A:
Birds.
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Parakeets are any number of small to medium parrots. Budgerigars are one of many species in the 'parakeet' catagory. In america we call budgerigers - parakeets - even though 'parakeet' refers to many types of birds. All budgerigars are parakeets but not all parakeets are budgerigars (budgies - for short). We like to call our birds budgies but often use parakeet interchangably as it's so common in the states. Also, sometimes to make the distinction between 'parakeets' and other species of parakeets (linolated, bourke, monk, etc.), people use the term 'common parakeet' which is a budgerigar.
Q:
What are English Budgies?
A:
Budgies.
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Ahh, more symantics! Above we learned parakeets are budgies and there other types of 'parakeets'. Budgies are budgies no matter what prefix one uses, English, American, Australian, show, fancy, wild, normal, etc. However, there are some differences. First off, no matter what, budiges are budgies (I know I just said that) when the name is used alone, 'budgie' usually refers to just plain non-specifacally bred budgies or is all inclusive. Usually 'English' budgies refer to a group of budgies specially bred for show, originally from England. True 'English' budgies are about twice the size of 'non-English' budgies, and they are bred to have larger heads and shoulders, large even cheek patches, longer feathers, etc., 'English' budgies are usually very fluffy in apperance. 'Australian' budgies are also bred specially for show birds, they have the same sleek look as 'wild' budgies but they are as physically large as the 'English' budgie. 'Normal' budgies, 'American' budgies, or just 'budgies' are usually considered the birds that are bred as pets around the globe. 'Wild' budgies are just that, the budgies that are living in their native habitat. To be more specific one would say there are three types of budgies, wild birds living in Australia, budgies bred for pets, and budgies bred for bird shows. Under the birds bred for show the names can include, Show, Fancy, English or Australian. 'English' budgies are commonly mistaken as a sub-species or another species altogether from the 'common parakeet' (which we know is a buderigar). 'English' budgies are usually sold for a higher price and are usually the rejects the breeder does not want to breed (not that they are bad birds). They are also misunderstood as being smarter, sweeter, tamer, etc., when in reality they are only a slightly (in the grand scheme of things) more inbred budgie. Like the difference between a mutt to a pure bred dog, they are the same but the pure bred dog is selectively bred for their traits where as the mutt is not bred to the same degree of finesse.
Q:
What are parakeets good for?
A:
Companionship, love, and joy, for the whole family, in a prefectly sized package.
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We are dedicated to the care of our birds so that they are happy and healthy from the time of conception to the time they are adopted. We breed these high quality budgies for family pets. We enjoy helping famlies and individuals to get pet budgies that will live long, healthy lives, and bring joy to everyone. Every bird bred here is special and deserves only the best.
Q:
How much are the budgies?
A:
$20.
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Each parakeet is $20.00. However, there are a few exceptions where a specific budgie may be more or less.
Q:
How do I pay?
A:
Cash only please.
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Because we are a small home-opperated business, we accept cash only. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Q:
Do you provide cages and bird accessories?
A:
Yes, we do.
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For your convenience we provide; starter cages (various sizes), seed/millet, cuttlebone/mineral block, water bottles/bath tubs, and toys, at reasonable prices. Availability may vary.
Q:
Are they tame?
A:
....
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Well thats a common and hard to answer question because there are so many variables. Let me start at the beginning, the birds and us. Yes, they are very tame as baby birds, we hand feed them and they love us. Once they fledge, they are tame but this is when they become independent. As with human teenagers, they want to hang out with their budgie buddys and not their care givers. The birds also start thinking along these lines.... "I can F-L-Y now, I don't need to bother with Them anymore, gees." "I am alll grown up now, what do They want with me?" "Go away I don't want more food." "Your NOT the boss for me anymore!" Not that they don't like humans they just want to be their own bird at this point. If we were super budgie breeders with Superman powers we could spend 10 minutes with each bird 2-3 times a day and keep them wanting to be with US. But then they would bond with US and the separation on both parties would be hard. That is why we leave them alone until some nice person comes along and can spend the time with the budgie and they can bond to each other. Then it is up to the new owner whether the bird is tame or not. Leave the bird(s) alone completely and in time they will forget about their owner/humans. Play with them regularly and they will stay tame and loving, then the possiblity of training them is open. More often than not when we have people over to adopt a parakeet; depending on the bird's personality, the flocks' mood, and the visitor's patience, we have the birds stepping up on peoples' hands and or giving them love nibbles.
Q:
Are they good with children?
A:
Yes.
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As long as the children respect the bird(s) and don't pull the bird's tail out and the bird is handled well, there should be no problems with a budgie as a family pet. In fact, budgies are very good family pets.
Q:
How long do budgies live?
A:
2-18 years.
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Like dogs and cats, the parakeet can eaisly live 7 years, which is the avarage life span. They can also live 10-18 years or as little as 1 or 2 years. Health, care, genetics, happiness, and luck all play into the life span of budgies.
Q:
Will they bite?
A:
They may.
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Budgerigars are animals. Every animal is capable of biting. Budgies when trained/tamed properly and those who care for them or play with them, know how to handle the birds in the right way, the birds should never bite. But sometimes when the budgies feel cornered, are startled, or are being teased by someone they can bite. However, when budgies bite it's only a bad pinch, and I have never had them draw blood.
Q:
Can budgies talk?
A:
Yes!
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Budgies can mimic human speach 'talk' just like larger parrots! I have heard some incredible budgies talk, and talk well.
Q:
Can you tell their gender?
A:
Yes, you can tell the gender of a budgerigar, just by looking.
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Budgerigars are sexually dimorphic. In fancy talk that means, budgies show their gender, that is you can tell visually if they are boys or girls. No DNA sexing needed.
Q:
How can you tell gender in budgies?
A:
The color of the cere is different between males and females.
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The cere is the fleshy thing above the beak with two holes in it. Those holes are the nostrials. It's basically the budgie version of a nose in function and in placement, like the beak is the birdy version of a mouth. The cere is a different color for males and females. It is harder to tell gender in young/ sexually immature/ under 3-4 months olds/ pre-first-moult (all mean the same, and/or happen at the same time) budgies than in adults. All young budgies have, what I would call, pink/rosey ceres to an untrained eye, unless the bird has a blatantly white cere. Baby boys have 100% rosey ceres in a smooth coloration. Baby girls have rosey ceres with white around the nostrials with uneven color, or they already have all white ceres like adult females. However! There many types of baby budgie ceres that are harder to describe and tell gender on. Dark ones, light ones, odd ones, etc. every bird is different, plus the lighting one views the bird in, drastically changes how one percieves the colors. Also the ceres can change during childhood like deepening/lightning in color, probably harmones cause this as the slight changing occurs more offten as the bird ages. All these factors make it hard to tell the gender on some juvenile budgies. It is either definitely male, definitely female, or the cere color differences could be so subtile to the human eye we just can't tell with any certainty the gender of the baby. Adult budgies, however, are very easy to tell the gender. ADULT male ceres are always a distinct blue. Yet, there are a few exceptions. When the adult male in question is a recessive pied, albino/lutino, and a few other (fairly uncommon) color mutations, his cere will be a rosey cere like when he was a baby. It does not change to a deep blue but stays the rosey pink. ADULT females sport a wide range of cere colors. Typically the female ceres are all white, then they turn to tans and browns that are very rough during their breeding cycle, and then they go back to white once the cycle is over. They can also have very LIGHT blue ceres with distinct white circles around the nostrails. Some budgie females NEVER go into breeding condition, not that there is anything wrong with them, just what they don't do. They can also have normally tan ceres that then turn brown and cursty in breeding condition and then revert back to tan. No matter the color mutation of the female these rules apply. All of this simply put, don't worry about the baby budgie ceres because in a few short weeks they will be adults and you won't have to fret over the gender of your beloved pet. Becasue it will be so obvious, males are blue or rosey and females are everything else.
Q:
Are boys better pets than girls?
A:
Nope.
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Nope... let me explain. Girls are usually outgoing, spunky, and full of life. Males do tend to be more mellow, shy, and timid. For girls that can make them head strong and a little teeny tiny bit harder to train/tame. On the flip side, boys that are too shy and too mellow are harder to train because they are scared and unwilling to try new things. A good pet owner that spends just a little time training/working with these birds will be able to easly overcome any of these set backs and won't care whether the bird has a blue/pink or white/brown cere! These birds are individuals. No bird acts the same, talks the same, is as easy to train, or can fall into these 'general personality guidelines for the bugerigar species and typical gender traits.' Gender makes no difference in the birds personality, as males can act like typical females and vise vresa. When buying a bird to be a pet get her/him for their unique and individual personality and NOT their gender.
Q:
Can girls talk?
A:
Yes!
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irls can mimic human speach 'talk' just like boys! We have had two females talk in our aviary, and from people that have adopted our birds and have reported back, there is 1 female talker that whistles and says "pretty, pretty bird".
Q:
How can I tell a baby budgie from an adult budgie?
A:
There is a lot that makes them different.
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Baby budgies have these features: black barring/stripping going all the way down the forehead; solid black eyes; the cere color is usually a pinkish color; the body feathers have a slightly duller apperance in color; and they have a shorter tail. The adult budgie loses/gains these features: they lose the barring on the forhead and it becomes a solid color; they get light gray/light yellow irises around their eyes; the cere shows gender, blue (male) or white/brown (female); the color brightens and/or darkens ever so slightly; and the tail is full length. However with different color mutations some or all of these rules may not apply. Like the male albino's cere does not change from pink and they never have barring. Pieds may always have the barring on the forehead, portions of baring; or may never even have had barring. Other mutations, like the dark eyed clear, never get irises.
Q:
So budgies are babies until... how old?
A:
3-4 months of age.
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Budgies are completely dependent on their parents or surrogate human parents until about 30 days after hatching out of their egg. At that point they are very young and we still conside them babies, even though we are willing to sell them after fledging at 30 days if they are seen flying and eating on their own in the flight cages. When they become adults is after their first moult at 3-4 months of age. This is when they are sexually mature, they CAN become parents, as they are physically capable.
Q:
So they look different, but do the baby and adult budgies act different?
A:
Sure do.
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As with any animal, even humans, babies/young learn faster, and old/adults CAN become more stubborn and harder to train. Baby budgies are ideal for training for that single simple fact. But they are babies, and have short attention spans - unless food is involved, sleep twice as much, are much less patient, and are still learning about life. Adult budgies have slightly longer attention spans - for a small bird, they sleep less during the day - but still need more rest than humans, and they already know how to be a bird, so they can learn to be a human companion.
