birds are scared of me and I really need help please

[4budgies]

Hello All,

I have two budgies both girls I have had them for about 8 months now. When I first got them I taught them the up up and one would even give me kisses then suddenly they both wanted nothing to do with me and run to the top of the cage to get away from me. How can I make them want to be around me again?

Second part of this is once I found out they were girls because they were too Young to tell when I first got them I wanted to get two boys for them so I did about 2days ago. I have them in a separate cage now until I can tame them and then I will put them with the girls. I want them to like being around me and don't want my girls behaviour to rub off on them so I need to fix it first.

please help I know having more than one makes it hard to bond with me but at least if we can start with them not being scared that would be great!

[birdguhl]

Sounds like you need to start at the beginning with them, just as you would as if they had never been tame. The fact that this behaviour is in their repertoire might make it a faster process. You'll find a lot of useful info in the section on taming here.

I can sympathise as I was on the way to getting at least one of mine tame when events took over and since then I have had to do a lot of medicating etc and now they are pretty wary of me. Right now it is very difficult for me to put in the amount of time involved in getting them properly confident.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

[OP]

Just a thought, but does your cage/stand make a noise when you put your hand in or on the cage? I find that any sort of scraping noise, like my arm on the side of the cage seems to set Joey off. He goes all alert and will do anything but stand on my finger.

[Hezz]

Your boys need to be quarantined from the girls for a good four weeks before they are introduced to them. They should be in a separate room with no contact with the previous birds to ensure there are no underlying illnesses which can become noticeable with the stress of a new home and being moved.

You would have been better off sticking to your original two and trying to work through their wariness before getting another two, because you have just doubled your problem. It takes a lot of time and persistence to break down the distrust barriers that birds have in place.

The only way to possibly get them used to you again is to spend heaps of time around them, chatting, chirping, quietly talking, offering treats if there is anything in particular they like, winking and blinking and definitely not staring at them.

[4budgies]

They get scared if I just walk by their cage so I don't think it could be the noise I am sure they are just scared of me... The new birds are in a separate cage and away from my girls. Once my girls are out of the cage tjey don't do so bad they still do the up up and kiss but they don't like to stay for long they would way rather be in their cage.

Also I should tell you their names! girls are Mango and Coconut boys are Patrick and Petrie