Needing advice...

[BirdNooblet]

So I've had my little guy two months, he's 1 years old though and I am having a hard time taming him and knowing what the next steps are for him. I have made some progress due to if I stick my fingers through his cage he will come over and nip at them gently, same goes for my hair, if I stick some strands through the cage he will come over and nibble on it. But that's as far as I can get it seems.

I've had my hand up to his cage 2-3 times a day for a week or so, now I have begun putting my hand in his cage. When I do this he will just sit on the highest perch above my hand, he doesn't seem to have any issues with that. If I try to put a finger near him but not too close he will move around slightly and seem scared but he seems to be able to tolerate it. Other times he paces and I know he's scared so I back off.

I have tried to hold some spray millet in my hand to show that it brings good things, but he's scared of the spray millet and panics. He's still seems like he is timid and scared since I can walk into my room and he will hide in his hidey-hole toy.

I am getting discouraged since I don't know what the next step is, if I should take a few steps back and if so what do I do, or if I should just not tame him at all until he is settled in more. I know it takes patience but I just don't know what the next step should be.

 

[Monica]

What about trying to feed him what he normally eats by hand first thing in the morning before he's eaten? If after 5-15 minutes he doesn't eat, that's ok, you can try again the next day.

 

[Kimberla]

If he tolerates your finger coming into the cage, can you give him a favorite treat thru the bars? Maybe keep the treat from him for a day or two and he will want it more. Move slow and see if he will tolerate that. If he does, try walking him to various spots in the cage with the treat. If he understands that if he cooperates, you will give him his goodies whenever he follows your lead.

 

[sunnysmom]

Can you work with him outside of his cage? I think a lot of birds see their cage as their "safe" place and don't like it being intruded on. Does he come out at all? If you leave the cage door open will he come out? Or put a perch near his cage door on the outside of the cage and hang some millet or something that he likes. You might be able to get him to step up using a perch etc. too instead of your hands (until he gets more comfortable). In the beginning I used to have to cover my arm with a towel, and my tiel would step up on that. Now, he doesn't have a problem with hands, but it took some time.

 

[msplantladi]

Totally agree with the notion his cage is his safe haven......my rescues had never been in a cage and when I got them to go in they didn't want to come out. I would open the cage door & just sit chatting quietly, maybe reading, eating or chatting slowly to them.The environment was cleared of all other animals. 2 months isn't a long time-you are still in the building trust stage & there is no time limit on that-my female military trust me far more after 4 month then the scarlett male. Each bird is different just as people are. What type of bird?

 

[BirdNooblet]

He's a regular budgie, I find lately I have been able to have some spray millet in my hand and he will come over and eat it with my hand and millet in the cage. But I have only been letting him eat it for 5 to 10 minutes since I know it's not a healthy thing really. Should I be letting him eat as much as he wants instead of taking it out when he still wants more? I give him millet twice a day to try and build trust. He seems to come for it, but is still scared. I don't want to give him too much fattening foods since he is still on a seed diet.

I have had the cage door open a few times and he just ignores it or plays with his toys. I will continue to have the door open and see if he will come out.

Also I find that if I am talking to him he will get very chatty with me and it's like he is talking back. He'll even head bob and it's so cute.

 

[Monica]

I think for now it may be ok to allow him to have as much as he wants as long as he is eating other foods.

 

[BirdNooblet]

He is only eating seeds but I have been crushing up some pellets and mixing it in his food so that he may eventually want to eat pellets. As for fruits and veggies he is very picky. I don't want to take the millet away when he is eating it from my hand but I don't want him to eat too much since it is fattening.

 

[Monica]

Millet is supposedly one of the healthier seeds, actually, and is a staple in seed blends and even some pellets.

 

[wyrinth]

As mentioned above, some birds do not like hands in the cage. My linnies, who are pretty tame outside the cage ( they fly to me and sit on my shoulder, etc) will still act like my hands are some kind of monster if I stick them in the cage . I have had more luck with using a piece if natural branch as a dowel for removing them from their cage. Or, I just open the cage and let them fly out.

 

[BirdNooblet]

I seem to be able to have my hand in the cage fine now with spray millet. I move my hand closer to the millet every few days so he gets used to it.

So should I let him eat as much millet as he wants? Or let him eat as much as he can in 10-15 minutes twice a day? I have been having my hand in the cage twice a day for 10-15 minutes so he can get used to my hand so should I do the same with the millet?

