I just wanted to update some of you, because you gave me some great advice when I was looking at picking out our very first budgie.

 

Trixie is going great, although I've been finding that she has no interest in any fruit or vegies. I keep offering them to her, but she doesn't even really look at it. Is it better to shove chunks of food through the bars of the cage, or grate it up & put it in another food bowl? I've tried both ways....but just thought I'd find out what others do.

 

She hates our hand in the cage, & flies away when we try to get her out of the cage. It can take me 5-10 minutes to get her out of there! I've tried the patient way...sitting my hand in the cage for 10-15 minutes so she gets used to it. Apart from the fact that my hand & arm goes numb & after she finishes 'freaking out', she is used the hand but she shows no interest in it. So I try now to get her on my finger & pull her out of the cage. I figured that we could play this 'patience' game with her forever, so I just have to get her out of the cage & get her used to us outside of the cage. From the moment we got her out of the cage (4 days ago), she sits on our shoulder for as long as we want. I can get her to sit on my finger from my shoulder, & she is a much friendlier bird when not in the cage. I can even 'kiss' her on her beak! I love that....Is this normal - being friendlier outside the cage, I mean? She is around 3 months old now.... How do I get her used to getting her out of the cage, or is this just another patience issue? Will she get used to it, or do some birds never get used to it, & continually play the 'catch me if you can' game?

 

Thanks again for all your help & advice. It really is appreciated!

 

Cheers,

Tracey

She sounds absolutely adorable, do you have pictures ?

 

Below I answered your questions

 

Trixie is going great, although I've been finding that she has no interest in any fruit or vegies. I keep offering them to her, but she doesn't even really look at it. Is it better to shove chunks of food through the bars of the cage, or grate it up & put it in another food bowl? I've tried both ways....but just thought I'd find out what others do. I had a heck of a time with Pretty and veggies till the day he refused anything that is not green in color. What I did is I cut it up fine and then I added millett his favorite food in the world this encouraged him. In the beginning he just ate around the veggies but after a few weeks he decided to give the greens a chance. Now he eats them with no seed or millet in there. Continue to work with it. . Try different things, I also would clip the kale to the side of the cage where he would eat off the water drops now he makes holes in it and eats it too.

 

 

She hates our hand in the cage, & flies away when we try to get her out of the cage. It can take me 5-10 minutes to get her out of there! I've tried the patient way...sitting my hand in the cage for 10-15 minutes so she gets used to it. Apart from the fact that my hand & arm goes numb & after she finishes 'freaking out', she is used the hand but she shows no interest in it. So I try now to get her on my finger & pull her out of the cage. I figured that we could play this 'patience' game with her forever, so I just have to get her out of the cage & get her used to us outside of the cage. From the moment we got her out of the cage (4 days ago), she sits on our shoulder for as long as we want. I can get her to sit on my finger from my shoulder, & she is a much friendlier bird when not in the cage. I can even 'kiss' her on her beak! I love that....Is this normal - being friendlier outside the cage, I mean? She is around 3 months old now.... How do I get her used to getting her out of the cage, or is this just another patience issue? Will she get used to it, or do some birds never get used to it, & continually play the 'catch me if you can' game? Did she have a bad experience while in her cage when you first got her? Pretty is the same way, he won't sit on my hand anymore in the cage because a few times I grabbed him to give him a bath , but he will sit on my finger out of the cage with no issue. So think back. I would offer millet in the cage to ease the tension. Also she will be going through her first moult soon and may become more hormonal or agressive with her cage, it will calm down as the moulting ceases. Just an irritable time for some budgies. Do you change her cage around often? weekly is advised because many budgies especially if they are lone budgies will come protective of certain objects.

Thank you lovey, for your reply. I will keep trying to offer her fruit & vegies, & see how we go. She doesn't even seem interested in millet....but I'll keep trying!

 

I think that maybe Trixie is very nervous of us because when we first got her, she was carried from the breeder to our house in a cardboard box. That was an hour drive, which in itself would have been very unsettling for her. But the next day we had to try to catch her again in her cage, & take her to get her wings clipped. Another traumatic experience.

 

Apart from that, she had been left alone in the cage (in the sense that we did't try to catch her). We sat with her every day, talking to her & sitting our hand in the cage. It got to the point that she wasn't getting any better or showing any inclination in coming to us. So I tried to catch her to get her out of the cage. Once she's out, she's fantastic...but it's getting her out of there that's the problem. I didn't know if I should wait until she came to our hand, or just do what I've done & just get her out of there. I can't turn back now....but will she get to the point where she will look forward to coming out of the cage & just come to us when we open the cage??

 

But it's good advice about changing the cage around. I have to go back to the pet shop & get some more toys for her & do that. I don't think she's attached to anything in her cage (yet!), but if nothing else, it will help with her boredom.

 

Thanks again for replying.....I appreciate it!

And once I get some pics that I like, I'll post them.

 

Cheers,

Tracey

You should try and get her to step up on your hand inside the cage with out taking her out.

