Help! Please!!

[rlf993]

Righty, last year my mum found our budgie! He flew into a tractor while she was talking to the bloke driving it. We think he was only a baby cause he was all yellow and there was no colouring on him and obviously now he has distinction in his feathers and he his a handsome little yellow budgie called kato
Anyway, he doesnt like being handled, he doesn't like being out of the cage and he is really happy in the cage but we wanted to let him out to stretch his wings and he just doesn't like it! He flys into the walls and will not settle down! I genuinely don't know how to train him, he is obviously finger trained but you try to grab him and he won't settle! Someone help please! I have looked all over the Internet but obviously no-one has the same issue because of where he came from!

[Deleted]

for a start never grab him...
if you talk calm to him and let him sit on your finger in the cage ...for a few days ....then bring him out of the cage on your finger do this very very slow..... and put him back in again .....to gain his trust .....thats a good start .....when this is being done ok five or six times ...you can try to keep him on your finger and out of the cage .....let him fly around in his own time...... never force him to fly ....if he flyes in to a wall ......pic him up take him back to his cage...let him settle and try again another time..they all crash at first ....but will soon get the hang of it...but build his conidance up with you first...dont rush him....
i hope this helps... ..

[budgiefriend]

Welcome to you and Kato. Teaching him to trust you can take a lot of time and patience, so don't give up. Mick has given you good advice.

[Hezz]

I agree with what Mick has said. No budgie likes to be held. Some accept it as something that has to happen from time to time, but only once trust has been built between you. Quietly talking to him, no sudden movements, and backing off if he starts to panic - all will help you and Kato come to an understanding.

He loves being in his cage because he feels safe there. Probably the last time he got out of a cage is when he went awol and ran into a tractor! So it is a big, bad world out there for a tiny little bird. Also he is learning where the boundaries of the room are still. Get him used to one room at a time too will help there. Any large windows or glass panels will look like he can fly through so these need to be covered up at least partially, so he doesn't fly full speed into them. Make a place in the room where he can perch safely such as a play area, so he knows there is somewhere safe for him to land. I would get him to step up onto your finger and then walk across to the safe place and put him on his perch. Do that a few times and in no time he will realise he has somewhere safe to land.

Patience and persistence are needed when taming and training budgies.

[rlf993]

The thing is I have tried moving him close to the door but he gets so far and flys off back to his plastic budgie and once he is out he won't go on your finger the only way to get him in is catching him
I tried to get him out useing his budgie on the otherside of the door & nothing

[samwiseg]

Not much more I can add, like everyone has said - great advice Mick. It's just a case of being extremely patient with the little lad. Best of luck, keep us posted on how you get on

[sarah*glittergirl2212]

It's definitely about patience, but every time you resort to grabbing him is a set back in his trust of you. Moving him slowly towards the door on your finger is good. If he flies back in once nearly out there isn't really anything you can do except try try and try again! How about millet on your hand to entice him to stay or something like that? No one can say how long it will take, but talking quietly and encouragingly to him may help a lot, he will love your praise when he's doing what you want him to do. It will take him a little while to realise that you don't want to grab him, you are just giving him a lovely comfy finger to perch on so he can explore with you. Let him fly when he's ready. Please persevere,it is unlikely to be easy but it will be worth the effort in the end!

[rlf993]

I tried to put get him on my hand today & he doesnt want too it seems that he has lost all trust he is a very nervous birdie I have to clean him out later and try again! But does anyone else's budgie hang upside down on their perch for ages??

[windsor6898]

Hi rlf993.I have got 19 in all but one that is in the lounge named spudgun he will hold onto the wires at the top of the cage turn himselfe so that his back is against the wire and his legs come through behind his wings he will then just hang there with his wings open (looks like a bat).He will then let go with one leg hang for a few seconds then let go and drop to the floor he gets one leg back to normal position while hanging and pulls the other round on his way down lol. Scared me silly at first but he loves doing it so i wouldnt be to concerned as long as he is not causing himself any harm they do love to worry us at times there like having another child.Welcomb to the forum and hope you enjoy your new member of the family.

[Marianne Marlow]

Feb 3, 2012 11:39:09 GMT rlf993 said:

I tried to put get him on my hand today & he doesnt want too it seems that he has lost all trust he is a very nervous birdie I have to clean him out later and try again! But does anyone else's budgie hang upside down on their perch for ages??

Abbie hangs upside down all the time. She seems to enjoy seeing the world from this angle!

[Hezz]

They don't mind hanging around especially if there is something good to eat in reach.

Back to not grabbing hold of Kato. If you can't get him to perch on your hand/finger use a perch. I have a spare one that lives on the top of my cage, because when they don't want to do what I want them to, they run around the back of the play-gym where I can't reach, lol. But the perch allows me access and they will happily step up onto the perch. Get him onto the perch and then move him around the room.

[rlf993]

Kato is driving me mad ATM I mean I love him to bits but he just will not do anything right! I am getting to the point were I am going to take his plastic budgie out & see wether that helps! He loves that thing too much I miss him sitting on my finger he winds the dog up when he does :')
I don't know what to do anymore! My parents dont helP either I am the only one that interacts with him now & whenever I try an bring him towards the door of his cage I get shouted at and told 'it will stress him out' anyone any ideas??

[Hezz]

If the plastic budgie is his security blanket, it is definitely worth taking it with you when you want him out of the cage. It would also be a good time to start restricting his access to the plastic bird. It seems he has become too attached to the toy and now he can't do without it.

Where is Kato's cage, when all this is going on? I would move his cage into your bedroom for the time when you are trying to interact with him, and close the door. If there is a lot of things going on and lots of noise, parents yelling, you yelling, I think poor little Kato is totally overwhelmed. Make the time when you are together quiet and calm, with just the two of you. You may find you have a lot more success that way. It is not necessarily Kato doing the wrong thing, either, more you need to show him how to do the right thing. But calmly, not upset in any way. Keep sessions short for now and reward him as soon as he does even a little thing right. Lots of quiet praise, even millet treats. But tension in the air is not going to bring about results. You need to be calm before you even think about getting going, okay?

[rlf993]

Happiest budgie own ever he sat on my hand so happy talking to me while I was chatting to him
Also, serious note do you think kato will freak out if I took the top part of his cage off while he was on the floor! I wanna try it but I don't want him to freak out!!

[Hezz]

Not quite sure what you mean, but for now I would be taking things slowly and quietly and re-affirming the positives, before trying new things. You really want to be working on building up his trust in you. So the less number of things for him to stress about, the better.