Update on Gila!

[Guibirb]

Hello everyone, I bring you a little update on my baby, and with it some questions!
I think this is the 4th day maybe?

I have kept reading and keeping her beside me while I'm playing videogames, she is still quite lively in the morning, and loves singing and chirping, though the days in the winter are very short, and she isn't that energetic at night.. but neither am I, so who am I to judge!

Lots of toys, perches, and foodies are alerady abound! Either tomorrow or in the next 2 days my mom is going to pick them up!
My mom bought a "little" snack bar for her yesterday, at first she was a bit scared, but today I saw her nibbling on it, it's apricot and fig!
I have tried mixing little squares of apple along with her food, but she made sure to knock absolutely everything to the ground of her cage before getting to try them..

I've started trying to get her used to my hand outside of the cage by slowly caressing the side of it, but she stutter steps away from my finger and back to the other corner, which if it wasn't the cutest freaking thing, would make me very sad.
When and how should I start to get her on my hand?

I'm not very aware of their sleep pattern.. it seems shutting the lights and covering the cage is not enough, if I'm making the littlest noise, typing or moving around in bed she doesn't want to sleep and moves around on her perches! Maybe she'll sleep better on the new wooden perches I'm getting her, she's probably not comfy..

I saw a cage online, not sure if it's ideal.. it is 80*48*44 cm (31*19*17 in)
And was used for a ferret!

Gaiola grande

Vendo gaiola grande, comprei para puder levar o meu furão nas minhas férias. Medidas: 80*48*44 cm

www.olx.pt

She is going to get millet, those little pellets (what's the name of that?), with a little bit of fruit I might remember to mix in there, and the snack bar!
Is anything missing from her diet? what should I add to help her live a healthy life?

Thank you so much for all the love and help you've all given me!

Much love back,
Gui and Gila

 

[sunnysmom]

Gila is very cute. A lot of birds don't like hands in their cage. You could perhaps try to get her to step up on a perch instead of you can see if she'll start coming out on her own. Just make sure it's safe for her to come out.

 

[Lori D Pert]

The only thing that worries me about that cage is the bar spacing. It must not be wider that 1/2". A budgie can get their head stuck or become trapped. Millet and honey seed are fine for taming purposes but it is considered the candy of seed. Not too much. Fruit is ok if fed in small quantities but vegetables are better. Broccoli, kale, carrots and carrot greens, romaine lettuce are examples of a few good vegetables to offer. Sounds like Gila is settling in nicely.

 

[Dorcas George]

Hello everyone, I bring you a little update on my baby, and with it some questions!
I think this is the 4th day maybe?


I've started trying to get her used to my hand outside of the cage by slowly caressing the side of it, but she stutter steps away from my finger and back to the other corner, which if it wasn't the cutest freaking thing, would make me very sad.
When and how should I start to get her on my hand?

Just popping in for a short time, but I'll comment just on getting her on on your hand. Hand on cage is good. Also hand to your face, and always s-l-o-w. When that seems less scary for her, slowly put your hand inside cage. There may be lots of flapping and such, just be slow and speak quietly and calmly, and no chasing.

But after your hand doesn't cause excitement, start with a treat. Millet is always good, just not as a steady diet. Maybe or maybe not accepted the first time. And once both my budgies discovered they could eat green stuff, broccoli bits are irresistible and they will jump right on my hand to chow down!

I have two budgies. One, Packer, the green/yellow one, is very skittish, even though he is the more vocal and active. It took six months to eat from my hand without fear, and STILL (at nine months with me now) if I move my thumb or move fast he freaks. The other (white) one, Frost, took about a month of getting used to my hand before happily accepting food. Now they are about at the same stage of tame, neither wants my hand in their cage unless I have food.

I think the newer one will be the first to eventually step on my hand, or land on an arm or shoulder, or whatever. Is this frustrating? Yep. I did NOT expect the length of time that it has taken. I think that if my new little guy did not have scardy bird Packer as his older pal example, it would have been easier. Both come to the front of the cage, both chirp and chatter and call me, both LOVE it when I sing to them. I try to sing or play music when I'm putting my hand near.

