I am thinking to buy a new budgie from a pet shop. I havn't had budgie before. The shop does not know his age, but they said he is young male. He is whitewing sky blue. His bill is still uncolored.

The shop buys the stock from an aviary so he has not been hand breeding.

They told me i should trim his wings otherwise he will fly away when he is out of the cage.

My question is would it be possible to tame him if he has not been hand breeding and the age is unknown and also do i need to trim his wing that he would not fly ?

Thanks

Eyal

Hi Eyal, and welcome.

 

Wing trimming is a very personal issue, some do it, others don't like it, so that is up to you. It is often quicker and easier to tame clipped birds, but personally, I have never clipped any of mine.

 

There are several methods you can use to train your budgie and you will find lots doing a web search on the topic. Some favour teaching them to step up on your finger in the cage first, sometimes using treats such as millet sprays. Others use a 'tunnelling' method, where you circle your hands around the budgie and let him step from one to the other over and over, always keeping your hands around him(swapping from one hand to the other). You can do the tunnelling by putting him on your shirt too and circling as her walks up.

 

It is also a good idea to start "out of cage" time in a small room where you have checked for any dangers first (ie if you use a bathroom; toilet seat down, windows and mirrors covered so he doesn't fly straight into them)

 

Hope this helps,

 

Feathers.

Hi Eyal, and welcome.

 

Wing trimming is a very personal issue, some do it, others don't like it, so that is up to you. It is often quicker and easier to tame clipped birds, but personally, I have never clipped any of mine.

 

There are several methods you can use to train your budgie and you will find lots doing a web search on the topic. Some favour teaching them to step up on your finger in the cage first, sometimes using treats such as millet sprays. Others use a 'tunnelling' method, where you circle your hands around the budgie and let him step from one to the other over and over, always keeping your hands around him(swapping from one hand to the other). You can do the tunnelling by putting him on your shirt too and circling as her walks up.

 

It is also a good idea to start "out of cage" time in a small room where you have checked for any dangers first (ie if you use a bathroom; toilet seat down, windows and mirrors covered so he doesn't fly straight into them)

 

Hope this helps,

 

Feathers.

 

 

Hi!

 

This is my first message so I hope I am doing this right. I am training Holly, my adorable Harlequin who is a one-year old hen. She is slowly putting her foot on my finger. I know it will take time because she is an adult, not hand raised. But how do I stop her from screaming? Suggestions please and thanks, Jaynejayne@focusproductions.net

Good question Jayne. When does she scream, when you are trying to get her to step up?

 

 

Feathers.

Hi Eyal, and welcome.

 

Wing trimming is a very personal issue, some do it, others don't like it, so that is up to you. It is often quicker and easier to tame clipped birds, but personally, I have never clipped any of mine.

 

There are several methods you can use to train your budgie and you will find lots doing a web search on the topic. Some favour teaching them to step up on your finger in the cage first, sometimes using treats such as millet sprays. Others use a 'tunnelling' method, where you circle your hands around the budgie and let him step from one to the other over and over, always keeping your hands around him(swapping from one hand to the other). You can do the tunnelling by putting him on your shirt too and circling as her walks up.

 

It is also a good idea to start "out of cage" time in a small room where you have checked for any dangers first (ie if you use a bathroom; toilet seat down, windows and mirrors covered so he doesn't fly straight into them)

 

Hope this helps,

 

Feathers.

Hey Feathers,

Thanks very much for your answer.

I actually rang the shop again and asked another staff member how old is the budgie male which i would like to purchase. The shop member told me he is 5 months old.

Is it still good age to tame or he is too old?. I would not like to trim his wings because he looks very nice with long wings. The shop told me i'd better buy a baby who is up to 3 months old but they don't have other

white wings blue at the moment and i liked the color of the budgie.

From another message i read here i understand that one of the members here is trying to tame a one year old budgie. I don't have experience and i would not want to buy a budgie who will stay all the time in the cage.

 

Thanks

Eyal

 

Ano

I would get the 5 month old, if he is the type you wish to purchase. It certainly isn't too old. We needed to get hold of all of our budgies a little while a go to give them a drop between their shoulders and they all calmed fairly quickly using tunnelling. If the bird is a female, she might have a good bite on her, so get yourself a pair of gloves to use until she is trained.

 

Be aware that most will go through an adolescent stage where they may refuse to do as you ask or wish them to do, but just keep working through it. It does usually get better. You and your fingers are a much warmer more comfortable perch than any dowel perch they have.

 

All of my budgies enjoy their 'out of cage time' and they all go home again, because that is where they are comfortable and feel safe. They get used to it pretty quickly. Occassionally when you first start, as you don't have another budgie to show them to go back home you might need a towel to throw over them or a net in case you need to go out in a hurry. You should never leave them out when you are not in the house.

 

Any more quessies, feel free to ask. There are heaps of members here with a whole lot of experience that can help you.

 

 

Feathers.

Excellent advice, Feathers :budgiedance:

you are doing great Feathers.

 

Pretty my recessive pied (the blue and mostly white on in my siggy) was from a pet shop just about 3-4 months. He did hand tame. One word of advice on pet shop budgie make sure you have a good relationship with them before you get another one. You may say I only want 1 (Laughing out loud) but as we have found they are very addictive so you may decide on a buddy.

 

Key is to ensure this one is first hand tamed and it could take months. Pretty started talking and really wanted to be around me after 9 months of having him. You may say wow that is long but not really considering how long they live with you :budgiedance:. So it is worth it.

I would get the 5 month old, if he is the type you wish to purchase. It certainly isn't too old. We needed to get hold of all of our budgies a little while a go to give them a drop between their shoulders and they all calmed fairly quickly using tunnelling. If the bird is a female, she might have a good bite on her, so get yourself a pair of gloves to use until she is trained.