Q:
Is it better to have 1 or 2 birds.
A:
Depends on you, and your home life. We prefer two budgies!
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If you and/or your family members are home a lot you can keep one budgie if she/he is interacted with often. If you and/or your family are at work, school, and running errands most of the day it is a very good idea to have two budgies so they can keep each other company when no one is around. From our own personal experience, here are our reasons for having two birds. 1) They are a flock bird. 2) They groom and help each other through the molt. 3) They feed each other because that is what they do. 4) Believe it or not, they DO get lonely.
No matter how much time you spend with your budgie, there are things you just cannot do for them. There are also life situations that make you unable to spend a lot of time with the bird, vacations, kids, holidays, school, work, tired, sick, and on and on. Little Birdie is sitting there wanting to interact with a bird friend and is suffering from loneliness. Some birds handle being single pets better than others, personality has a lot to do with it. We encourage pairs of parakeets.
Q:
Two males? Two females? One of each?
A:
Varies on your wishes.
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We have noticed in our flock that males and females are usually happier together. If you have two males, one will be dominant over the other; if you have two females, one will be dominant over the other. If you do not set up a breeding situation (nest boxes, etc.) male/female will probably not breed. If you want to have 110% guarantee that you do not get eggs or babies you have to get two males. If you want a 110% guarantee that you do not get babies and a 99% guarantee that you do not get eggs, two females will do fine. If you want a 95% guarantee that you do not get eggs or babies a 1 male and 1 female pairing will be fine. Either way, a 'pair-o-parakeets' is the best.
Q:
Which budgie gender pairings get along best when you have two budgies?
A:
Can't say!
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Do you know how budgies are indivduals? Well they are, and like us humans we like to hang out with some people but not others, budgies are the same. Some budgies become domineering over the other, some just never interact with each other, and some even fight with each other. But most of the time budgies get along with budgies without any problems, no matter the gender pairing. Just a side note: have two swings for two budgies and they will get along fine!
Q:
Should I clip their wings?
A:
Depends.
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Wing clipping is probably the most argued subject about all pet parrots. You could spend all day reading the two sides of the coin, people arguing over it, people for it, people aganist it, and peoples horror stories about what happened because they had them clipped or because they did Not have the wings clipped. We at 's Keets Aviary have come to the conclusion that wing clipping is very dependent on a lot of factors, like everything else in life! It is not cut and dry or black and white. So stop arguing over it please! Because it is good and bad. Now that is out of the way I can explain the pros and cons. Pro to clipping wings: easier to train/tame the budgie, becuase they are totally dependent on you. Con to clipping wings: they can't get around without you because they can't fly. Pro to clipping wings: They can't fly out of your home when you open the door. Con to clipping wings: they can't excape from danger, like other animals. Pro to clipping wings: when they see something shiny they can't fly over to it leaving you by yourself. Pro to clipping wings: they can't run into an open window and knock the lights out of themselves. Con to clipping wings: they may get fat and sickly because they don't get enough exercise, because they can't fly. Pro to clipping wings: they can't fly off and land somewhere high/behind you can't reach. Con to clipping wings: since they can't fly off high, they can run around low and get under something big and heavy and you can't get to them. Pro to clipping wings: they don't need room to fly around? Con to clipping wings: you can step on them! Pro to clipping wings: your cat can have dinner easily. Con to clipping wings: your bird can be your cat's dinner Pro to clipping wings: simpler to budgie-proof your home.(doors, animals, low open water, low open flames.) Con to Not clipping wings: more complicated to budgie-proof your home.(fans, doors, windows, shades, open water, animals, open flame.) Pro to NOT clipping wings: they can fly off when bored and go see that shiny thing. Pro to clipping wings: they only poop on the floor. Con to NOT clipping wings: they poop everywhere! The biggest attraction for getting the wings clipped: easier taming/training, no flying out the front door. The biggest attraction for NOT getting the wings clipped: natural behavior, no chance of obesity, they can escape from other animals. Compromise: clip the wings when you first get the bird, as long as it has learned to fly already. Take that time to tame/train your pet and let the wings grow back and never clip again! When we had our first clutch of babies we clipped their wings right after their first flight. It was a mistake for our sistuation and for their age. Not only did it take a while for the wings to grow back, but once they did grow back the birds didn't know how to fly and it was twice as hard for them to learn to fly at an older age. We keep the adult birds in large flight cages, allowing them to fly freely. Back then the first clutch couldn't fly in such a large cage and had probleams getting around. They were jealous of the other birds being able to fly and they couldn't. If you have more than 1 bird, either have all their wings clipped or leave them all unclipped. Allow the young, just fledged, birds atleast 2 full days of flying before clipping their wings. PS: they look much prettier with their wings intact.
Q:
Blood feathers!?!?
A:
Yes! Blood feathers.
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All feathers need nutrition to grow, so when they are new feathers, the shafts are full of blood. Once the feather is fully grown, the blood receeds leaving the feather shaft hollow and dead. (Which is why wing clipping is painless, much like human hair cuts.) If the blood feathers are accidently ruptured, pulled, or cut they will start bleeding. If you do not pull a blood feather out at the base, when it is cut, it will keep bleeding until there is no more blood left.
Q:
Whats that thing on the birds leg?
A:
A leg band, all our birds have them.
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Leg bands can be either simple plastic removable rings to solid metal registered bands. The plastic ones are usually for the breeders information only, eg. all that breeder's male birds would have blue rings on the a leg and the girls would have a pink band. The metal bands (or 'rings' if your not from the US) can simply be a printed number/date and mean nothing to anyone else but the breeder. Or the metal can be registered bands, like ours at Keely's Keets Aviary. Each band has our code on it, the year, and numbers going from 1 to 1000, that distinguish each bird from another. Color of the band also changes with the year.
Q:
Do the bands come off?
A:
No.
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Unless they are 'open' bands. We use closed bands at Keely's Keets Aviary. Open bands are put on the birds leg as an adult and are easily removed, they can be metal, plastic, numbered, colored, or all the above. Closed Bands are put on the birds at 5-8 days old, usually 6 days. The bones in the legs have not harden yet since they are so young; so sqeezing the ring over the birds 4 toes is easy and causes no harm. Once there the band stays on the bird for the rest of it's life, unless... there is a catastrophic event that causes the birds leg to start swelling or the bird gets a disease that causes swelling in the legs, then you will have to remove the band with a band remover; however, you will have to take the bird to the vet anyway, and said vet will have a band cutter and can take care of the bird and the band for you. I have heard of bird's bands getting stuck on things inside the cage which can cause problems. So make sure you do not have any thin, poky things inside the cage that can slip between the band and the leg. Like a paper clip sticking up after the birds have eaten the fruit off. They have clips for hanging food up which will prevent such incidents.
Q:
What accessories do you recommend for the cage?
A:
Lots of fun stuff!
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Most cages come with two feeder dishes and two perches, so thats a start. Necessities include a varity of perches; natural wood, dowling or plastic (what most cages come with), cement, and rope. We do prefer sisal rope to cotton, as the cotton can become stringy and get cought on or around the bird. Water bottles, like the type that gerbles and rabbits use, are much easier to maintain, and are highly recommended over open water containers. Simple swings are a must have, but you can get the plastic toy-like swings or both. Have at least 2 toys up at any time. I like to have one distructable toy, like leather, wood, or sisal, something that they can chew up curbing their nawing habit. And one indistructable toy made of plastic and/or metal. If your cage is tall, ladders can be fun. Cuttle bone and mineral blocks are essential to the birds health and cage habitat. They love stuff to chew on so having wooden/paper things for them to eat up is a good idea. If you can, get a small stock pile of toys to rotate through, as they break, need cleaning, and to give the birds some varity, the spice of life. Have a few tiny hardware clamps to hang food and treats up with. Arrange the cage in a pleasing way where you can service the cage and the birds can move around. They mostly use the highest perch for sleeping or eating hung up veggies, so keep at least one stable perch up high. The water and food need to be near stable perches aswell so the birds can access them easily. Don't over crowd the cage to where the birds can't flap their wings or hop around.
Q:
What accessories do you NOT recommend for the cage?
A:
Just a few.
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Cotton toys and cotton accessories seem to cause more trouble than they are good for. They get stringy and tangle the birds up, the birds can also eat the cotton and may choke on the strings. We don't like cotton, so that definitely rules out the fuzzy tents for nap time. The fabric tents can also encourage mating/breeding habits. Sand perch covers are not safe for parakeets either, as the covers can be eaten off. These covers also slip, slide, and roll, they don't really work anyways. As always the cage needs to be safe, no rusty anything, no poky sticks/paperclips, and no major cage defects.
Q:
Where do we keep the cage?
A:
Some place stable.
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Where you keep your bird's cage is about striking balance. The cage needs to be somewhere there is activity, but not too much. You can have the cage on a stand, table, or hanging, as long as it's stable and children or animals can't run-through and knock it over. Where you keep the cage needs to be draft free, not directly over or infront of an AC vent, or by an always breeze window/door. Have the cage where there is ample lighting, but where the birds can escape the light if needed. Say where you can close the blinds, turn off the lights, or the birds can move over to the other side of the cage.
Q:
How do I take them home?
A:
We provide disposable pet carriers.
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For no extra charge we will give you a cardboard pet carrier that is the right size for a parakeet, 1 box per bird. We prefer the birds being taken home in the pet carriers instead of a cage or a general box/container.
Q:
Why the box and not the cage?
A:
The box is safer.
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Putting the bird in the box is safer than in a cage and also more practical. The darkness of the box is calming to the bird and the bird has limited room to move around in and get injured during the transit. The budgie will not be trying to move around inside the cage and getting hurt. Also if you buy/brought a cage and you put the bird inside, once home you will have to fight the frightened bird to put the accessories in, or at least the food, water, and probably millet.
Q:
Ok, I use the pet carrier, but how do I get the bird out of the box once home?
A:
Open the box up?
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Preferably once home you will have the cage set up already, if not, set the cage up before you take the bird out. It is best to have the cage all together with the food/water and accessories already inside. Then you can place the box inside the cage and open the box up INSIDE and leave it open. Some birds may fly/run out right away and others may venture out after a few minutes or even over night. No need to rush. If your cage door is not large enough to put the box through, loosen the box opening, hold the door of the cage open, and in a smooth motion open the box all the way and place it in front of the cage door. Allow the bird to come out on his own, if he does not come out after a while you can gently and slowly tilt the box upwards to slid the bird out.
