Posted May 10, 200619 yr Hiya, i was just wondering how long it takes to finger train a budgie?? We only got Oscar a couple of days ago and i think he's doing great. today we let him out of the cage for a wee fly and it went well - he didn't really have any accidents. He managed to sit on my foot and my arm but only managed to go on my finger/hand when he was too tired to fly away. has anybody got any good tips? it has been so long since i trained cheeky, i can't quite remember what to do!! :fear
May 10, 200619 yr One thing i will say is don't compare tameness to Cheeky. I know when my baby Tweets died i compared my second budgie to her and as a result couldn't tame him. Just spend lots and lots of time with Oscar, talk to him loads, get him used to your hands. I'm sure he'll be a playful little guy in no time. :fear
May 11, 200619 yr totally agree with Bea they are all so different. Start with finger training in the cage with rewards like millet or talking gently. When you take him out do it in a small room where he can't get around too far or high. Go to Terri's site she has excellent advice that I couldn't even start to begin with www.budgietalk.com. He will come around
May 11, 200619 yr Author thats great thanks very much. yeah it has been hard not to compare him to cheeky but i'm over that now - i've seen that his wee personality is totally different.
May 11, 200619 yr Author yeah sorry ive been slacking - been really busy ill try and get some tonite!
May 11, 200619 yr I am having the same problem with Sunny, but tonight I had him sitting on my finger eating some millet!! That was the key, first I put the millet in the cage, as long a stick as possible, then slowly shortened it until just the tip was poking through my fingers. I then rubbed his little belly and he stepped onto my finger - he was too interested in the millet to realise what he was doing!! I the cupped him in my hand, and as soon as he started fighting it, I gave him the millet back and he was happy. I let him munch for about 5 mins then took it away and he stayed in my hand and let me rub his head! He even closed his little eyes!!!
June 5, 200618 yr aw thats so sweet! thanks very much ill need to try that! It takes time to train them. I never really trained mine. Mine will walk onto my finger or climb up the top of my hand to go back into their cage. I don't do the "step up, step down." I guess each person is different. Mine are young and for the most part tamed. Depends on the bird's makeup for length of time. It's a building of trust really. To them we look like giants who can hurt their fragile bodies with our hands. So they have to learn to adjust to the human hand. Put treats in the cage and give them variety to their diet so they get used to your hand and not be frightened by it. I would take the top off the cage and let them fly around and then "teach" them to come on top of my hand. They do it so easily and without reservation when they know the hand. Just my thoughts and coming from a fairly new bird owner. Jenny
June 5, 200618 yr Author Oscar is doing great! he comes onto your finger easily now and likes to climb all over my glasses! He looks for us now and flys onto my head whenever i try to leave the room!! he's so funny - also has discovered his toys and he loves them!!! Still having a battle trying to get him into his cage at night and getting him to eat veggies! will keep trying though!! How are your wee ones getting on lovey?
June 5, 200618 yr that is awesome :redalbino:, he sound perfect. They are getting along good, Merlin likes toys so that encourages Pretty and Pretty is starting to take bathes on his own and Merlin just looks at him. They are comical, it is wonderful having 2
June 5, 200618 yr Author awww!! they sound so cute! i think im going to get a second one when oscar is a wee bit older! can't wait!
June 5, 200618 yr I would wait, I am glad I did with Pretty. Your bond will be strong with him so when you intro a 2nd one he won't forget about you :redalbino:
June 5, 200618 yr When we got Stitch they'd hand tamed him for us at the pet shop. Basically what they did was clip one wing (not a good idea but still) then each day they'd catch him and hold him in their hand for progressively longer periods. After the time was up they wouldn't just put him back in his cage, they'd let him go slowly with their thumb near his feet so as he got used to human hands being safe places he also would sit on their thumb for longer periods too. None of that was done with any food reward at all, only talking softly to him and even now he'll relax completely if a male voice talks softly close to him. I need to get a picture of this for you guys someday, he'll sit on my hubby's index finger and let him rub his belly with his thumb and gradually fall asleep leaning on the thumb. The problem is the sound of my camera always wakes him up. Since we got him home he's never been scared of fingers and if you hold out your hand like a policeman 'stop' signal (and he feels like it) he'll land on your thumb and let you wrap your fingers around him and hold him that way. Which works brilliantly for clipping toenails etc. But doesn't work at all when he knows you're going to put him into his cage for sleeptime (Laughing out loud) But still it's an individual budgie thing I think. Stitch is amazingly resilient, nothing much bothers him at all.
June 6, 200618 yr Author oh wow thats brilliant!! it sounds so cute!!! yeah i think Oscar's a wee bit old for that now but he's doing great anyway!! as for the bedtime thing - i think all budgies hate being put back in their cage!!
