# parakeets



## flash136 (Jul 18, 2011)

I am geting a parakeet this fall, i found a store that has hand fed babies. I will be getting all of my supplies for him/her very soon so i have it all set up when i bring him/her home. I would love to hear about and see pictures of your parakeets if you have any. I am most likely going to get a blue parakeet.


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## fourluckyhorseshoes (Jul 18, 2011)

I have one parakeet right now, but I have had three in the past, usually having 1-2 at a time. I love parakeets, they are very cute and manageable. I would recommend if you are only going to have one parakeet to have a small mirror in its cage. They love to look at themselves- mine will chirp happily and bob up and down when he sees his reflection. Have you had birds before? Mine loves millet sprays (can get at Wal-Mart), lettuce, and a few long blades of grass are a good snack. Wings can be clipped if you don't want them to fly-good for when you are training them. If you have any questions feel free to message me.


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## billiethekid40 (Jul 18, 2011)

I would highly suggest getting two and not one. A single bird will have a tendency to be lonely and scared especially at night. Birds evolved to live in flocks, and small birds like parakeets really do best when kept in pairs at least. After keeping several single birds, I noticed a HUGE difference when I bought my first pair- I had thought my birds in the past had been happy and well adjusted but the pair were just so much more relaxed, especially at bedtime. Since then I've sworn I will never keep another bird alone... at least not the small species like parakeets and cockatiels. The pairs I've kept have been just as if not more friendly and happy to be around people so I can attest that it is really just a myth that a lone bird will bond better with you. Its also so much fun to watch them interact and play together in the times you are not interacting with them directly. I've kept several different species over the years (parakeets, linoleated parakeets, green cheek conure, finches, and my parents currently have an african grey and a senegal) if you have any specific questions please feel free to ask or send me a PM. And kudos for wanting everything to be set up and for waiting until all the excitement and busy days of summer are over before bringing home a new little feather kid.


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## shorthorsemom (Jul 18, 2011)

I have had many parakeets budgies over the years. They are very tweet little birds. Just prepare yourself for quite a bit of mess. They throw seed hulls all over the place and feathers and molting and dust is everywhere. I cleaned frequently but it was still a mess on the best days. (I know, all birds do this, but my parakeets seemed to be the worst of my birds for throwing stuff around) Spend lots of time with your hand fed babies and tame young. Handle frequently or they will get wild. Wild ones can bite like the dickens. I enjoyed my cockatiels more than my parakeets. More personality, easier to train, less fragile. The boy budgies had more personality and talked. The girls were a bit more wild and not as cuddly, but may have just been mine, not rule of thumb for the little guys. Hand fed are the best. Head stripes that go down to the bill on the bird are young. Another indicator of young is a completely dark eye. Ring around the eye, bird is older, and the receding stripes to make a solid cap on the head also means not as young.

I mention the mess because you need a good place to keep the cage, easy to get to for cleaning. Bedroom is not recommended if for a child. I put a perch on top of the cage so they can hang out, wing exercising inside the cage is what whips the hulls and crud and feathers all over the place. Best wishes, they are very cute little guys.




Blue is my favorite color



If you leave the wings intact they love to hang out on your curtain rods. Nothing is cuter than having one walking around on your table or sofa and hanging out with you. They love to "ride"


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## fourluckyhorseshoes (Jul 19, 2011)

Just a quick note on biting-- When mine bites me usually he bites and won't let go. I gently touch my finger to the top of his head and he stops. Not sure if this trick works with anyone else.


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## 2minis4us (Jul 19, 2011)

When I was a kid the only pet we could have was a parakeet. My mom wouldn't let us get a cat or a dog. Anyway that little guy was a hoot ! We would let him out of his cage and he would seriously fly all over the house. He sat on the lampshades, off the curtains, land on the dinner table when we were eating (he liked steak), and in the bathroom he sat on a glass shelf and we could swing the mirror over to so he could talk to himself. He had baths in the sink. He lived 12 years and I loved that bird so much - good memories !

Funny, I had a dream about parakeets last night.

He had a mirror, and a cuddlebone, of course seed and water. We would stick lettuce or bread in between the spaces on the cage and he loved it !