Q:
Can I handle them as soon as I get them home?
A:
You could but you probably should not. Wait until the morning after the bird(s) is home.
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Some baby birds take the travel and transfer harder than others. If the baby bird you get is very attentive and alert once home and settled in the cage you may start the bonding process. If the bird is scared or sleeping wait until the next day. Play it by ear and work with the bird as they warm up and settle down.
Q:
I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, I don't see my parakeet(s) drinking any water, what should I do?
A:
Have a water source they are comfortable with.
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Birds only need a little bit of water every day. Also if they are in a new environment they are more secretive about what they do. So when they want water they will drink it when you are not around, or looking their way. And they will drink the water very fast, flutter down, grab a drop or two then fly/climb back up to their favorite perch. Especially if you are using a water bottle. Our birds at Keely's Keets' Aviary are used to drinking out of water bottles. However, the very young birds or birds from another source may not be, so if you are worried have the water bottle and an open water container available for the first few days. Don't be too concerned about you not seeing them drink water, they are very sneaky about it.
Q:
I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, I don't see my parakeet(s) moving around or playing - they are like statues, what should I do?
A:
Give them time and space to accumulate.
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A transition into a new environment makes most birds frightened and insecure. Every sight and sounds is new and unfamiliar so the birds stand still, watching and listening to everything to figure out what it is. Most birds will start moving around within a few days, some take more time and some take less time. The best thing for you to do is give the new parakeet some space, but everytime you go by or want to hang-out, move slowly and talk gently to your new family member. Find a routine and try to keep things simple at first. Move on with training as you see the bird react to you. Some birds warm-up in the first few hours and for others it can take up to a week for the parakeet to get comfortable in it's new setting.
Q:
I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, I don't see my parakeet(s) eating any food, what should I do?
A:
Have their favorite, millet, hung up near a perch.
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Have their seed and fresh food in a comfortable place, near a stable perch, with the millet hung up. Also if they are in a new environment they are more secretive about what they do. So when they want food they will eat it when you are not around, or looking their way. And they will eat their food very fast, flutter down, grab a seed or two then fly/climb back up to their favorite perch. Don't be too concerned about you not seeing them eat food, they are very sneaky about it, as long as you find some hulls around.
Q:
I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, my parakeet(s) are frightened over everything, what should I do?
A:
Keep things calm.
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A transition into a new environment makes most birds frightened and insecure. Every sight and sounds is new and unfamiliar so the birds might flutter around not sure where to land that is safe. Most birds will calm down after a few minutes to an hour after being introduced into their new home. The best thing for you to do is give the new parakeet some space, but everytime you go by or want to hang-out, move slowly and talk gently to your new family member. Find a routine and try to keep things simple at first. Move on with training as you see the bird react to you. Some birds warm-up in the first few hours and for others it can take up to a week for the parakeet to get comfortable in it's new setting. If the budgie is freaking-out too much, thrashing around and such, put a cover over half or three-quarters of the cage and try to keep loud noises down for while. The budige will be able to retreat to the safety of the darkened side of the cage and then when it feels comfortable, it can peer out the open side of the cage. They should settle down comfortablely shortly.
Q:
Do I feed my budgies seed? If so what kind?
A:
Yes, a good mixed seed.
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Mixed seeds are part of a balanced diet, fruits/vegetables make up the rest of a good diet. Look for a mixed seed that does not have added sugars, artificial colors, or anything unnecessary. I have found that some of the better seeds are the simpler ones. Remember in the wild budgies would eat the wild berries, fruits, grasses, greens, and seeds from all sorts of plants. Note: parakeets remove the shells on the seeds when they eat them, they do not eat these hulls and they pile up on uneaten (good) seed. In tube feeders the shells can clog the good food from coming out, and in cup feeders the shells cover the good seed. Watch the food levels and make sure the birds can still get to the good seed.
Q:
Do I feed my budgies fruits or vegetables? If so what kind?
A:
Yes, fruits/vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet.
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Most fruits and vegetables are safe, healthy and yummy for budgies. Do NOT give avacado, chocolate, coffee, or apple seeds (the fruit itself is good). Try different fresh or frozen food for your budgies and find what they like. Some budgies like certain types of food and not others. Lettuces, herbs, roots, citrus (some may like citrus, some may not) legumes, melons, beans, berries, etc., are all part of a halthy diet.
Q:
Do I feed my budgies pellets? If so what kind?
A:
Sure, but only as a part of the diet, not exclusively.
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Most budgies do not seem to like pellets, if your budgie does like them and eats them, let them do so, but give mixed seeds and fruits/vegetables to them as well. Store pellets in the 'fridge or frezer to keep molds and bugs away. Look for a pellet brand that does not have added sugars, artificial colors, or anything unnecessary. There are some types of pellets that are more for snacks than for 'real food', be decerning. Pellets do tend to be expensive and a diet of a good mixed seed and fresh daily fruits/vegetabls is enough. Remember in the wild budgies would eat the wild berries, fruits, grasses, greens, and seeds from all sorts of plants.
Q:
Do I feed my budgies pastas, breads, or rices?
A:
Yes!
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COOKED RICE ONLY! White or brown works, but brown is better. Keep the pastas and breads down, if given too often the birds could get fat, but the birds like them and they are good for the birds as snacks (cheaper than the seed sticks too).
Q:
Do I give my budgies grit?
A:
No.
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Even though some people say to give budgies grit, it is unnecessary as budgies do not eat the outter shells on seed, they hull their seed. (Avains like pigeons need grit as they eat the seed whole.) Grit can even cause harm to the budgies if they actually eat it when grit is provided.
Q:
Why won't my bird eat fruits and veggies?
A:
Because they may not be used to them.
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If not raised on a varied diet, your budige may not eat the fruits/veggies/grains you give them. They may also not like the type of food your giving them, each bird has a different palet, see what your bird likes. If they just don't eat anything and treat fresh food like the plague, you are going to have to be a very persistent person. The trick is to keep giving them bits of food everyday in different ways. I have found that chopping the food like carrots, peas, or anything else that is hard, eg. broccoli, or has a tough outter skin, eg. corn, in a food processor (or hand chopper) to make them little budgie bite sizes, helps encourage the birds to eat the fruits/veggies. Foods like whole parsely, carrot tops, lettuce leafs, and even celery get devoured whole, raw and hung up by a clip in the cages. My motto is, chop it or hang it. You can also attach foods on the sides of cages, over perches, like apple wedges. Try foods that are more natural (leafy stuff is great, grasses, herbs, lettuces) to the budgies first, get them used to that, before you try more exotic fruits/veggies like citrus. Just keep giving your birds different foods and one day they will start eating them. We at Keely's Keets' Avairy raise our babies on a varied diet, so you won't have to go through this process.
Q:
Do I have to cut the nails?
A:
Yes, occasional nail trimming may be nesscary.
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Budgies nails may need to be trimmed now and then. Use a pair of small, sharp, normal nail clippers to clip the ends of the nails. Have some syptic power on hand just in case the quick is cut and bleeding starts. Two people working together is best. One will hold the bird in gloves or a towel, gently, and the other with grab the nails and cut the ends off. If you look into the nail you will see a darken center (back lighting helps seeing the quick) where the blood is, don't cut that. Nails vary in color, the dark nails are hard to tell where the quick is but the light nails are easy to see. You want the birds nails to be a nice smooth 3/4 'C' shape. Having natural wood perches and toys in their cage halps keep the nails filed. There is nothing abnormal about nails needing trimming. Please don't try to cut wings, nails or beak if you are uncomfortable doing so, there are people who can help.
Q:
Do I need to trim their beak?
A:
Shouldn't.
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A healthy bird will keep their beak trimmed naturally and you will not have to trim the beak. Unless the bird has a rare genetic condition that causes the beak to overgrow continually or has scaly mites, beak fungas, or has had some major trama, you should not have to trim the birds beak. If your bird does get an overgrown beak take him to a vet, they can trim it, teach you how to trim the beak, and tell you why it is overgrown. As overgrown beak can mean serious health problems like kidney failure.
Q:
Do parakeets like mist baths?
A:
Some do.
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Some perekeets love being misted, others don't. You will also have to get your bird used to the misting, start simple with one fine spray, aimed at their feet and move on from there. If you do mist your bird, do not over saturate your parakeet or they may get cold, and don't spray directly into their eyes.
Q:
Do parakeets like bathing in sinks?
A:
Yes!
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At first your bird may be unsure of the whole giant shinny sink thing, so introduce your bird to the sink first. Only allow the sink to fill up about half an inch and keep the water flow from the facute slow. Parakeets love the fresh water in sinks for bath time, and it's great if you don't have/want baths in their cage.
Q:
Can they 'step up'?
A:
Yes, they are capible of being taught to 'step up'.
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The 'step up' command is basic and part of the taming/trust gaining/training that the owner has with their new budgie. We do not teach the command as half of the time we have the birds, they do not have the balance to even perch. But we start the basics by letting them, when they can, perch on our hands and we do say 'step up' when they come onto our hands.
Q:
How long do I train my bird for?
A:
5-15 minutes.
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When training your bird intensely, only work with him/her for 5-15 minutes. Otherwise the bird and you may get frustrated and that will hinder the bonding process for both. You can work with the bird multiple times in a day, just let the birdy rest for and while in between, enough time to get a nap, lunch, and some play time. Try your hardest to work with your parakeet at least once a day, every day. It's okay if you miss a day or two, but if you miss 3-4 days or weeks at a time, your bird will forget you and your training steps. If you do miss training for a long time, just start back slowly and see how your bird reacts, pretend that you are 2-3 steps behind form where you were when you left off.
Q:
Where do I train my bird?
A:
Somewhere that is quite and safe.
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You want to train your parakeet somewhere bird safe and quite. If you have other birds, take out one at a time to do spefic training each bird. Later you can bring all your birds out together for play time, but when teaching commands/tricks it is better for there to be little distractions, like other birds. Whether your birds can fly or not, when you take them out to train or play they need to be somewhere safe. No large open bodies of water, cover large mirrors and windows, make sure the doors are closed to the outside world. Other animals should be kept away, posionous plants should not be around, and most importantly, no large/ceiling fans on! Kitchens are not very safe for untrained parakeets. For birds that still need to learn to step up on command, smaller easy to control rooms are the better. You can move the cage into your training room if where you usually keep the bird is not an easy training place. If the bird is too skiddish, you can just train him/her in their cage until you and the bird are comfortable working out of the cage. Try to keep distraction for the bird and you away during training, it will go smoother. One more thing, even birds that have clipped wings can get into tons of trouble and are quite fast.
