Yoshi the budgie - just to be reassured

[Hannes]

Hi all!

So', we've had Yoshi for about a month now. He has gotten used to his cage, and the other perches we've set up in the living room/home office.

However, he doesn't really want to be with us, sure he calls for us when we leave the room, but he prefers to stay out of reach when we watch tv or sit by the computer.



He sometimes sits on my shoulder when we have breakfast, all the family members can pet his belly, he chirps and sings and puffs his body and head, but he seems more unsure than calm and relaxed when we get to close with our hands.

He prefers to sit on the perch we have close to a window, or ontop of his cage, where he usually falls alseep in the evening.

He doesn't want to be on us, come to us for belly pets etc, basically he doesn't seek our intimacy.

I wanted to know, if a budgie, 6 months old that has been with his owner for a month, usually behaves like this, if there is something we can do better to "win" his trust, and make him come to us for cuddeling.

We ususally have the cage with us when are in the home office since we need to have the window open now and then.

Constructive criticism and tips are more than welcome!

If I haven't said it before: Geat forum, seems to be dedicated birdlovers with big hearts!

Cheers,

Hannes

[GlassOnion]

You are doing a wonderful job!! One month is nothing in bird time, it takes a good 6 months to a year to properly establish a relationship even for young birds. Older rescues sometimes take years and years.

[Hannes]

Today Yoshi nipped my girlfriend's hand, hard...

He was sitting on his perch, preening, and she was going to put him in his cage, He nipped her once, and by reflex she yanked her hand. But she put it back, and asked him to step up, he nipped her about 4 more times, hard...

When a bird behaves like this, what is the best approach, after it has happened. Just to leave him alone for a while, or pursue what you set out to do, in this case, get him to his cage?

we left him alone for a while, then kept at it, and he went off his perch, and she was able to get him to his cage...


Cheers,

Hannes

[zazanomore]

Don't have any reaction. Since a budgie bite isn't so bad, I say let him bite you. Bird's bite for a reason, and once they learn that biting doesn't do anything, they will stop.

[Red Moppet]

I think you're doing fine. : )

I got my budgie when he was 6 weeks old and he was hand tamed. He would let me hold him and scritch under his chin for the first couple of weeks, and then it seemed as though he got over the fear of me and would try to bite at me instead of just sitting there. That went on for a couple of weeks, and just as zazanomore said, he got over it once biting didn't yield results. I would say that it took a couple of months of really working with him for him to start really warming up to me.

I would work with him for several short periods through the day and always chat with him when we were in the same room, and give him millet when we had "cuddle" time.

Keep at it! It's totally worth the patience and work at the beginning of the relationship.

[greencheeked]

You're doing a great job. It seems slow and tedious at first, but the only way to a birds heart is though practice and patience. Yoshi, my green cheek conure was VERY nippy at first (as most conure owners will tell you!) but one of the best pieces of advice that I got was to NOT react when bit. Especially the pulling away fast or the verbal reactions like yelling or saying ouch. Budgie bites are not bad at ALL on the scale of parrot bites however, I imagine you're not and your girlfriend's not enjoying the beak attention you're getting. Try to remain calm and remember that if you react, they tend to think it's a good thing and they'll bite again not because they are bothered, but rather because they want the reaction. As silly and as hard as it sounds, don't pull away or react, let them bite until they realize its without a point and they will eventually stop. Hope my two cents help!

[liz]

You're doing a great job. It seems slow and tedious at first, but the only way to a birds heart is though practice and patience. Yoshi, my green cheek conure was VERY nippy at first (as most conure owners will tell you!) but one of the best pieces of advice that I got was to NOT react when bit. Especially the pulling away fast or the verbal reactions like yelling or saying ouch. Budgie bites are not bad at ALL on the scale of parrot bites however, I imagine you're not and your girlfriend's not enjoying the beak attention you're getting. Try to remain calm and remember that if you react, they tend to think it's a good thing and they'll bite again not because they are bothered, but rather because they want the reaction. As silly and as hard as it sounds, don't pull away or react, let them bite until they realize its without a point and they will eventually stop. Hope my two cents help!

Greecheeks - that was good information and well worded.

[greencheeked]

Greecheeks - that was good information and well worded.

D'awwww thanks