Budgie Taming

[gabe]

Hi! I have a four month old male budgie. It's been nearly two months since I brought him home. I've been taking him out of his cage with a treat and sitting down and letting him eat. I've done this for nearly three weeks. He does fine and lets me pick him up and put him on my shoulder and take him around my living room. But he will not tolerate being out of his cage without a treat. Every few days I slowly put his millet behind my back and let him just sit on my lap. Every time I do this he looks around really fast and prepares to take off. Then I have to put his treat back where he can see it and he just acts normal. It's been three weeks and I feel we're not getting anywhere. If someone could respond that would be terrific.  

[helenmat]

If he is ok on your shoulder and not on your lap it could be that he feels vunerable being lower down. Maybe the millet is enough of a distraction to take his mind of being lower but as soon as the millet is gone he feels vunerable again. I'm only guessing, but they do like to feel safe?

[Hezz]

Two months is not a long time when it comes to training/taming budgies, three weeks even less so. Everything has to happen at their pace, really. I suggest you reduce the amount of millet he gets each time. Give him only one or two buds of millet, or at least work down to this for the short term. If there is millet still around of course he is going to want it, but it will interesting to see his reaction if he actually finishes all that he is offered. Does he step up and down on command? You need to realize that patience is the most important virtue you can have with budgies, and be prepared to go two steps forward and one back every so often. Patience, persistence and perseverance are the important attributes to bring to the training table. The bird has to learn to trust you, and that must be earned; it is not a given. Don't expect a budgie to accept you as easily as a cat or dog will; a budgie is a prey animal and you are a predator, their natural instinct tells them to be wary of you.

While your bud is sitting eating, talk softly to him, don't try to touch him at this stage, just allow him to begin to feel safe in your presence.

[Deleted]

All the above is excellent advice, just take baby steps with your Bud.
You have been treating him for coming out of his cage, so he wants a treat and expects a treat to come out.
He does not want to come out without his treat

Try just leaving his door open and sit quietly playing with a bit of millet, start treating him for coming to you rather than for just coming out of his cage.

Budgies are cunning when treats are concerned, he knows if he sits their a treat is coming, so you are just changing things around to suit you, not the bird.