Q:
How do I teach my parakeet to step up?
A:
Be slow, calm, and patient.
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Asuming the bird allows your out-streched finger to come within a few inches of itself, without moving/flying away or squaking and biting, you are ready to begin getting the bird on your finger. Some suggest to use a perch to get the bird to step up on first, then as the bird becomes more comfortable, you move on to using your finger as the stepping up device. This is a good way to teach step up to a bird that is wild or extreamly scared. But if the bird is more outgoing or had been hand fed, you can use your finger to start with instead of the perch, play it by ear. Also the perch-to-finger training may help to start with if you are unsure of the bird or are scared of being bit. You can't be scared of the bird and still be able to train them. You will want to move slowly and start by trying to get the bird to eat millet from your hand. Use a 3-4 inch piece of spray millet, extend it out and hold it steady about a half inch from the bird. Get the parakeet used to eating the millet from your hand, and as he/she does, shorten the length of the millet until the bird is eating millet directly from your hand. After you are able to feed the parakeet millet from short pieces of millet or directly from your hand, and you can come close to the bird with an extended finger, you can move on to the next step. Try placing your finger under the birds chest above the feet, gently press up and say your step up comand, eg. 'up', 'step up', 'get on finger', etc. What ever command you want to use to tell the bird to step up, just make it short and sweet. If the bird is still moving away when you try to get that close, pull back, and just try to touch the birds toes or beak. When the bird does let you touch it's beak or toes, give him a millet reward. After your bird is used to being touched try the step up command again. If the bird is hesitent and only places one foot on your finger, reward that at first to show the bird you mean well. You can also try to lure the bird into your finger with millet. Before long you will have the bird stepping up on command.
Q:
My birds are scared of me coming near them, what do I do?
A:
Be slow, calm, and patient.
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If your bird is frighten when you try to get near him/her, they may fly away franticlly, or start squaking and trying to bite. To get over this you have to build trust, show the bird that you are just another gentle giant, and not the monster from the abyss. Start by sitting near the cage and talking, or singing to the bird. Always move smoothly and slowly, never jerk fast or come from behind the bird. Get closer as the bird allows you. When you change the food and water try to do it in the same concise manner and show the bird your presence brings fresh food. Before long you will be able to approch the bird without him/her flying away, or getting upset and trying to bite.
Q:
The bird was great at first, but now hates us and always bites. What do we do?
A:
Start at square one.
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When you have bonded with your bird and suddenly it starts biting and won't cooperate, you must start over. What you have to do is start at the beginning as if the bird was wild and had never been tame. Probably something or someone accidently scared/hurt the bird, very long periods of neglect can also turn your bird against you. Unlike dogs who forgive and forget easily, budgies can and will hold grudges. The budgie will remember (for example) that the day before yesterday during a traing session, you yelled at him because he did not do what you wanted him to do, so he is going to be mad at you and bite back. Same as if someone accidently yanked out a tail feather during play, or forced him to do something he did not want to do over and over during 'playtime'. When this happens, even without cause, give the bird a little space and then slowly start traning again like he was never handled before. Use millet and soothing words to say you love him and start building that trust again.
Q:
I keep hearing this 'molt' and 'first molt', what is a molt?
A:
The molting of any birds feathers.
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Moulting is another spelling, both molting and moulting are correct.) Molting can be compared to a dogs biannual shedding. Molting is where the bird replaces all its feathers. All the tail, wing, and body feathers drop off and regrow. Budgies do this carefully and in stages, so they will still be able to fly during the molt. The first molt is just that, the first molt the bird ever has. This molt drops off all the baby feathers that grew during the birds first month of life and regrows adult feathers. This first molt is the hardest, longest, and is also the turning point of adulthood. Budgies are very erratic in how many times a year and how offten they molt, it depends on the bird, your homes' climate, the outside climate, etc.. The molt is recognized by the scruffy and prickly looking feathers, mostly on the head. The new feathers that are growing are covered by protective sheaths and once the feather is mature enough, the sheath is ready to come off. (Don't try to pull them off yourself!) On the body, wings and tail feathers, the bird will be able to do this itself by normal preening. Since the bird can't preen his own head, the sheaths are left on until another bird pulls it off or they fall off naturally. (All new feathers are blood feathers.) Even with help from other birds, the molt is fairly noticeable and uncomfortable for the bird. They are itchy and some birds may become moody during this process and want to be left alone. Other birds will still be loving or even more loving during the molt. They also use up a lot of energy and nutrition for the molt, so for the moodyness and nutrition, it is advisable to give the bird their favorite fresh foods, lots of millet and love.
Q:
What, why did they get so quite all the sudden?
A:
The birds chitter and chatter almost nonstop during the day but sometimes they all, in unison, stop.
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This is what they do when they hear somthing strange, it is for defence. In the wild they would be singing and talking while up in the trees, but then when they hear something strange, or a known danger, they will all stop talking and wait for the danger to pass. Once they are certain the danger is gone, one of the budgies will start calling out the 'all clear signal' and they will just start pitching back in until all of them are talking and singing normally. How they come back into the talking and singing swing, after the pause, is similar to a 'slow clap.'
Q:
What, why did they all fly up from the bottom?
A:
Because they can.
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The birds like to do things together, so they are commonly seen, in all the cages, on the bottom foraging. Sometimes when they are doing this, they suddenly fly up, all at once, followed by silence. They fly up when the hear something loud and scary. In the wild they would all be below the trees or in the fields eating seeds and berries off the ground when they would hear something dangerous. Then they will all fly up and out of the way and into the trees for protection until it is safe again.
Q:
Quarantine?
A:
Quarantining is a very important part of having birds. Read more.
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Quarantining is probably one of the most misunderstood necessities of owning birds. When one is quarantining a bird or birds, it is to protect the old flock as well as the new. Each group of birds live in their own unique environment, and have built up immunities to the germs (good and bad) that they are exposed to daily. Regardless of where a new bird is purchased from, how impeccable the husbandry, or the reputation of the seller, quarantine should be regarded as a very necessary practice. The new bird is crated and taken from its ecosystem and placed in a totally new environment with a multitude of germs (good and bad) that it has never been exposed to. During this move to the new location some stress will be experienced. This stress can be very minor or it can be a major upset, depending on the nature of the bird, the difference in environment, and how the bird reacts to it. During this time of stress, the bird's immune system may become suppressed, and the bird may not be in as good a physical shape as when it left it's home. If the bird is not quarantined, it will be bombarded by millions of new germs and the immune system will need to kick in and respond to all these new germs (good and bad). With a compromised immune system the bird will not be able to surmount a good response and may indeed fall victim to a germ that normally would not be pathogenic (disease causing) in this bird in a different situation. The new bird now becomes ill and starts shedding vast amounts of this now (new to him) pathogenic germ, and also starts shedding germs in vast amounts that the bird brought with him from his old environment. We now have millions of pathogens in the environment that the resident birds are being exposed to. Some are new germs and some are old germs that they already had immunities to, but the shear volume is more than they can handle. Now we have old and new birds getting sick and of course one believes this disease came with the newest arrival. Obviously, if any of the birds involved had an existing pathogenic disease, the consequences would be much worse. Had this arrival been quarantined properly, his stress level would not have been so great and his immune response would have been able to build up to the smaller amounts of germs it was exposed to. After a gradual time of small exposures, the immune system can build immunities at a much more normal pace and not become compromised. This gradual transition into a new environment proves beneficial and necessary to all the birds involved. Germs don't read one-way signs. How to quarantine: Keep them apart (separate). Most people will be taking their new budgie(s) home after buying them from a breeder or pet store. If you have other birds, immediately take the new bird to another room as far away as possible from your other bird. Be sure to wash hands after touching the new bird and before interacting with the other bird. During this time, look out for any signs of illness, such as sudden changes in behavior, fluffed up feathers, difficulty breathing, glassy eyes, poor reaction to stimuli, submissiveness, drinking more than usual, loss of appetite, and weight loss. If you see any of these signs, it is time to see the vet. Many people have different time lines for how long this separation should last, but 30 days is the average and is most commonly used for birds entering the United States from overseas. This separation time will also give you an opportunity to get to know and bond with your new bird before introducing them. Once the period of quarantine is over, it is recommended by most to move the cages of each bird close together so they can have a "getting to know you" time before putting them in the same cage, if that is your desire. You can also let both birds out of their cages together to see how they interact with one another. Most birds will enjoy the new company and readily accept a new cage mate; but be aware that some birds will resent a new cage mate and possibly become very territorial, in which case, they may have to remain in separate cages.
Q:
I want to gift a parakeet, how should I do that?
A:
Carefully with consideration.
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We get a lot of people who want to purchase a bird as a present/surprise to someone else for their birthday or a holiday. No matter how nice the surprise is there are a lot of factors involed in gifting a living animal, especially as a surprise. First, one must consider the intended bird recipient, do they want a bird? Have they asked for one? Could they take care of the animal? Do they have the time? Would they appreciate the surprise animal with all the work and cleaning that comes with having a pet? If the answer is, yes - they would love to be gifted a bird and can handle one, then comes the how. Whether it's for a child or an adult, picking out an animal for someone else can be difficult. There are many colors, personalitlies, and other factors involved when picking out a bird it can be hard to figure out which parakeet the person would like best and vise versa. The friendly, green-colored budgie or the shy, exotic-colored one? Parakeets can also form bonds to certain people and not others, so the bird thats to be gifted might respond really well to the gifter, but not as well to the recipient. There are a few options. Pick out everything, cages, toys, and the bird and surprise the person with everything all together. Choose cage and toys then surprise the recipient with the cage and a trip to pick out bird for themselves. With or without cage already in hand, surprise recipient with trip to get bird. With people who are inexperienced in owning birds there comes the lerning and adjusting to the pet budgie, how to care for this creature, how to train it, etc.. If the person the parakeet is for, is aware of the upcoming gift it gives them time to learn how to care for and bond with the bird(s). If a surprise is what is best, for the recipient's, gifter's, and the budgie's sake, consider all aspects of springing a surprise pet on someone first. Keely's Keets' has seen good and bad situations come from giving birds as surprise gifts. We prefer the person who is to recieve the bird to be present so they can appreciate the bird they choose themselves a little more.
Q:
Do you reserve the budgies?
A:
No.
