I know I have not been on in about a month (job searching, taking care of mother, etc) but I've been diligently trying to hand train my keets. Unfortunately, as I recently discovered, my brother has been hindering my efforts..

A month after I've gotten the keets, and they still don't trust my hand at all. I no sooner put my hand in the cage that they start flapping around hysterically. This completely puzzled me, surely after a month they would have learned that I was not going to hurt them...

As it turns out, my brother had been putting his hand in the cage and TRYING TO GRAB THEM. No wonder they are still terrified of me! I'm so livid, and I wonder if at this rate I'll ever get them hand trained. I don't want to leave them in the cage forever

Also, my father is getting sick and tired of their chattering (which i love to hear, its cute!) and how they toss their seed out of the cage and says if I don't do something about it soon, he'll release them outside. ._. I sweep, but apparently it isn't good enough...

Does anyone have any suggestions? For the record, I'm a recent college graduate who only just got an entry-level job, so packing up and moving out isn't really an option until I build up some ssavings again, tuition and books totally ate away at mine >.<

Ahhh I have heard that letting the birds outside threat many a time, unfortunatley. I feel your pain i wuish I had a quick fix but I don't.
Really the house needs to understand the nature of the pet.Maybe if you explain it nicely not when your upset or anyone else is. A keet isn't a dog or cat, they are not even close so just because your dog learned to sit easily, your keet will not because it is an exotic pet. They need consistency. Time, Love, and alot of patience. They are tiny and scare easy. But no less deserving of care and love than any other more expensive or large pet.
You should explain how you are training and why so that if any one wants to oh say reach in they can do it the right way. Make sure they know okay for example" i am at the stage where I am just placing the perch in the cage to show the budgie that it isn't scary even though it moves. So you can place a perch in wihile holding it and talk to the bird but do not chase it with the perch try and make it step up etc or the keet will only learn that the perch is scary." So they know what you are trying to achieve and not trying to achieve. Knowledge is power.

Encourage everyone to talk and sing to the keet rather than handle it , they love that and unlike people , when you sit near a keets cage and talk they actually shut up and listen, tell them try it and you will see. So if it is chattering go talk to it anything it doesn't matter as long as it is a friendly voice and i promise the keety will hush and be haoppy about the attention.

Okay sorrybout the lengthy answer I don't even know if it is feasible to try any of it. but it's all I came up with it worked a little on my dad I caught him sticking his finger in saying "comon up" while practically poking the poor keet. LOL. I explained that that Coco bit him cos his finger was in her face. and showed him the right way. then of course he said he didn't care blah blah but I know he knows now.

Good Luck!

Aw! They're so cute! I know that parakeets like to be where the action is, but if they're causing trouble with dad, and your brother can't seem to keep his hands out of the cage, could you keep them in your room (locked, preferably), with music on while you're gone? I play music for my parakeet when I leave the house. Just a thought...

At least let your dad know that if he is going to get rid of your keets (I know you don't want to even think about it but if he ever really did do it) that letting them outside would be very cruel. These are domesticated pets who are used to bird seed showing up in a little container every day. They don't know how to fend for themselves at all and would stand a very small chance of survival. If you never managed to get them back afterwards it would be a miracle if they lived. If he goes on about it at least tell him that that is a very hurtful thing to say to you and if he is going to make threats at least threaten to take them to a pet store or something. Tell him that letting them out can be as good as killing them. Thats just an evil, evil thing to say about a special pet of someone you love.

As for the seed is there any way you can put a surface under it to catch the seed? My Crackers makes a mess so I put some folded paper under the edge where his food bowl (since thats where most of it gets tossed out obviously) is and it seems to catch some of it. Maybe trying it on a larger scale would help? It won't fix it but it could make for less cleanup. Can't really help with the chirping I mean a keet not chirping at all seems to be a sign that they are sick so... dunno. Good luck though.