Young parakeets are easier to tame in comparison to old captive budgies as they turn to their wild instincts due to a lack of human interaction. They only feel secure while remaining inside the cage. However, owners love to have interactions with them.
There are some foolproof strategies to tame old budgies but it requires a lot of patience, persistence, love, and endurance because you will get bitten several times in this process.
Tips to Bond with Your Old Budgie
If you are ready to learn the process of bonding with your old birdie then be prepared to get bitten a little. It is a long process but it varies from bird to bird.
Do it Alone
Remember to bond your old budgie when you are alone with him as your bird will get scared by looking at a couple of giant humans looking at him.
Keeping your Voice low
While talking to your parakeet you need to be gentle and talk to them in a low voice as a loud voice will scare them. Open the cage door and talk to them gently while filling their feed bowls.
Offer Them Their Favorite Treat
Start offering them their favorite treat such as millet. Hold the millet in your hand and keep your hand inside the cage. Do not move your hand and never chase your bird until they feel comfortable coming close to you.
Take it Slow
Persistence is the key. Remember to gradually gain the trust of your old budgie. Any sudden movements of your hand will be taken as a threat by your birdie and it might get scared.
Socialize
Keep socializing with your budgie while offering them the treat and gradually rub your fingertips on your bird’s feathers to check the reaction. If the bird doesn’t move away then take this as a good sign.
Time to Let them Sit on Your Finger
Repeat the above process until it lands on your finger without a fear and you can rub it on its head. Parakeet loves head scratching by their owner. If your bird has allowed you to scratch its head then it is a sign that you have gained its trust.
You can bond easily with your pet if you are good at reading your bird’s behavior such as calmness, happiness, stress, and scared.
How Long Does it Take to Bond With a Parakeet?
Bonding with a young chick is easy if you have been hand-feeding the young parakeet then they have a bond with you and they will love to sit on your shoulder or play with you whereas bonding with an old budgie can take you around a week to months depending upon your technique.
How Do I Gain my Female Budgie Trust?
This is a little different to gain the trust of a female budgie and have a bond with her. Although taming process of both genders is the same however it takes more time and patience with the female counterpart.
You might ask why the budgie’s female counterpart taming is difficult then know that they bite harder than male parakeets. Furthermore, if it is the mating time of your budgies then they will see you and other birds as a threat.
If you are mentally prepared to get bitten and lose some blood then start the same taming process mentioned above but never do it if the female is pregnant. As tamed female parakeets also turn to the untamed state because of hormonal changes.
Final Words
Yes, you can tame an old budgie. We have listed all the attributes you would need to tame your mature budgie and informed you about the risks as well.
It is up to your willingness and persistence now otherwise you can wait for them to have babies and then you can easily tame the babies by hand feeding.