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We do not reserve birds because we are on a first come, first serve basis. Most people take home a bird other than the one they originally wanted from an ad and some people change their mind and never contact us that they no longer want the bird. If for some reason you seriously desire us to hold a specific bird for you, contact us, and we can arrange prepayment until you are able to take your budgie home.
Q:
Can you ship or deliver budgies?
A:
No.
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Unfortunatly, it is too costly ($90-200) to ship budgies out-of-state. It would be cheaper to take a vacation, see the Grand Canyon, then stop by and see our birds.
Q:
What do I do if the parakeet I purchased from you dies?
A:
Contact us.
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We handle premature deaths on an individual basis. Contact us as soon as any problems arise.
Q:
Do parakeets take baths?
A:
Yes!
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Parakeets love baths! Each bird takes baths when they feel like it, some more often than others. Occasionally, every day, or whenever you or the bird feels like it, provide your bird with a bath. You can use store bought baths, jar tops, or bowls. As long as the bath is no deeper than 1 inch and at lest 5 inches in diameter. Also change the bath ferquently, or remove after the bird(s) are done bathing.
Q: What are parakeets? Budgerigars?
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Parakeets are any number of small to medium parrots. Budgerigars are one of many species in the 'parakeet' catagory. In america we call budgerigers - parakeets - even though 'parakeet' refers to many types of birds. All budgerigars are parakeets but not all parakeets are budgerigars (budgies - for short). We like to call our birds budgies but often use parakeet interchangably as it's so common in the states. Also, sometimes to make the distinction between 'parakeets' and other species of parakeets (linolated, bourke, monk, etc.), people use the term 'common parakeet' which is a budgerigar.
Q: What are English Budgies?
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Ahh, more symantics! Above we learned parakeets are budgies and there other types of 'parakeets'. Budgies are budgies no matter what prefix one uses, English, American, Australian, show, fancy, wild, normal, etc. However, there are some differences. First off, no matter what, budiges are budgies (I know I just said that) when the name is used alone, 'budgie' usually refers to just plain non-specifacally bred budgies or is all inclusive. Usually 'English' budgies refer to a group of budgies specially bred for show, originally from England. True 'English' budgies are about twice the size of 'non-English' budgies, and they are bred to have larger heads and shoulders, large even cheek patches, longer feathers, etc., 'English' budgies are usually very fluffy in apperance. 'Australian' budgies are also bred specially for show birds, they have the same sleek look as 'wild' budgies but they are as physically large as the 'English' budgie. 'Normal' budgies, 'American' budgies, or just 'budgies' are usually considered the birds that are bred as pets around the globe. 'Wild' budgies are just that, the budgies that are living in their native habitat. To be more specific one would say there are three types of budgies, wild birds living in Australia, budgies bred for pets, and budgies bred for bird shows. Under the birds bred for show the names can include, Show, Fancy, English or Australian. 'English' budgies are commonly mistaken as a sub-species or another species altogether from the 'common parakeet' (which we know is a buderigar). 'English' budgies are usually sold for a higher price and are usually the rejects the breeder does not want to breed (not that they are bad birds). They are also misunderstood as being smarter, sweeter, tamer, etc., when in reality they are only a slightly (in the grand scheme of things) more inbred budgie. Like the difference between a mutt to a pure bred dog, they are the same but the pure bred dog is selectively bred for their traits where as the mutt is not bred to the same degree of finesse.
Q: What are parakeets good for?
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We are dedicated to the care of our birds so that they are happy and healthy from the time of conception to the time they are adopted. We breed these high quality budgies for family pets. We enjoy helping famlies and individuals to get pet budgies that will live long, healthy lives, and bring joy to everyone. Every bird bred here is special and deserves only the best.
Q: How much are the budgies?
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Each parakeet is $20.00. However, there are a few exceptions where a specific budgie may be more or less.
Q: How do I pay?
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Because we are a small home-opperated business, we accept cash only. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Q: Do you provide cages and bird accessories?
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For your convenience we provide; starter cages (various sizes), seed/millet, cuttlebone/mineral block, water bottles/bath tubs, and toys, at reasonable prices. Availability may vary.
Q: Are they tame?
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Well thats a common and hard to answer question because there are so many variables. Let me start at the beginning, the birds and us. Yes, they are very tame as baby birds, we hand feed them and they love us. Once they fledge, they are tame but this is when they become independent. As with human teenagers, they want to hang out with their budgie buddys and not their care givers. The birds also start thinking along these lines.... "I can F-L-Y now, I don't need to bother with Them anymore, gees." "I am alll grown up now, what do They want with me?" "Go away I don't want more food." "Your NOT the boss for me anymore!" Not that they don't like humans they just want to be their own bird at this point. If we were super budgie breeders with Superman powers we could spend 10 minutes with each bird 2-3 times a day and keep them wanting to be with US. But then they would bond with US and the separation on both parties would be hard. That is why we leave them alone until some nice person comes along and can spend the time with the budgie and they can bond to each other. Then it is up to the new owner whether the bird is tame or not. Leave the bird(s) alone completely and in time they will forget about their owner/humans. Play with them regularly and they will stay tame and loving, then the possiblity of training them is open. More often than not when we have people over to adopt a parakeet; depending on the bird's personality, the flocks' mood, and the visitor's patience, we have the birds stepping up on peoples' hands and or giving them love nibbles.
Q: Are they good with children?
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As long as the children respect the bird(s) and don't pull the bird's tail out and the bird is handled well, there should be no problems with a budgie as a family pet. In fact, budgies are very good family pets.
Q: How long do budgies live?
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Like dogs and cats, the parakeet can eaisly live 7 years, which is the avarage life span. They can also live 10-18 years or as little as 1 or 2 years. Health, care, genetics, happiness, and luck all play into the life span of budgies.
Q: Will they bite?
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Budgerigars are animals. Every animal is capable of biting. Budgies when trained/tamed properly and those who care for them or play with them, know how to handle the birds in the right way, the birds should never bite. But sometimes when the budgies feel cornered, are startled, or are being teased by someone they can bite. However, when budgies bite it's only a bad pinch, and I have never had them draw blood.
Q: Can budgies talk?
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Budgies can mimic human speach 'talk' just like larger parrots! I have heard some incredible budgies talk, and talk well.
Q: Can you tell their gender?
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Budgerigars are sexually dimorphic. In fancy talk that means, budgies show their gender, that is you can tell visually if they are boys or girls. No DNA sexing needed.
Q: How can you tell gender in budgies?
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The cere is the fleshy thing above the beak with two holes in it. Those holes are the nostrials. It's basically the budgie version of a nose in function and in placement, like the beak is the birdy version of a mouth. The cere is a different color for males and females. It is harder to tell gender in young/ sexually immature/ under 3-4 months olds/ pre-first-moult (all mean the same, and/or happen at the same time) budgies than in adults. All young budgies have, what I would call, pink/rosey ceres to an untrained eye, unless the bird has a blatantly white cere. Baby boys have 100% rosey ceres in a smooth coloration. Baby girls have rosey ceres with white around the nostrials with uneven color, or they already have all white ceres like adult females. However! There many types of baby budgie ceres that are harder to describe and tell gender on. Dark ones, light ones, odd ones, etc. every bird is different, plus the lighting one views the bird in, drastically changes how one percieves the colors. Also the ceres can change during childhood like deepening/lightning in color, probably harmones cause this as the slight changing occurs more offten as the bird ages. All these factors make it hard to tell the gender on some juvenile budgies. It is either definitely male, definitely female, or the cere color differences could be so subtile to the human eye we just can't tell with any certainty the gender of the baby. Adult budgies, however, are very easy to tell the gender. ADULT male ceres are always a distinct blue. Yet, there are a few exceptions. When the adult male in question is a recessive pied, albino/lutino, and a few other (fairly uncommon) color mutations, his cere will be a rosey cere like when he was a baby. It does not change to a deep blue but stays the rosey pink. ADULT females sport a wide range of cere colors. Typically the female ceres are all white, then they turn to tans and browns that are very rough during their breeding cycle, and then they go back to white once the cycle is over. They can also have very LIGHT blue ceres with distinct white circles around the nostrails. Some budgie females NEVER go into breeding condition, not that there is anything wrong with them, just what they don't do. They can also have normally tan ceres that then turn brown and cursty in breeding condition and then revert back to tan. No matter the color mutation of the female these rules apply. All of this simply put, don't worry about the baby budgie ceres because in a few short weeks they will be adults and you won't have to fret over the gender of your beloved pet. Becasue it will be so obvious, males are blue or rosey and females are everything else.
Q: Are boys better pets than girls?
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Nope... let me explain. Girls are usually outgoing, spunky, and full of life. Males do tend to be more mellow, shy, and timid. For girls that can make them head strong and a little teeny tiny bit harder to train/tame. On the flip side, boys that are too shy and too mellow are harder to train because they are scared and unwilling to try new things. A good pet owner that spends just a little time training/working with these birds will be able to easly overcome any of these set backs and won't care whether the bird has a blue/pink or white/brown cere! These birds are individuals. No bird acts the same, talks the same, is as easy to train, or can fall into these 'general personality guidelines for the bugerigar species and typical gender traits.' Gender makes no difference in the birds personality, as males can act like typical females and vise vresa. When buying a bird to be a pet get her/him for their unique and individual personality and NOT their gender.
Q: Can girls talk?
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irls can mimic human speach 'talk' just like boys! We have had two females talk in our aviary, and from people that have adopted our birds and have reported back, there is 1 female talker that whistles and says "pretty, pretty bird".
Q: How can I tell a baby budgie from an adult budgie?
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Baby budgies have these features: black barring/stripping going all the way down the forehead; solid black eyes; the cere color is usually a pinkish color; the body feathers have a slightly duller apperance in color; and they have a shorter tail. The adult budgie loses/gains these features: they lose the barring on the forhead and it becomes a solid color; they get light gray/light yellow irises around their eyes; the cere shows gender, blue (male) or white/brown (female); the color brightens and/or darkens ever so slightly; and the tail is full length. However with different color mutations some or all of these rules may not apply. Like the male albino's cere does not change from pink and they never have barring. Pieds may always have the barring on the forehead, portions of baring; or may never even have had barring. Other mutations, like the dark eyed clear, never get irises.
Q: So budgies are babies until... how old?
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Budgies are completely dependent on their parents or surrogate human parents until about 30 days after hatching out of their egg. At that point they are very young and we still conside them babies, even though we are willing to sell them after fledging at 30 days if they are seen flying and eating on their own in the flight cages. When they become adults is after their first moult at 3-4 months of age. This is when they are sexually mature, they CAN become parents, as they are physically capable.
