Hi! I just got my new budgie about a week ago

[Loren]

Hi! I just got my new budgie about a week ago from a pet store and I have some questions. I had read elsewhere to start taming very early when you bring them home, so I was talking to him and got him to step up after a few breif sessions on day 2. I have worked with him a little bit daily since then. He didnt seem to be getting super chipper or chatty (I only heard him make a couple calls out while I was talking to somebody on the phone in 4 days) so I searched more places, and after reading this thread I was worried I stressed him too much by handling him too early. I decided to just talk to him for a couple days and start covering him at night, only on 3 sides, and now he seems to be less perky (not even a peep for the 3 days I tried this), and doesn't sleep when the cover is on. He flaps wildly when I start to cover the cage, and just huddles in the corner when it's on. When I take it off in the morning he returns to his favorite perch spot, grinds his beak, and naps immediately. Should I keep handling him? Is he depressed now that I stopped? And should I keep the cover off one night and see if he sleeps better? They were never covered in the store, so maybe he thinks I'm trapping him?

[BudgiesBuddy]

Hi and welcome to forum

I have moved your post to a new thread so you can get answers from more members.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Budgie Taming and Training Walkthrough

[Loren]

Thank you! I can see how that would make more sense. Silly me.

[suesbird]

My JoJo is really quiet, he has moments in the day but usually mumbles to himself or tweets at other birds on tv or outside. I dont cover him up but make sure doors are closed and he is warm and he is fine. I handled straight away and he now flies down to us where ever he is especially if he hears plates rattling. He has quiet moments where he does not want to be messed with so I leave him. But he is not a noisy bird at all

[Rachael Kellett]

Firstly, welcome to the forum

I have just got a new baby budgie myself, on Saturday, and I have been working on taming and bonding with him. The first day i let him settle in and just made sure he had a calm, quiet room, with the basics, seed and water and a millet spray. Day two i sat next to the cage and talked nonsense to him, i also winked at him a lot. The winking seems to relax budgies and calms them.

Every couple of hours i would go and sit next to the cage and talk to him. I put my hand slowly into the cage, which he didn't like and had a bit of a flap but i just kept my hand still near him. I kept building up the amount of time i had my hand in the cage and how close it was to him. I do this several times a day but not for more than five to ten minutes at a time and I got to put my finger right in front of him and gently touched his toes.
This progressed into me pushing gently on his belly and he stepped up Four days later and he steps up willingly, most of the time haha, and yesterday he got to come out of the cage. He did a couple of laps around the room but i could get him to step up for me. This morning he came out again and only took off once. The rest of the time he happily sat on my finger

Sorry for the essay haha but hopefully it helps a little. My point is to take it at the budgies pace and don't rush things

[Loren]

Well last night I left the cover off and he's acting more perky. He tweeted a little when it was time to wake up. So I guess he got freaked out by the cover.

He sleeps in the bedroom and we move him to the office (where we are usually) during the day to be social with us. He seems to like being in the office with us.

This morning when we moved him he got SUPER excited! He was playing with toys, and started stretching and eating his millet while we were moving him. Then we put the cage down and he got all quiet again. o.O He stepped up happily enough just now when I tried and I placed him on a perch outside his cage and he flew all around the room and now is sitting on his perch and watching me type, hehe. I think he will be ok!

We haven't named him yet though. Still debating over names.

[ffiscool]

Sounds like excellent progress. Maybe he didn't like the cover as he could hear you moving about in the bedroom? Could he be elsewhere? Not saying you have to cover him, but in case you did.

[mizloco]

Welcome to the forum. My two don't like a cover over the cage it freaked them right out. Some pictures of you little friend would be good.

[Loren]

I think I could put him elsewhere if I had to, but I will for now stick with what works for him I think. My guess is since he never was covered before, he doesn't like it. He's used to a lot of activity, and seems to not mind it. We rarely have anything super exciting going on, and hardly ever have company.

He's so happy today! Every time I leave the room he's calling to me to see where I went. We discovered the bathroom mirror today....that was much fun. And now we're helping me type!

[Loren]

He got a little freaked out by the phone so I just took one lol

[BudgiesBuddy]

Feb 26, 2014 4:40:09 GMT Loren said:

Thank you! I can see how that would make more sense. Silly me.

You're welcome

[Loren]

Me again! We named him Sir Pete! At least I think he's a him. From everything I read and pics I'm 99% sure....but I am only an amateur. His cere is getting more purple than pink over the last several days, theoretically turning blue?

Also, I think we have started a moult! I have feathers collected in the cage each day and no bald spots that I can see. Is it normal for the cere to flake a bit during this?