Posted by lg2194 on Mon, 06/25/2007 - 17:05 :: Teaching Tricks
Everytime i try to put my parrokeet on my finger it shivers and nibbles on my finger and wont go on my finger. what shold i do?
Posted by 2BudgieOwner on Tue, 06/26/2007 - 07:40.
I would try to go in a small room, like a bathroom, and get some of his favorite treat, try to get him on your finger and give him some treat and just get him use to your finger and you. And that when he is on your finger he will get things he likes!
Posted by Loyalty on Wed, 06/27/2007 - 12:34.
How long have you had him? Is he alone in the cage (any mirrors)? How old is he? There's a lot of factors when trying to handle birds that you have to look at.
Posted by karen on Wed, 06/27/2007 - 19:50.
The fact that he isn't too afraid of your finger is good.
I find that it is much better to not force your budgie to accept you. It is better to just gain their trust slowly. If he is the only budgie and is relatively young, he should learn to trust you fairly quickly if you are gentle and patient and try to avoid doing things that will frighten him as much as possible.
Try speding some time just sitting by his cage talking to him, with your hand against the side of the cage. Budgies just love being talked to. If he isn't too afraid of you he will probably start to enjoy this and come over towards your side of the cage. When he's ok with your hand next to the cage, try reaching your hand in and offering some millet spray from your hand so he can reach the millet from the perch. After he's ok with eating from your hand you can gradually move the millet spray so he must perch on your hand to eat it. Allow at least a few days for this if he has never perched on a hand before. When he is fully comfortable with your hand as a perch, then you can try having him step up onto your hand without the bribery. Once he knows hands are safe to step up on you can try taking him out, preferably in a small room the first few days so he can't fly away too far.

Karen
Chico (conure) and Pippin (budgie)
WI
Posted by lg2194 on Thu, 06/28/2007 - 10:32.
He is 5 years i had him for six he is alone and there is 1 mirror in the cage

Louis
&
Jet (Parrokeet)
Posted by Loyalty on Sat, 06/30/2007 - 04:02.
I would remove the mirror. Birds will bond to a mirrored bird (themselves). I only suggest people get a mirror or a second bird in the same cage if they're not planning on handling it.

The millet idea is great. Our Keets in the store go nuts every time I bring them millet :).
Posted by karen on Sat, 06/30/2007 - 19:38.
A 5 year old bird may be harder to tame than a young bird if he has never been handled. But at least he is already used to you. You may be able to use the mirror to lure him onto your hand faster than by using millet. The first thing in getting him to step up on your finger is to get him to realize that fingers are for perching on, and bribing him onto your finger is a good way to teach him that.

Karen
Chico (conure) and Pippin (budgie)
WI