Q: So they look different, but do the baby and adult budgies act different?
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As with any animal, even humans, babies/young learn faster, and old/adults CAN become more stubborn and harder to train. Baby budgies are ideal for training for that single simple fact. But they are babies, and have short attention spans - unless food is involved, sleep twice as much, are much less patient, and are still learning about life. Adult budgies have slightly longer attention spans - for a small bird, they sleep less during the day - but still need more rest than humans, and they already know how to be a bird, so they can learn to be a human companion.
Q: Is it better to have 1 or 2 birds.
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If you and/or your family members are home a lot you can keep one budgie if she/he is interacted with often. If you and/or your family are at work, school, and running errands most of the day it is a very good idea to have two budgies so they can keep each other company when no one is around. From our own personal experience, here are our reasons for having two birds. 1) They are a flock bird. 2) They groom and help each other through the molt. 3) They feed each other because that is what they do. 4) Believe it or not, they DO get lonely. No matter how much time you spend with your budgie, there are things you just cannot do for them. There are also life situations that make you unable to spend a lot of time with the bird, vacations, kids, holidays, school, work, tired, sick, and on and on. Little Birdie is sitting there wanting to interact with a bird friend and is suffering from loneliness. Some birds handle being single pets better than others, personality has a lot to do with it. We encourage pairs of parakeets.
Q: Two males? Two females? One of each?
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We have noticed in our flock that males and females are usually happier together. If you have two males, one will be dominant over the other; if you have two females, one will be dominant over the other. If you do not set up a breeding situation (nest boxes, etc.) male/female will probably not breed. If you want to have 110% guarantee that you do not get eggs or babies you have to get two males. If you want a 110% guarantee that you do not get babies and a 99% guarantee that you do not get eggs, two females will do fine. If you want a 95% guarantee that you do not get eggs or babies a 1 male and 1 female pairing will be fine. Either way, a 'pair-o-parakeets' is the best.
Q: Which budgie gender pairings get along best when you have two budgies?
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Do you know how budgies are indivduals? Well they are, and like us humans we like to hang out with some people but not others, budgies are the same. Some budgies become domineering over the other, some just never interact with each other, and some even fight with each other. But most of the time budgies get along with budgies without any problems, no matter the gender pairing. Just a side note: have two swings for two budgies and they will get along fine!
Q: Should I clip their wings?
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Wing clipping is probably the most argued subject about all pet parrots. You could spend all day reading the two sides of the coin, people arguing over it, people for it, people aganist it, and peoples horror stories about what happened because they had them clipped or because they did Not have the wings clipped. We at 's Keets Aviary have come to the conclusion that wing clipping is very dependent on a lot of factors, like everything else in life! It is not cut and dry or black and white. So stop arguing over it please! Because it is good and bad. Now that is out of the way I can explain the pros and cons. Pro to clipping wings: easier to train/tame the budgie, becuase they are totally dependent on you. Con to clipping wings: they can't get around without you because they can't fly. Pro to clipping wings: They can't fly out of your home when you open the door. Con to clipping wings: they can't excape from danger, like other animals. Pro to clipping wings: when they see something shiny they can't fly over to it leaving you by yourself. Pro to clipping wings: they can't run into an open window and knock the lights out of themselves. Con to clipping wings: they may get fat and sickly because they don't get enough exercise, because they can't fly. Pro to clipping wings: they can't fly off and land somewhere high/behind you can't reach. Con to clipping wings: since they can't fly off high, they can run around low and get under something big and heavy and you can't get to them. Pro to clipping wings: they don't need room to fly around? Con to clipping wings: you can step on them! Pro to clipping wings: your cat can have dinner easily. Con to clipping wings: your bird can be your cat's dinner Pro to clipping wings: simpler to budgie-proof your home.(doors, animals, low open water, low open flames.) Con to Not clipping wings: more complicated to budgie-proof your home.(fans, doors, windows, shades, open water, animals, open flame.) Pro to NOT clipping wings: they can fly off when bored and go see that shiny thing. Pro to clipping wings: they only poop on the floor. Con to NOT clipping wings: they poop everywhere! The biggest attraction for getting the wings clipped: easier taming/training, no flying out the front door. The biggest attraction for NOT getting the wings clipped: natural behavior, no chance of obesity, they can escape from other animals. Compromise: clip the wings when you first get the bird, as long as it has learned to fly already. Take that time to tame/train your pet and let the wings grow back and never clip again! When we had our first clutch of babies we clipped their wings right after their first flight. It was a mistake for our sistuation and for their age. Not only did it take a while for the wings to grow back, but once they did grow back the birds didn't know how to fly and it was twice as hard for them to learn to fly at an older age. We keep the adult birds in large flight cages, allowing them to fly freely. Back then the first clutch couldn't fly in such a large cage and had probleams getting around. They were jealous of the other birds being able to fly and they couldn't. If you have more than 1 bird, either have all their wings clipped or leave them all unclipped. Allow the young, just fledged, birds atleast 2 full days of flying before clipping their wings. PS: they look much prettier with their wings intact.
Q: Blood feathers!?!?
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All feathers need nutrition to grow, so when they are new feathers, the shafts are full of blood. Once the feather is fully grown, the blood receeds leaving the feather shaft hollow and dead. (Which is why wing clipping is painless, much like human hair cuts.) If the blood feathers are accidently ruptured, pulled, or cut they will start bleeding. If you do not pull a blood feather out at the base, when it is cut, it will keep bleeding until there is no more blood left.
Q: Whats that thing on the birds leg?
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Leg bands can be either simple plastic removable rings to solid metal registered bands. The plastic ones are usually for the breeders information only, eg. all that breeder's male birds would have blue rings on the a leg and the girls would have a pink band. The metal bands (or 'rings' if your not from the US) can simply be a printed number/date and mean nothing to anyone else but the breeder. Or the metal can be registered bands, like ours at Keely's Keets Aviary. Each band has our code on it, the year, and numbers going from 1 to 1000, that distinguish each bird from another. Color of the band also changes with the year.
Q: Do the bands come off?
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Unless they are 'open' bands. We use closed bands at Keely's Keets Aviary. Open bands are put on the birds leg as an adult and are easily removed, they can be metal, plastic, numbered, colored, or all the above. Closed Bands are put on the birds at 5-8 days old, usually 6 days. The bones in the legs have not harden yet since they are so young; so sqeezing the ring over the birds 4 toes is easy and causes no harm. Once there the band stays on the bird for the rest of it's life, unless... there is a catastrophic event that causes the birds leg to start swelling or the bird gets a disease that causes swelling in the legs, then you will have to remove the band with a band remover; however, you will have to take the bird to the vet anyway, and said vet will have a band cutter and can take care of the bird and the band for you. I have heard of bird's bands getting stuck on things inside the cage which can cause problems. So make sure you do not have any thin, poky things inside the cage that can slip between the band and the leg. Like a paper clip sticking up after the birds have eaten the fruit off. They have clips for hanging food up which will prevent such incidents.
Q: What accessories do you recommend for the cage?
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Most cages come with two feeder dishes and two perches, so thats a start. Necessities include a varity of perches; natural wood, dowling or plastic (what most cages come with), cement, and rope. We do prefer sisal rope to cotton, as the cotton can become stringy and get cought on or around the bird. Water bottles, like the type that gerbles and rabbits use, are much easier to maintain, and are highly recommended over open water containers. Simple swings are a must have, but you can get the plastic toy-like swings or both. Have at least 2 toys up at any time. I like to have one distructable toy, like leather, wood, or sisal, something that they can chew up curbing their nawing habit. And one indistructable toy made of plastic and/or metal. If your cage is tall, ladders can be fun. Cuttle bone and mineral blocks are essential to the birds health and cage habitat. They love stuff to chew on so having wooden/paper things for them to eat up is a good idea. If you can, get a small stock pile of toys to rotate through, as they break, need cleaning, and to give the birds some varity, the spice of life. Have a few tiny hardware clamps to hang food and treats up with. Arrange the cage in a pleasing way where you can service the cage and the birds can move around. They mostly use the highest perch for sleeping or eating hung up veggies, so keep at least one stable perch up high. The water and food need to be near stable perches aswell so the birds can access them easily. Don't over crowd the cage to where the birds can't flap their wings or hop around.
Q: What accessories do you NOT recommend for the cage?
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Cotton toys and cotton accessories seem to cause more trouble than they are good for. They get stringy and tangle the birds up, the birds can also eat the cotton and may choke on the strings. We don't like cotton, so that definitely rules out the fuzzy tents for nap time. The fabric tents can also encourage mating/breeding habits. Sand perch covers are not safe for parakeets either, as the covers can be eaten off. These covers also slip, slide, and roll, they don't really work anyways. As always the cage needs to be safe, no rusty anything, no poky sticks/paperclips, and no major cage defects.
Q: Where do we keep the cage?
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Where you keep your bird's cage is about striking balance. The cage needs to be somewhere there is activity, but not too much. You can have the cage on a stand, table, or hanging, as long as it's stable and children or animals can't run-through and knock it over. Where you keep the cage needs to be draft free, not directly over or infront of an AC vent, or by an always breeze window/door. Have the cage where there is ample lighting, but where the birds can escape the light if needed. Say where you can close the blinds, turn off the lights, or the birds can move over to the other side of the cage.
Q: How do I take them home?
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For no extra charge we will give you a cardboard pet carrier that is the right size for a parakeet, 1 box per bird. We prefer the birds being taken home in the pet carriers instead of a cage or a general box/container.
Q: Why the box and not the cage?
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Putting the bird in the box is safer than in a cage and also more practical. The darkness of the box is calming to the bird and the bird has limited room to move around in and get injured during the transit. The budgie will not be trying to move around inside the cage and getting hurt. Also if you buy/brought a cage and you put the bird inside, once home you will have to fight the frightened bird to put the accessories in, or at least the food, water, and probably millet.
Q: Ok, I use the pet carrier, but how do I get the bird out of the box once home?
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Preferably once home you will have the cage set up already, if not, set the cage up before you take the bird out. It is best to have the cage all together with the food/water and accessories already inside. Then you can place the box inside the cage and open the box up INSIDE and leave it open. Some birds may fly/run out right away and others may venture out after a few minutes or even over night. No need to rush. If your cage door is not large enough to put the box through, loosen the box opening, hold the door of the cage open, and in a smooth motion open the box all the way and place it in front of the cage door. Allow the bird to come out on his own, if he does not come out after a while you can gently and slowly tilt the box upwards to slid the bird out.
