FM>    O.K.  We had a parakeet many years ago who I somehow tamed and then
 FM> he rode around on my shoulder and in my hair so continuously that I
 FM> don't know what possessed me to propose to the wife that we get
 FM> another one.  We did, and now I'm slowly trying to entice him to eat
 FM> millet from my hand.  He's still shy about that.  We bought him a
 FM> mirror and bell and this has really set him wild. He tires himself out
 FM> and will hardly move away from the mirror.  We also bought a tape of a
 FM> lady repeating several short phrases about fifty times each on each
 FM> side.  So far - no talking but I think he's still young.
To tell you the truth, I have never hand tamed a bird and hope that
I never have to. Sometime it happens and sometime, not.
Hopefully, your bird is young or your task will be harder. A young
budgie will have black on its beak. The first thing to do would be
to trim the wing feathers so the little guy can't fly. If you have
never done this then take the bird back to the store and let them do
it for you...if they know how. Then you might want to take out the
mirror so the bird will start bonding to you.
To tame him/her, you will have to have the bird out of the cage so that
it can spend time with you and you wife. I would probably do this by
having the bird sit in my lap at first. It needs to lose it's fear of
you. Hand taming takes time and patience.
Hopefully your bird is not on a seed only diet. Try grating some carrots,
cutting some small pieces of veggies and fruits, crumbled pieces of
cornbread...etc.
--- PPoint 2.00
---------------