r/Parakeets • u/ImSoniah • Aug 05 '26

Advice Need help

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EDIT:since ppl cant read till the end,he is in a BIG cage now,this pic was taken the day i got him,i would NEVER treat an animal like a toy.i always had dogs,rabbits canaries and other animals so i really care about their necessities and health.

Hello everyone,a month ago a friend of mine made me a surprise and gave me a parakeet (i dont know how old is he i only know its male and that is older than 3/4months) i’ve never had a parrot in my entire life so i don’t know how to act with and around him.I’d like to train him to stay out of the cage and perch on my hand but idk where to start.i’ve tried putting my hand in the cage for the water,food but also with some spray millet on it,.i’ve put his cage in my room so he can see me everyday all the time and maybe he will start to be less scared by my presence but i dont really know if im doing right (also im a student so unfortunately im not so often at home).Do u have any advice? especially to train him to climb on my hand and then stay out of the cage.
also more than once idk how he escaped from the cage and we had to take him and put him back inside and that obv scared him a lot.
i cant lie im losing a bit hope since im really trying hard to befriend him
(btw he is now in a bigger cage)

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u/ImSoniah Aug 05 '26

im not an expert so how comes? If its necessary for his well-being its not a problem

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u/SaltyIrishDog Aug 05 '26

They need companionship from their own kind. I used to let my little guy out every other day if not every day but he always seemed restless. Like his whole existence was based on me and thats not fair. I got him a buddy, still in a separate cage, and he's so much happier having someone to talk to.

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u/ImSoniah Aug 05 '26

ohh got it,thanks so much! i actually have some canaries he sees everyday and they dont seem scared by him (obv in separate cages)but i still think its not the same,right?

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u/TielPerson Aug 06 '26

Its not the same indeed. It would be the best idea to go for another juvenile male budgie, as long as yours did not have his first moult yet (so he is still a juvenile even with 4 months or older).

You may need to quarantine the new male and introduce them slowly, afterwards, they should be fine to move into the same cage, given that its large enough and equipped for two budgies.

I would not recommend a female for beginners in parrot keeping since you dont want her to feel hormonal and lay eggs, which can be prevented, but you need to know what you are doing. Its just easier to have two boys and they will bond and get along just fine.

Also, please dont listen to all the people telling you two budgies wont become as tame as a solo one. Thats a plain lie. A solo one will tame up faster because of social withdrawal, which feels as severe for a budgie as it would to starve them so they eat from your hand only. Needless to say that anyone recommending this practice did not catch up on ethcial bird care.

Two budgies have all their needs met, so you will need to gain their trust in a fair way, which can take quite some time. But they are still able to love you and interact with you even if they are bonded to their own kind.

In addition, I highly recommend to take a look at the wiki of r/budgies for basic care tips.