 

Be aware that most will go through an adolescent stage where they may refuse to do as you ask or wish them to do, but just keep working through it. It does usually get better. You and your fingers are a much warmer more comfortable perch than any dowel perch they have.

 

All of my budgies enjoy their 'out of cage time' and they all go home again, because that is where they are comfortable and feel safe. They get used to it pretty quickly. Occassionally when you first start, as you don't have another budgie to show them to go back home you might need a towel to throw over them or a net in case you need to go out in a hurry. You should never leave them out when you are not in the house.

 

Any more quessies, feel free to ask. There are heaps of members here with a whole lot of experience that can help you.

Feathers.

Thanks very much for your advice

Eyal

Edited February 6, 200718 yr by Bubbles

Before you decide whether or not to get a budgie consider some of their down sides and learn as much as you can before you bring one home so that you will have the right sized cage set up properly.

A budgie that hasn't been handfed can definately become tame. 5 months isn't too old but may take a little more time than one who's younger. It's about patience and trust-building. Some are more outgoing than others. Move slowly -- and talk to it often so it will see you are not a threat. For the first few days to a week just let it settle in to the new surroundings without trying to handle him or get him out of the cage. If you are considering wing clipping, have someone do it and show you how to trim properly the first time at least. I would see how it goes with taming for several weeks before deciding whether or not to clip. As a general rule - budgies do not like to be grabbed and restrained so I try not to unless it is absolutely necessary. I've never used gloves with them.

you are doing great Feathers.

 

Pretty my recessive pied (the blue and mostly white on in my siggy) was from a pet shop just about 3-4 months. He did hand tame. One word of advice on pet shop budgie make sure you have a good relationship with them before you get another one. You may say I only want 1 (Laughing out loud) but as we have found they are very addictive so you may decide on a buddy.

 

Key is to ensure this one is first hand tamed and it could take months. Pretty started talking and really wanted to be around me after 9 months of having him. You may say wow that is long but not really considering how long they live with you . So it is worth it.

Hi Lovey,

I have actually decided to buy a baby budgie from a breeder he or she is spangle sky blue i got him a week ago.

He already managed to escape from the cage twice when i was at work, then i had to put padlocks on the cage to keep him in the cage while i am not at home.

However i wanted to let him out of the cage on the weekend when i was at home, he refused even when i opened the cage. He lets me sometimes touch his breast but not all times and one day he moved to my hand but only for 5 seconds but i think he is still very scared .

Eyal

Good question Jayne. When does she scream, when you are trying to get her to step up?

 

 

Feathers.

 

Hello Feathers!

 

Sorry I didn't answer you before. This was my first entry into the forum and I didn't keep track of it. I am training her 3 or 4 times a day for 15 minutes to step up. In the last few days she has finally progressed. She does step up sometimes and stays on my finger for about 30 seconds. I reward her lavishly with millet. However, between 10 am and 3 Pm she has periods of ear-piercing screaming, on and on and on. Not while I train her. I usually cover her entire cage for 5 min. (I hate to do it to her) and talk softly to her to be quiet. But when I take the cover off she screams her head off again. She seems to have good days and bad days. Today I covered the back of her cage and covered the window in the door so that she could not see outside. This really helped. I wonder if she sees the birds outside? Any thoughts? Thank you so much. I am so thankful that this forum is here. Holly and Jayne :ausb:

Eyal, I just wanted to let you know that I didn't know when I first got Pretty that most budgies do not like to be stroked on the breast. Think about where their partner preens them is usually their head. I think I tended to think them as dogs but realized they are birds :ausb: so if he or she doesn't like to be touched that is okay.

 

Jayne, they can see the birds outside and I would probably move her away from the window when she does this. Is she calling "is that the type of screaming she is doing"? If you go to www.budgietalk.com and there is a section where you can listen to the different chirps let me know because if she is calling like that she is calling to the birds outside and that is probably driving her nuts too since they are not responding back .

Some good advice all around, but I would like to really stress not to use gloves!!! How traumatic is that? Budgies do not bite so hard that you require a trip for stitches, and they do find gloves to be terrifying. Plus when you have gloves on, you cannot really tell how much pressure you are putting on them, or if you have managed to push a wing, some feathers, or a leg too far in a direction it is not supposed to go... :ausb: Birds breathe differently than mammals do, and if you compress their chest you can suffocate them.

 

 

If you are bitten it is due to fear. In which case you need to find a new alternative to whatever you were trying to accomplish, as if they are that afraid, it is time to step back anyway.

Great thread!

 

I have been sitting with our Cosmo in a budgie-safed room a couple of times a day (each for about 15-30minutes - one in morning, one in afternoon before dinner) and letting him jump out for a wander when he pleases. Slowly putting my hand in for him to step onto is not working too well, so I have found that encouraging him out with 'toys' works best with him.

 

>> I pretend that I am really interested in the colourful toy, and act as though he can't have it (I act like a greedy little child.. ). He gets all excited - bobbing/ swinging his cute little head (and almost whole body!) around until he flys out and lands nearby (not close though - he is still wary).

 

I eased off acting the greedy child, and 'played' with the toy - and much to my amazement, he came over and pecked, looked at and played with the toy! :excl: I felt so relieved! I thought I was scaring him at first!

Hey everyone!

 

Im not sure if this was already said but Eyal said "I would not like to trim his wings because he looks very nice with long wings."

 

You can trim both wings but leave the last 2 long ones on and you don't even notice that the wings had been clipped. Thats how i have my birdie

 

Hope this helps

 

Tim