hi everyone...im a new member here. I just brought 2 baby budgies yesterday......its the first time i have ever had birds in my life.

 

My problem is they are so scared of me. My cage is big so trying to get them out is a bit hard coz run away.......when i actually get them out i try to make them go from one perch to another which one of them does very well...he will even sit on my finger...but if i try to hold him he screams and bites....

 

the other one is just tooooo scared....he wont even sit on the perch outside the cage .....he just tries to fly off...and catching him is so hard....but he will let me hold him without screaming.....both of them have clipped wings but they are so fast!

 

so like what i want to know is how can i get them to trust me....??????? i have read a few diferent techniques but they dont seem to really work. I would eventually love them to be my buddies and trust me 100%...

 

i mean i understand that i have only had them for one day and it will take time but i would really appreciate some tips! thanks

If you've only had them for one day then you haven't given any technique long enough to work. I'm pressed for time but I'm sure others will come along with some specific advice for your situation. All I can advise right now is that you let the birds settle and then take it slowly. If they're adults, you're going to want to earn their trust BEFORE you try to handle them. It would be best to keep their cage in a high-traffic area of the house so that they can become used to being around the sights and sounds of the dailly routine and humans. Read near them, do your homework near them. Passively interact with them.

 

You may end up having to separate them for taming but in the meantime you can just try and earn their trust from the other side of the bars. Have a look at my taming page here: http://budgietalk.com/taming.html

 

You'll probably want to start with the technique outlined for older and/or more skittish budgies. That page is going to be rewritten soon but you should be able to get a basic feel for how to approach taming your budgies.

Hi and welcome. First, let them settle in before you try to train them. To them everything is different - smells, sounds, sights, tastes - how scary is that! Try sitting by the cage and talking to them. Don't look directly at them, just out of the corner of your eye. Some people sit and read aloud to them. It's about not getting in their face, but showing that you are okay. Occassionally close your eyes, this shows your not going to eat them! When they start closing their eyes back, then you know you are getting your message across. Be aware that after the 'frightened of everything stage' is the 'escape at any cost stage', where they will go psycho trying to get out. After this stage I would start gently putting my hand in the cage and let them get used to it. Nice slow movements, no loud noises, and work at their pace.

hi everyone...im a new member here. I just brought 2 baby budgies yesterday......its the first time i have ever had birds in my life.

 

My problem is they are so scared of me. My cage is big so trying to get them out is a bit hard coz run away.......when i actually get them out i try to make them go from one perch to another which one of them does very well...he will even sit on my finger...but if i try to hold him he screams and bites....

 

the other one is just tooooo scared....he wont even sit on the perch outside the cage .....he just tries to fly off...and catching him is so hard....but he will let me hold him without screaming.....both of them have clipped wings but they are so fast!

 

so like what i want to know is how can i get them to trust me....??????? i have read a few diferent techniques but they dont seem to really work. I would eventually love them to be my buddies and trust me 100%...

 

i mean i understand that i have only had them for one day and it will take time but i would really appreciate some tips! thanks

 

okay, I typed this once and the server didn't respond err (Laughing out loud). Let me try again.

 

First yes they are scared, this is a new home for them, they don't know you and they don't know that they can trust you. Trust is built over time, not just one day, it can take a few weeks it can take months. I suggest that you keep them covered on all 3 side all day and slowly take off the cover over a period of a week. Let them get used to their cage first. Take the time to talk to them all the time, as Lin said blink when you talk to them at eye level. Being above them makes them feel like you are a predator and below gives them the dominance so be equal. Also your hand is big compared to them, so to them it is going to eat them, don't laugh I am serious. So when you grab them they think that you are going to kill them. Also budgies are not like dogs and cats, they don't like to be petted some will take a scratch on the head some won't. Mine will not like me scratch his head at all. So don't hold them it is not necessary to do it unless they need a nail clipping, wing clipping or to be examined by a vet .

 

When will your buddies trust you 100%, that is a question that time will only tell. Trust is built by consistent talking with them, being around them, not making them feel threatened. They may never 100% be trusting or maybe they will it is up to each individual bird. You have to love them for who they are, they do trust that you will give them a lasting home .

 

As for techniques, what are you trying? And nothing works over night , it could take 1 week, 4 months or longer it depends on the individual budgie. And because you have 2 they will bond with each other more then with you this is instinct and that is okay.

 

Read over Terri's site, read different topics on these boards.. the more understanding you have about budgie behavior the better you will understand how to work with your budgies.

 

The key is don't give up, spend a lot of quality time with them. With Pretty if he can't be out of the cage because the cats are out, I put his cage on my desk or I move his stand by use closer when we watch TV. Don't keep them in the corner be around them but not in a threatening matter.

 

I hope this helps . Welcome!!

