Budgie is calm and allows stomach rubs, but won't step up

[medusasgaze]

I've had my budgie for about six months now, with daily 10-20 min hand training starting about a month ago. I hold a small sprig of millet between my thumb and pointer finger while extending my middle finger out in front like a perch. If I hold my hand close enough for her to reach it, my budgie with lean out and readily eat the millet after a minute or two. If I keep it out of her reach, she will either completely ignore it (often times just like going to sleep) or take a few curious nibbles at my finger perch before losing interest. She clearly isn't afraid of my hand, but it feels like she just doesn't understand that she could step up onto my finger to reach the millet. 

I've read conflicting things on whether or not to try pushing lightly on her stomach to get her to step up, so I don't do it often. When I do that try, she just looks at me blankly. I've altered this to try just softly rubbing her belly and she doesn't really react to that either.

Its probably worth noting that she is a fairly shy parakeet that I got from a pet store, aka not young. If I put a new perch in her cage or rearrange things, its takes about a week before she ventures onto the new stuff, if at all. I've also tried about a million different kinds of toys, but she never seems interested. She seems content just to jump and climb around the cage to keep occupied.

Am I just being impatient expecting her to step up after a month? Should I be trying something different? I'm just a bit confused since she doesn't appear to be frightened of me and will allow me to touch her readily. I wonder sometimes if she just isn't the most intelligent bird... I've been holding off on out-of-cage play until I can safely get her onto my finger, but I'm getting anxious to let her out for some exercise. 

Thanks in advance!

[reenie]

My new little Kevin refuses point blank to step up on my finger, but like yours is clearly not frightened of me. I tried a small twig, and on he stepped without any problem. You might have some luck with that. The one I use is only about 3 inches long, and half an inch thick so it fits neatly in my hand and doesn't frighten him coming into his cage. It's worth a try.
Kevin has no interest in millet so he's doing this without any bribery.
Good luck!

[Hezz]

Why did you leave it so late to start working with your bird? I've had my budgie for about six months now, with daily 10-20 min hand training starting about a month ago. Was she ill at some stage, or something??

After leaving her alone for so long, it is not surprising that she gives you that look of "what?" when you now ask something of her. Now you have to retrain her to expect to have to do something with you. 10-15 minutes at a time, several times a day and every day is what you should have been doing to gain her trust. Start off again using these guidelines, but with only a one or two sessions each day but working up to five or six a day as you progress. You ill have to give her time to adjust, though. She has become used to being and doing her own thing.