grabbing a parakeet?

Question

some of the answerers here told me to leave the cage door open to allow my parakeet to get used to me or something like that. the thing i'm afraid of is it'll come out and not want to go back in by itself. would it be okay to grab it then??? my parakeets don't want to perch on my finger yet.

Answer 1

if your not comfortable holding you parakeet yet, they I wouldnt suggest letting the cage open. The bird will most likely leave the cage with the door open and then be loose in your house, how you going to get it back in with out catching her. Anyway as suggested in other posts. Place your hand in everyday, offer her treats, or just try to touch her breast feather or back once a day, when shes getting used to you, then try to get her to perch on you, after shes comfortable then you can try letting her out. Grabbing a bird correctly is hard, sometimes dangerous with the little birds. If you have to you need to get your hand over both wings to hold them down so they dont flapp and get really worried. They may bite then when they are feeling really cornered. It doesnt feel good believe me. Thank goodness shes just a parakeet. I've gotten my finger broken by a Parrot once. NO FUN

Answer 2

Toss a towel over him and put him back in the cage. If you have multiple parakeets, they may never perch on your finger, as they will bond to each other instead of to you. Separating them is your best bet.

You can grab your parakeet gently with your hands, but you will probably be bitten hard enough to draw blood. At least with the towel, your parakeet won't be able to bite you, and you won't have to hold on to him as hard, so less likely to cause him damage.

Answer 3

Have patience until the birdie is more tame, it may take awhile to get the bird back in the cage, depending on it's tameness. I find that my budgie (parakeets) like being in their cage, but plan ahead, don't wait till you have to rush them. If you have plans to go somewhere, start the process 20 minutes ahead of time. Place the cage in an area it's easy for the bird to return to, then try to get the bird to perch on your finger or a stick, if the bird flys away, it will most likely fly away from you, but return to where it fells safe (it's cage).

You can learn lots from joining a budgie club online:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/budgie-place/

Answer 4

Don't let it out of it's cage until it will go on your finger by choice. I just got a parakeet too and that's what I'm doing. The first day I would just pet it for 5-10 minutes every once in a while. Do this for a day or 2 if it lets you touch it. If it doesn't, just put your hand in the cage first until it gets comfortable around it, and then try again. After it lets you pet it, you can try getting it to perch on your finger. Push gently against his chest above his feet, and say 'step up' when he puts his feet on you. Have some spray millet in your hand for him to eat as a treat. I did that for 2 days...he didn't really want to stay on my hand though, and would try to go off right away. Don't force him to stay on. What I found that worked was that my parakeet actually liked getting his head scratched as a treat more than being fed millet! At first he ducked when my finger went over his head (instinct), but when he saw that I wasn't going to hurt him, he started to like it. Now is my third day of trying this and when I put my finger near him and say 'step up,' he jumps on to get his head scratched. In a day or 2 I will bring him out and put him on a play gym. Try something like this!

EDIT: Oh and as for holding him, there is a way to do it. Once sec I will try to find a link.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture showing how to do it. This link tells you how though:
http://www.pdsa.org.uk/page264_4.html

And check this out too, it has a lot of useful info:
http://www.lisashea.com/petinfo/handtrain/

Also, go to your library and look in the bird book section, they should have some. I found a few books with pictures showing you how to hold them, and it makes it a lot easier to actually see a picture of it rather than just reading it. Good luck!

Answer 5

Starting any new bird to be picked up. The best way we do this is to use a small stick or even a pensil or pen depending on the size of bird. Once the bird is comfortable with being lifted and not pecking then start with your whole hand lightly then soon the fingers again depending on the size. soon the bird will be so comfortable in your hands there may be times that the bird will rest or sleep on your fingers or arm or even shoulder...

Answer 6

You should clip the wings before you let the little parakeet come out of the cage. If you do not clip those wings; he will land on the highest thing he can find, and stay there a long time.

Answer 7

never grab an animal. i do this:

you have to be extremely gentle.

1 try to put your hand in the cage, but don't touch him. if he flies away, try again in about 15 min. repeat until he doesn't fly away.

2 the next day, or week, when he is comfy with you hand in the cage, start stretching it around and opening and closing it.

3 after he is comfortable with 2, probably about a day, and doesn't fly away, hold a small perch in your hand and move it towards him. if he flies away, try again in a few min.

4 after he is comfortable with that, move the perch rite above his feet, and say step up, wile gently pushing up on his abdomen. he should step up hold him there a few min. then put him back on his solid perch and leave him alone. this shows him that this thing really isn't so bad, and that it is safe to sit on.

5 next, after doing step 4 for about a day, every 15 min or so, get a short perch, about as long as your finger, and hold it with your finger on top, do step 4.

6 then do it w/o the perch. gradually move out of the cage, out of the room, to a different floor, until he is OK with it all. i wouldn't keep i longer than 5 min. out of his cage. the next day, add a min. to get it up to 6 min. next day, 7. animals need this gradual adjustment. it may seem to be taking forever, but he needs that. best of luck to you!

Answer 8

You can hold it gently without hurting it. Just remember that wings contain bones, and they should be folded gently in your palm. Sometimes a wing will slip out, and that is okay as long as you never squeeze.
For some reason they like high pitched little squeaks, that sound like other birds. That calms them and they may take a liking to the sounds you make.

Answer 9

he will nonetheless have confidence you yet how long have you ever had this parakeet if it hasnt been 2 weeks then do no longer even situation wait and shop him/her of their cage grab him to clip his wings yet no longer too complicated, FYI he maximum likley WILL chew you

Answer 10

clip the wings so that they cannot fly very far and have to depend on you. never grab your bird with a towel or anything like that. if you do have to grab it only ever use your hand.