• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Budgie won't come out of her cage

peesh

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/4/21
Messages
37
Real Name
Ulyana
I've had my budgie for three weeks, she's gotten pretty used to her surroundings, chirps, eats well, eats millet from hand and is overall a happy birdie. I've posted earlier about target training, but I've noticed that I can't train her yet not only because I give her too much millet for a trick, but also most of the day she's super flighty and only calms down to occasionally sit on a perch and chirp for several minutes (during this time she won't accept millet from my hand, she just backs away). I understand it is normal behaviour for a caged bird, so I thought that if I let her out for a couple hours, she'll get all the flight space she needs and then will be more calm for training (she needs to fly outside every day anyway). Her cage door has been kept open for two days now, only closed at night. She isn't afraid of the door, she continues her normal everyday behaviour. She takes a treat out of my hand, but I can't lure her outside with it. Placing millet spray next to the entrance didn't help either, and I left it for quite a long time. I wanted to target or finger train her to get her outside, but apparently outside first, then training. So is there some other way to encourage her to get out of the cage?
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,829
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez
There’s nothing stopping you target training her in the cage while you stay outside of her safe territory. You can offer treats through the bars or reward verbally.
 

Sparkles99

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
8/9/20
Messages
6,315
Location
Ontario, Canada
I think it may just take time. Mine are hunkered down in their cage too.
 

kayosa

Walking the driveway
Joined
11/30/20
Messages
188
Real Name
Katy
Get food dishes that clip to the Big front door, the one you leave open.
Yuki, the white budgie here, is very flighty and skittish. When I intoduced these feed dishes training got easier. She gets fed only enough for that day every day. So come morning light she perches here waiting for food. She’s gotten more confident as she is facing me. I drop treats in the dishes occasionally, and over the months I can even gently touch her chest while she is perched here. That’s still a lot of training, but this is called a Station behavior training. They will learn this spot is safe and will get them treats. Never catch them while standing there. Only ask them to step up through bribery.
I leave the cage door open and they explore out side now when they want too.
 

Attachments

peesh

Meeting neighbors
Joined
2/4/21
Messages
37
Real Name
Ulyana
Get food dishes that clip to the Big front door, the one you leave open.
Yuki, the white budgie here, is very flighty and skittish. When I intoduced these feed dishes training got easier. She gets fed only enough for that day every day. So come morning light she perches here waiting for food. She’s gotten more confident as she is facing me. I drop treats in the dishes occasionally, and over the months I can even gently touch her chest while she is perched here. That’s still a lot of training, but this is called a Station behavior training. They will learn this spot is safe and will get them treats. Never catch them while standing there. Only ask them to step up through bribery.
I leave the cage door open and they explore out side now when they want too.
Oh thank you! Never considered putting their dishes next to the front door. In fact, I have those metal dishes with hooks that I can attach there. I think I'll try that and see if she comes closer to actually being curious about what's outside the cage. Peeko's overall pretty calm and lets my hand close to her, just doesn't like being touched yet because she used to be bullied by the other female budgies she lived with. So I think with this method and also with some patience I'll manage to get her to trust me more :ashamed2:
 

kayosa

Walking the driveway
Joined
11/30/20
Messages
188
Real Name
Katy
You’re welcome! If she’s calm training should be a bit easier. My girl Yuki is very skittish and untrusting, I’ve had her five months and she flutters around to avoid my hand most of the time. I probably wouldn’t have gotten this far if I hadn’t bought Akiko(my green budgie) who loves people and is curious about everything. Having her keep calm settles Yuki down.
millet is a great training treat, the fact that they have to come and take one seed at a time means they spend more time eating near your hand when you offer it.
 
Top