Budgie won't go down his perch to eat

[alanis9]

Hello,
we have a new budgie cca 4 months old, for about 10 days now. He spends his entire time on one perch only, does not explore the cage at all and does not come down the perch to eat his food or drink. He only eats millet which we hang next to his perch-when moved to different place he does not touch it. Drinks only when you bring his water right under his beak. When I bring the feeding mix he does no touch it. He also eats broccoli but you have to hold it for him, when you get tired and stick it between the bar of his cage next to his perch, he is too lazy to get it.
He chirps, reluctantly lets himself to be touched and seems to be adjusting to us and reacting to his name. However the feeding situation is becoming ridiculous.

Should we remove the millet and force him to come down to eat? Before he gets used to being almost hand-fed.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Welcome

Budgies take from two days up to a month to adjust in a new place. Your budgie seems to be a slow adjuster but for a new budgies he is eating and drinking a lot of stuff. Just leave him and he will be fine. Keeping food and water at one place will be better and he will explore it. He will never starve himself. Finally, keep the cage at one place, preferably in a corner where he will feel safe.

[alanis9]

Thank you for you advice. Today I did not give him new millet and he was "forced" to move to a different perch to really strip it clean. He also tasted his honey seed treat probably out of hunger. I will follow your advice and stop fussing about him.
Should I also remove the honey seed treat (again position by his perch) and stop giving him millet until he starts eating regular bird food mix from his feeder?

[BudgiesBuddy]

You're welcome
Initially keeping various foods in the cage would be better. Once he fully adjusts in his new environment, you can decide the food types and timings. Do you have some seed mix in the cage or just millet spray?

[alanis9]

He has budgie mix in his feeder, broccoli placed in a dish on the bottom of his cage, mix of seed with honey hanging by his perch. Today I gave him no millet spray and for the first time he went down to eat his regular food. Hurray!!!
I guess, hunger is the best cook.

[stace]

It's a though you've got him sat on the couch in front of the telly with an endless pile of chips, popcorn and sausage rolls. He feels no need to get up and venture down to his seed pot for anything else.

[lizb]

This hap with my bird Ernest so I took away the millet for the while I wa scared if I took it away then he would not eat which was very silly of me soon as was gone the monster went to his bowl were he kicks and NAND makes a rigt mess of his food he eats loads lol