First time owner of a parakeet?

Question

I have just gotten a parakeet yesterday almost 15 hours and have left her alone with the cage partily covered for almost the same amout of time. Just a few minutes ago I tryed to get her used to my hand by using mashed up banana instead of seeds. but she keeps avoiding my hand and flying around her cage even though I am holding my hand still and talking calmly to her. what am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

give him some time to get used to his surroundings

  -♥Princezz

Answer 2

To tame him give him about 2 weeks to get used to his surroundings.

In the meantime you can talk to him and give him treats. (do not put your hand in unless to cage food/water)

After the 2 weeks is up you can open the cage and tempt the birdie out with treats.

When he comes out pet him/touch him and if he lets you reward him and give him a treat. (do not touch under a birds wings, his butt, or his middle-lower wing area. That is like his private spots. Plus when praising him keep your voice soft and do not yell at him.)

after he lets you pet him you can put him back in and wait for tomorrow to continue.

The next day tempt him out again with treats and your voice. When he comes out practise touching him (birds LOVE head scratches!) if he lets you reward him.

Then you can start finger training! (remember this can take 1day-1month!)

Take your curved pointer finger and rub his lower stomach. (If bites don't pull away! I know it might hurt but this is his way of saying i don't wanna go up (ignore that for now) plus if you pull away he now knows how to get you away and will keep doing this. Birds also bite to measure the distance between your finger and his foot to see if he can step up!)

If he steps up say step up praise him and reward him. Keep doing this until he gets it then put him back in.

As soon as he masters this (this could take a 1day-month) you can start taking him off. Just say step-off and put your finger near the ground (shake your finger lightly if you have to get him off) when he does go off say step-down and praise and reward him.

Just master this then finger training is complete!

Next is bonding + tricks if you want!

P.S birds are right footed or left footed like we are left handed or right handed! to tell, see what foot he puts on your finger first or what foot he uses to get down with first!

Answer 3

Let your budgie first get used to the environment. Everything is new for him & strange right now. For the time being, just speak to him soothingly . Every day, open the cage & clean up the cage & change the water, replace the seeds etc., all the time talking to him. Don't try to touch him. In a few days, he will get used to your hand & realize that it would not hurt him. You can then start step-up trainning with your hand inside the cage. Be patient. All the best to you & your budgie.

Answer 4

she is still really upset over moving to a new home, let her settle in for atleast a week before hand taming her, check out www.parrotcetnral.net they have good articles on handtaming and new birds   goodluck

Answer 5

Some birds are shy.  Especially if they're small.  It just takes some time to get used to the new environment and new faces.  Try putting the food in a dish and seeing if she'll eat it.  Work your way up from their by interacting with it a bit more every day.

Answer 6

nothing. your parakeet is just scared, and unaccustomed to her new home. just keep at it, and let her fly around, and after a while, she will realise that you aren't trying to harm her. just think. if you were your parakeet, and you just went through and ordeal where someone came at you with a hand and snatched you out of your home, placed you in a box, and then you are separated from all of your friends, how would you feel? scared of hands for one thing, and really nervous right? so your parakeet just needs some more time. don't keep at her for a long time though. try two or three times a day, for about half an hour. she'll soon realize that your hand is nothing to be afraid of. oh, and never stop talking to her. that gets her used to your voice

hope this helps!

Answer 7

what your doign wrong is your not letting your bird get use3d to his or her cage, they need at LEAST a week to ajust, its been taken out of its home and away from its parents... (witch were mostly likly at the petstore too) and put in this strange new enviroment... think of it as you settling into  a new house..., hand training isent bribing him or her with mashed banan or seeds, you simple very gently press your finger on his or her tummy and gently but firmly say *up*  after a few tris she will get the message... hand training is KEY to gaining your birds trust, and it does NOT happen overnight, it takes aanywhere form  a few weeks to a month to fully  hand train them, but for the first few weeks, let her get used to her new little world and fallow my advice... you should be fine, Oh and also dont rush you hand inb theere like a de-railing locomotive (train)... it will scare them, and will think you are going to hurt her, so slowly put your hand in her cage..., Budgies also like tummy rubs... using the back of your finger. gently rub up and down from her chest to her tummy,( without rufflign her feathers).   well hope i helped... REMEBER TO LET  HER GET USED TO THE HOUSE FOR ABOUT A WEEK OR MORE...