[Ianatore]

Yes I did bring my dog in the room.so they could at least see eachother with me in case he walks in my room while im not looking but they both didnt care. Ill still keep my room door closed during the day thank you (and the cage door the whole.time)

 

[FaeryBee]

Perfect! Well done.

 

[Ianatore]

Hello,

I know this thread is now very much off topic and has become more a journal/Q&A than about millet but tonight it has been 1 month 3 weeks that I had Dali. She didn't care at all about my dog she kept doing her thing. She still doesn't come out of her cage, even if sometimes she looks as if she wants to but kind of "almost jump" but seems to lack the courage to come out.
I bought a bunch of shredding toys, a ladder and a swing, but she mostly stays on her perches and shreds them. I guess she just likes it better.

I was a bit discouraged myself because I was seeing all those video or post on reddit about people who are like "3 weeks, finally hand tamed" or "first day with him" and hes on their finger while I always speaks to her, feed her millet with my hand, changed her diet a bit, I even moved my keyboard in my room because I used to play classical piano.

Anyways, tonight I decided to shorten bit of millet spray between her and my hand to 1 inches or so instead of like 3 inches, and as the millet fell on one of my fingers, she delicately took it off my hand (to eat it) and it was my first physical contact with her, so I'm very happy and felt like sharing haha!

I still don't know when I'll try to introduce my finger as a perch but I stopped trying to watch youtube videos or read article for answers and decided to also go with my intuition and just go very slowly and it feels more natural for both of us. I guess in a way we are both taming each other haha.

Anyways I just felt like sharing this so if someone gets very impatient, maybe he'll land on this thread and wont feel like he's alone haha!

 

[FaeryBee]

Your post is a testament that it simply takes time and patience when you are working on taming and bonding.

You are doing a great job with Dali!

 

[Ianatore]

Hello,

Thank you again for all the answers. So I have been having Dali for 8 weeks now. I keep upgrading her cage slowly with homemade toys and trying to find what she likes and dislikes. She started playing with the shredding toy I made. However, her favorite thing to do is to make her swing move and look at it. I keep the cage opened all day everyday, always have calm music, talk to her, and she has a couple of perches at high places in the room.

Still, she never comes out for a fly. It has been 3 weeks since she came out on her own. She only flew out yesterday as I was hanging a new toy and she got scared of my hand, did 2 or 3 loop around the room then came back in her cage.

She eats millet in between my thumb and index but still very very scared of my hand. Also, she never really sings she mostly either scream or do the strident "mate call" I think. Every night I read a chapter of a book (out loud in a soothing tone, figured I would practice my pronunciation since I'm a teacher assistant and English is not my first language) while having my hand at the entrance of the cage so she gets used to it. She's kind of fine with it but doesn't seem curious whatsoever about me or coming out.

Knowing I got her when she was about 6 months old and interacted with her everyday since, and am with her most of the time unless I'm at university, could it be possible that she just like to be left alone? I was thinking of maybe getting another budgie so she at least can play with another living thing that she wouldn't be terrified of.

I must admit even if there are some small progress compared to the first day she was here, I'm a bit anxious that she might never get comfortable with me around and I don't want to leave her terrified for the rest of her days.

So, after 8 weeks (almost 9), should I just consider getting another budgie and leave them live their life or could she randomly decide to come out of her cage or be curious and try to interact with me? In other words, are there untamable budgie or maybe I'm just doing something wrong?

 

[Ianatore]

Hello!

Now Dali eats millet when it is really close to my hand (in face I hold it so that the end of the spray is between my thumb and index), and will sometimes nibble at my fingers. However, sometimes its as if she realized how close she is from my hand and then just back off a bit.

I was wondering, if at that moment, it was better to immediately bring my hand out to show her that I respect her limits (which is what I am doing) or should I keep my hand there maybe for a little time (to show her that it in fact didn't do anything).

Also, this morning I brought her cage in my living room which is much bigger put has a huge window (yeah I'm lucky). She did come out very fast but went twice straight at the window and I don't have a curtain. So, I was wondering if I should keep her cage in my office/room which is big enough but not as big, so she feels a certain sense of stability (like her cage will always be there if she leaves) or if I should bring it when I can during the day in the living room?

I liked that she stayed outside her cage much longer than usual where she just do 2 circle around the room then goes straight back in despite of all the perch I installed but I would also like it if she was a bit less scared of me and I don't know whether I should be more around stability or stimulation (not to say that I don't stimulate her at all just she doesn't fly as much)

 

[FaeryBee]

I would leave my hand inside the cage once she finishes the millet close to your fingers.
Having it there and holding it still will help her learn to trust "the hand".

Bringing your cage in the living room is fine. It sounds, from your post, like she already knows the dimensions of the living room without bumping into the window.
That is the only reason I ever covered windows initially in any room where my birds' have/had out-of-cage time.
Once they learn the rooms' dimensions, they have never flown into an uncovered window.

