# New budgies aren't wanting to be tamed!



## thebeastiebirds (Jul 20, 2021)

Hi guys! This is my first post here so please bare with me lol. I got my two untamed flighted male budgies a month ago. They are super happy and healthy together but are still very fearful of me. I spend a lot of time chatting with them throughout the day. I started off putting my finger in the cage for a couple weeks but that simply horrified them. Then I tried enticing them with millet in my hand but that didn't help. So now I'm using an extra dowel from the cage as an extension of my hand and they don't hate that but won't go anywhere near it.

I know that it is easier to tame them individually but they already are quite bonded together so I am reluctant to separate them.
Any thoughts, advice, questions are very welcome!
Thanks and cheers


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and welcome to the forums!

Especially when the two birds are already friends, it's just not common for them to prefer the company of a human since it's less familiar to them than the other bird. You of course can still work with them and over time they'll see you as part of your extended flock, but it's going to be up to them whether or not they want to actually become friends with you or not. Many people have budgies who are bonded to each other but still enjoy spending time with them, for example the budgies are comfortable landing on or playing near/on their human friends or "flock members".

To encourage this, you'll have to just spend as much time with them as possible, so they can see you're part of their little "friend group". Talk to them as much as possible, and you can keep getting them used to your hand by slowly acclimatizing them with your hand in the cage. If they're not comfortable with your hand inside the cage, which is reasonable, then start by holding it outside the cage for a while, or offering them millet through the cage bars. It will take time, but eventually they'll be used to this, and then you can proceed to further steps. Hand taming is only part of it, however, so it is very important that you spend lots of time in the room with them, and share things with them like reading or talking out loud, or even eating in the same room as them. 

Over time they'll get used to you and trust you more  

Meanwhile, you've come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices! Be sure to read through the forums' many budgie articles and "stickies" to ensure you're up to date on everything! If you have any questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help. 

We'd also love to meet your budgies when you get a chance!  

Cheers 👋


----------



## thebeastiebirds (Jul 20, 2021)

StarlingWings said:


> Hi there and welcome to the forums!
> 
> Especially when the two birds are already friends, it's just not common for them to prefer the company of a human since it's less familiar to them than the other bird. You of course can still work with them and over time they'll see you as part of your extended flock, but it's going to be up to them whether or not they want to actually become friends with you or not. Many people have budgies who are bonded to each other but still enjoy spending time with them, for example the budgies are comfortable landing on or playing near/on their human friends or "flock members".
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for your detailed response! You've shed some light on my situation with my little guys. I'll continue to work with them but I won't have any expectations or agenda! Thanks for the warm welcome, I'll make sure to post a picture of Turbulence and Crockpot soon!
Cheers and take care


----------



## 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

StarlingWings has give you excellent advice.

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 budgies or force them to be touched.
To bond with your budgie, you need to build their trust in you.
They will have to learn over time that you will not hurt them, grab them and try to force them to allow you to hold them.

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. 
Enjoy the journey!

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.*
*SITE GUIDELINES*
*List of Stickies*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*A heartfelt plea to forum members new and old*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory**


*


----------



## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

Easiest way to passively tame budgies is just to have them beside you whilst you're doing your own thing. For me, my budgies were in my bedroom with a full view of everything, and I spent most of the day at the computer so they had plenty of time to observe me, and see that I wasn't a threat. They felt comfortable and safe in their cage, and were able to perch high up and look down on me. The more time you put in, the faster the taming process will be. If you're only socializing with them for 20 minutes a day, it might take a while. Let them take the lead and things will go smoothly, if you try and rush it, you'll only cause trust issues and prolong the whole taming process.

It's the same when you introduce a new item. At first, they're terrified of it, but over time, they'll notice it doesn't seem to be a threat, and they'll slowly start to explore to see what exactly it is. So if they're able to sit safely in their cage and observe you without you invading their personal space, they'll slowly realise you're not a predator, and then you can take the next step which is putting your hand near the cage and seeing how they react, or maybe trying to feed them millet through the bars. Soon enough, they'll be stepping up onto your finger for out-of-cage playtime, and sitting on your shoulders.


----------



## thebeastiebirds (Jul 20, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *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
> 
> ...


This is great advice, thanks for your response!


----------



## thebeastiebirds (Jul 20, 2021)

ChickWas said:


> Easiest way to passively tame budgies is just to have them beside you whilst you're doing your own thing. For me, my budgies were in my bedroom with a full view of everything, and I spent most of the day at the computer so they had plenty of time to observe me, and see that I wasn't a threat. They felt comfortable and safe in their cage, and were able to perch high up and look down on me. The more time you put in, the faster the taming process will be. If you're only socializing with them for 20 minutes a day, it might take a while. Let them take the lead and things will go smoothly, if you try and rush it, you'll only cause trust issues and prolong the whole taming process.
> 
> It's the same when you introduce a new item. At first, they're terrified of it, but over time, they'll notice it doesn't seem to be a threat, and they'll slowly start to explore to see what exactly it is. So if they're able to sit safely in their cage and observe you without you invading their personal space, they'll slowly realise you're not a predator, and then you can take the next step which is putting your hand near the cage and seeing how they react, or maybe trying to feed them millet through the bars. Soon enough, they'll be stepping up onto your finger for out-of-cage playtime, and sitting on your shoulders.


You're right. I've relocated my desk to be next to their cage and they are a little calmer around me already. I'll get them comfortable with me from a bit of a distance first. However, I still need to put my hand in their cage to clean their perches and etc. would this be an issue in the process of them trusting me? Thanks


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*When you have to put your hand in their cage to clean it, make sure you move slowly and calmly.
Talk to the budgies while you are doing the cleaning in a low and reassuring voice.
As long as you don't make sudden moves, they won't be too fussed.

When you want to introduce a new perch or toy, it is best to put it on the outside of the cage for a few days so the budgies get used to it before moving it into their space.*


----------

