Can't seem to tame new budgie

[finiteguy]

We got a new budgie about two months ago. We have tried to tame this budgie but nothing works. My wife can put her hand in the cage and pet him and he will go on her finger, but she can not take him out of the cage. This is becoming a real problem becasue I ned to take him out of the cage to clean it properly.
Any suggestions?

[ruthpaton]

It does take time finiteguy and some budgies learn more quickly than others. It's great that he goes on your wife's finger, that is good progress. Remember coming out of the cage is a big scary experience for him and it's something you want at the moment but not something he wants! You have to make coming outside of the cage look interesting and rewarding. Have you tried holding a piece of his favourite treat (e.g millet or a piece of fruit) just beyond where he is sitting on her finger? Each time you could try moving him closer to the door of the cage till he is just outside - but don't force him away from the cage or close it while he's outside. Put him back quite quickly and gradually build up his time outside until he is staying out to play for a while. That's what I would try - but some people are much better at this than I am so hopefully someone else will be along with some advice soon! Also worth looking through the training threads as a lot of the techiques are similar for different things you want the budgie to do. You've done well so far though so don't give up! :-)

[sweetie]

Try getting your wife to crumble some millet into the palm of her hand, once the bird is on and distracted by eating, slowly move the hand from the cage and hopefully the bird will be more distracted by eating than worrying about coming out, this works with my girl

[Bird Junky]

Hi All the info you want is in the Bonding/Training posts.
OK....B.J.

[Moogie]

i got my Budgie last dec and it has really only been in the last 2-3 months (if that) where he happily hops on my finger to come out of the cage...to be honest at times i thought i would NEVER get there as each time i tried to bring him out he hopped back on to his perch....Maybe keep going on the finger taming until he is fully happy stepping up and down and then as ruthpaton says slowely move him toward the door then back again each time bringing him closer and closer until one day he is out.....YOU WILL GET THERE even though you might not think so right now....

[wingz4thingz]

hey finiteguy,
well it's a good step that he will hop up onto your fingers! As for taking him out of the cage, why not leave the cage door open to let him come out on his own? He may nout like you taking him out, and may feel like you are taking him out of his comfort zone. Most budgies see their cage as a place where they are safe. However if that's not an option you could try and encourage him out with a treat or something like millet, raisins or sunflower seeds.
About cleaning the cage. How long has the cage been uncleaned? How dirty is the cage? Can you wait for your budgie to come out before you can clean it? Many cages have removable bottoms to make cleaning easier without even having to remove the bird. Does your cage have this removable tray? If it does it should just slide out from the bottom of the cage and then you can just wipe it down and replace the newspaper. Also scrub poop off the toys, food and water bowls, and cage bars with non-toxic spray(NOT bleach) or vinegar water - it works wonders!
If it doesn't have a bottom that slides out, then you have three options. You can either a)wait for the bird to come out on his own, b)encourage him out with a toy or treat, or c)remove him yourself. If you are going to remove the bird yourself, be sure not to chase the bird around or frighten it as this will stress the poor thing out. Best to do it quickly with minimal stress. You should use a net if you have one, and get him to fly onto the bars of the cage, and then put the net over him. If you don't have a net you can use a handtowel so the bird doesn't associate your hand with being grabbed and to prevent biting. If you want you can use gloves but not really thick ones as you could injure the bird. Don't squeeze the bird too tightly or you could injure it by restricting its breathing, and don't hold him too loosely or he will get away. If you have to catch him with bare hands then the proper method of restraint is to hold him with your pinky and ring fingers round the front with the thumb round the abdomen as well, while the middle and index finger on the head to control head movements and prevent biting. The same rules apply for getting him back in the cage. Hope I helped even though there were many other good answers:)