Strange dilemma Boris won't come out, any advice?

[helenmat]

I have never come across this before but Boris just will not come out. He will step up on my finger and eat millet out of my hand but as soon as I get him near the door of the cage he shoots back in. I try this over and over but he is having none of it, either in the small cage or the big one.

As we have the two cages next to each other until tomorrow I made a bridge across from Boris's cage to the big cage and he has been scooting across on that of his own accord. He came out the first couple of days with Buddy but now even if Buddy is out he will not come out. The only way I can get him to go from one cage to the other is to gently coax him towards the ladder bridge.

Tomorrow I intend to remove the small cage and put them together in the big cage, I wondered if anyone could offer any tips as to how I persuade Boris to venture out of the cage. I am still doing step up with him every day.

They both seem to be getting along fine and Boris doesn't seem to be frightened at all.

I've never known a bird not want to be out of the cage before!

Do I just leave him until he is ready?

Any ideas?

[Hezz]

Only thing I can suggest is a landing platform at the entrance. There is a nice big door, so it is not that - often they are reluctant to use smaller doors as they feel confined. Some members have these; I don't, so can't help as to where to source them.

[helenmat]

I don’t think the door is the problem as it has a landing platform already built in. It’s more the fact that he won’t stay on our hand to go through it. He comes in and out of the tiny doors on the sides on his own. I haven’t seen him use the big door yet at all.

[OP]

I feel that some budgies are perfectly happy to stay in their own little environment (cage). I have found this with three of mine now. Joey, even though I coaxed him out over a very long period, he would rather be in the cage.Edward, had FM and coud not fly very well so she would rather stay in the cage. Bobby can fly but she would rather stay in the cage. If I bring her out at the first opportunity she is back in the cage. Now I have Mildred who is an excellent flyer but is not used to flying free. I am coaxing her out gradually, but she is timid and untamed so she would rather be in the cage. Then there is Whiskers who is happy to fly in and out of the cage.
They are all different and it could be that Boris just doesn't have a good enough reason to leave the comforts of the cage. Perhaps he needs one. More encouragement to leave the cage with a reward when he does.

[OP]

I was posting at the same time you was. Now I can see that Boris just doesn't want to come out of the cage when you want him to. Plain as that If he was ready to come out he would stay on your hand.

[rose]

Sounds like me these days - much prefer staying in to going out, especially on a Saturday night!

[starlingqueen]

I had this problem with Echo at first. To solve it I would sit in front of the cage with the door open and hold a tempting piece of millet where he could see it. He wanted that millet so much that he would come out to get it and sit on my hand to eat it. He would then hop straight back in, Eventually he started to fly about the house. I think as long as you let him go in if he wants to he will gain the confidence to have a fly around, knowing his safe place is always there if he needs it.

[helenmat]

Him and Buddy had a little squabble today and he got sort of pushed out of the door, he did 3 laps of the dining room and then crash landed, hubby picked him up and he took off again but he managed to land on top of the cage. He went back in a little shell shocked from his adventure. He does seem quite happy though, he is making all sorts of chirps and shouting at anyone who will listen!

[OP]

I may have been looking at this from the wrong angle. Maybe it's not he doesn't want to come out, but he doesn't quite know how to get back in. I read, quite some time ago, that budgies use contrast to see where to land as in perching. I noticed that with Joey if the cage door, which doubled as a landing platform, was in a certain direction he could not find it directly. He would land on top of the cage and make his way down to the door/platform. After reading this article I made a platform similar to what others have for their cages. It was only small diameter dowelling and a frame to hold it in place. After I put that on top of the door/platform he would land on it straight away, once he got over the standing statue phase. Food for thought.

I can understand the concept myself now as I also use contrast to find the edges of things. If I go to pick up a glass/cup I have to look at the edges otherwise I will knock it over.