# My budgie doesn’t care for millet!



## yorsh (Jan 5, 2014)

Hi everyone, I haven’t posted here in a few years but recently my uncle recently gave up his two budgies (one grey English budgie and one albino budgie, pretty sure both are male from their behaviour) and I took them. It’s been around a week and a half now and they’ve settled in well - they’re hopping about their cage chirping and playing, they’re eating and drinking, so I figured I’d try and hand-tame them now. 

They’re used to me sitting near their cage and they’re used to my hand being in the cage, but when I try to offer them millet they don’t care for it - they lean away from my hand when I offer it to them, and when I leave my hand a comfortable distance from them they just ignore it. It’s been three days of trying this now and it seems like they just don’t care for millet at all so I’m not sure how to positively reinforce them to step up. I gave them a small sprig of millet when I first got them and I saw them nibble at it so I know they have a taste for it, they just don’t care when I’m holding it. 

Any ideas for how to help tame them? Thanks!


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

Hi there! Behavior isn't an accurate way to determine gender, if you take a picture of their ceres (the area above their beak) in natural light with no flash we can help you determine their gender. 
In terms of taming, leave your hand a comfortable distance away- don't try to approach them yet. It may take them a while to come to your hand to eat. If they aren't super motivated by millet you can try other treats like Nutriberries, safflower seeds, sunflower chips, etc. I would start just by offering their regular seed mix to see if that can entice them.


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## yorsh (Jan 5, 2014)

Hunterkat said:


> Hi there! Behavior isn't an accurate way to determine gender, if you take a picture of their ceres (the area above their beak) in natural light with no flash we can help you determine their gender.
> In terms of taming, leave your hand a comfortable distance away- don't try to approach them yet. It may take them a while to come to your hand to eat. If they aren't super motivated by millet you can try other treats like Nutriberries, safflower seeds, sunflower chips, etc. I would start just by offering their regular seed mix to see if that can entice them.


Can you tell the gender of an albino budgie from their cere? I know the grey English budgie is a male because it has a blue cere but the albino one's is pink, because of its albinoism which gets rid of any pigment in their feathers and skin.

I'll try coaxing them with their regular food for now &#128578; Thanks!


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## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

You can tell the gender of an albino! If the cere is a uniform dark pink-purple it's a boy, if it's a paler white, blue, pink, or brown it's a female.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Chloe,

I'd suggest experimenting to find a "treat" that your budgies do enjoy. Try a tiny bit of orange, apple or strawberry. Sooner or later you'll discover a treat they are interested in.

Best wishes!*


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## yorsh (Jan 5, 2014)

Hunterkat said:


> You can tell the gender of an albino! If the cere is a uniform dark pink-purple it's a boy, if it's a paler white, blue, pink, or brown it's a female.


I'm not sure how old this budgie is, but this is the best photo I could get of its cere. What do you think it is?


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## iHeartPieds (Jan 9, 2017)

Looks like a cute Male to me.


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Cute little boy budgie . Just keep trying different healthy bird-safe foods, and sooner or later I’m sure you’ll find something your little ones like.


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## joey n chickpea (May 26, 2011)

A change in owner and environmental is very stressful, so try to give them time to adjust. They may be too stressed to eat so take it easy with any changes or even handling until they've had at least a week to get used to the new lives they have


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