Talking Budgie?

[Tam 0]

Hi

 

Thanks everybody for your help in my other post.

 

Coco seems to be settling in very well. I have been spending lots of time talking to him (I am not sure if boy or girl, so I will just say he) and the past couple of nights he has started moving his beak like he is talking and bobbing his head - but he only does this while I am with him and talking. Is he trying to talk?

 

Also , what age to males start to warble and chatter to themselves?

 

Thanks

[Elly 0]

he may be trying to talk continue to talk to him all the time right now though I think he is flirting with you and enjoying your company .

[**Liv** 0]

He sounds like a he

He sounds gorgeous! Do you have a photo? He is defiantly chatting you up when he is bobbing his head at you .

Remember not to give him a mirror as I believe it stops them from learning to talk.

He loves your attention and if you keep repeating words to him he may surprise you one day by saying it back. I'm not sure how long it takes for them to learn how to talk. Keep us posted

[*libby* 0]

A mirror won't stop him learning to talk, but it will bond him to the mirror ... My weero was bonded to a mirror and only talks to it... he says "what ya doing" over and over again to it but won't utter a word to us

[**Liv** 0]

A mirror won't stop him learning to talk, but it will bond him to the mirror ... My weero was bonded to a mirror and only talks to it... he says "what ya doing" over and over again to it but won't utter a word to us

 

Thanks, I always thought mirrors = no talking. Good to know that isn't the case

[Tam 0]

thanks for all of the replies. Typical male, trying to chat up a girl! I can't wait to get home from work to see him.

 

I am trying to get him used to my hand in the cage. He often looks comfortable, but he runs away if i move towards him. Should I just be patient and wait until he is ready or try another way?

 

I have some pics http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg31/TamandCoco/ but they are not very clear, just from a mobile phone. Camera died and in the process of getting new one.

 

Cheers

[Guest Phoebe]

Sounds very exciting!!!

[**Liv** 0]

He is a VERY cute YF Blue . I have a soft spot for these little guys!

The more you hold him the tamer he will get.

 

When i was in primary school (year 4 -5) i had a YF2 sky blue called Sammy( ). She was so tame i took her to school everyday without a cage and with full flight feathers. She wouldnt fly off and loved sitting on my sholder in class. She was a well educated bird and probably Smarter than a 5ht Grader hehe. I am surprised I was alowd to have her at school, but no one ever complained so she came with me everyday for over a year.

[Tam 0]

He is a VERY cute YF Blue . I have a soft spot for these little guys!

The more you hold him the tamer he will get.

 

When i was in primary school (year 4 -5) i had a YF2 sky blue called Sammy( ). She was so tame i took her to school everyday without a cage and with full flight feathers. She wouldnt fly off and loved sitting on my sholder in class. She was a well educated bird and probably Smarter than a 5ht Grader hehe. I am surprised I was alowd to have her at school, but no one ever complained so she came with me everyday for over a year.

 

Sammy sounds very sweet. I would love to bring Coco to work with me, I might get some complaints though, grumpy solicitors! Maybe I will try and get a bit closer to him tonight and see how he reacts - he might be okay when he realises I wont hurt him.

[**Liv** 0]

He is a VERY cute YF Blue . I have a soft spot for these little guys!

The more you hold him the tamer he will get.

 

When i was in primary school (year 4 -5) i had a YF2 sky blue called Sammy( ). She was so tame i took her to school everyday without a cage and with full flight feathers. She wouldnt fly off and loved sitting on my sholder in class. She was a well educated bird and probably Smarter than a 5ht Grader hehe. I am surprised I was alowd to have her at school, but no one ever complained so she came with me everyday for over a year.

 

Sammy sounds very sweet. I would love to bring Coco to work with me, I might get some complaints though, grumpy solicitors! Maybe I will try and get a bit closer to him tonight and see how he reacts - he might be okay when he realises I wont hurt him.

 

Oh, so you haven't held him yet??

 

The first step i have with taming a birds is. Take them out of the cage in a small room (bedroom is great) that is dim with the windows covered and the door shut. Take him out of the cage, even if he resists, and hold him firm, but gentile in your hands close to your chest. Create a tunnel with your hands and Let him crawl though your hands, again and again and again. then after about 5 mins put him back in his cage for a rest.

 

Then you keep repeting this until he gets comfortable with your hands and understands you wont hurt him. It might take a day or it might take a week - they are all different. He then should sit on your hand and not be as scared.

