Can you tame an older Budgie?

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Can you tame an older Budgie?

Postby rrcool on Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:25 am

I have a 7 year old budgie named L'il Bird who has recently shown some interest or comfort in being more tame. She was originally my sister's and my sister never had the time to properly train her. She is finger trained, but is usually terrified to leave her cage and bites your finger like crazy when you try to take her out of her cage.

Strangely about 2 years ago she started coming out of her cage on her own, just sitting on top and sometimes flying to another part of the room. Then she started coming to the open door for kisses. She will not bite my face at all and will chat away to me, but as soon as she is near my hands/arms she will bite non-stop. I've tried to get her use to coming out of the cage, but she will not stop biting, even once she is safely on my hand she will just keep biting the finger she is sitting on. If she flies off or goes to my shoulder and I go to pick her up she will step onto my finger no problem. I do think once she gets more use to being out she will be a happier budgie, but I'm not sure if I am causing her way to much stress trying to get her out. Do you think I should just let her be and not bother trying to get her out on my finger? Or do you think it would be a good idea to slowly work with her? If so, what should I do to help her trust my hand?


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  • Re: Can you tame an older Budgie?

    Postby MFids on Fri Aug 29, 2008 11:27 am

    It's never too late to tame a bird. I've tamed an older bird than her!

    I'd suggest offering her millet or seeds from your hand. My budgies who probably range from 5-9+ years in age took quite well to me feeding them from my hand! Sure, they nibbled on my hands every now and then, but I was able to get them comfortable enough to eat from my hands that they'd fly out of their cage, to me, standing a few feet away! None of them are tame, but they trust me enough to eat from my hands, and bicker over the best feeding positions! :lol: :roll:


    March 09, 2007
    Budgies are eating food out of my hand right inside the cage
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUx81WHTUwk

    March 14, 2007
    Budgies are eating food out of my hand just outside the cage.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVESvigbl2o

    April 06, 2007
    Budgies are now eating out of my hand a foot or so away from the cage
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlSm4uFZzVU
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    Re: Can you tame an older Budgie?

    Postby youbetcha1018 on Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:13 am

    Take her into a small enclosed room, like a bathroom. (make sure you close the lid to the toilet). Very calmly and gently work with the bird by offering her your finger. Press one finger horizontally up against the birds belly back towards the legs. Try to get the bird to step up. If he flutters away pick her up right away and set her back on your finger and try to get her to step up by repeating the process with the other hand. Eventually your bird will get the hang off it. Work with her like this for 15 minutes a day.
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