Keep in mind that they don’t want to do the trick, they just want the treat. So what I would do is take a few of the little parts with the millet off the stem and keep them hidden in one closed hand while you are trainnng. Then give him just one at a time for doing the trick.
Taming when the bird just wants the treat
I'm having a bit of a scuffle with my new budgie, I'm trying to train him in things like target training, stepping up, flying to me, etc. I'm using millet to do it and although he is able to do the trick he doesn't do it on command and keeps trying to go to the millet. For example when target training he does bite the end of the stick but the second I pull out the millet he climbs onto it, starts eating it and won't let go. And when I want him to fly to me or step up he won't get on the perch and instead climbs all over me to find where I'm hiding the millet. And when I manage to get him on the perch he flys back to me. I have tried it with other kinds of food but he doesn't really have the motivation for it. What do I do?
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I wish I had learned this when mine was younger. I don’t know if this is true for yours, but I was feeding mine entirely too much seed and didn’t make sure he got veggies and pellets when he was very young.
So he was always full of seed and never even food motivated enough to go for millet.
Once I rationed the seed he would get willingly in my hands to get some. I made it so that he had to eat veggies or get in my hands to get seed. Otherwise there were pellets to eat. He quickly then agreed to come around my hands and veggies in order to get the seed.
Have you tried this?
So he was always full of seed and never even food motivated enough to go for millet.
Once I rationed the seed he would get willingly in my hands to get some. I made it so that he had to eat veggies or get in my hands to get seed. Otherwise there were pellets to eat. He quickly then agreed to come around my hands and veggies in order to get the seed.
Have you tried this?
Yes, that's totally normal. Slowly over time he may get on your hand without millet, but for now do not try to do that. Just keep showing him that your hands are safe, they have treats and they will never try to grab or harm him. When you need to reach in the cage to clean or change food and water, do it slowly and talk sweetly to him. Don't react if he reacts, like if he flies about the cage trying to "get away" from the hands, just stay calm and slow and talking sweetly. Try not to make any sudden movements with your hands and arms when near his cage at all. It takes them a bit of time because they are instinctually just trying to stay alive and hands are something they know could harm them. We have to prove to them that we will not harm them! When they do finally believe and understand this, it feels so sweet because it is not in their nature to trust us huge meat eating mammals.Ok I just tried this and he has zero issue stepping up on my finger as long as I have millet. He only is scared of my hands when I don't have any food
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