Edited January 31, 2008 by **Liv**

[deb 0]

[quote name='Tam' date='Jan 31 2008, 13:16' post='206484'

 

I am trying to get him used to my hand in the cage. He often looks comfortable, but he runs away if i move towards him. Should I just be patient and wait until he is ready or try another way

 

 

 

 

you have a cute budgie Tam, i have two tame budgies in my house. One i hand raised so he has always been friendly but they other one was so afraid of me when i brought him in from my aviary.He would run away every time i put my hand in the cage but i started by putting my hand in the doorway of his cage for 10 mins every day and then as he got used to me i would slowly get closer to him. it took a few weeks but eventually he got so used to me he started climbing on my hand. i found it took time and patience to train him. Other people might have different ideas for training budgies but that is what i found worked for me. i have had Tweety for 12 months now and he talks to me and loves to climb up on my shoulder when he is out of his cage.

[Tam 0]

Thank you both so much. I think I will try Liv's suggestion tonight and see how I go. Should I take his cage into the bedroom too, or try and just carry him in?

[deb 0]

The first step i have with taming a birds is. Take them out of the cage in a small room (bedroom is great) that is dim with the windows covered and the door shut. Take him out of the cage, even if he resists, and hold him firm, but gentile in your hands close to your chest. Create a tunnel with your hands and Let him crawl though your hands, again and again and again. then after about 5 mins put him back in his cage for a rest.

 

Then you keep repeting this until he gets comfortable with your hands and understands you wont hurt him. It might take a day or it might take a week - they are all different. He then should sit on your hand and not be as scared.

 

 

sorry Liv, i did not see your post, your way of taming sounds good, i had not heard of doing it like that.if i had tried your method it might not have taken as long to train Twweety.

[**Liv** 0]

Thank you both so much. I think I will try Liv's suggestion tonight and see how I go. Should I take his cage into the bedroom too, or try and just carry him in?

 

If you can take the cage in to the bedroom with you then it's safer to get him in and out. The dim room helps keep him calm where the covered windows, and I should also mention covered Mirrors, will stop him from crashing into the glass if he flys. He will be a bit stressed, but if you relax, he should too. It's amazing how tuned into us they are.

 

When you think he is feeling calmer. let him crawl out of your hands, up your shirt and onto your sholder. Relax your sholders as they feel the tension, and just let him sit there for a bit. Then Try slowly sliding your hand up and under his breast. Use and open hand as 1 finger scary to a timid baby. He might step on to your hand, or he might fly off.

 

dont say "Shhh" when trying to settle him... "Shhh" is a bad sound in the bird world. Use Kisses, tounge clicks and quite whistles to calm him down.

 

Having the cage in the room will allow him to make his own way back in to his safety zone - especially if threre is a yummy treat in there for him

 

good luck with it and i hope you both enjoy your first cuddle

 

 

sorry Liv, i did not see your post, your way of taming sounds good, i had not heard of doing it like that.if i had tried your method it might not have taken as long to train Twweety.

 

Its what i have always done when taming birds. even aviary adults seem to tame this way, it just takes longer. Dr Harry Cooper also recomends this method

 

Good luck.

[maesie 0]

Exciting time for you both. All budgies talk at different rates, some sooner than others. Keep talking to him, and maybe pick a word or phrase you'd like him to learn, perhaps his name? Then, when you talk to him, try and repeat it as much as possible. Good Luck. I'm also excited about your handling ideas... he'll get used to you in no time, and I'd go with Liv's idea. I haven't personally tried it but have heard it works... just stay relaxed! :(Laughing out loud): Good Luck and have fun :(Laughing out loud):

[thk 0]

My Charley is a good talker so I spend a lot of time repeating the same phrase over and over again. I put my mouth and nose close to his beak and he flirts with me also, now and then giving a very soft twitter and staring at my mouth, as if he's memorising what I say. He doesnt usually talk to me at those times. Then when I put him back and leave him he usually starts repeating what I've been saying. I need a lot of patience and it gets boring saying the same thing over and over.. until I hear him saying it back.. then it was all worthwhile.

 

I also say "bye bye Charley".. every time I leave the room, each time I go out the door and close it behind me. It took about two days before I heard him sitting there on his perch saying "bye bye Charley". It usually happens that I think "hey???? what did he just say???" as it seems to come out of the blue, suddenly. Once he's got it he doesnt stop! He recently learnt "scratch my tummy" and he now says the words constantly, also mixes it up with his other words.. e.g. "Charley is a tummy".. "Scratch my pretty budgie".. "bye bye tummy!".. "Charley is a bad ...bad... tummy!" (he LOVES the word "tummy"!! I find he gets "favourite words")

 

I found once he was able to say his first phrase, he learnt more very very quickly. So I say persevere.. and one day, out of the blue, he'll say his first word.. and its so exciting!!! No less than your human baby's first word!!!!

 

Good luck. he's a lovely budgie!!

[**Liv** 0]

Once he's got it he doesnt stop! He recently learnt "scratch my tummy" and he now says the words constantly, also mixes it up with his other words.. e.g. "Charley is a tummy".. "Scratch my pretty budgie".. "bye bye tummy!".. "Charley is a bad ...bad... tummy!" (he LOVES the word "tummy"!! I find he gets "favourite words")

 

 

Thats gorgeous!

