Just some updates for anyone wondering how Winston is coming along

We're still diligently working on the Step Up training, and I can pretty easily get one foot on my hand but we haven't gotten a full step up yet. So we've begun to try easing him out of the cage since we're getting a bit anxious for him to be integrated into the normal bird routine.

Some very interesting, and even strange observations:

We bring Lulu in the bedroom to hang out so that he can watch us interact with her - but Winston seems to care less about that. Literally when we bring her in, he either turns his attention to his mirror or starts a really long preening session. He's clearly content the whole time, but rarely even looks at her unless she's really close to his cage - and when she is really close she'll try to climb on his cage and we don't allow that. So we try to get him to observe her, but it's very odd to me that whenever she's around he completely refocuses his attention elsewhere.

Although Winston can sometimes put one foot on my finger, he's still pretty leary of fingers. As long as I move slowly he is fine with my hands being in his cage. So our natural thought was that we would perch train him - but honestly, he took less to the perch training than he has with our hands. We've kind of abandoned the perch training for the time being and are continuing to try with our hands.

We've begun to leave his big cage door open in the chance that he wants to come out. When I do this I move one of his rope perches so that it sits right out on the edge of the cage. As long as his toys are near, he will sit right on the edge. I hang his mirror toy on the outside of his cage and he happily talks and plays with it. I'm trying to coax him out onto the small playgym, and I've had Lulu sit on the gym to demonstrate it's an ok place to be (but as I said above, he really didn't care LOL). I set the playgym next to his open cage and I have also put his mirror toy on the gym, but when I do that he doesn't even attempt to try to get to his toy. - Jac, I was just looking at an old picture of yours and you gave me a great idea of hanging a ladder on the outside of his cage, I do have 2 spare bendy ladders lying around that Jerry and Lu didn't like -

Another interesting thing is that he allows me to sit right next to his open cage door, with him on perch on the edge of his cage, and my face can literally be just a few inches from him and he's ok. We sit like that for awhile and play the blinking game and he's very content, and he allows me to feed him millet treats too. He has shown no interest in coming out or flying just yet (but I'm sure that his muscles will need time to build up anyways), but this week I plan to take some foot toys in and play with them myself in hopes of getting him interested in that.

So we're still moving slowly but overall no setbacks.

So glad to hear about how he's doing - & you too!

The bendy ladder is very helpful - we use it everywhere. It used to be on his cage all the time then it was propped up to my husband's Library lamp, & now it is part of his home-made gym. Looks like we need more than 1!. We are using your Boing a lot more for propping open his cage door. He climbs all over using it - even to feed.

IMO - I'd be getting rid of the small mirror at this point - maybe he'll be more responsive if he's looking for friendship??? Maybe he doesn't socialize with Lulu because he's intimidated by her size??

What about the 'evil, pesterment' Jerry? Has he seen that lovely Budgie? - maybe change his level of interest!

Here's photos of the Boing in use.

edit - very poor typing skills! Had to do some corrections. It's a wonder I'm making any sense at all!

Attached Images

	Laker molt April1707 054.jpg (82.6 KB, 3 views)
	Laker molt April1707 028.jpg (269.9 KB, 2 views)
	Laker on his Boing 7.jpg (276.5 KB, 3 views)

Sarah, it sounds like you're making steady improvement. I would bet that he is noticing you and Lulu. Mine do the obvious "I don't see what you're doing with the other one" also, but they most certainly do notice what I'm doing and saying.

I'd also be trying to phase the mirror out or use it as a reward only, for being brave. Maybe only let him be near it if he's in a new location such as right by the open door.

When I first got my two I had to remove them from their cages for treatment and medications and such. But it still took quite a while for them to come out on their own. I didn't have any luck with coaxing, that actually seemed to be detrimental with my two. Maybe they felt my anxiety at trying so hard, I don't know. I sat and talked to them for hours and hours.

