Budgie doesn't like toys

[Calculations]

Hi, my budgie I've had for 2-3 years she plays with a large toy for big birds and she's devoured it, it's wooden and colorful. But she won't touch smaller toys or any other large toys. I've tried a couple of different types of toys even a foraging idea and for the most part, it's very rare she touches them. I've asked everywhere and I've got a couple of opinions one opinion was "Diet and food change" and another opinion was "Different textures" "Smaller toys" Well, bigger textures are a no, smaller toys are a no, and while, I do plan to put her on a new diet anyways I don't actually that's the cause. There's a lot going on here too and I've really been struggling to try to figure out what's going on.
She lives inside a large cage with handmade pearchs and store-bought toys some I've even tried making myself still without success. I'm at the point where I'm wondering if I'm the correct home for this bird I've had two before this without these problems. I got her at a pet store and a part of me wonders if something happened there she is also still untame and the closet I've gotten within these years has been I can hand feed her with millet but that's I've not made any more progress. I try to let her out as much as possible by just leaving the door open and allowing her to roam without bothering her but she won't come near me willingly just around her cage. I won't lie, I'm frustrated and I'm exhausted i can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. And never having this problem before i have no idea.

 

[Laurasea]

Mine like Yucca chips, and little balls.
My 3 are adult rescues. I never tried to tame. After 2 years one made friends with me, but the others stay away.
I used to let them rome free and trained to return to cage at night.. now they just live free in the house. Not for everyone one or every situation.

Hopefully someone who actually worked at making friends will weigh in

Mine have seed, I offer veggies every day and they love them, especially leafy greens like romaine, Swiss chard. I have pellets of several types, in separate dishes and they eat those too. Probably they learned by watching my other birds.

 

[Calculations]

Mine like Yucca chips, and little balls.
My 3 are adult rescues. I never tried to tame. After 2 years one made friends with me, but the others stay away.
I used to let them rome free and trained to return to cage at night.. now they just live free in the house. Not for everyone one or every situation.

Hopefully someone who actually worked at making friends will weigh in

Mine have seed, I offer veggies every day and they love them, especially leafy greens like romaine, Swiss chard. I have pellets of several types, in separate dishes and they eat those too. Probably they learned by watching my other birds.

So i was afraid to say it but iv'e sorta ended up within the past year stopping training and allowing her to do what she wants. i consider that opinion controveral and try to be careful round it. But i do this because it's caused her more stress with me trying to be friends than it has when I leave her alone. i feel like if she doesn't want people she shouldn't be forced to be around people but at the same time people get mad at me and say she should. Its hard to say the full story sometimes because people always try to fight over it. but what am i gonna do like really? make her panic every time i accidentally hit a pearch with my hand while moving out slowly?

 

[Laurasea]

Not all parrots want to be touched.
Does she hitch up both wings in a shrug when she see you? This is saying hello. Mine all do this, not all the time. Sometimes they will lean and do a leg wing stretch as a greeting. They may not come near but feel like I'm part of the flock and happy to see me.

 

[Calculations]

Not all parrots want to be touched.
Does she hitch up both wings in a shrug when she see you? This is saying hello. Mine all do this, not all the time. Sometimes they will lean and do a leg wing stretch as a greeting. They may not come near but feel like I'm part of the flock and happy to see me.

She chirps a bit when I come into the room as a greeting. She panics if I go into her cage too quickly. If you go slow she's okay and will even eat millet from your fingers. She sings to the music I play in the background and tries to have a conversation while I'm on the phone with friends. I've not seen her raise her wings to me I've seen her stretch and raise her wings when she's alone. I'm okay with her not liking people but I don't want to double that problem. But at the same time if she's going to not like people apart of me feels like it's the right thing to do to get her another friend so she has socialization.

 

[Calculations]

Not all parrots want to be touched.
Does she hitch up both wings in a shrug when she see you? This is saying hello. Mine all do this, not all the time. Sometimes they will lean and do a leg wing stretch as a greeting. They may not come near but feel like I'm part of the flock and happy to see me.

I've considered getting her a friend too but my concern is she'll teach the other budgie not to be trusting and then I'll end up with two problems instead of one. I'm also worried she won't get along with a friend and then I'll end up with two cages instead of one cage and double the attention needed. So I'm not sure the correct way to go about this.

 

[Laurasea]

you will have to decide this on your own, pros and cons

Personally budgies are a large flocking parrot, and really a flock bird. 99% of the time they are going to get along fine. You see them all thrown in together at the pet store. For me personally if I had to add another rescue ( pray no though I'm full) I wouldn't worry st all. I have 3 boys. 2 were re homed to me and couple of years later I helped save one roaming free and added him in.

Yes unless you got a hand raised and socialized weaned baby, and kept separate st first to really bond with it. And worked hard to maintain interacting. Then likely the two birds form a friendship, and still be fearful of you.

But is 2 really that harder than one? For me, no, lol that's how I ended up with 7, 3 quaker, 3 budgies, 1 gcc. In my opinion, which is not the only one, or telling you, they are happier with a friend. They are flock creatures.

It sounds like yours does enjoy your company, its fantastic that she will nibble treats from your hand! That she talks/chirps to you

Think about everything, and Decide what works for you.

Bird tricks on you tube has videos on how they befriended and trained their budgie, Blueberry I think is its name.

Some people have Indian ring neck parrots, and love burds species that also revert or loose tameness easily , that they have to enjoy as aviary , or hands off birds. But they proved a good life for them .