 

[Tam 0]

It wasn't so much of a cuddle, he kept flying away (his wings are clipped but he can still flap around). I kept picking him back up and putting him on the bed, I think he was getting used to my hands - kind of realised that they help him. He didn't seem very frightened though, well he didn't skwark or bite me. I will try again tomorrow, I could see an improvement from the 15 minutes I spent with him though. PS - as he didn't bite, would you be more inclined to think that he actually is a he??

 

Thanks for all of the replies on Coco's chatting. Charley sounds very cute.

[maesie 0]

It wasn't so much of a cuddle, he kept flying away (his wings are clipped but he can still flap around). I kept picking him back up and putting him on the bed, I think he was getting used to my hands - kind of realised that they help him. He didn't seem very frightened though, well he didn't skwark or bite me. I will try again tomorrow, I could see an improvement from the 15 minutes I spent with him though. PS - as he didn't bite, would you be more inclined to think that he actually is a he??

 

Thanks for all of the replies on Coco's chatting. Charley sounds very cute.

 

Yeah for you!!! Sounds like he will be a fast learner. Even if he did keep flying away, it meant you had to pick him up more, and because it was to help him, I think he knows your hands are "GOOD"... So pleased for you. As to the not biting, I find my girls bite more and MUCH harder than my boys, but I'm not sure if that's just mine or all boys/girls???

[**Liv** 0]

Sounds like you had a good first session.

 

"Not much of a cuddle, he kept flying off"

I would say you were being to gentile. When you make the tonnel with your hands he should not be able to get away. as he crawls though your hands it should be a bit of an effort for him, then quickly bring your bottom hand to the top so he can continue the endless tonnel.

 

He would still be getting used to you, and his surroundings. Perhaps if he can spend some time in that bedroom (in his cage) so he can get used to all the different object in there, he might be more comfortable next time.

 

Having his wings clipped will make him tame even faster

 

If he bobs his head when he chats to you AND if he isn't a bitter i would say you have a boy

Girls often draw blood when they bite >>>>OUCH<<<< and girls seem to be not very social.

Edited January 31, 2008 by **Liv**

[maesie 0]

Sounds like you had a good first session.

 

He would still be getting used to you, and his surroundings. Perhaps if he can spend some time in that bedroom (in his cage) so he can get used to all the different object in there, he might be more comfortable next time.

 

Having his wings clipped will make him tame even faster

 

If he bobs his head when he chats to you AND if he isn't a bitter i would say you have a boy

Girls often draw blood when they bite >>>>OUCH<<<< and girls seem to be not very social.

 

Agree there!!! I'm covered in a few at the moment as I'm medicating two girls!

[Tam 0]

Thanks for the advice I will be firmer tomorrow. He is just so little, and I am not used to holding budgies so I got a bit freaked out. He looks really sleepy now.

 

Thanks so much everybody . I will let you know how I get on tomorrow.

[Tam 0]

Okay...so day two of training. I was firmer wih Coco, but still having some teathing probs with the tonnel. I got him/ her into the tonnel but it kept ducking his head and trying to go backwards. He moved forward through the tonnel a couple of times, but then would start to try to squirm around. He didn't appear to get freaked out too much though, well once again he didn't bite me or make any noises to give me that indication. After a few minutes I let him go and he flapped off the bed and headed back for his cage. I will try again tomorrow - is this something to only do once a day? I have so far because I don't want to stress him out. I think it is a good training method - so thank you for the advice.

[Andrew 0]

does your budgie actually chirp and make noises and move around in its cage while you are there? mine has been here for two days now and all it does is sit there looking at you ive only heard it click its tounge twice and i can feed it millet... but today i managed to get him on my finger a few times and he didnt seemed stressed at all... in fact he didnt even try to get away i was very happy!

 

so i hope you enjoy your budgie as much as i am enjoying mine except for the fact that it doesnt move or talk or anything (Laughing out loud) :sad:

[Elly 0]

I wrote up an article on taming in the FAQ section if you would like to read through it. It was about taming my pet store budgie who was very untamed when I got him at 3 months.I have never used the tunnelling method for me I think it would scare the you know what out of them. Being grabbed like that but that is me personally. I have read people have had good luck with it. I tend to use the method I have in my article.Now Pretty it took about 6 months to warm up to me and he started to talk around 9 months. Then I got Merlin and all the talking ceased. Merlin was used to hands so there wasn't much in terms of taming. When Pretty died I let Merlin be and he came to me. Now he talks too, mimics many sounds and flys to me all the time. Sits on my shoulder, on the head etc.. I didn't force the issue and he trusts me which is wonderful. Both were clipped at the time of the beginning of training and now Merlin is completely flighted. Andrew to comment about your budgie not moving or talking Pretty did the same thing for the first 6 months and I was like what the heck but then he started to come out of his shell. So I wouldn't worry about it.