Go to www.budgietalk.com and look at the taming tips for older and/or more skittish budgies, this is very helpful.

she remembers her experience and all you can do is keep working with her don't give up you will be amazed one day she will turn around for you .

 

If you ever get another budgie I would and get the wings clipped wait about a week or two if the pet shop doesn't do it right there on the spot and let your next budgie get settled first.

If you leave the door open will she come out on her own? I got mine into the (bad) habit of just opening the cage top and front door and they come out on their own. They will go back in on my finger, but when my hand goes in the cage they get nervous because they think it is because I am going to catch them - which is usually the case. If she will come out on her own, maybe let her do that for a week or so, then try again getting her out with your finger. You might have to just leave the door open while you are in the room until she gets brave enough to venture out on her own. Once she realizes good things happen when she is out of the cage she may cooperate a little better. While she's out, practice step ups as often as you can. I think since she hasn't been with you very long, she is still settling in, is a little afraid still, and doesn't know what you expect of her.

hi there! im having the same problem with oscar not touching veggies!!! we also had the same problem with him freaking out in the cage so we just got him trained outside the cage until he was really friendly then tried again in the cage. he's fine with us now. good luck!!

Hi All,

 

Thanks very much for your advice!

 

Rainbow: I've tried to leave the door open, & in fact, I was doing it every day & still with no luck. She got a little bit of courage & will look at the open door...pause....then scurry quickly across the perch, past the open door. She gets to the point where she will eat with the door open, (the food bowl is next to the door) but will not venture out of the cage. I've even put her cage on the coffee table right in front of us while we sit & watch the TV, with the door open. She is in the same room as the rest of the family where we watch TV, & the kitchen is also in sight....so she is used to the family noise & commotion. I think that maybe she won't come out of the cage because it's such a huge drop from the cage to the floor...so that's why I put her onto the coffee table, so she can just pretty much step out. But she still won't do it.

 

Am I being too impatient do you think? I had her out of the cage last night on my shoulder, & she seemed to enjoy it. After a little while though, she kept climbing down my shoulder & jumping off....& kept running toward her cage. I could catch her easily enough...& played with her - stepping up onto my fingers & climbing up my arms. But still tried to jump off after about 5 minutes, trying to get to her cage. When I caught her, she steps up easily onto my finger. She kept trying to 'nibble' my hand...I've been bitten by her before & it HURT big time!!! This wasn't really a bite.....so is this what you mean by 'grooming'? It still hurt a little, but nothing like she's done before.

 

Thank you Cheeky for your wishes.....I'm crossing my fingers that Trixie will become the friendly bird we all so desperately want! It's not through lack of trying.....

 

Thanks again everyone for your time & advice......

 

Cheers,

Tracey

sounds positive keep working with her and hide the cage (Laughing out loud)

Pretty was the same way that is their comfort zone so I would remove the cage or cover it with a sheet so he would stay with me instead of the cage it worked .

Tracey, how long have you had her? It sounds like she has decided the cage is a safe place to be, especially since she wants to return to it after a few minutes of being out. I think when she starts to get nervous is when she wants the security of her cage. It's also normal for her to be nervous about going out. What kind of door is on your cage? Mine turns into a platform, so the birds can just walk out and sit on it if they want. If yours doesn't, you could try to get a platform that hangs on the side of the cage. Something like this would allow her to venture out when she gets brave enough, without the fear of falling to the floor. (I'm guessing her wings are trimmed?) You can hang it when the door is open, and remove it or hang it elsewhere outside the cage so she can play on it. Since she is getting brave enough to be near the opening, I think if she had somewhere to perch at the door she may come out more willingly. You will have to be patient. Some birds are just more shy at first.

 

The nibbles are normal, she's got no hands so the beak is the only way for her to explore things. I have found that budgies bite more out of fear than just to be ornery, and since your's sounds a little shy I think that is why you've gotten bites that hurt. That little beak can draw blood. Most birds will give some type of warning they are going to bite, but they don't always give you much time to react before it happens. Just ignore it as best you can, because you don't want her to learn the way to be left alone is to bite. Otherwise it can become a habit, as there will be many times you want her to do something and she has other ideas.

 

Keep us posted on your progress.

Thanks Rainbow.....I haven't seen the platform before, but I will certainly keep an eye open for one. They look like a great idea, & hopefully will help Trixie become more confident in stepping out of her cage!

 

She was sitting on my shoulder tonight, & playing with my gold hoop earing, & nibbling my ear...just gently. It tickled & gave me goose bumps - but was so nice. It's such a great feeling when they are being nice to you!

 

We got Trixie on my daughters 10th b'day (technically Trixie is Maddy's bird...but I can't help stealing Trixie for a play whenever I can!)....so we've had her for just over a month. So we really haven't had her that long in the grand scheme of things....but it seems like she's been here forever!

 

Hopefully things keep moving forward, & she'll love us in no time!!!

 

Tracey