 

[Ianatore]

Thank you! I did as you said and she didnt bump into the window yesterday and flew back and forth right over my head (which was fun, at least it was for me haha)

Also, I dont know what happened but today she keeps doing the "mate call" or flock call (the super annoying high pitch noise) I dont know what it is called and when I gave her millet she wasnt as scared and I even have been able to give her one very gentle small stroke on her tummy and she didnt move away. She will.even eat millet while my index is straightened so she could use it as a perch (with the index inbetween her and the millet) and she doesnt mind even if she doesnt seem.to be interested to climb on, I guess its a good thing.

However those "calls" are very loud and its the first time she does.that. Could it be that something is wrong or just shes not as shy and decided to make noise from now on?

 

[Ianatore]

Also, here is a picture of her (since I never posted one)

 

[FaeryBee]

She is making noise simply because she wants to.
Get used to it. It's a good thing when budgies chirp, even when its loudly.

Let Them Sing!

Dali is a very pretty little girl! Thank you for sharing her picture.

 

[Ianatore]

She is making noise simply because she wants to.
Get used to it. It's a good thing when budgies chirp, even when its loudly.

Let Them Sing!

Dali is a very pretty little girl! Thank you for sharing her picture.

Thank you so much. It really appreciate to have some feedback on what is normal and what is not (even if sometimes my questions might sound kind of stupid).

 

[FaeryBee]

Your questions are fine and I'm glad that we are able to help put your mind at ease. 💜💜

 

[Ianatore]

I just received some new perches, toys and stainless steel bowl yesterday. Here is her cage upgraded (with Dali on top who doesnt seem super happy about changes)

I only changed one bowl (for food) and left the old one just in case.

I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions for layout ?(the flat one is right next to where she sleeps).

It feels as if it was a bit overcrowded and she is mostly scared of new things (i left the perches and toys next to her cage for a day so its not totally new).

Also, when she gets out to fly she never ever perches anywhere else than the top of her cage is there anything I can do to make her want to explore a bit?

 

[FaeryBee]

The cage looks good. Do you have a mineral block in it in addition to her cuttle bone?
I would suggest adding another swing if Dali is not using the wicker wreath swing much.
Having a nice bell would be good as well. In general, most budgies love bells.

With regard to Dali leaving the top of the cage: By perching there she feels safer than anywhere else in the room.
You could try putting a play ground somewhere outside her cage to see if you could entice her to explore that.

 

[Ianatore]

Thank you! I added a mineral bone and a big bell that she likes. She now eats millet very close to my hand (she often stuff her beak between my finger and the millet to get the part that is under my finger). However, even if she don't mind having her head touching my fingers, she wont try to put her foots on them.

I tried putting millet in my palm and she's just not interested in that. I tried extending one finger and slowly making the millet out of reach other than if she perches on my finger, but once it's out of reach she just looks at it and sometimes nibble my fingers a bit (I'm guessing its nibbling since it doesnt hurt at all but maybe its like a warning that she would bite me if I try to come closer).

In other words, is there a good way to make her comfortable with my hand as a perch? Should I try to always make the millet out of reach and just wait until she tries to come on or keep feeding her millet and she would eventually come on her own?

I feel that if I don't try something different she will never progress from here (maybe it's just a feeling). Also, is it possible she will never truly be tamed as other budgies since it's been 3 months now?

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[FaeryBee]

If you simply put a bit of millet on your palm, put your hand in her cage and hold it perfectly still, over time she will come to your hand for the millet IF that is the only time she has access to millet.
It may take several sessions over several days before it happens so you'll have to be patient. Hold you hand still in the cage for several minutes if you are able to do so. Put your hand close enough to her that she can manage to step or hop over onto it to get to the millet but not so close that she can reach the millet without moving onto your hand to do so.

 

[Ianatore]

If you simply put a bit of millet on your palm, put your hand in her cage and hold it perfectly still, over time she will come to your hand for the millet IF that is the only time she has access to millet.
It may take several sessions over several days before it happens so you'll have to be patient. Hold you hand still in the cage for several minutes if you are able to do so. Put your hand close enough to her that she can manage to step or hop over onto it to get to the millet but not so close that she can reach the millet without moving onto your hand to do so.

Thank you! Should I put a millet spray in my palm or should I just put the seeds?

 

[FaeryBee]

Just use a few of the seeds. No more than one of the little millet balls.

 

[Ianatore]

Okay thank you! I started only giving her millet that way since sunday. We'll see how it goes so far she just looks at my hand without moving.

Made me wonder if it was normal that, 3 months after I got her, she's still quite scared of me and never truly seems "happy" when I'm here. She'll often become quieter in fact (other than when she has a lot of energy and can't help herself).

At this stage, should she be more comfortable or happy when I'm around or is it normal?

 

[Ianatore]

I'm gonna reply to my post here.

We did it! She hoped on my finger (for about 2 minutes, with millet, but still)
She did put one foot on my finger twice yesterday and today, after about 20 minutes without moving she accidently put her nail on my finger and then just went with it I guess and hoped on it. Sheeeesh, what a feeling.

However, she hopped off and I left my hand there and then she did it again, for like a sec then I guess she realized what she was doing and seemed horrified for a sec. I backed off after that but I was wondering if I should keep on doing what I was doing and she'll kind of ease off in time? I don't want her to be traumatized by my hand if she keeps getting horrified like that.

Still, thank you everyone for all your good advice. I did pay off on the long run!