I know that many birds will NOT take this long. Others here can tell you that their little birds took over a year to get brave enough to fly to a hand or arm or head. Speaking of flying, both will now let me get quite close to them if they are out of the cage and perched somewhere. Apparently, my face is less frightening then my hands.

How long it takes for any of these little guys to progress is so varied that it is hard to believe. Let the bird tell you.

 

[Guibirb]

Gila is very cute. A lot of birds don't like hands in their cage. You could perhaps try to get her to step up on a perch instead of you can see if she'll start coming out on her own. Just make sure it's safe for her to come out.

Interesting, I should try that when she starts not running away from my finger! As soon as I get her new things.

 

[Guibirb]

The only thing that worries me about that cage is the bar spacing. It must not be wider that 1/2". A budgie can get their head stuck or become trapped. Millet and honey seed are fine for taming purposes but it is considered the candy of seed. Not too much. Fruit is ok if fed in small quantities but vegetables are better. Broccoli, kale, carrots and carrot greens, romaine lettuce are examples of a few good vegetables to offer. Sounds like Gila is settling in nicely.

I'm gonna try to find some vegetables around and mix it with her food! Might think about other cages, that one's really not made for birds.

 

[Lori D Pert]

I'm gonna try to find some vegetables around and mix it with her food!

You can do that but just remember to replace the seed and vegetables once they have begun to wilt. An easier way is to clip them to the bars of the cage or get a separate dish just for vegetables. Hanging them wet will also promote bathing as some budgies love to rub up against the wet vegetables.

 

[Guibirb]

Just popping in for a short time, but I'll comment just on getting her on on your hand. Hand on cage is good. Also hand to your face, and always s-l-o-w. When that seems less scary for her, slowly put your hand inside cage. There may be lots of flapping and such, just be slow and speak quietly and calmly, and no chasing.

But after your hand doesn't cause excitement, start with a treat. Millet is always good, just not as a steady diet. Maybe or maybe not accepted the first time. And once both my budgies discovered they could eat green stuff, broccoli bits are irresistible and they will jump right on my hand to chow down!

I have two budgies. One, Packer, the green/yellow one, is very skittish, even though he is the more vocal and active. It took six months to eat from my hand without fear, and STILL (at nine months with me now) if I move my thumb or move fast he freaks. The other (white) one, Frost, took about a month of getting used to my hand before happily accepting food. Now they are about at the same stage of tame, neither wants my hand in their cage unless I have food.

I think the newer one will be the first to eventually step on my hand, or land on an arm or shoulder, or whatever. Is this frustrating? Yep. I did NOT expect the length of time that it has taken. I think that if my new little guy did not have scardy bird Packer as his older pal example, it would have been easier. Both come to the front of the cage, both chirp and chatter and call me, both LOVE it when I sing to them. I try to sing or play music when I'm putting my hand near.

I know that many birds will NOT take this long. Others here can tell you that their little birds took over a year to get brave enough to fly to a hand or arm or head. Speaking of flying, both will now let me get quite close to them if they are out of the cage and perched somewhere. Apparently, my face is less frightening then my hands.

How long it takes for any of these little guys to progress is so varied that it is hard to believe. Let the bird tell you.

Thanks for your time regardless!
I'm hoping the process won't take that long, though I'm not at all in a hurry, she can take her own time.
It must be infuriating for it to take that long when some lucky people are getting their bird on their hand and around the house in just a few weeks..
Still going to give her my best, and hopefully we'll bond soon!

 

[Guibirb]

You can do that but just remember to replace the seed and vegetables once they have begun to wilt. An easier way is to clip them to the bars of the cage or get a separate dish just for vegetables. Hanging them wet will also promote bathing as some budgies love to rub up against the wet vegetables.

Yea, that seem a bit better! Just want to make sure she gets used to everything she's got to eat before it's too late, and the process of getting her what she need gets way more complicated..