Edited January 24, 200619 yr by lovey

gee thanks four all the advice guys.......i am very aware that it will take some time b4 my birds will trust me but i was just wanting some different opinions. I dont want to handle themthe wrong way and freak them out any more than they already are!!!!

 

It seems that every bird is different and that some techniques that work with some and not others...i mean some ppl say DONT HOLD THEM AT FIRST and then others say YOU SHOULD HOLD THEM A LOT THE FIRST DAY! so i guess its trial and error really. My birds are only around 4-6 weeks old so they are just babies.....i got them that age on purpose so i could train them easier.

 

Also i was wondering, is it normal for them to scratch like mad? I know theycan get mites but they have been indoors from the moment they came home. They seem to be scratching themselves with their beaks like crazy for 5 mins then they will stop and start again later.....is this just what birds do or should i spray them? i tried to examine one of them but i couldnt really look properly.

 

thanks guys for all the advice.

Edited January 24, 200619 yr by Nerwen

Are they scratching or preening? With preening, which is normal, they are cleaning their feathers, and making them lay the right way. They will pull the feather through their beaks, and do this to each individual feather.

Are they scratching or preening? With preening, which is normal, they are cleaning their feathers, and making them lay the right way. They will pull the feather through their beaks, and do this to each individual feather.

 

okay...yes i think they are preening then! (Laughing out loud)...man do i have a lot to learn about these things!

That's okay, we all have to start somewhere! The important thing is that you ask! And remember, the only stupid question is the one that you don't ask!

Lin is right , that is how I learned for sure. If you have the ability to take pictures we would love to see pictures of your babies.

Lin is right , that is how I learned for sure. If you have the ability to take pictures we would love to see pictures of your babies.

 

Sorry, no can do with the pics, but they are lovely lil things.

 

One is like this :redalbino:

 

and the other is like this :ygbudgie:

 

(Laughing out loud)....thats the best i can do...the green and yellow one has beautiful blue marks on his face too.....just very cute.

 

So they seem calmer today and making a lil more noise....but they seem really sleepy...they love to nod off a lot! Is that normal? They are covered for 12 hours at night so like how much sleep could they need? And they dont seem to drink...the water is very accessable to them but ive never seen them touch it except once.....

8-12 hours of sleeps they need, but remember they are still babies so I am sure it is very normal. I would just watch see if they puff up alot, look listless, watch their dropping (they should be black with a white in the middle and not runny). Also budgies don't drink alot of water so you probably will not see them drink, I don't see Pretty drink. Also when you offer them veggies and fruit they will get water from that :redalbino:. Sounds like everything is okay, just need to settle in.

well thanks for that! What a good help......

 

i think that the droppings are fine.

 

i would love to give them vegges but im afraid that i will poision them....all those pesticides! i just nibbled a carrot b4 and it just tasted toxic! YUK.......they have been eating grass, i lined the bottom of their cage with it, some bark and dried leaves and they love searching around it all! They have lots of nice big sticks to sit on (and a few plastic perches) and i put lots of branches with leaves at the top of the cage where they mostly hang out...they LOVE them so much..its okay, they arent toxic. They have one of those cuttle bones or whateva they're called and a toy aswell. So i think that they are in love with their cage which is good.

 

I took the blue and white one out 2day and he sat on me and let me pat him for around 10 mins...that was really special!

 

So do u guys just give them normal veges????

 

okay........better stop b4 i write a novel! (Laughing out loud)..............

 

PS. isnt this so cute --------> :redalbino:

 

Moderator’s Message to user

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Thanks!

Edited January 25, 200619 yr by pixie25

Just yesterday? These things take a little time despite our wishes, just relax and give the new guys a chance to get to know you whilst using all the valuable information that you can research on this site. Even after having budgies for over ten years, I still have much to learn!! :redalbino:

Edited January 25, 200619 yr by Phoebe

Just normal vegies, make sure you wash them well. Have a search on here for a list of good and bad vegetables. Any branches or grass, please make sure you only take from your own yard, and wash well. If you take from anywhere else it might have been sprayed with a pesticide, and that would kill your babies.

Veggies are necessary in their diets, they can not just be on a grass or seed diet . Hop over to the Health and Nutrition Forum, you will see some great sites PINNED on the top, and then start reading through the posts. Know that when you offer them at first they may not eat touch them, that is very normal, it make take some creativeness to get them to eat their veggies. Just like kids .

i would love to give them vegges but im afraid that i will poision them....all those pesticides!

This is a well-founded fear. While most budgie owners offer regular (washed) vegetables with no problem, many prefer organic. In the long run, these are definitely the safer, better alternative. I'm not saying that other vegetables are extremely risky and everyone HAS to feed organic, but it is the better way to do it.

