# Trying to tame two adult budgies



## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

I got two budgies four years ago towards the end of summer. I have tamed them a lot and they got used to my hand and would climb on if I was holding a treat. But then school started and I didn’t have as much time for hand taming them.

What I don’t understand is that I’ve resumed training on and off and I haven’t been making any progress.

I’m very sure that the two budgies like me. They chirp to me when I’m in the room and they aren’t scared when I put my face up against the cage bars.

I’m thinking that maybe the birds associate me with my face and think of my hand as something totally different and scary?

I really want them hand tamed soon because they do have a big cage but recently one of my budgies got sick and I had to move him to a smaller cage.

I have to catch him twice a day to medicate him by mouth. Does that have something to do with his fear of my hand? I use a towel when I catch him but I hold the syringe with my hand. 

I really want to have two tame budgies but I’m not sure if I should continue hand taming my budgie while he is sick. 

I have let the two budgies out on occasion (and they’ve escaped a couple times), but they panic and fly around and bump into things. I eventually go and pick them up with a towel and return them to their cage. 

One time my male budgie did escape and I let him stay outside the cage for a few hours and he seemed to calm down. But then he flew across the room and crashed into the wall. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt and didn’t seem fazed by the experience.

Does anyone have any advice on how to tame these two budgies? I really want them to live happy full lives and even though they’re both not overweight, I’m worried that they’re not getting enough exercise.


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

They associate your hand with being grabbed/touched when they don't want it. 
I would try clicker training them. Find out whatever their absolute favourite treat is (for most budgies it's millet) and only let them have that treat as a reward when training.


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Should I do target training with the clicker?


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

A lot of people will use a target along with the clicker. I use an orange stick because they are budgie sized and already sanitized as they are supposed to be one time use nail items. 
You don't have to use the two together however; you basically want your budgies to associate the sound of the click with a treat and so when they do something you want them to, they hear the click, they get the treat, and then they become okay with whatever the activity is. For instance, my boy can NOT stand his nails being trimmed. Through clicker training, now he'll let me (even though he's got his grumpy angry face the whole time) but knows at the end he's getting a treat and so tolerates it. 
If you want some more in depth info, I learned about it from BirdTricks on youtube. They are professional bird trainers and just recently got a super cute budgie named Blueberry that they are showing the training for step by step.


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Thanks for the advice! I’ll look into it


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Clicker training has been going great for one of my budgies! I’ve taught her target training and soon I’m going to purchase a clicker.

I only have one problem; my other budgie (the sick one) isn’t at all interested in the millet I hold out for him and runs away. I’m trying to get him to gain weight because he has a yeast infection and is underweight, so he has millet already available in his cage. Is there any other sort of training you would recommend that doesn’t involve treats?

I also could buy some new treats for him, but he can’t have honey or sugar so that rules out pretty much everything that he would like enough to climb on my hand.

Any ideas anyone?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I believe you need to concentrate on getting your "sick" bird healthy before worrying about training.

Is it under the care of an Avian Vet for the AGY?

Macrorhabdus/Avian Gastric Yeast

Avian Gastric Yeast by Dr. Sakas*


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

Yes, I’ve been administering meds orally for about 25 days. My budgie has been acting much more cheerful and energetic. Soon I’m going to have a break from administering meds, and I want to find a non stressful form of training for him. Have I should wait until he’s completely cured to start training him. I think he’ll also learn from observation of my other budgie.

He’s much better now though


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

Definitely finish the entire prescribed round of medication! Even if your budgie seems much better, it's extremely important to give the entire amount of medication the vet prescribed.


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