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## flash136 (Jul 19, 2011)

2minis4us said:


> When I was a kid the only pet we could have was a parakeet. My mom wouldn't let us get a cat or a dog. Anyway that little guy was a hoot ! We would let him out of his cage and he would seriously fly all over the house. He sat on the lampshades, off the curtains, land on the dinner table when we were eating (he liked steak), and in the bathroom he sat on a glass shelf and we could swing the mirror over to so he could talk to himself. He had baths in the sink. He lived 12 years and I loved that bird so much - good memories !
> 
> Funny, I had a dream about parakeets last night.
> 
> He had a mirror, and a cuddlebone, of course seed and water. We would stick lettuce or bread in between the spaces on the cage and he loved it !


How 12 years. how did you keep him alive that long? i have read that some only live to be 7 or less. Can you share how you did it.


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## fourluckyhorseshoes (Jul 19, 2011)

That reminds me-- cuddle bones are essential for the parakeet to have a healthy length beak.


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## Katiean (Jul 19, 2011)

I have read that the Blue parakeets do not generally live as long as other colors. I do not believe this to be true as I got a Blue parakeet when I was 4 or 5. Tweety. She was the biggest b*t*h from the start. She was by herself the whole time we had her. She would escape her cage and fly around the house. When she got tired of this game she would dive bomb you so you would catch her and put her back in her cage. We had her through 2 moves. I was 9 when we moved to Oregon (the second move). We were truly ruffing it when we lived there. As my dad built our house we started out with a tent on the floor of the house. As walls were built we put up tarps to enlarge our living space. When the outside of the house was finished we moved into the house and my dad built the stairs and inside walls. The house was a double "A" frame. There was a balcony at the living room and the living room had a very tall ceiling. That rotten bird would fly across the open area and perch on the window where no one could get to her. I was almost 14 when we moved back to California. We gave Tweety to a friend of mine that had 3 other parakeets. Tweety KILLED the other birds. We would go back to take care of our house in Oregon I think it was about 3 yers after giving Tweety away we ran into the people (on one of those trips) we gave her to and they said they didn't think she would ever die.


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## 2minis4us (Jul 19, 2011)

Our parakeet was blue, and his name was Pete. Mind you, this was like 38 years ago when he died, maybe they were bred differently then LOL !

I think he lived so long was because he was able to get out of the cage and fly around so much. He was very happy and healthy.


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## disneyhorse (Jul 19, 2011)

With proper care, parakeets can live to about 15. I would suggest having more than one 'keet if you don't have a LOT of time to devote to him/her. Parrots in general are very social and pick up bad health habits if kept in isolation.

A good diet and a large cage is a must. A lot of people just feed "parakeet seed" but be sure to mix in lots of fresh fruit and greens (look online for recommended ones for parrots) every day. And yes, a cuttlebone is a good idea if you don't know how to trim parrot beaks. There is a bird breeder/store in our area that will trim beaks/wings/nails for a very reasonable fee, perhaps you have one in your area.

Males may talk better, but I had a friend with an old female (about 10 years old or more) who was the most talkative 'keet I've ever seen.

They do like toys... mirrors, straw to shred, things with bells on them. Be sure the cage has plenty of toys and be sure to rotate them so they don't get bored of them. Ball up paper and hang them from a string so they can shred it. Parrots like to destroy stuff by nature, so give them appropriate things to do so with. There are lots of free toys you can give/make them.

Enjoy!

Andrea


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## Thinking small (Jul 20, 2011)

I have 5 currently in a big flight cage... they are not that loud but i wouldn't say there quiet either, plus despite there petite size are rather messy lol They adore swings, toys... even little balls to carry about. Mine are all green and yellow, i used have an albino but sadly it died a few years ago.


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## shelia (Jul 22, 2011)

Do not put strings or anything with strings in the cage. i had a parakeet that lost a whole toe because it got tangled in a string. If you cover the cage at night or at any time be sure they are not shedding the cover. That will make strings. they do love to chew wood. Check his feed everyday because sometimes the will eat just the seeds on top and leave the shells and some are not smart enough to dig down for them and will starve. i have heard that a parakeet cannot go over 24 hours without eating. Keep the cage away from drafts. If he sits puffed up he is most likely sick and will need antibiotics in his water.


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