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Budgie taming

ringotiel

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vida
So i’ve had my budgies for almost 3 years. I’m embarrassed to say this but after 3 years of relentless trying, I have NOT been able to tame them. I’ve tried pretty much everything in the books and they will not budge. I’ve been using bowls where i have to put my hands inside the cage to get it (as opposed to ones where i can change it from the outside) and they haven’t gotten used to me doing that. They didn’t care for the food i would give in my hands... every single day for weeks and weeks. The only thing they’ve cone close to doing is when they were outside their cage and we fed them millet from our hand, but the hand was not even moving so i’m not sure if they knew it was there and they were not flighted at the time (they lost all their primary feathers in a bad night fright). nothing works!!!!! if there’s any methods that have worked for you, or are some kind of “last resort” method then please tell me. I really want them to be tame for many reasons. It could help me solve a lot of other problems with them.
 

sunnysmom

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Ripshod

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Budgies follow each other, so if one is cared of you the others will be too. But this can work in your favour too.
If there's one bird you think you can reach out to then concentrate all your efforts on that one bird. If you have to seperate him/her and move him/her to another room so you get one to one attention then so be it, it won't be forever. Once you can get him/her perching on your hand with no hesitation move his/her cage back to the room with the others. Continue working with him/her with the others caged. It won't be easy because (s)he'll want to be with the others, but persist. S(he)'ll be more willing to come to you for millet when (s)he' s hungry so no food outside the cage other than the millet you're holding. The other budgies will see what's happening and finally when you release them hopefully they should be easier to work with. Monkey see monkey do.
Don't rush it. The last stage can take months, but so long as (s)he can't join the flock again you should still be able to work with him/her on a one to one basis. Hopefully the others will see her rewards and get the idea. When you think they're ready enough let them back together.
This is just one method. I had one female who would come to me when she was very young but hadn't for a long time. Essentially my whole flock was wild. But I kept offering the millet to her and she eventually came to me and perched on my hand. The rest of the flock fell like dominoes. All come to me now for a treat and all bar one will perch on my hand so I can turn them and check them over. Apart from one reluctant male, but that's just a matter of time.
This is my opinion. Other opinions are available and just as valid. Watch the budgies and follow their lead.
 

Sparkles99

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I'm going the millet route. So far, it's slow progress, but I'm persevering. :)
 

ringotiel

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@Ripshod Do i house them separately until she is tame? or do i keep them separate just while training? I do not have an extra cage to house them separately. they are a m/f pair and they are BONDED. does separating them just while training work too or will she revert back after every training session?
 

ringotiel

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@Sparkles99 yeah millet seems to work very well. unfortunately millet isn’t their favorite treat (my tiel used to fly across rooms for millet lol) but they still like it and don’t get it almost at all so hopefully that’ll motivate them
 

Ripshod

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does separating them just while training work too or will she revert back after every training session?
You can try that route too. It'll take longer and you'll have to catch her for the earlier training sessions. Follow your gut. You know more about your budgie's than I do.
 

ringotiel

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You can try that route too. It'll take longer and you'll have to catch her for the earlier training sessions. Follow your gut. You know more about your budgie's than I do.
yeah that’s okay, i just don’t have an extra cage so i’ll try that and see how it goes.
 
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