Budgies are very popular among pet owners because they are friendly, loyal and intelligent companions. You can definitely say that they are “low-maintenance” pets as they don’t require as much effort from their owners as cats and dogs. However, you will need to tame your budgie.
How long does it take to tame a budgie ?
This is different for every budgie but it usually takes between three days to four weeks. Keep in mind that every bird is different so it’s hard to say how long this period will last. How quickly you will tame your budgie depends on a lot of factors including genetics, temperament and previous experience with people.
There are budgies that are very friendly with people and they can be easily tamed, while others are very shy due to unpleasant experiences in the past. With that being said, no budgie can be tamed overnight. Be prepared for this process as you’ll definitely need time, lots of patience and most important – consistency.
In this article, we’ll discuss what you can do to tame your budgie. Be patient and remember to have fun as in the future you’ll fondly remember this period with your feathered buddy.
7 Steps for Taming a Budgie
Taming a budgie can be a fun experience only if you have some guidance along the way. Lucky for you we did a little research so you can tame your budgie as quickly as possible.
Let The Budgie Settle In
Just as your budgie is new to you, keep in mind that you are also new to them. Your budgie will first need some time to adapt to their new environment. During this period they will explore the environment and try to settle in. Place your budgie in your living room so it can get accustomed to the presence of people.
This will help them get more comfortable around people. Let the budgie fly around freely but you can place the cage near a wall so they can easily retreat if they feel the need. Make sure that the cage is at eye level so you monitor if there’s frequent movement above the cage.
Budgies can get stressed when they have things moving over their head. The taming phase can begin once your budgie has been accustomed to its new surroundings. Give the budgie about two weeks to adjust.
Start Interacting With The Budgie
After the first two weeks, it’s time to make contact with your feathered friend. You may begin by simply reaching your hand out and laying a finger on the cage after the budgie has adjusted in its new home. Talk to the budgie in a calming tone of voice while doing this.
To avoid frightening the bird, move your hand slowly and with minimal movement. Budgies are incredibly friendly birds, and they will recognize your voice and regard your hand as a non-threatening object very quickly. Do this for 15 minutes a few times a day. The budgie may at first appear anxious and afraid if you approach the cage too closely.
But, after a while, you’ll notice that it becomes more at ease when you chat to it, it may even chirp back at you! This might take up to a week. This signifies you’re ready for the next level. Are Budgies Loud ? All You Need to Know About Budgie Noise levels
Put Your Hand Inside The Cage
The next step is to put your hand inside the cage and try to make contact with your budgie. While you put the hand inside, make sure you talk in a calm and soothing voice. In the beginning, you can keep your hand near the bird, but make sure you don’t get too near because you will frighten the bird/
The goal is to make it comfortable to be near your hand. It’s not a good idea to force them to become accustomed to it. Again, be patient and don’t move your hand too much.Even if the bird flutters around in the cage, keep your hand still. Be patient and try to keep your hand as motionless as possible. Do this for around 15-20 minutes a few times a day. Do this until the budgie is no longer terrified of your presence.
Offer Food from Your Hand
Giving your budgie a treat and allowing it to eat from your hand is a guaranteed method to gain your budgie’s trust. Most budgies enjoy spray millet, but if your budgie prefers another reward, use it.
Put your budgie’s favorite food on your hand and place it inside the cage, for example, near a perch.Hold your palm motionless and let the budgie eat from it. The budgie could try to eat from your hand while perched on its seat. However, as it becomes more comfortable, it will easily sit on your hand to eat. However, remain patient and avoid approaching or grabbing the budgie at any cost.
Start Finger Training
When the budgie feels comfortable with your hand inside the cage, present your finger as a perch. Place your finger in front of the budgie and remain still.
If it does not readily sit on your finger, gently push your finger on the bird’s breast just above its feet to encourage it to do so. Also, when you want it to step up on your finger, repeat ‘step-up’ or ‘climb’ or any similar term.
It will quickly begin to associate the word with the action you desire. Don’t be surprised if the budgie flies away from your finger at first; just keep trying.
Bring It Out of The Cage
When your budgie starts perching on your finger, it’s time to get it out of the cage. Do this while the budgie is on your finger.Slowly remove your hand from the cage and introduce the budgie to the world outside the cage. It’s OK if it wants to fly back inside the cage right away.
Try again when some time has passed. If it is really hesitant and unwilling to come out of the cage, try bribing it with a treat every time it comes and remains out for a short period of time.
Offer A Treat In a Different Room
The next step in taming is to teach your budgie that other sections of the house are also safe. So, move it to another room in the home and give it a treat there.
However, ensure that the space is clean and that there are no potentially hazardous things in the room, such as a whirling fan or an active fireplace. If you successfully take your budgie through the above processes, you will have a pet that freely comes and sits on your hand or shoulder and eats out of your hand! To be more successful, you should know what goodies a budgie prefers.
A few tips to help you tame your budgie
Here are a few additional tips for taming your budgie:
- It is essential to establish trust with your budgie. If you violently grab the budgie or scare it in any way during or after the taming phase, you will have to restart the trust-building process.
- The budgie is a prey bird. If you stare it in the eyes, it will start to perceive you as a hunter and will resist taming. So, even when chatting to the budgie, avoid making direct eye contact as much as possible.
- A juvenile budgie cannot be tamed. After around six weeks, a budgie is weaned from its parents and begins feeding and drinking on its own. You can only start taming it after this point.
- Always use a soothing voice while speaking to the budgie and make sure your hand movements are calm and soft. However, avoid baby jargon. The budgie may perceive the high pitched voice as intimidating.
- Make sure all windows, vents, doors, etc. are closed before releasing the bird. Cover any mirrors and put drapes over windows to prevent crashing accidents. There should be no other pets in the room, such as cats or dogs.
- Don’t push your budgie if you see it is nervous or agitated while taming. Continue after some time.
- During the early stages of taming, the budgie may bite your hand if it is too near. Don’t yell or respond violently. Ignore the bite and slowly extend your hand.
Conclusion
Taming a budgie is not a s difficult as it seems. All you need is patience and consistency. Each bird will respond differently to taming. If your feathery companion has had a terrible encounter with humans in the past, it may resist your contact and make taming difficult. Enjoy the taming process and don’t lose hope if it takes longer than expected!
