User:Easalo/parakeetsaspets

Basic Information

Parakeets are considered to be very family friendly pets. They are also low maintenance, making them a good choice for a first pet or someone who doesn’t have time for walks and cleaning up after animals. Parakeets come from warm, dry areas such as South America and some places in Africa. They rage in colors from blue/white, blue/yellow, white, and the most common, green/yellow.Parakeets can range in size (from head to tip of tail) from five inches up to nine and a half inches.

Feeding

Parakeets are herbivores and eat mainly seeds. However, seeds can be fatty and need to be supplemented with pellets. Parakeets also enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables such as bananas, grapes, peaches, watermelon, kale, broccoli, romaine lettuce, and peas. All fruits and vegetables should be served raw and around room temperature. You should change out the food every other day so it is always fresh. If you have fresh produce in the bird's cage, remove it a few hours after it has gone uneaten to prevent mold. It is very important to keep fresh water in your bird’s cage as well. Water should be changed every day. Don't worry if you do not see your parakeet drinking that often, they only need a few teaspoons of water a day. They will not let themselves get dehydrated.

Handling

When you first get your parakeet, they will be very timid. Give him/her a day or two to get used to its new surroundings before handling it. When you are ready, start by placing your hand near the parakeet in a non-defensive position. Allow the bird to come to you. Once the bird is used to having your hand close, put one finger out and try to get him/her to step up onto your finger. It may take some time and practice, but you will get there! It may also take some coaxing, try placing some seeds or treats in your open palm and maybe your parakeet will come eat out of your hand! Training your parakeet like this takes time and patience, but it is possible! Never grab your parakeet! It can startle them and cause them not to trust you.

Habitat

When choosing a cage, you want to make sure it is big enough for your parakeet to stretch it’s wings and walk around a little bit. Place the cage somewhere where people will often be around because once adjusted, parakeets tend to be very social birds. However, be sure to keep it away from direct sunlight or air flow from heat or air conditioning. As far as toys go, the more colorful the better! Parakeets love things that they can climb and chew on. A mirror is also a great thing to have and practically a must if you have just one parakeet! Parakeets love to chatter at themselves in the mirror. They also will get lonely and bored if they are by themselves without a mirror. On the bottom of the cage, in order to prevent your parakeet from hurting it’s feet, place newspaper, cage liners, or soft wood pellets.

Parakeet cage complete with toys and newspaper bottom.

Behaviors

It is very common for parakeets to chirp and chatter all day long, especially if they have a mirror. However, if they are unusually loud or screeching/screaming, it is a sign of agitation. Another sign of agitation or stress is the plucking of feathers or feathers falling out. Parakeets do molt, but just watch for bigger feathers to be falling out. If you have more than one bird though, it could just be the birds pulling each other’s feathers out. For this particular problem, you just have to be observant. Parakeets like to be at the highest point possible in the cage, so if they are sitting at the bottom for a long period of time, this could be a sign of weakness or illness. Change in eating and sleeping patterns could also be cause for concern. Parakeets sleep at night, just like people. It helps to place a sheet over the cage at night to keep them calmer and quieter.

References

Parakeet (Budgie). Petsmart Store Support Group, 2011. Print.

"10 Tips on Caring for Parakeets." 10 Tips on Raising Parakeets. 10 Spot, 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. http://www.10spot.net/articles/parakeet_care_tips.html.

MSPCA. Education. Bird Care Guide: Parakeets. Mspca.org. MSPCA- Angell. Print.

"Parakeet Training." Parakeetcare.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2013. <http://www.parakeetcare.org/parakeet-training.php#.UVuhNKVYxUQ>.

Alderfer, Jonathan. Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Ed. Jon L. Dunn. 5th ed. Washington D.C: National Geographic Society, 2006. Print.