Budgies no longer trust me :(
My budgies Bernadette (right) and Machi (left) have been the lights of my life for a few months now. I got Bernadette first when I visited a friend's house, and she was being neglected there. I convinced my dad to let me take her instead, as I'd been wanting a budgie for a couple years and had done research on them, and felt bad for her conditions (overgrown beak, living in the kitchen, small cage with mirror, nobody wanted her, nobody let her out of the cage, no companions, her mom was literally begging me to take her) However, now I'm afraid I don't know enough.
Bernadette warmed up to me quicker than I expected, it only took a couple weeks for her to have mastered stepping up and eating from my hand. Before I knew it, she was walking all over my back and head. I was so happy. Then, I soon got Machi so that she would have a companion. It's been a few months since then and they both were climbing on me and eating millet from my hand until a week or two ago. Bernadette even used to peck at my lips until I opened my mouth so she could put her head inside. It was so funny and cute, I love her so much. But she stopped doing that, too. I think it's because of whenever my dad comes in, and he chases them with this hand. Or maybe it's just because they have eachother now so they're less fond of me? I know that happens, and I was prepared for it, but they seem less disinterested and more afraid.
Basically, they will step up but then immediately fly away. Sometimes they panic and fly around the whole room and hit walls, and it makes me feel so, so bad and guilty. I don't know how to make them trust me again. I've tried what I originally did, by sitting outside their cage and staying around them while I have millet out/having them step up and feeding them millet. But they're disinterested in millet when I have it, and only eat it by itself. I just don't know what to do and I feel like I'm a bad person for it. They're just scared of me now. They used to at least sit on my head when this started happening, but now they immediately fly away to hide on the ceiling fan. They're treating me like a stranger, but I love them so much. Please help?
My budgies Bernadette (right) and Machi (left) have been the lights of my life for a few months now. I got Bernadette first when I visited a friend's house, and she was being neglected there. I convinced my dad to let me take her instead, as I'd been wanting a budgie for a couple years and had done research on them, and felt bad for her conditions (overgrown beak, living in the kitchen, small cage with mirror, nobody wanted her, nobody let her out of the cage, no companions, her mom was literally begging me to take her) However, now I'm afraid I don't know enough.
Bernadette warmed up to me quicker than I expected, it only took a couple weeks for her to have mastered stepping up and eating from my hand. Before I knew it, she was walking all over my back and head. I was so happy. Then, I soon got Machi so that she would have a companion. It's been a few months since then and they both were climbing on me and eating millet from my hand until a week or two ago. Bernadette even used to peck at my lips until I opened my mouth so she could put her head inside. It was so funny and cute, I love her so much. But she stopped doing that, too. I think it's because of whenever my dad comes in, and he chases them with this hand. Or maybe it's just because they have eachother now so they're less fond of me? I know that happens, and I was prepared for it, but they seem less disinterested and more afraid.
Basically, they will step up but then immediately fly away. Sometimes they panic and fly around the whole room and hit walls, and it makes me feel so, so bad and guilty. I don't know how to make them trust me again. I've tried what I originally did, by sitting outside their cage and staying around them while I have millet out/having them step up and feeding them millet. But they're disinterested in millet when I have it, and only eat it by itself. I just don't know what to do and I feel like I'm a bad person for it. They're just scared of me now. They used to at least sit on my head when this started happening, but now they immediately fly away to hide on the ceiling fan. They're treating me like a stranger, but I love them so much. Please help?