Hi, we're new to this forum but read a lot of your discussions here before buying our budgie, a male called Billy. We bought him for our mum but it's our job to train him as mum has a badly broken arm. We really need the help of all you out there, as things aren't going well I think!!

I've had a budgie before, and he warmed to me quite quickly but I can't remember now how long it took. He always lived in an open cage - spent the day outside of it playing with us - but slept and ate all meals in the cage.

We have had Billy for nearly 4 weeks. We opened the cage quite early as he seemed to be a really calm, relaxed budgie. We think he was about 11 weeks old when we got him. We did the holding thing - feeding him through our hands and holding him gently to our chest, and in a single day he was sitting on our shoulders (but not hands). But we haven't really gotten any further, and if anything we've gone backwards. But whenever we approach him he tries his hardest to run away from us, and flies off us at first opportunity.
(One of his wings was clipped by the seller when we bought him but he's totally compensated for it and is very agile.) He doesn't seem to want to be with us at all, but is content with playing in his cage. He's got a large cage with lots of interesting perches and fun things, and also another 'tree' in the sitting room.

We're worried that his life will become lonely if it stays like this. Also, he's constantly calling to the birds outside which he can hear, and we don't know if that's a stressful situation for him which he won't get used to.

We want to get to the stage where Billy is flying to us to interact, or at the very least isn't rushing away in desperation to get away from us. We've been really gentle and calm and spent lots of time with him.

Please PLEASE can anyone help us? We'd be so grateful. We have about another 2 weeks until we have to leave mum to it with Billy, and would love any advice possible.

Thanks so much everyone,
P&A (Melbourne, Australia - but in Canberra now)