If she comes to you for hand held millet, you can slowly work to see if she will follow you around. After letting her have a nibble, move your hand back an inch, let her come fir a nibble again. Then keep repeating and each time move your hand back a little further, letting her know she can follow fir treats. Multiple short training sessions work best repeating a few times a day over weeks to see if she will follow your hand like a game. Lots of praise and letting her get the reward, don't let it be like teasing. Watch target training videos too, that might work for you . They are smart and lively. Any interacting is fun , like listening to music together.

 

[Calculations]

you will have to decide this on your own, pros and cons

Personally budgies are a large flocking parrot, and really a flock bird. 99% of the time they are going to get along fine. You see them all thrown in together at the pet store. For me personally if I had to add another rescue ( pray no though I'm full) I wouldn't worry st all. I have 3 boys. 2 were re homed to me and couple of years later I helped save one roaming free and added him in.

Yes unless you got a hand raised and socialized weaned baby, and kept separate st first to really bond with it. And worked hard to maintain interacting. Then likely the two birds form a friendship, and still be fearful of you.

But is 2 really that harder than one? For me, no, lol that's how I ended up with 7, 3 quaker, 3 budgies, 1 gcc. In my opinion, which is not the only one, or telling you, they are happier with a friend. They are flock creatures.

It sounds like yours does enjoy your company, its fantastic that she will nibble treats from your hand! That she talks/chirps to you

Think about everything, and Decide what works for you.

Bird tricks on you tube has videos on how they befriended and trained their budgie, Blueberry I think is its name.

Some people have Indian ring neck parrots, and love burds species that also revert or loose tameness easily , that they have to enjoy as aviary , or hands off birds. But they proved a good life for them .

If she comes to you for hand held millet, you can slowly work to see if she will follow you around. After letting her have a nibble, move your hand back an inch, let her come fir a nibble again. Then keep repeating and each time move your hand back a little further, letting her know she can follow fir treats. Multiple short training sessions work best repeating a few times a day over weeks to see if she will follow your hand like a game. Lots of praise and letting her get the reward, don't let it be like teasing. Watch target training videos too, that might work for you . They are smart and lively. Any interacting is fun , like listening to music together.

She had a mate but he passed away last year. Looking back i"m not sure they ever got along and i wish i had a old video to confirm i don't. Whatever the case it wasn't to bad as nothing bad ever happened.
But he used to step on her, so it makes me casious with my knowlage currently to go though that again. Training two was very hard for me although the one that passed was trainable and would step up on ocassion. She never did or wanted to.
Both where from pet stores reason being im rural there isn't another location to get birds at and the only one i found wont let me visit asks for money first and refuses to get her birds vet appointments. Our pet store is better then that although not great. They're aware of birds needs and do vet appointments before putting them together. So i buy the birds there and then get my supplise elsewhere. I'd say i have learned by a lot of mistakes and im tired of being afraid to admit this, its true.
But i have only improved on my knowlage, i do realize their social animals but im still unsure there is a lot of factors that play into this situation. Its also about pitch levels and my autism id never be able to do more then two birds or large birds beyond certian types. It wouldn't be possible. but i can do budgies it seems 2s a lot but i managed it last time and id be willing to manage again. But id have to find a way to ensure im not making a mistakes im really fearful of mistakes. i perfer clicker training personally. I don't know though as all these training techniqes have debates behind them. But i've found it often ends up being the birds choice of what they respond to better.

 

[Laurasea]

While their are people do have degrees of success in interaction with budgies. Abd if they are members her i hope they weigh in. But I think they are a difficult species to reach cuddle level with.

If thats what you want, maybe a parrolet would be a better fit? I have no experience with them , but from what I've seen they are more likely to cuddle, allow you to touch and hang out on you.

You can check Craigslist, many times home breeders list there. Use common sense and caution. But just because they list there doesn't make them bad, they are just hobby breeders. There is also Hoobly a sight fir breeders to list birds

 

[Calculations]

While their are people do have degrees of success in interaction with budgies. Abd if they are members her i hope they weigh in. But I think they are a difficult species to reach cuddle level with.

If thats what you want, maybe a parrolet would be a better fit? I have no experience with them , but from what I've seen they are more likely to cuddle, allow you to touch and hang out on you.

You can check Craigslist, many times home breeders list there. Use common sense and caution. But just because they list there doesn't make them bad, they are just hobby breeders. There is also Hoobly a sight fir breeders to list birds

I'm not Anti breeder no worries i don't care if someone breeds as long as they do health checks and keeps their birds in a good environment and doesn't overbreed them. I don't think most things are black and white. I don't know if I'll be getting another budgie or a tiel those are my two options. I want a sun conure but the sound is very intese and has a pitch i can't handle. African gray is another option for me they seem relatively quite (accept occasions (which is fine) but their life spans 80 something years. Decision regarding this is hard because i try to factor in my future and where i may end up ect.

 

[StormyPica]

I'm not Anti breeder no worries i don't care if someone breeds as long as they do health checks and keeps their birds in a good environment and doesn't overbreed them. I don't think most things are black and white. I don't know if I'll be getting another budgie or a tiel those are my two options. I want a sun conure but the sound is very intese and has a pitch i can't handle. African gray is another option for me they seem relatively quite (accept occasions (which is fine) but their life spans 80 something years. Decision regarding this is hard because i try to factor in my future and where i may end up ect.

I'd say no to greys. They can be just as phobic or even more than budgies, and SUPER LOUD when they want their way.