Then all of sudden, Poof there they were....and it's been a struggle to get them to go back to their cages ever since! I still remember each momentous day as if it were yesterday! So continue to be patient, it will happen.

it sounds like you're winning that little guy over day by day... i'm sure it's just a matter of time, and then you have 2 little feathered guys being all crazy about you

i was wondering too, did winston see jerry yet? might be that he pays more attention to him....

I was thinking the same thing too. Or do you think Jerry seeing another budgie would just make him really hyper? lol

well I think you are making great progress and I think your rock for spending so much time working with him. I am sure in the next few months he will step up for you.

I have been thinking about beginning to phase his mirror out. This week maybe I will only hang it on the playgym (the playgym is in his room at all times now so that he can see it and get used to it) and so that he can only play with it there.. Then maybe when he starts to come out of the cage I can phase it out completely. I did notice that when I hang it on his gym, in hopes of coaxing him out, he does turn his attention to the other toy in his cage.

Karen, I have been wondering if he's playing the game of "I see you there with Lulu but I don't want you to see me watching you.."

Jerry has not seen Winston. However, when we bring Winston out to hang out with us in the living room (this is the main bird play area and we are trying to get him used to being there), if I leave the bird room door open, Jerry and Winston can hear and talk to each other quite well. They both start contact calling like mad. I've been thinking of getting Jerry into Winston's room to see how they react, but I would only want that done from a distance because I am quite certain that Jerry would be over-the-top hyper. His travel carrier wouldn't be the best thing to bring him in, but we could maybe carry his cage in the bedroom (kind of a pain in the butt though)...

How old is Winston?

Are you afraid Jerry will stop talking human? I don't know anything about that.

All this new Budgie stuff if nerve racking - i just don't know how others get many birds.
[PS - I'm looking into an Albino Budgie this weekend - a baby - but really i just don't know yet - can you believe non of my replies were returned?! Then there's a shelter near here that has 5 females.... just a bit car-less right now or i'd be checking that out too]

The pet store told me that Winston is roughly a year old.

I honestly don't think that Jerry will stop talking human because he's been speaking English for over a year now. I am a little worried that I will lose his tameness in general. I am worried that if I introduce him to Winston when Winston is totally untame that Jerry will be entirely fixated on Winston and not care to do much else with me. I realize (hope) that their bond will be strong, and to a degree I expect to lose his tameness slightly. That does scare me - yes, I admit to being selfish about this - , but if he's happier overall, then I can live with that.

I don't expect to entirely tame Winston down to Jerry's level before introducing them, I just want Winston to be more comfortable around us when he's in and out of his cage.

A baby Albino - that's going to be tough to resist!! Can't wait to hear how that goes!

Sarah I think he's stressed and that's why he turns to the mirror and away. I know you wanted him "finger trained" before giving him any freedom but being "finger trained" isn't really going to do alot if he doesnt want to come back to his cage or whatever. Have you tried a perch? I think I"d be getting him OUT of that cage leaving the door open with a perch outside to sit on.

I would be biting the bullet and just taking him out to where the other two are. I'd be more worried about being cage bound ....not finger training. Also I'd NEVER remove his poor mirror if it's the only companionship he has being isolated in the bedroom. He'll give it up when he can replace it with another person...Jerry eventually.

I never had any bird willingly sit in a cage for any length of time if given the opportunity to come out. Are you making it a rule that he needs to step up before he can come out?

I only was thinking he was 'shy' - but Cindy's point about cage bound is very interesting. It took Mo [Tiel] many months to leave the cage - even tho his mate Alice was out almost all day & flying around the sunroom. He is very untame & on top of that he only comes out of his cage when we're not around.

As Winston isn't panicking maybe leave the door open when you're home. & the perch outside the cage is a good idea. I had a regular wooden perch across the doorway so Mo could sit almost out. - he seemed almost afraid of the door in the beginning, when i think about his reactions then.

Maybe try some of this stuff on the weekend if you've got a morning free. Just hang out with him but not near the cage?? I know I'm not much help here as Laker was a in your face Budgie from day 1. I wish you & Winston every success.