# Advice about letting untamed budgie out



## Littoface

I'm back with more questions! Nana is comfortable now and finally decided to leave her cage today. It was disastrous. She crashed into everything and ended up in the kitchen (despite my best attempts to keep her out - there's no door..). 

Now I'm not sure what I should do next. The original idea was to let her out in my daughter's room - it's child and budgie proof. But moving her cage is stressful for her (it also removes her from her finch friends and the soothing waterfall sound of the fish tank). She's not tame so I can't move her without the cage.. I am afraid to let her out in the living room again, but I also know the more she gets out the better she'll get at flying. 

I'd love to bond with Nana but my real goal for her has always been to not be stuck in a cage, and I do not plan on clipping her wings. 

So I guess my questions are:

1. Should I keep letting her out in the living room (if I can figure out a way to block the way to the kitchen)?
2. Besides adding perches around the room for her to land on, is there anything else I can do to help her not slam into the walls?
3. Is there a stress-free way I can move her cage into a different room? I can't set up a routine.. I can open the cage in the living room at regular times during the week but I can only move her into that room 3 or 4 days a week (when my kid isn't around to freak her out). 

Any other thoughts and suggestions are greatly welcomed! I don't want her to hurt herself (or hate me for throwing towels on her haha).


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## StarlingWings

Hi there! :wave: 

I'm glad Nana was brave enough to venture out! I read your other thread just a minute ago and I'm glad she isn't hurt, I'm sure although she was pretty scared after falling she'll be just fine. 

However, that is perfectly normal. Especially because she's not tame, she was probably very stressed flying around where she didn't really know what was going on, which is why she kept crashing into things. 

You're absolutely right, though--it'll get much easier for her and less stressful, too, the more she does it. 

To bar her way from the kitchen, you can pin a sheet or two to the ceiling so that it hangs down, forming a "barrier" from the exit to the living room. If moving her cage stresses her out that much, I wouldn't do it until she's extremely comfortable with everything (you, flying, etc.) 

You can put some perches around the room if you'd like so she sees them as "safe" places to land on, or you can put a rope perch on top of her cage as well as outside the door so she has a place to land when she's too scared to find another place. 

I hope it goes more smoothly next time, I'm sure she will slowly start to adjust to her new time outside the cage! :fingerx:


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## Littoface

Thank you starling! I hadn't thought of putting a rope perh on her cage. I'll also get a clip perch to put on the outside.. And recruit my husband's help figuring out how to attach a sheet to the opening (we're not allowed to put nails in our walls... Lots and lots of duct tape!?) I was really not sure which option was best so thanks for the tips!


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## StarlingWings

No problem  

You can also use thumbtacks, so that may work just as well if you're allowed to put those in the wall where you live :thumbsup:


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## Littoface

I'm not sure I can do that, my wall is SOLIIID haha I will figure it out! Maybe I'll post a picture of whatever silly setup I end up with.


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## StarlingWings

You definitely should! We're always looking for creative ways to do things  :001_rolleyes:


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## lamba

This is what I did, I had an opening out to the living room. It works well for me, and cheap.
lamba


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## Stranding

Hi lamba
Presume the pole is spring loaded? That's a very good idea, and means you can hang a sheet on with pegs. You could leave the pole up, I assume, so that putting the sheet up temporarily is simple & quick.

Good luck with Nana's flying practise! I'm sure she will improve very quickly. I agree that moving her cage isn't a good idea, especially while she is getting used to the room layout. You want her to learn how to return to the cage herself if you can, so it needs to stay in one place for her.

When she's had a few flights, could you try putting her special treat (such as millet spray in my case!) on top of the cage to bribe her close? If that works once, then you could try moving it nearer the door, and then inside. That's the theory anyway!
Ann


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## lamba

It is a spring loaded curtain rod purchased at Walmart. I just measured the entrance way, (inside to inside of the door frame). My son kept turning it until it tightened on the sides of the framework. You can move it up and down. We hook it with clothes pins, which we already had. We keep it up (curtain rod) and put the sheet on when ready to get them out of the cage. Then when done, birds back into the cage, we just take the sheet down. Hope this helps.
Lamba


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## Therm

You've received loads of great advice already. I just wanted to add that as an owner of eight untamed budgies who have out of cage time, Nana will get used to the room in no time at all. These are smart little birds. If I were you, I would try and settle into a routine with the time you let her out, as this works very well for my flock. I like them to be ready to go into their cage for dinner time and this makes the whole process very easy and seas free for me and the budgies. Good luck.


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## ReneBC

They do indeed learn the layout of the room very quickly, such a joy to watch them turn circles around the room and return to their home safely!
Good luck!


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