A few tips needed please.

[Anneke]

Hi peeps
I'm needing a bit of help with my budgie. I've been slack, and have backslided with training my budgie, but hope to start again. I have a few questions:

1) Would you mind giving me a list of what veges/fruits are suitable for a budgie?
2) My budgie is extremely sensitive about my hand when she's in her cage and tries to bit etc. ( out of her cage she fine) discouraging me from taking her out; after all if she doesn't want to come why force her? How can I change this? Will a different cage help?

Thank you!

[laducockatiel]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

There is a good website called cockatiel cottage that I use to check which veggies are ok for my cockatiel to eat, it is called cockatiel cottage and here is the link to the safe fruit and veggies for cockatiels page http://www.cockatielcottage.net/diet3.html it is made for cockatiels but it is the same for budgies.

As for your budgie being scared of your hand, you need to tame it if you want it to come out of othe cage on your hand. Here is an article that shows you how to do this http://trainedparrot.com/Taming/#target-training scroll down to the article called target training parrot outside the cage to learn how to tame your bird.

Hope this helped

[Anneke]

Thanks! That website is really cool!
I have target trained Lychee before and she is pretty good, but will try target training her onto my hand.
Thanks again!
Anneke

[Naurthon]

Birds may become territorial of their cages. Nikko occasionally gets nippy when I put my hand in his cage. I respond by deliberately touching everything inside the cage and repeating, "This is Daddy's cage." Of course, he doesn't understand my words, but he gets the idea that nipping me doesn't get me out of his cage and he gives up.

[BabyGirl3]

My budgies have always loved romaine lettuce, clipped to the side of the cage with a wooden clothes pin. You've really got to look into feeding sprouts, I had a budgie live nearly 14 years being on the original sprouting blend I found at http://www.BestBirdFoodEver.com . They just need so much more than seeds, pellets, fruits and veggies.

[Khaiqha]

You can target train your budgie to come out.

Also, I found it's much easier to get a bird to step up by placing your hand next to it, and asking if it wants to step up. Trying to force a bird to step up usually triggers a flight response or just makes the bird angry at you.

[Anneke]

Thanks guys!
Lychee is a bit better. Last night I spent some 'quality time' with her, talking softly through her cage to her, and she seemed to enjoy it. This morning I could open her cage door and put my hand out to her without her showing aggresiveness or trying to bite. I think the whole problem was that I seemed to her like a boss; like someone who just keeps her in a cage, feeds her, and teaches her tricks. But last night I acted sort of like a friend/companion.
So yea, I'm motovated again!