Q: Can I handle them as soon as I get them home?
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Some baby birds take the travel and transfer harder than others. If the baby bird you get is very attentive and alert once home and settled in the cage you may start the bonding process. If the bird is scared or sleeping wait until the next day. Play it by ear and work with the bird as they warm up and settle down.
Q: I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, I don't see my parakeet(s) drinking any water, what should I do?
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Birds only need a little bit of water every day. Also if they are in a new environment they are more secretive about what they do. So when they want water they will drink it when you are not around, or looking their way. And they will drink the water very fast, flutter down, grab a drop or two then fly/climb back up to their favorite perch. Especially if you are using a water bottle. Our birds at Keely's Keets' Aviary are used to drinking out of water bottles. However, the very young birds or birds from another source may not be, so if you are worried have the water bottle and an open water container available for the first few days. Don't be too concerned about you not seeing them drink water, they are very sneaky about it.
Q: I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, I don't see my parakeet(s) moving around or playing - they are like statues, what should I do?
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A transition into a new environment makes most birds frightened and insecure. Every sight and sounds is new and unfamiliar so the birds stand still, watching and listening to everything to figure out what it is. Most birds will start moving around within a few days, some take more time and some take less time. The best thing for you to do is give the new parakeet some space, but everytime you go by or want to hang-out, move slowly and talk gently to your new family member. Find a routine and try to keep things simple at first. Move on with training as you see the bird react to you. Some birds warm-up in the first few hours and for others it can take up to a week for the parakeet to get comfortable in it's new setting.
Q: I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, I don't see my parakeet(s) eating any food, what should I do?
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Have their seed and fresh food in a comfortable place, near a stable perch, with the millet hung up. Also if they are in a new environment they are more secretive about what they do. So when they want food they will eat it when you are not around, or looking their way. And they will eat their food very fast, flutter down, grab a seed or two then fly/climb back up to their favorite perch. Don't be too concerned about you not seeing them eat food, they are very sneaky about it, as long as you find some hulls around.
Q: I just got my bird(s) home and I am worried, my parakeet(s) are frightened over everything, what should I do?
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A transition into a new environment makes most birds frightened and insecure. Every sight and sounds is new and unfamiliar so the birds might flutter around not sure where to land that is safe. Most birds will calm down after a few minutes to an hour after being introduced into their new home. The best thing for you to do is give the new parakeet some space, but everytime you go by or want to hang-out, move slowly and talk gently to your new family member. Find a routine and try to keep things simple at first. Move on with training as you see the bird react to you. Some birds warm-up in the first few hours and for others it can take up to a week for the parakeet to get comfortable in it's new setting. If the budgie is freaking-out too much, thrashing around and such, put a cover over half or three-quarters of the cage and try to keep loud noises down for while. The budige will be able to retreat to the safety of the darkened side of the cage and then when it feels comfortable, it can peer out the open side of the cage. They should settle down comfortablely shortly.
Q: Do I feed my budgies seed? If so what kind?
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Mixed seeds are part of a balanced diet, fruits/vegetables make up the rest of a good diet. Look for a mixed seed that does not have added sugars, artificial colors, or anything unnecessary. I have found that some of the better seeds are the simpler ones. Remember in the wild budgies would eat the wild berries, fruits, grasses, greens, and seeds from all sorts of plants. Note: parakeets remove the shells on the seeds when they eat them, they do not eat these hulls and they pile up on uneaten (good) seed. In tube feeders the shells can clog the good food from coming out, and in cup feeders the shells cover the good seed. Watch the food levels and make sure the birds can still get to the good seed.
Q: Do I feed my budgies fruits or vegetables? If so what kind?
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Most fruits and vegetables are safe, healthy and yummy for budgies. Do NOT give avacado, chocolate, coffee, or apple seeds (the fruit itself is good). Try different fresh or frozen food for your budgies and find what they like. Some budgies like certain types of food and not others. Lettuces, herbs, roots, citrus (some may like citrus, some may not) legumes, melons, beans, berries, etc., are all part of a halthy diet.
Q: Do I feed my budgies pellets? If so what kind?
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Most budgies do not seem to like pellets, if your budgie does like them and eats them, let them do so, but give mixed seeds and fruits/vegetables to them as well. Store pellets in the 'fridge or frezer to keep molds and bugs away. Look for a pellet brand that does not have added sugars, artificial colors, or anything unnecessary. There are some types of pellets that are more for snacks than for 'real food', be decerning. Pellets do tend to be expensive and a diet of a good mixed seed and fresh daily fruits/vegetabls is enough. Remember in the wild budgies would eat the wild berries, fruits, grasses, greens, and seeds from all sorts of plants.
Q: Do I feed my budgies pastas, breads, or rices?
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COOKED RICE ONLY! White or brown works, but brown is better. Keep the pastas and breads down, if given too often the birds could get fat, but the birds like them and they are good for the birds as snacks (cheaper than the seed sticks too).
Q: Do I give my budgies grit?
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Even though some people say to give budgies grit, it is unnecessary as budgies do not eat the outter shells on seed, they hull their seed. (Avains like pigeons need grit as they eat the seed whole.) Grit can even cause harm to the budgies if they actually eat it when grit is provided.
Q: Why won't my bird eat fruits and veggies?
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If not raised on a varied diet, your budige may not eat the fruits/veggies/grains you give them. They may also not like the type of food your giving them, each bird has a different palet, see what your bird likes. If they just don't eat anything and treat fresh food like the plague, you are going to have to be a very persistent person. The trick is to keep giving them bits of food everyday in different ways. I have found that chopping the food like carrots, peas, or anything else that is hard, eg. broccoli, or has a tough outter skin, eg. corn, in a food processor (or hand chopper) to make them little budgie bite sizes, helps encourage the birds to eat the fruits/veggies. Foods like whole parsely, carrot tops, lettuce leafs, and even celery get devoured whole, raw and hung up by a clip in the cages. My motto is, chop it or hang it. You can also attach foods on the sides of cages, over perches, like apple wedges. Try foods that are more natural (leafy stuff is great, grasses, herbs, lettuces) to the budgies first, get them used to that, before you try more exotic fruits/veggies like citrus. Just keep giving your birds different foods and one day they will start eating them. We at Keely's Keets' Avairy raise our babies on a varied diet, so you won't have to go through this process.
Q: Do I have to cut the nails?
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Budgies nails may need to be trimmed now and then. Use a pair of small, sharp, normal nail clippers to clip the ends of the nails. Have some syptic power on hand just in case the quick is cut and bleeding starts. Two people working together is best. One will hold the bird in gloves or a towel, gently, and the other with grab the nails and cut the ends off. If you look into the nail you will see a darken center (back lighting helps seeing the quick) where the blood is, don't cut that. Nails vary in color, the dark nails are hard to tell where the quick is but the light nails are easy to see. You want the birds nails to be a nice smooth 3/4 'C' shape. Having natural wood perches and toys in their cage halps keep the nails filed. There is nothing abnormal about nails needing trimming. Please don't try to cut wings, nails or beak if you are uncomfortable doing so, there are people who can help.
Q: Do I need to trim their beak?
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A healthy bird will keep their beak trimmed naturally and you will not have to trim the beak. Unless the bird has a rare genetic condition that causes the beak to overgrow continually or has scaly mites, beak fungas, or has had some major trama, you should not have to trim the birds beak. If your bird does get an overgrown beak take him to a vet, they can trim it, teach you how to trim the beak, and tell you why it is overgrown. As overgrown beak can mean serious health problems like kidney failure.
Q: Do parakeets like mist baths?
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Some perekeets love being misted, others don't. You will also have to get your bird used to the misting, start simple with one fine spray, aimed at their feet and move on from there. If you do mist your bird, do not over saturate your parakeet or they may get cold, and don't spray directly into their eyes.
Q: Do parakeets like bathing in sinks?
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At first your bird may be unsure of the whole giant shinny sink thing, so introduce your bird to the sink first. Only allow the sink to fill up about half an inch and keep the water flow from the facute slow. Parakeets love the fresh water in sinks for bath time, and it's great if you don't have/want baths in their cage.
Q: Can they 'step up'?
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The 'step up' command is basic and part of the taming/trust gaining/training that the owner has with their new budgie. We do not teach the command as half of the time we have the birds, they do not have the balance to even perch. But we start the basics by letting them, when they can, perch on our hands and we do say 'step up' when they come onto our hands.
Q: How long do I train my bird for?
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When training your bird intensely, only work with him/her for 5-15 minutes. Otherwise the bird and you may get frustrated and that will hinder the bonding process for both. You can work with the bird multiple times in a day, just let the birdy rest for and while in between, enough time to get a nap, lunch, and some play time. Try your hardest to work with your parakeet at least once a day, every day. It's okay if you miss a day or two, but if you miss 3-4 days or weeks at a time, your bird will forget you and your training steps. If you do miss training for a long time, just start back slowly and see how your bird reacts, pretend that you are 2-3 steps behind form where you were when you left off.
Q: Where do I train my bird?
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You want to train your parakeet somewhere bird safe and quite. If you have other birds, take out one at a time to do spefic training each bird. Later you can bring all your birds out together for play time, but when teaching commands/tricks it is better for there to be little distractions, like other birds. Whether your birds can fly or not, when you take them out to train or play they need to be somewhere safe. No large open bodies of water, cover large mirrors and windows, make sure the doors are closed to the outside world. Other animals should be kept away, posionous plants should not be around, and most importantly, no large/ceiling fans on! Kitchens are not very safe for untrained parakeets. For birds that still need to learn to step up on command, smaller easy to control rooms are the better. You can move the cage into your training room if where you usually keep the bird is not an easy training place. If the bird is too skiddish, you can just train him/her in their cage until you and the bird are comfortable working out of the cage. Try to keep distraction for the bird and you away during training, it will go smoother. One more thing, even birds that have clipped wings can get into tons of trouble and are quite fast.
Q: How do I teach my parakeet to step up?
