Help with friend's parakeet

[parakeet44263]

Hello. Sorry for making a thread, but I would really like some help regarding my friend's parakeet that i was made to watch over the next two weeks or so. Im worried that it might not be getting the best care because of the last one they owned, and i want to do anything that could help while its here.

My friend lives in a busy / semi-loud house, and her two younger sisters take care of the bird (Sky). There was another bird with the same cage set beside this one, but it died a few months ago in the same conditions. Theyve had them for about a year total and have only been feeding it seeds since. i dont think theyve been able to play with it because they said they cant hold the bird and it bites them when they try, plus it tries to get away from us when we try to measure the cage or refill the water etc. I also googled what the ideal cage size for a parakeet is and this one is a bit small from what i saw was recommended (current cage is 13 in. tall, 13. in wide, and 11 in. long i think). There is also no cuttlebone which i think they need but im not sure.

Im really sorry because i dont know a lot about the bird or parakeet care, but where it is right now is a more quiet and indirectly sunny part of our house because we want it to calm down. We also tried putting some apple slices in there but we arent really sure what to do. It sang a little bit earlier but its only been here for about three hours or so, so i hope thats good. I also asked and the bird is not clipped on the wings. Im sorry if i am just acting a little paranoid, the last death of their parakeet really bummed the kids and me+ my sister out, so im worried about this one too. Any recommendations to help the bird feel safer and help with its diet is really appreciated. Thank you, please feel free to ask any questions about the bird if needed. Sorry about the trouble again Also please let me know if this is or isnt a parakeet, since im assuming from the bag of food they gave to us. It would really help in doing research for the foods it cn and cannot eat.

 

[noodles123]

Edit- I decided to edit my post because what I said originally came off as harsh I think and I didn't mean to be a jerk, but it probably came off that way.


Parakeets are really smart and you are right to be concerned. They are just as much a parrot as an african grey etc.



The cage is very small and plastic toys like that provide little stimulation (you want a variety of wood and different types, but make sure you don't just plop them in the cage without allowing your bird time to get used to them if the bird is frightened.


I would strongly suggest a flight cage (which is easiest to buy online), as well as a variety of toys and more perches (manzanita. dragonwood, etc-- dowel and sandpaper perches should be avoided)


I hope your friend joins the site so that he/she can learn more about parakeet care.

 

[Laurasea]

Hi, beautiful parakeet.
Needs a few more perches of different sizes.
They love leafy greens, like Swiss chard , romaine, bok choy . You can hang the leaves in the cage, they like to nibble them that way, or weave thru the bars. They like a lot if fresh veggies in addition to their seed mix. Offer on a plate or shallow dish.

 

[noodles123]

Sorry if my first post from yesterday came off the wrong way. I get really worried about parakeets because people at pet stores are not much help to new bird owners and it frustrates me.


Short term, the best thing you can do while you watch the bird is try to build some trust with it and see if you can maybe get it to try any clean/safe fruit/veg. Make sure water dish is changed and washed daily..



Your friend will have to make the adjustments to the cage etc and there isn't much room in the current cage. Even though parakeets are tiny, they need to be able to fly in their cage. If you help your friend pick out a better one, shoot for wide/deep cages over tall ones. Vertical space isn't as important as width (because of how they fly) although some height is good for hanging toys and placing perches--- you just don't want to waste money on a super narrow, tall cage if you can help it.



I just want your friend to understand how highly intelligent these creatures are-- they are as smart as larger parrots-this little guy has just as much going on in his head as a more expensive/large parrot (he is a parrot too), which is why it is so important that he have stimulation for his body/mind.

 

[parakeet44263]

Thank you both so much for your replies. Ill make sure to ask my friend about buying the bird a larger cage and tell her about varying its diet with vegetables and greens, along with purchasing some more perches to sit on or toys to use.

I want the best for this bird as much as she does so i hope she takes this advice. I spoke with her before she left for her trip w/ family and she told me that they didnt know that the bird is meant to be fed things other than seeds, which is worrisome. Ill tell them to do some research on the bird's diet and care as well once they get back. Thank you both again, and dont worry about being too rude, as i can totally understand how upsetting the wrong care of animals is. The sisters who are meant to take care of Sky are smart and im sure theyll understand how to better take care of the bird once her older sister helps.

Ill be sure to come back here if i need to ask any more questions about the bird's care, And i really appreciate both of you for helping me in this!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Parakeets (a.k.a. Budgies) are AWESOME little PARROTS. Yes,they are parrots. They are SO smart and charming.They can learn to "talk",do tricks..given the right stimuli can be VERY friendly and affectionate. With proper care a 'keet can live 15 or more years. With a lot of "pet" birds,a poor diet and socialization is their down fall. Budgies are flock birds ( you see them in the wild in the hundreds) Now you..or your friend..is his "flock"
It isn't hard to tame a budgie,just takes patients working at HIS speed and being calm around him.


Jim