. It sounds like Coco really enjoyed his first time out of his cage, and you were able to get him back easily too. Now, you can just open his cage door when lever someone is there to supervise him and he’ll come out of his own accord. One other suggestion, I’d add a few more toys to his cage. Budgies love to play and get bored easily, especially solo birds, so toys are a great way for them to entertain themselves. There are loads of websites that sell safe toys, and even toy parts if you or your kids are interested in making your own toys for Coco. Shredding toys are a favourite of most budgies. 


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Thanks I've been thinking of putting in more toys. His cage seems sparse to others I've seen online. I have ordered an outside play area for him already in anticipation of him getting out of cage play time


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Well done on the adventure!

This link will give you ideas for Coco's cage.

Essentials for a Great Cage*


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Day 2 of out of cage time and things are going great! Coco was actually looking forward to coming out today by standing at the door.

He already used his new outside rope perch









and, he's way more comfortable just landing on our hands/fingers now. Here's my eldest just hanging with him










I can't believe how quickly he's warmed up to us. So much fun.


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

FaeryBee said:


> *Well done on the adventure!
> 
> This link will give you ideas for Coco's cage.
> 
> Essentials for a Great Cage*


Thanks for the help. I've ordered a couple more toys and a new perch style that he doesn't have yet, should arrive in a couple of days. Also have the outside play area coming. Slowly but surely making this little guy really happy


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm so glad Coco is doing so well! It seems he's really warming up well to interacting with his "flock" 

The new toys and perch you ordered are great, though the second one is a bit of a concern due to the possibilities it gives Coco for accidental ingestion of fibers.

Here's a link with more information! :thumbsup:

https://www.talkbudgies.com/your-budgies-health/288546-dangers-rope-perches-tasseled-toys.html

I look forward to hearing more about Coco!


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

What's up forum? I'm getting super comfortable with my parents


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

So I have a cool branch that I can use as a perch but I need a screw with no head and washers/ wing nuts to make my own perch. Anyone know where I could get the screws that have no head?

----------------- edit -----------------


So I figured it out I need hanger bolts, ill head out to home Depot another day to pick up what I need


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

So slight setback. He was comfortable coming out of the cage that yesterday while he was playing with my daughters I took the cage outside and did a deep cleaning. Let it dry in the sun and set it all back up again. I brought the cage back inside and eventually we put him back as normal..

Now he doesn't want to come out? It's weird he doesn't respond to the millet in hand at the door and just sits on his swing perch. Been that way all last night and now today. Usually he comes out by now. 

Is it because I cleaned out his cage and it's suddenly different for him? He didn't have any incident yesterday that scared him outside the cage in fact he just went back as normal. 

Do we just give him a few days to re-acclimate and just chat with him at the cage? Don't know why he's suddenly not the same.


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## Blingy (Feb 26, 2018)

There could be any number of reasons as to to why Coco isn’t coming out of his cage at the moment. The first thing to do is make sure he’s not sick. It’s probably not the case, but it’s important to rule it out. He’s not fluffed up? Droppings normal? Eating and drinking normally etc.? Is he moulting, or starting a moult? If so, that could be why he’s choosing to stay in his cage. Have you set up his cage the same way it was before you cleaned it? If the layout is different, it will likely take him some tine to get used to it and to become comfortable again. Some days they just decide they don’t feel like coming out of their cages. It might just be that he wants a day of rest.


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Blingy said:


> There could be any number of reasons as to to why Coco isn't coming out of his cage at the moment. The first thing to do is make sure he's not sick. It's probably not the case, but it's important to rule it out. He's not fluffed up? Droppings normal? Eating and drinking normally etc.? Is he moulting, or starting a moult? If so, that could be why he's choosing to stay in his cage. Have you set up his cage the same way it was before you cleaned it? If the layout is different, it will likely take him some tine to get used to it and to become comfortable again. Some days they just decide they don't feel like coming out of their cages. It might just be that he wants a day of rest.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He's eating / tweeting as per normal. Isn't fluffed up most of the time. He seems normal in every other aspect just that he's not coming to us now. This morning I placed millet in my hand at the open door and was calling to him; he started to make motions to come down to my hand so I'm thinking "oh this is good" but then he takes a detour around my hand and goes to his regular feeding bowl to eat, right beside my hand! I'm still confused


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## Blingy (Feb 26, 2018)

Sometimes with training and taming, it seems like we take 2 steps forward, 3 steps backwards. I would just keep talking to him and encouraging him to come out (without forcing him), and I’m pretty sure that he will come out again soon. Have you put any new perches around his cage, or anything g new beside his cage (like the play stand you ordered)? Budgies are usually extremely skittish and easily frightened so any small change can have them hiding out in their cage until they are sure the new addition won’t eat them. 


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Blingy said:


> Sometimes with training and taming, it seems like we take 2 steps forward, 3 steps backwards. I would just keep talking to him and encouraging him to come out (without forcing him), and I'm pretty sure that he will come out again soon. Have you put any new perches around his cage, or anything g new beside his cage (like the play stand you ordered)? Budgies are usually extremely skittish and easily frightened so any small change can have them hiding out in their cage until they are sure the new addition won't eat them.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I actually did add a new flat wooden perch just yesterday. You are right, he was scared and hanging out at the opposite end of the cage from the new perch the entire time. I wanted to add the new toys but I figured it was too much all at once, so I only added the perch. I have to re-read the title of my own thread, "patience is key" and remember that. I'll take it slowly


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Sometimes it's best to put new items near the cage for a couple of days, then hang them on the outside of the cage for a few days to allow your budgie to become used to them.

After the budgie has become accustomed to the new item and realizes it is not a threat, then you can introduce it into the cage which, is the budgies "safe" space.*


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## Auston (May 12, 2017)

Still the same situation. He'll eat from our hands in the cage (actually he prefers my daughters to me) but he isn't coming out. I've started just leaving his door open during the day to see if he wants to come out on his own, even put the food bowl at the entrance, he'll perch on the food bowl and eat, but still not come out again. It's kinda weird.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You are just going to need to give him time and space. He obviously feels safest in his cage so respect his wishes.*


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