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Asuming the bird allows your out-streched finger to come within a few inches of itself, without moving/flying away or squaking and biting, you are ready to begin getting the bird on your finger. Some suggest to use a perch to get the bird to step up on first, then as the bird becomes more comfortable, you move on to using your finger as the stepping up device. This is a good way to teach step up to a bird that is wild or extreamly scared. But if the bird is more outgoing or had been hand fed, you can use your finger to start with instead of the perch, play it by ear. Also the perch-to-finger training may help to start with if you are unsure of the bird or are scared of being bit. You can't be scared of the bird and still be able to train them. You will want to move slowly and start by trying to get the bird to eat millet from your hand. Use a 3-4 inch piece of spray millet, extend it out and hold it steady about a half inch from the bird. Get the parakeet used to eating the millet from your hand, and as he/she does, shorten the length of the millet until the bird is eating millet directly from your hand. After you are able to feed the parakeet millet from short pieces of millet or directly from your hand, and you can come close to the bird with an extended finger, you can move on to the next step. Try placing your finger under the birds chest above the feet, gently press up and say your step up comand, eg. 'up', 'step up', 'get on finger', etc. What ever command you want to use to tell the bird to step up, just make it short and sweet. If the bird is still moving away when you try to get that close, pull back, and just try to touch the birds toes or beak. When the bird does let you touch it's beak or toes, give him a millet reward. After your bird is used to being touched try the step up command again. If the bird is hesitent and only places one foot on your finger, reward that at first to show the bird you mean well. You can also try to lure the bird into your finger with millet. Before long you will have the bird stepping up on command.
Q: My birds are scared of me coming near them, what do I do?
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If your bird is frighten when you try to get near him/her, they may fly away franticlly, or start squaking and trying to bite. To get over this you have to build trust, show the bird that you are just another gentle giant, and not the monster from the abyss. Start by sitting near the cage and talking, or singing to the bird. Always move smoothly and slowly, never jerk fast or come from behind the bird. Get closer as the bird allows you. When you change the food and water try to do it in the same concise manner and show the bird your presence brings fresh food. Before long you will be able to approch the bird without him/her flying away, or getting upset and trying to bite.
Q: The bird was great at first, but now hates us and always bites. What do we do?
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When you have bonded with your bird and suddenly it starts biting and won't cooperate, you must start over. What you have to do is start at the beginning as if the bird was wild and had never been tame. Probably something or someone accidently scared/hurt the bird, very long periods of neglect can also turn your bird against you. Unlike dogs who forgive and forget easily, budgies can and will hold grudges. The budgie will remember (for example) that the day before yesterday during a traing session, you yelled at him because he did not do what you wanted him to do, so he is going to be mad at you and bite back. Same as if someone accidently yanked out a tail feather during play, or forced him to do something he did not want to do over and over during 'playtime'. When this happens, even without cause, give the bird a little space and then slowly start traning again like he was never handled before. Use millet and soothing words to say you love him and start building that trust again.
Q: I keep hearing this 'molt' and 'first molt', what is a molt?
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Moulting is another spelling, both molting and moulting are correct.) Molting can be compared to a dogs biannual shedding. Molting is where the bird replaces all its feathers. All the tail, wing, and body feathers drop off and regrow. Budgies do this carefully and in stages, so they will still be able to fly during the molt. The first molt is just that, the first molt the bird ever has. This molt drops off all the baby feathers that grew during the birds first month of life and regrows adult feathers. This first molt is the hardest, longest, and is also the turning point of adulthood. Budgies are very erratic in how many times a year and how offten they molt, it depends on the bird, your homes' climate, the outside climate, etc.. The molt is recognized by the scruffy and prickly looking feathers, mostly on the head. The new feathers that are growing are covered by protective sheaths and once the feather is mature enough, the sheath is ready to come off. (Don't try to pull them off yourself!) On the body, wings and tail feathers, the bird will be able to do this itself by normal preening. Since the bird can't preen his own head, the sheaths are left on until another bird pulls it off or they fall off naturally. (All new feathers are blood feathers.) Even with help from other birds, the molt is fairly noticeable and uncomfortable for the bird. They are itchy and some birds may become moody during this process and want to be left alone. Other birds will still be loving or even more loving during the molt. They also use up a lot of energy and nutrition for the molt, so for the moodyness and nutrition, it is advisable to give the bird their favorite fresh foods, lots of millet and love.
Q: What, why did they get so quite all the sudden?
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This is what they do when they hear somthing strange, it is for defence. In the wild they would be singing and talking while up in the trees, but then when they hear something strange, or a known danger, they will all stop talking and wait for the danger to pass. Once they are certain the danger is gone, one of the budgies will start calling out the 'all clear signal' and they will just start pitching back in until all of them are talking and singing normally. How they come back into the talking and singing swing, after the pause, is similar to a 'slow clap.'
Q: What, why did they all fly up from the bottom?
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The birds like to do things together, so they are commonly seen, in all the cages, on the bottom foraging. Sometimes when they are doing this, they suddenly fly up, all at once, followed by silence. They fly up when the hear something loud and scary. In the wild they would all be below the trees or in the fields eating seeds and berries off the ground when they would hear something dangerous. Then they will all fly up and out of the way and into the trees for protection until it is safe again.
Q: Quarantine?
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Quarantining is probably one of the most misunderstood necessities of owning birds. When one is quarantining a bird or birds, it is to protect the old flock as well as the new. Each group of birds live in their own unique environment, and have built up immunities to the germs (good and bad) that they are exposed to daily. Regardless of where a new bird is purchased from, how impeccable the husbandry, or the reputation of the seller, quarantine should be regarded as a very necessary practice. The new bird is crated and taken from its ecosystem and placed in a totally new environment with a multitude of germs (good and bad) that it has never been exposed to. During this move to the new location some stress will be experienced. This stress can be very minor or it can be a major upset, depending on the nature of the bird, the difference in environment, and how the bird reacts to it. During this time of stress, the bird's immune system may become suppressed, and the bird may not be in as good a physical shape as when it left it's home. If the bird is not quarantined, it will be bombarded by millions of new germs and the immune system will need to kick in and respond to all these new germs (good and bad). With a compromised immune system the bird will not be able to surmount a good response and may indeed fall victim to a germ that normally would not be pathogenic (disease causing) in this bird in a different situation. The new bird now becomes ill and starts shedding vast amounts of this now (new to him) pathogenic germ, and also starts shedding germs in vast amounts that the bird brought with him from his old environment. We now have millions of pathogens in the environment that the resident birds are being exposed to. Some are new germs and some are old germs that they already had immunities to, but the shear volume is more than they can handle. Now we have old and new birds getting sick and of course one believes this disease came with the newest arrival. Obviously, if any of the birds involved had an existing pathogenic disease, the consequences would be much worse. Had this arrival been quarantined properly, his stress level would not have been so great and his immune response would have been able to build up to the smaller amounts of germs it was exposed to. After a gradual time of small exposures, the immune system can build immunities at a much more normal pace and not become compromised. This gradual transition into a new environment proves beneficial and necessary to all the birds involved. Germs don't read one-way signs. How to quarantine: Keep them apart (separate). Most people will be taking their new budgie(s) home after buying them from a breeder or pet store. If you have other birds, immediately take the new bird to another room as far away as possible from your other bird. Be sure to wash hands after touching the new bird and before interacting with the other bird. During this time, look out for any signs of illness, such as sudden changes in behavior, fluffed up feathers, difficulty breathing, glassy eyes, poor reaction to stimuli, submissiveness, drinking more than usual, loss of appetite, and weight loss. If you see any of these signs, it is time to see the vet. Many people have different time lines for how long this separation should last, but 30 days is the average and is most commonly used for birds entering the United States from overseas. This separation time will also give you an opportunity to get to know and bond with your new bird before introducing them. Once the period of quarantine is over, it is recommended by most to move the cages of each bird close together so they can have a "getting to know you" time before putting them in the same cage, if that is your desire. You can also let both birds out of their cages together to see how they interact with one another. Most birds will enjoy the new company and readily accept a new cage mate; but be aware that some birds will resent a new cage mate and possibly become very territorial, in which case, they may have to remain in separate cages.
Q: I want to gift a parakeet, how should I do that?
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We get a lot of people who want to purchase a bird as a present/surprise to someone else for their birthday or a holiday. No matter how nice the surprise is there are a lot of factors involed in gifting a living animal, especially as a surprise. First, one must consider the intended bird recipient, do they want a bird? Have they asked for one? Could they take care of the animal? Do they have the time? Would they appreciate the surprise animal with all the work and cleaning that comes with having a pet? If the answer is, yes - they would love to be gifted a bird and can handle one, then comes the how. Whether it's for a child or an adult, picking out an animal for someone else can be difficult. There are many colors, personalitlies, and other factors involved when picking out a bird it can be hard to figure out which parakeet the person would like best and vise versa. The friendly, green-colored budgie or the shy, exotic-colored one? Parakeets can also form bonds to certain people and not others, so the bird thats to be gifted might respond really well to the gifter, but not as well to the recipient. There are a few options. Pick out everything, cages, toys, and the bird and surprise the person with everything all together. Choose cage and toys then surprise the recipient with the cage and a trip to pick out bird for themselves. With or without cage already in hand, surprise recipient with trip to get bird. With people who are inexperienced in owning birds there comes the lerning and adjusting to the pet budgie, how to care for this creature, how to train it, etc.. If the person the parakeet is for, is aware of the upcoming gift it gives them time to learn how to care for and bond with the bird(s). If a surprise is what is best, for the recipient's, gifter's, and the budgie's sake, consider all aspects of springing a surprise pet on someone first. Keely's Keets' has seen good and bad situations come from giving birds as surprise gifts. We prefer the person who is to recieve the bird to be present so they can appreciate the bird they choose themselves a little more.
Q: Do you reserve the budgies?
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We do not reserve birds because we are on a first come, first serve basis. Most people take home a bird other than the one they originally wanted from an ad and some people change their mind and never contact us that they no longer want the bird. If for some reason you seriously desire us to hold a specific bird for you, contact us, and we can arrange prepayment until you are able to take your budgie home.
Q: Can you ship or deliver budgies?
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Unfortunatly, it is too costly ($90-200) to ship budgies out-of-state. It would be cheaper to take a vacation, see the Grand Canyon, then stop by and see our birds.
Q: What do I do if the parakeet I purchased from you dies?
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We handle premature deaths on an individual basis. Contact us as soon as any problems arise.
Q: Do parakeets take baths?
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Parakeets love baths! Each bird takes baths when they feel like it, some more often than others. Occasionally, every day, or whenever you or the bird feels like it, provide your bird with a bath. You can use store bought baths, jar tops, or bowls. As long as the bath is no deeper than 1 inch and at lest 5 inches in diameter. Also change the bath ferquently, or remove after the bird(s) are done bathing.
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