# Taming two budgies together



## Billandted (11 mo ago)

My partner and I recently got two boy budgies, we’ve had them for a week and a half. They were handled before I got them by their breeder and his children. I’ve read through the stickies on taming and feel awful as I didn’t know that I was supposed to not try to touch them for two weeks after getting them! We left them for about 3 days and then started leaving my hand in the cage while talking to them gently but not forcing them to come near me. Ted is getting used to stepping up now but Bill is very weary of our fingers (I understand why as they are very scary for them at first) I am hoping to get some advice on the best way of taming them both. Bill wants nothing to do with our fingers when we put them in the cage, I have been trying holding millet for them to see if they will eventually come and eat from my hand. We have accomplished this a few times but then the next day we seem to have to start from square one again with not much recognisable progress with Bill. Will this affect how well Ted is doing? What could I be doing to help Bill get used to us? 


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*When you have two budgies it is often normal for one to be a bit braver than the other. 
In your case, it sounds as though Ted is going to be the "brave" one and Bill will be a bit more timid.

Taming and Bonding is all about helping your budgies 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 budgies, 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.

One step forward and two steps back is quite normal so don't let that bother you.

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

My advice to you at this point is to simply put your hand in their cage and hold it very still. 
Try to do it for at least 5 minutes.
That can seem like an eternity when you are trying to hold still so just do the best you can.  
Having your hand in their "safe space" and realizing it is not trying to touch, grab or harm them will help them learn to be more trusting of it.
You can talk, read or sing to them while you are practicing this step. Do it a couple or three times a day for several days.

Next, instead of holding a piece of spray millet in your fingers, sprinkle a few millet seeds on your palm and hold your hand in the cage palm up.
Move your hand slowly toward the budgies. If they become agitated. Stop until they calm down.
Let them decide when they are ready to try putting a foot on your hand or lean over to take a millet seed.
Again, do this a couple of times a day for a few days. After that, you should be able to have your hand, palm up with the millet seeds in it very close to the perch one (or both) of them are on. It will take a bit of time but soon Ted will probably jump onto your hand to eat the seed.
When you have two budgies, often when the timid one (Bill) sees the braver one (Ted) do something and then realizes he lived through it, the timid one (Bill) will decide it's safe for him as well.

Once the budgies have become accustomed to your hand, are willing to step up onto your palm, the back of your hand or your finger (some budgies do not like to step up on fingers) then you'll be ready to proceed to the next steps.*


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## Billandted (11 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *When you have two budgies it is often normal for one to be a bit braver than the other.
> In your case, it sounds as though Ted is going to be the "brave" one and Bill will be a bit more timid.
> 
> Taming and Bonding is all about helping your budgies learn to trust you and it takes a great deal of time and patience on your part.
> ...


Thank you so much for your advice! 


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