My budgies don't understand training. How do I teach them to step up?

It may take time and patience. You can begin by simply sitting next to the cage for short periods of time initially and increasing it as they acclimate. They will flutter about and move to the far side of the cage at first. Eventually, they will settle down and accept your presence. Move slowly and speak softly around the cage. Once they have completely acclimated, you can progress to placing your hand in the cage. Make no attempt to touch or hold them. Again, they will flutter, panic and move to the far side of the cage. Leave your hand inside the cage for ever increasing periods of time. Use small treats as rewards after each session. Eventually, they will become curious and may hop onto your hand if you have treats. You can teach the 'step up' command by extending a finger and gently pressing it against the chest while saying "Perch" or "Step up". From this point, you can work with them to teach additional tricks or whistles.

The best way to work with birds is to move slow and also reward with treats. Typically I pick a treat that Meenakshi will love and only have you give it to him. I would start putting it in his cage and slowly move to hand feeding. Than you can place the treat up your arm and as he becomes more comfortable he will stand on your hand. I hope that helps

Be patient with him and always move slowly. Try having a treat you know he likes close at hand and ask him to step up by putting your finger under his chest in front of his feet like a ladder rung and push back gently. This will encourage him to step onto your hand rather than have to step back. Use the treat to reward him or, if he's still very flighty, distract him with it when you offer your hand to step up. If he likes being petted, use that as a reward for him too, always moving slowly to avoid startling him. Make sure his cage is located in a quiet, draft-free area so he feels secure and hopefully less nervous.

Patience is best when getting your budgie used to handling. If he has a favorite treat you can offer it every time you approach the cage or every time he sits up on your finger. Once he is comfortable there, you can begin to then offer treats after you pet him, to teach him that this is a rewarding behavior. It can take some time, and if your budgie is too stressed simply take a break and let him calm down a bit before trying again.

You are doing fine. Do not rush him or force him to step up. Use other high value treats. This can include grapes, scrambled egg, a bit of a peanut or sunflower seeds. Move slowly and talk softly around him. Be patient. Eventually, he will step up on your finger. When he does, praise and reward him. When he is doing it regularly, you can slowly remove him from the cage. Be sure all windows and doors are closed, fans are off and nobody is cooking.

A green component to the stool can be normal, and if your birds are otherwise acting healthy and it's been ongoing this long it could just be diet related. Making sure they are on a balanced diet can help. However, if you are seeing very watery stools or other signs of illness in addition to this, an exam is always a good idea to rule out illness such as parasites or infection. As for taming them, if your birds have a favorite treat, you can offer this every time you work with them, starting with having them get used to you being nearby, progressing to petting them in the cage, then asking them to "step up" (usually done by placing a finger just under their chest, encouraging the natural step up behavior onto a perch). Taking small baby steps can help get them used to you and tamed without extra stress.

Thanks for reaching out about Tweety. Training is all about persistence and positive reinforcement. Pick her up and place her on your finger and give praise. Offer to step up, if does not, then pick her up and place her on your finger, give her praise. Repeat until successful. Good luck.