need help taming

[ziwiplusabsolute]

Hello, I'm new here and I'm looking for help with taming my 2 male budgies. I got one (Absolute) about 2 months ago and I got the other (kiwi) 2 weeks ago. they are both in separate cages but in the same room, and whenever I try putting my hand in one of their cages so they can get used to it they will immediately fly out of the cage, so I'm having difficulty trying to figure out how to tame them because everything I've watched or read says to get them used to your hand first. When they're outside of the cage I've found that they don't mind me being close to them and Absolute will eat of my hand and stand in it, he also steps up on my finger when he wants too or if I pet his belly, but aside from this they both seem scared of me and I'm having difficulties forming a bond with them. i'll usually let them play outside of their cage for a few hours (if not then the entire day) each day, and sometimes they seem like they're scared of me and other times they don't, i'm not sure what to do so if anybody can help me out it's greatly appreciated, thanks. 


ps. I don't want to have their wings clipped, i'm just looking for a way to tame them outside their cages, or a way to keep them from flying out of their cages so that I can tame them and form a bound with them, thanks.

[helenmat]

Please don’t clip their wings. You really need to get them used to your hands while inside the cage to start with. Patience is the key. Keep talking to them and encouraging them to trust you. Offer treats from your hand so they associate you with good things. Work with the most responsive bird first and the other one will hopefully follow suit. Keep going with the step up and in time you will see results, it will take time though and every bird is different.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

yeah, I have no intentions on clipping their wings because I love the way they fly, I was just letting anyone know that I don't want too because I've had other people tell me I should. anyways I'm not trying to rush taming them at all, it's just that I can't open the cage at all without them flying out even if I do offer them they're favourite treat in order to tame them, so I was just wondering if there was a method that I could use to tame them outside of their cage. thank you for your reply by the way and don't worry I would never clip their wings it's too wonderful watching them when they fly.

[Hezz]

You need to find a way of interacting with them in their cages without them flying out, whether that be by putting yourself in front of the cage, hanging a sheet in front of, or over the cage, or whatever you decide to do, but that is the first thing you need to work out. Once you have them restricted to the cage, you are much more likely to have success teaching them to step up, stay, and step down.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

Thanks for the advice! put a piece of fabric over the cage seems to work for preventing them from flying out . I would just like to ask another question for anyone who can answer it, but for the last 3 nights now both of my budgies have been refusing to go in their cages at night and instead sleep on top of the outside of their cage, they've never done this before and no matter what I try they just won't go in for the night. The main reason this concerns me is because their cage is in my bedroom and kiwi likes to sit on my bed, so i'm just worried he might try to come onto my bed while i'm asleep and i'll hurt him by mistake. Does anyone have any suggestions for why they might have started doing this all of sudden, or how I can get them back in their cage for the night? treats don't work and if I try putting them back in they just fly away as soon as I get close to the cage.

[helenmat]

Make sure you only feed them in their cage, that way they should go back in when they are hungry. Have you put anything new is their cage that is maybe scaring them? It would be safer if you could get them back in at night, will they hop on a spare perch and you could try getting them back that way. Maybe when they go back in for something to eat in the early evening you shut the door and don't ket them back out again. They should soon understand your routine.

[Hezz]

Good point that Helen has made: don't feed them anywhere but in their cage at this stage. Dim the lights when it comes dark so that they know to go home to roost. If they haven't yet learnt to go home on the perch when you want them to, then you have probably gone too quickly in letting them having free time to themselves. when they are first out of the cage you should be continuing with training and teaching them to go back into the cage whether that be on the perch or on your finger. sure, you will have to follow them around a bit for the first few times, but you should not allow new birds to sleep outside the cage. If they have a night fright they are likely to injure themselves much more severely in a darkened room than they are in a much smaller cage.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

Thanks! Also I always leave their food in the cages and I've had them for a few months now and they've had no problem going in for me before they just started this a few days ago. I haven't added anything new to the cage, and when I lower the lights they just go to sleep right where they are, i'm not sure what to do because I don't want them to get hurt. Thank you very much for the help, I am going to try leaving them in their cage today instead of letting them out: they always go back in the cage around 6 or 7 when the sun shines in. i'll also using a wooden spoon to get them back in their cage because I they love perching on it.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

Hey, sorry about all of the questions, but i'm kind of new to owning a pet bird and want to make sure I don't make any mistakes and so I have another question to ask about the placement of my budgies cage. I plan on building them a larger cage over the next few days because theirs looks a little small for both of them even though it says it's for 2 budgies. I was just wondering if it's okay for them to be partially near a window because I plan on building it on the desk in the picture. I am going to turn the desk so that the back is facing the wall, but there would still be a partial view out of the window. Would that be okay? also don't worry about the curtains in the picture i'm getting new curtains tomorrow for that window because my budgies like climbing on it every now and again and sometimes they get a foot caught. They wouldn't even go near that window until a week ago which is why i'm just changing the curtains out tomorrow when I get paid. Thanks in advance, and again sorry about all of the questions!

[helenmat]

So long as your birds aren’t getting too hot in the window they should be fine. My cage is positioned near a window and I have blinds that I tilt to make sure there is some shade. Also make sure there isn’t a cold draught coming from the window.

just to add if you know when your birds usually go in at 6-7 at night, that’s the time to shut the door.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

Great! thank you very much for the help Helen, I can't wait to start building! their current cage just seems so small for the both of them to be in.

[Hezz]

A cage can never be too big, but as you now know can definitely be too small. Build the biggest one you can fit on the top of the chest of drawers; the birds will appreciate it. What materials are you using to build the cage? You may not be aware that some products are toxic to birds. Stainless steel is the safest metal to have around your birds, although nickel-plated and aluminium are also considered bird safe, so look at using one of these for your mesh.
As long as there is not too much heat coming through the window, you don't have to leave the curtains drawn either.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

cool, thanks Hezz! i'm using wood to make the frame and tray and I have a plastic type of mesh chicken wire used for building chicken coops (my sister used to own chickens so I got it from her).

[Hezz]

If it is plastic, the budgies might bite through it. Are you able to give them a smallish piece and see if they are able to bite through it? If it is plastic coated wire, they will nibble the plastic off and then start on the wire. Hate for you to go to all that trouble only for them to nibble their way out on the first day.

[ziwiplusabsolute]

It should be fine, I made a little ladder from the plastic mesh for them to play on and they chew it all the time, they haven't ripped it yet and it's been over 1 and a half months. So it should be good