I'm Not Sure How To Take Care Of a Parakeet

Question

i just got new parakeets from a friend of my moms and iv never taken care of a bird before so I'm not sure how to take care of them could you help me and give me facts and advise on how to take care of them!!! T.T

Answer 1

Kassy and Gwen are your two best answers.

Answer 2

First, buy yourself a care guide for budgies. You *need* a proper care guide: the internet is full of misinformation and bad advice, but a bird guide you can buy from a pet store or check out from your local library will have everything you need to know in a clear and easy-to-read format. You can find further information online, but a care guide will give you a solid foundation that will help you weed out the bad sources. Also see if you can find BirdTalk Magazine; major pet stores generally carry them and libraries sometimes have back-issues. I subscribed for eight years, it's a great magazine with question and answer sections, and articles written by actual avian veterinarians and bird behavioralists.

For now, make sure they have clean water; the water needs to be changed every two days at least. Give them water from a source you would drink from yourself. Also make sure they have clean seed; blow on the seed or stick your finger in it to make sure it's actually seed and not just empty hulls. When I got my first cockatiel from a garage sale, the people who had owned him didn't know how to take care of a bird; his food dish had nothing but hulls in it and his water was so full of p**p it was green.

When you go looking for bird seed mixes, try to find one that has very little of the small round light-yellow seeds (millet); millet is like bird candy, it's a good treat but feeding them a lot of it isn't good for them. Specifically, see if you can find a mix that has both seeds and pellets: pellets are these little things that look like dry pet kibble or cereal, and they're often brightly colored. Pellets have all kinds of nutrients in them, whereas seeds contain mostly fat; it isn't healthy for birds to eat all-seeds. Fresh veggies wouldn't hurt, either; you can also offer them some bits of washed broccoli, cauliflower or carrot. The birds may be hesitant to eat them at first, but they should try it eventually.

Also, make sure that you don't use nonstick cookware, scented candles, or spray-on air fresheners or spray-on disinfectants around the birds; the small airborne particles from these are lethal to birds.

Answer 3

Birds need some perches of various sizes and multiple toys to play with. They need to be in a cage that gives them enough room to move around in, and so they can open their wings without bumping into toys and perches. Are the keets tame? If so them bring them to a vet and get their wings clipped and take them out at least once a day for AT LEAST an hour for some interaction. If not, you have two of them, so you don't need to worry about taming them, they will have enough stimulation. You need to get them some toys though, if you haven't already. Birds are VERY smart animals, and they need the mental stimulation that toys provide. Make sure that the toys are a safe size for the parakeets so there aren't any parts that the birds can ingest or get caught on. Also, you need to make sure that the bars of your cage are no bigger than 1/2" otherwise your birds might get their heads caught in between the bars. Feed your birds seed and fresh foods such as veggies, cooked eggs, cooked whole grain pasta, and cooked whole grain rice. NEVER uncooked rice. It will expand in their stomachs and hurt them. Provide them with cuttle bones for calcium, and if you have a male and a female, I suggest you separate your birds. You do not want them breeding. Its a HUGE responsibility, and costs tons of money to provide for the chicks.

For more information I HIGHLY suggest going to http://www.birdsnways2.com/chats/ncs/ncs... and telling them that Chad (The account I'm using says Kassy, but I'm using my friend's) sent you and that you have two new parakeets and that you want to provide them with the best care possible. Its a forum that doesn't require membership, so there is no registration process, and it is loaded with tons of experts that will help you learn all you need to know.

I hope I helped! =]

Chad Emrick