 

Here is an article on feeding organic foods affordably: http://www.landofvos.com/articles/kitchen4.html

 

And if you can't feed your birds organic food, here is a list of foods you should absolutely avoid (from the article mentioned above):

 

Here is a list of foods that NEVER should be given to our parrots unless they have been organically grown:

 

STRAWBERRIES, RED AND GREEN BELL PEPPERS, SPINACH, U.S. CHERRIES, PEACHES, MEXICAN CANTALOUPES, CELERY, APPLES, APRICOTS, GREEN BEANS, CHILEAN GRAPES, AND CUCUMBERS

 

A very bad batch of Chilean grapes resulted in the deaths of several parrots last summer so this is a very real concern. If you can't feed oraganic, just avoid those particular foods and wash the others thoroughly.

Edited January 25, 200619 yr by eterri

Welcome to the forum newbudgieowner

Welcome to the forum newbudgieowner

 

Thanks a lot!! I really do feel welcome here...it's really nice!

 

Like sorry for the text shortcuts...i have written that way since i was a teen so its REAL bad habbit! I'll try and stop!

 

okay...sooooooooo............. the list of foods that i should avoid giving my budgies unless they are organic was a real help...thanks for that!

 

As i said in my first post though, i know that it will take time for my budgies to get used to me but i was really looking for some tips. You guys have been a great help. I cant stop my budgies from dying as everthing dies but i sure hope that i can make their time here in my home as safe and compfortable as possible for as long as they live.

 

SO what if i put come veges in their seed dish to try and get them to notice it?! Stupid question but i have to ask, should the veges always be raw?

 

okay,,,im off now to read the food section! :book:

no they can be cooked too but remember raw always has more nutrients

As for tips, have a look around on this site, and you'll find lots of tips on how to get them to try fresh foods (we allllll have problems with that!) and on how to tame them. Try Terri's site as well, she has gone into it in detail

I'm having trouble posting, A forbidden access keeps coming up

 

You said you had natural perches in your cage. Make sure that they are only fruit tree branches such as apple or eucalypt branches. This is because budgies like to chew their branches, so any other kinds of tree can be poisonous. When you do get natural branches, make sure that you wash them first with vinegar and leave them in the sun to dry and kill off any bugs or diseases that wild birds may have left behind.

 

In regards to the sleeping question: as well as sleeping at night budgies also like to sleep during the day, especially in the middle of the day becasue this is when they are least active.

 

 

 

 

Also budgeis typically live in the desert so they don't drink very much, but they doo drink and need that constant supply of water.

 

In regards to taming them, jus put your hand inside the cage every day and when they aren't scared of that put your finger up to their chest and push gently, the budgie should hop on if not just repeat, but remember to move slowly with confidence and do not react to bites. Do this for about 10 minutes at a time up to 4 or 5 times a day. Once they are used to that you can move on to the next stage of hand feeding them. Just remember only do one stage at a time and only advance onto the next one when you feel they are ready.

It is also best to wait until they are stepping up on to your finger and are tame inside the cage before you let them outside to play, because chasing around an untamed budgie will just make it more stressful for them and make the situation worse for you

It took two weeks before I let my new budgie out to play.

 

Sorry about my novel

 

By the way, do you know if they're boys or girls or which ever?

 

And don't forget to check their seed bowl for husks, which can fool you into thinking that they have heaps of food, when they don't as budgies dehusk thier seed when they eat.

WOW! thanks for all that help! That was extremely useful.

 

About the perches,,,,,when budgies are in the wild wouldnt they sit on any kind of tree anyway??? just curious.

 

Its hard to tell what gender they are, one has a blueish umm,,whats that word, you know, the place where the nostrils are! Anyway that area is blueish on one of them but it looks like the nostrils have white rings around them too. So i dont know. As for the other one, it looks more pink but at this stage its really hard for me to tell. :excl:

Yes, true, in the bush they perch on any tree. But they are all native trees. A lot of the trees in our gardens aren't native, and can be harmful to our budgies. It's always better to be safe than sorry!

Yes, true, in the bush they perch on any tree. But they are all native trees. A lot of the trees in our gardens aren't native, and can be harmful to our budgies. It's always better to be safe than sorry!

 

 

okay well i got the branches from the trees on the nature strip...they look native, they have little things that look like gumnuts on them but they arent euycaliptus (cant spell!) trees. So what do you think?

Edited January 26, 200619 yr by newbudgieowner

I would only take branches from your own garden. Wild birds might have pooped all over these, and left viruses and diseases behind, they could have been sprayed, and you would be unaware of it. It's too big a risk. Use from your own garden, or a friends. Making sure they haven't been sprayed. Scrub well, leave in the hot sun for a few hours, or bake in a slow oven, to kill any disease, and pop in your cage!