 

[Sadieladie1994]

Hold the millet at the door. Don't go in. The goal is a forward movement towards you rather than you "hunting" them down. If your bird does not come for the millet it is ok as it is his choice. Do this each day and you will see he comes towards you. Next, perch on the door so he comes out of the cage. Little steps. Any forward movement towards you is a reward. Moving away from you means you need to back off. Look forward to hearing how this goes.

 

[BirdNooblet]

I have made some progress in that I can hold some spray millet and he'll eat from my hand! However if I try to get him to step up he won't. He may have one claw on my finger but won't want to put the other one. I've maybe had him completely on my finger twice for a few seconds. Then he will try to escape my fingers. Any ideas on how to get him to have both claws on my finger? Or should I use a small wooden perch?

He still doesn't seem to want to go anywhere near the cage door. He will just look at the millet.

Is there anything else I can do to make him more used to my hand and fingers? I seem to be able to have some fingers right up close to him and he is able to stand it. I then move them back and offer millet along saying "good boy". I was able to touch his beak once which was cute but don't know if that was the wrong thing to do. He seems to like to hit things with his beak. Is having my fingers near him a bad thing to do?

 

[Monica]

Honestly, I wouldn't be too concerned with having him step up just yet! Putting a toe or even a claw onto your hand is enough for now! Get him comfortable with that before moving onto half a foot, then an entire foot, then both feet! Allow him to make the choice! Once he's comfortable enough, you can encourage him by having the food further back out of reach and he has to reach over a hand to get to it, but try to *always* set him up for success! If he wont go for the millet then you may be asking too much too soon! It's ok to go back a step! Keep at it until he's ready for the next one!

 

[BirdNooblet]

I will keep doing it since he is making progress. However I don't know if I just lost his trust. I had the cage door open to see if he would come out, he did but began to fly around my room. I tried to search for a towel to toss over him, I ended up using my hands which I know is bad. He's back in his cage now but I hope that little bit of trust we had isn't gone. He's such a hard bird to tame. My first bird was no where near as tough as this guy. =/ Hopefully he still likes me and we can continue with little steps.

 

[Monica]

If you are going to allow him out of the cage, then you need to be prepared to allow him to roam around (as long as he's not in any danger and/or hurting himself by flying around) and just leave him be.

If you need him back into the cage, you can try placing millet on or around the cage, *slowly* taking the cage to him, or try dimming the room he's in and *slowly* approaching him with millet, a perch or the cage. Chasing him around if you don't *need* to is counter-productive.

 

[BirdNooblet]

I have been letting the cage be open and he is now coming out on his own, he'll fly around my room then just climb around on his cage. He's not tame yet so I just let him do what he wants but supervised.

The new thing he is doing now is he is still eating spray millet from my hand and I can get him to put one of his claws on my finger! However he refuses to put his other claw on. I have tried to get his other claw on by sliding my finger gently under it and will get a fraction of it on. But it causes him to blocked in so I just move back. He now will lift up one claw to get the millet which is adorable. But will he give me the other in time? Is it like a trust thing where if he gives me both he fully trusts me? Where by giving one he is still grounded and on his terms? I don't know if his other foot is hurt or something. He seems to be using them both fine, climbing around and whatnot. Could that be an issue as well?

 

[Monica]

I would say it's a trust thing. He doesn't trust you enough to put both feet on. Give him time to learn to trust you. Don't rush him faster than he's willing to go.

 

[dolldid]

I beleave the cage is off limets to you open the door and have him come tou you at the door look at it this way would you want a stranger to come in to your home well always put your self as your bird then you will know what to do and not do like stand in his shoes I had mango for months his cage open but never once touched him I let him come to me let him want me I do know budgies are much difrent than the biger birds but yours seems quiet not skidish like a lot are so go slow your doing great hes getting used to you and that's what it takes but hand feed him at the open door please do not enter it and if he should come out let him be don't try and catch him he will return to cage at night gust make sure you leave a soft light on till he goes in .
if you try and catch him you will destroy what trust you have built at least this is how I feel you would not trust someone chasing you so why would a bird always put your self in same posision as your bird and im sure you wont have a problem
go slow good luck remember rome wasn't built in a day
hugs

 

[Monkey & Izzy]

Just wondering do you talk to him wile you are putting your hand near and in the cage? I find that if you talk in a soft, happy almost sing songy voice it helps to keep everyone relaxed. Also singing wile by the cage or moving around the cage and maybe reading again in a very happy voice. (Not excited voice) IMO. It sounds like you are doing the right things and I really like dolldid's Idea.