Taming/Training

[rae]

What are good milestones for taming/training? Today marks a week since I got Basal. He has a vet check up so I know I'm stressing him out with that and won't push it today. He let me softly touch around his cheeks last night and will step up semi consistently inside his cage already. A lot more of the time he gets away from me if I'm trying to do step up. I don't chase him much. He'll eat from my finger dipped in water and then in seeds. He'll chirp a little with music and more with budgie sounds. Last night he was making soft noises and I talked to him to try to encourage.

If I take him out and into a different room he does get away some, but he's much better about being on my finger or hand. If he sees his cage he just wants to go back in. But he only sits on one perch and won't play or move much in there. I've dipped millet sprigs in water and he'll drink from it while I hold it, but he hasn't gone down on his own. He is eating though, but from a small feeder in the top back, not the easier to fill lower one.

Should I see more "normal" behaviors as days go by? He does do what I believe is the blinking game with me on occasion.
I want him to be happy and I do interact with him quite a bit, but I can't handle two budgies just for the sake of having another budgie he can interact with. I would like him to like me.

[Shirls]

Hello rae. You really have to have a lot of patience with any budgie when they first come into your home, don't try and rush things. Don't try and make him do things he doesn't want to do. What he will be happy with one day, he may not like the next day. When new to your household, it is best for consistency: that goes for the room he is in, the way you train him, and how you blink and talk to him. Consistency in everything. Once he is used to you and a lot tamer, you can change things about just a little at a time. You will see then, in time, he will be more adventurous in everything he does, but just give him time.

[rae]

I am probably trying to push things. We just returned from his first vet visit and the vet agreed that although she couldn't find mites by a tape test she didn't want to do a scrape but felt he should be treated. I wasn't crazy after all. She agreed that his feet where starting to get scaly but like I had thought it was just the very very beginning. So everything got a good scrub and is drying while he's chilling in his temporary box carrier with millet.
I really feel this vet is good and gave me a lot of helpful information. She also commented on the fact the place I got him from did not clip his wings properly so now I feel bad for him. I know there is debate on clipped wings but I feel it would be best in our situation that he remain clipped, but done properly. So I may have the vet do it the first time in a few months instead of going back to the store.
Don't get me wrong, maybe a few birds just slipped by them being treated, maybe there are other reasons. I won't bad mouth the store, but maybe the vet will teach me how to clip him for subsequent clippings.

Anyway, I rambled there. Sorry. I will be stepping back a bit and letting him tell me when he's ready.

[Hezz]

There is no way anyone can advise you on a time line for taming a budgie. They are all so very different in temperament, and add to that how used they are to human contact as all breeders do things a little differently, even if they do handle them at all. You can only work with what he gives you. Work on the same thing until he has that firmly fixed, and them try something a bit different, but don't stop with the first.

I would seriously advise you to let the flight feathers grow out. Think about it this way: would you like him to say with you because he wishes to, or because he doesn't have a choice??? I know it is very much the accepted practise in the US, but many birds meet an early demise through an unfortunate encounter with another pet.

[rae]

I will take your advice into serious consideration, but how do you hand tame one if they can fly and stay away from you?

[OP]

The hand taming comes first. There is a difference between taming and training. If the budgie will allow you to put your hand in the cage without going mental, flapping about or cowering in one corner then I would consider it to be tame. The next is training. This is accomplished by getting the budgie to step up onto your hand/finger by command. Start with small interaction like moving the budgie from perch to perch in the cage. Gradually working to bringing the budgie out of the cage and putting it back in. Rewarding the budgie when it does as you command, that way it gets to know it is doing what you want. That is just a small example of training. There is a small thing to remember and that is the budgie has to do what you want. Whether it's wings are clipped or not. As Hezz says if the wings are clipped then it has only one way to go when trying to fly and that is down to where ever the lowest point is. It cannot escape from any predator or family pet that would harm it. Get your budgie to like you and you will be able to train it.

[Hezz]

Once you have some semblance of stepping up and onto your finger and stepping down sorted within the cage confines, then you can start letting him out in a small room for training practice. Yes, you will find yourself walking around the room after him, but by using a small room you are able to persist and he will learn what it is you want.

You must be calm at all times, don't show any frustration and keep sessions down to around 10-15mins to start with. As he becomes more obliging you can lengthen the times, but don't let him become bored, always finish on a positive note ie where he has done what you wanted him to.