 

[Dorcas George]

When I mixed veggies with food, both little guys were adept at picking around veggies to just get what they wanted! It took several times of offering stuff before they tried it. At this point, I'm putting little bits of broccoli in dishes, or my hand. LOL! Kale and the big favorite carrot greens, get hung from cage top with a clip. Nice and wet. They nibble around the edges of the Kale leaf, but they go nuts and devour every bit of the carrot tops!

 

[Dorcas George]

Thanks for your time regardless!
I'm hoping the process won't take that long, though I'm not at all in a hurry, she can take her own time.
It must be infuriating for it to take that long when some lucky people are getting their bird on their hand and around the house in just a few weeks..
Still going to give her my best, and hopefully we'll bond soon!

I hope it does not take that long! I really do! But just be prepared and then if it all happens more quickly it will be a plus!

 

[Guibirb]

I will try and clip some veggies to the cage, try and get them nice and wet!
Hoping it wont take won't take that long to tame this beast.

 

[Monica]

If it helps (apologies if not all the images appear!)

An Experiment with Budgies

I used to own 5 adult, flighted budgies. Four females, one male. None tame. The male and two females (given to me as males) were second hand birds, where-as the other two hens had come from a breeder, but both were older birds (perhaps 1+ years old?) March of 2007 (when the flock was...

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[Guibirb]

Interesting, but before I attemp something like that I should get her accustomed to my hand inside the cage, thank you!

 

[JoJo&Loki]

My birbs refused their pellets and veggies for awhile, until finally one day they just started digging in. I hang fresh wet veggies from the roof of the cage daily, usually sprinkled with sprouts. They LOVE picking off the sprouts Broccoli was also the 1st accepted veggie here too!

How are things going today? Does she seem to be relaxing a bit yet? I think sleep will get better the more she adjusts to her new surroundings...and yep, comfy perches help too

 

[Monica]

Interesting, but before I attemp something like that I should get her accustomed to my hand inside the cage, thank you!

I didn't even get them used to my hand being in their cage... I just offered food by hand. If they took it, they took it! If they didn't, then that was okay, too! Fed the ones that were willing and repeated the next day! Never starved, either. Monkey see, monkey do... so eventually, all were willing.

 

[Guibirb]

My birbs refused their pellets and veggies for awhile, until finally one day they just started digging in. I hang fresh wet veggies from the roof of the cage daily, usually sprinkled with sprouts. They LOVE picking off the sprouts Broccoli was also the 1st accepted veggie here too!

How are things going today? Does she seem to be relaxing a bit yet? I think sleep will get better the more she adjusts to her new surroundings...and yep, comfy perches help too

She doesn't really refuse her pellets, I guess she must've been eating those at the aviary, still, I'm yet to try and give her something different, apart from her snackbar, which she nibbled a bit.

I did not really observe her a lot today, and I'm spending the afternoon away, as I was leaving I saw my mom was amazed with her, playing bird sounds on her phone and watching her respond and chirp along, she put her food thing on the cage, and Gila has no idea how to get it that way.

Maybe next day I'll try and do some more experiments!

 

[Guibirb]

I didn't even get them used to my hand being in their cage... I just offered food by hand. If they took it, they took it! If they didn't, then that was okay, too! Fed the ones that were willing and repeated the next day! Never starved, either. Monkey see, monkey do... so eventually, all were willing.

I have tried giving her food with my hand, but she a little bit afraid, and seem uncomfortable with my hand in her cage, and I don't want to starve her already

 

[Fergus Mom]

It might help to read about when mine first came - I made a log of their events if you would like to see how long mine took to step on my hand, etc. You're doing just fine with your little sweetie - keep being patient.

Fergus and Fiona Diary / Log of training and daily adventures beginning JUNE 2017

I thought to post this to remember my Fids first days here, and the length of time it has taken for them to progress to different phases of training. Fergus and Fiona Diary / Daily Log - Training, and adventures! June 2017 - January 2018 6 12 17 Fergus first day here (His name is Fergus...

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