# What Next?



## lumiiscent (Oct 22, 2017)

Hi! I'm new to this forum and a new bird owner. I have adopted a 6 week old budgie about a month ago, and he is now about 10 weeks old. I have trouble taming him though. The furthest I have gotten is him comfortably eating millet when i'm holding it, getting my fingers close to him without him screaming and flying away, and if i'm lucky, he lets me pet his beak. But, when I try to get him to step up on my finger, he tries to run away from my hand. He also bites a lot when he gets irritated. So i'm wondering what is the next step; and further steps? I also noticed that he really wants to leave his cage. If i leave the doors open, he tries to make an escape. He also climbs onto the sides of the cage and eyes me a lot through the bars of his cage. He's perfectly healthy and loves playing with his toys. So what should I do next to make him comfortable with me? I've read all the stickes btw. Thank you!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

It's great to hear you've been reviewing the Budgie Articles and Stickies.

If you read all the stickies in the Taming and Bonding section of the forum, then you know that Taming and Bonding is all about helping the budgie learn to TRUST you. 
This takes both time and patience.

If your budgie is biting, then he's asking you to back off -- this means you are pushing him too fast or invading his space when he wants to be left alone. 
It's important to learn to read your budgie's body language.

If you're budgie was actually only 6 weeks old when you got him, he was released too early. 
It's best for budgies to be a minimum of eight weeks old so they've had the time to be socialized as budgies by their Dad and clutch mates. 
This also helps ensure there is less chance of regression in the weaning process.

You've only had your budgie for 4 weeks so he's only about 10 weeks old. 
You need to go very slowly with him and I'd suggest you start over from the beginning and work with him to help him gain more trust in you before trying to move on to stepping up. When you do work on step-up, offering the back of your hand rather than your finger often works much better. 

To build your budgie's trust, sit by his cage and read, talk or sing quietly to him for a period of at least 10-15 minutes, 3 or 4 times day. After the 2nd or 3rd day, rest your hand on the outside of the cage when you talk to him so he'll learn that your hand is safe and will not hurt him .

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

After 2 weeks, begin moving your hand slowly toward your budgie. If he becomes agitated, stop moving your hand and just hold very still until he calms down. When he's comfortable with your hand near him , you can offer him a bit of millet or a few seeds. In a few more days, you can begin your taming and bonding sessions.

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

Most budgies once they pass the "baby" stage, do not like to be petted or touched. 
If your budgie does like to be petted, you should only ever pet his head, neck or chest area.
Stroking a budgie's back and/or tail stimulates its breeding instinct. Bonding means allowing them to choose to be with you.

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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If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask!

Glad you decided to join us and looking forward to seeing you around the forums.

:wave:*


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You have been given great advice above. I definitely think that backing off and starting from the beginning is a very important step you need to take. 

As for always wanting to come out of the cage, you shouldn't let him come out when he asks by begging. It's important to establish a routine where he gets let out at a certain time, and then he should stay in his cage during the other times. Having a routine will help him adjust to living in his cage happily without being concerned about coming out at all hours. Additionally, this will help him start to see his cage as his "safe place" and he'll begin to feel more comfortable then. 

You've come to a great place to learn even more about budgies  Be sure to look through the links provided above, which include the forum's many Budgie Articles and "stickies", which will ensure you're up to date on all the best practices for budgie care. 

If you have any questions after reading through everything, be sure to ask!  We look forward to seeing more of you around the forums! 

We'd love to see photos of your little guy when you get a chance! 

Cheers :wave:


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