Help with taming my parakeet... is this progress or simply forced?

[GlitchTown]

Backgeound: So I got a very young male parakeet about a month ago. He's acclimated to the house pretty well, the first two days he seemed to be completely null to everything... I could give him scritches and everything and he would move an Inch. He would stay in the same spot for hours on end. Since then he's done a significant amount more, but he still simply seems inactive most of the time. He's in the busiest place of the house, the Livingroom. He's also across the room from my sun conure, Sammy's, cage. Sammy is fully tamed in ever aspect. He was hand fed. So Skye (The budgies name) has seen countless times of me and Sammy interacting. My thoughts are that this will help. He's also just begun to vaguely play with his toys, which makes me happy.

So my problem: After some days of talking to him, I've been playing my hand in the cage. Even after a months time though, he still doesn't have a significant reaction. This being said, I'm assuming he's ok with my hand being in my cage? If so, where should I go from here? Why does he seem so inactive? Is it because he came from a pet store living with many other budgies in a large unit? Is he still stressed after a month?

Thanks!!!!

Some pictures of his reaction, or lack of, when I have my hand close. He stays like this unless I move suddenly or something falls. He just seems to freeze up and slow down. I'm not sure if he's accepting me or in complete shock:

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[wrench13]

I have one word for you. Bribery. He could still be sussing out the new digs, especialy after being in a pet shop evironment. Ah but if the HAND has his favorite treat in it, the HAND is not scarey, in fact it brings yummys. Figure out what he really LOVES, and use it to make him your friend.

 

[LordTriggs]

yes time, bribery bribery and a tiny bit more bribery. He's probably working everything out. Let's be fair it could have been traumatic to him where he was before making him wary. The stillness whenever you enter suggests that to me, like maybe when he was picked up before he would fly around and get grabbed and now he's just resigned himself to being grabbed?

Seeing you work with Sammy should let him know that you're okay to be around though

 

[T00tsyd]

A pet store I visited here in the UK while I was researching the bird world before Syd, although seeming to care for their birds for sale, were quite matter of fact in handling them. To the point I thought of being quite rough. I watched as others chose their purchases and the 'handling' of the birds by the bird guy of the shop. It quite put me off.

If your little chap is used to that sort of scenario he is probably taking the line of least resistance. His experience of hands might be that they grab, and whoever the hand grabs disappears from the flock! By keeping very still he is probably trying to keep out of trouble.

As others have said - work through until you find the one irresistible treat and hopefully bingo! I would not enter the cage but proceed through the bars for a while so that the treat becomes the focus from the comparative safety in the cage. The rest is time.

I just thought of one more thing. Is your cage open on all sides? I would be tempted to put at least one side against the wall or cover a couple of sides to reduce the 360 degree view/stress allowing him to concentrate on just one side without worrying about his back.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

A pet store I visited here in the UK while I was researching the bird world before Syd, although seeming to care for their birds for sale, were quite matter of fact in handling them. To the point I thought of being quite rough. I watched as others chose their purchases and the 'handling' of the birds by the bird guy of the shop. It quite put me off.

If your little chap is used to that sort of scenario he is probably taking the line of least resistance. His experience of hands might be that they grab, and whoever the hand grabs disappears from the flock! By keeping very still he is probably trying to keep out of trouble.

As others have said - work through until you find the one irresistible treat and hopefully bingo! I would not enter the cage but proceed through the bars for a while so that the treat becomes the focus from the comparative safety in the cage. The rest is time.

I just thought of one more thing. Is your cage open on all sides? I would be tempted to put at least one side against the wall or cover a couple of sides to reduce the 360 degree view/stress allowing him to concentrate on just one side without worrying about his back.

Very nicely said Syd! The part where "the hand" grabbed one of his "buddies" then POOF...no more buddy! would even freak ME out! lol

It seems also to me your little budgie isn't "too" freaked about your hand..I think he'd be going crazy,flapping/running/biting the "hand that feeds him"
As mentioned...find his favorite treat. Most budgies and 'tiels love millet.
Hold a small piece in your fingers and slowly put your hand in his house and TALK to your little guy softly and reassuringly. It will eventually work.
IMHO little budgies are so underrated. They can be/are awesome little creatures.


Jim

 

[LordTriggs]

If your little chap is used to that sort of scenario he is probably taking the line of least resistance. His experience of hands might be that they grab, and whoever the hand grabs disappears from the flock!

although in real life it's pretty horrific all I could think of was the movie Toy Story and the little aliens in the claw machine. Made me chuckle a bit

But yes that's my theory, the ones running around being "exciting" get chosen by the almost certainly children, the big hand comes in, everyone panics and runs around and that one that was playing and running and chirping and being generally exciting to the small humans gets disappeared. So sitting still and being quiet avoids the hand, and seeing the others struggle and bite in futility still makes them disappear so just don't fight, it's easier that way.

And people think budgies aren't intelligent or emotional. Petition to put any number of humans in that situation?

 

[whitejory97]

My new parakeet would just sit there-
And then we played parakeets chirping
On you-tube, and he gets all excited -chirps
And runs back and forth in his cage -
He was very scared and wouldn't come
Out of his cage-i put parakeet fruit
Treat just outside the door of his cage-
And he came out to get the fruit-
He stood by the door for a long time
When I set it there-then he finally
Came out to eat and run back in his cage .