Regarding taking budgies out of the cage.

[birby]

I'm a first time owner with three budgies (Helva, Montel, and Gibu), and they all are semi comfortable with hands (and by semi I mean Helva/Gibu are willing to perch if there's treats involved, and Montel is getting a bit more comfortable but doesn't perch). 
Basically, my questions are; When is the best time/stage to take budgies out of their cage, and ensuring they'll return?

thanks, Birby

[tweetiepiesmom]

I have two male budgies. As soon as they started eating treats from my hand, I let them out to fly around. I don't have food for them outside of the cage so they return to the cage to eat. The first time you let them out, make sure you have plenty of time. Also make sure the room is budgie proof - can't escape out windows, windows covered so they don't crash into them until they learn they are there, mirrors covered. Most people let budgies out in a small room first such as a bedroom or bathroom, just make sure the toilet is covered. Other experienced people will be along to give you good tips/suggestions to make sure your budgies are safe when you let them out.

[Morgan]

tweetiepiesmom gave great advice - I would just add to make sure any ceiling fans present are turned off, and if you happen to let them out in the main house/living/kitchen area (though I would definitely start in a smaller room that they are already familiar with) make sure the stove is off and like the toilet, there’s no pots or pans of food or anything left uncovered. Also consider where they might want to land - if they might knock something over and hurt themselves that way.

More experienced budgie-parents will be along with more thorough and concise advice. Welcome to the forum!

[Hezz]

You cannot ensure they will return to their cage until they learn to do so. Too many people open the doors and let the birds out without any training in place to get them back home again. Having said that, all training in the world will not take a new arrival home until it is good and ready to go, which is why a small room to let them out in initially is the place to start. They are less likely to lose their focus on the cage, they aren't as likely to get the speed up to injure themselves if they do start panic flying and you won't run yourself ragged following them around trying to entice them back into the cage when the time to go home comes around.

Until you know you can get them back home at will, don't let them out if you have somewhere to be, other things to do for the next few hours, and if you fail to get them back in the cage they wouldn't be the first budgies to spend all night perched on a curtain rail. Often when they get that first taste of freedom in a new place they do not want to go back to being cage-bound. As they get to know their cage and that they are going to be able to exercise every day, they will usually become more accepting to being taken home. Don't have food for them outside the cage for the foreseeable future as often food is their strongest incentive to go home.

You need to have good step up training in place, so that they will step onto either a stick or your finger to be returned home. And don't get frustrated; it is too easy to do so when you have been trying to get them into the cage for some time only to have them fly off when you approach the cage door.