Parakeet care help?

[Mint]

Hi everyone,
I just received a new parakeet as a gift all of a sudden(without my permission). And now I’m currently freaking out that I may be improperly caring for him. I really need to know if the cage posted below will be appropriate for him. I was also wondering if anyone can give me tips of what to feed him. I know you can’t give him all seed and many suggest pellets(what type would you recommend is the best). I really am limited in space so I can’t really get a really huge cage( he will be in my room). Thank you guys so much.

 

[Flboy]

Take a look at this!

https://www.amazon.com/Yaheetech-Wr...d=1544452325&sr=8-3&keywords=flight+cage+cage

 

[Laurasea]

Hello, looks pretty good. I feed seeds, with lots of leafy veggies, like romaine lettuce, bok choy, other leafy lettaces, watercress, broccoli, hot chili peppers, and bell peppers, ground up tops pellets they pick at.. my cage is similar but larger version I have two in it. I also had easier time befriend outside if cage, but start in a closed room so you can get them back in the cave easier, I let them fly free, a d they go back to cave on their own in the evening. Very active, cute , curious, playful, sweet birds. Welcome to you. Edit: Flyboy nust posted my cage!

 

[Mint]

Or is this one ok too. It’s 30x18x18

 

[noodles123]

Since you said these are your first birds, I have copied and pasted some information I wrote in another post about common household dangers. If you already are aware of these things then disregard this part of my post, as I know it is unrelated to your original question

"Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/Fluoroplastics are hidden within and on many items that heat. These release deadly fumes (unscented) that kill birds very quickly. Things to consider: hair-dryers, curlers, curling irons, ironing boards, space-heaters, self-cleaning ovens, rice-cookers, air-fryers, some microwave popcorn bags contain a clear-coat of Teflon/fluoroplastic, drip-trays, some humidifiers...Basically, if you heat it, call the company and tell them the full names for the aforementioned abbreviations (PFOA/PTFE) as well as the full names of each (which I cannot spell---polytetrafluoroethyline? is one...) + ask about Teflon. You will have to be put in touch with the manufacturing side of things, so it may take a few days to get an answer. Teflon/PTFE/PFOA can be mixed into metals during the molding process, it can show up in the form of a colored or black surface coating, it can be woven into heat-resistant/stain resistant fabrics, and it exists in a clear-coat (even found in mascara...not that that ever gets heated). Many internal components on heating devices are coated but you can't inspect visually and expect to be able to see it. These types of heated appliances containing fluoroplastics have killed birds on separate floors of a house when used, so get rid of it (walls, doors do NOT protect).

In terms of household cleaning etc, you cannot use standard cleaners/chemicals with a bird (no Bleach, windex, lysol, pine-sol, air freshener, etc). Basically, if it has a scent, you shouldn't use it. Fabreeze, glade plug-ins, perfumes, heated oil potpourri, carpet cleaners, flea shampoos, nail polish remover, sharpie markers, paints, hot glue guns, acetone, shoe polish, paints, aerosols....all can kill birds. Candles (scented or non) are also very dangerous due to the particles they put into the air...Doesn't matter if they are organic lol. Car air freshener tags etc have also proven deadly (regardless of the specific scent, although pine scents are particularly dangerous).

The lungs of birds are VERY sensitive, so things that are fine for mammals and humans are not safe for them to inhale. Even smoke from grills or burning oil/butter/food can be deadly. Do not assume that something is bird safe just because you used it around your bird a few times prior and he/she was fine. Sometimes death can occur instantaneously (within minutes), other times it takes longer...just depends on the bird and the toxin etc.

Birds hide illness (as prey animals) so they do not show symptoms unless very ill. Consequently, considering all of their health issues, ridding your house of teflon, scented products, and chemical cleaners will spare you money, guess-work and heart-ache. I use an avian safe disinfectant called F10 SC (the yellow/clear kind) to clean everything (where I would have used bleach, Windex or Lysol before). F10 is a concentrate that, when diluted properly, is safe around birds (you don't have to rinse once dry as long as the dilution ratio is correct). Vinegar +water is another safe option (as long as you don't heat it in a dishwasher/coffeepot, and then there is GSE (Grapefruit seed extract) + water."

 

[EllenD]

I would stick to the first cage...The larger the better, and flight cages are great for Budgies...I'm assuming when you say "Parakeet" you mean a Budgie? Or is it a larger species of Parakeet? If he/she is a small, regular "Parakeet" like you normally see, then that's a Budgie...Just want to make sure what parrot species you got...

Congrats on your new family member, even though it wasn't expected...Please read Noodle's post above to you, as it is full of very, very important information about owning ANY species of parrot, such as throwing out all pots and pans that have a non-stick coating that contains Teflon or other Fluorinated Compounds such as PFOA, PFTE,
etc. This is not optional, and it will not work to simply put your bird's cage in a room separate from the kitchen with the door shut, they die instantly from breathing in the fumes from Teflon heating up and off-gassing, and the fumes go everywhere. Also, no household cleaners (regular ones), candles, incense, etc. The pots and pans are usually the biggest change, you must switch to Ceramic non-stick, cast-iron, stainless, or real copper...

As far as a Budgie's diet goes, this is going to depend on what your Budgie was weaned-onto as a baby...Where did the Budgie come from? Do you know how old he/she is? If your new Budgie came from a pet shop like Petco/PetSmart etc., then it was weaned onto a seed mix and not pellets, and a lot of Budgie breeders even do this, unfortunately, so you can't just switch him/her to pellets, as they won't eat it...

With Budgies, what is important is that you're feeding a proper seed-mix that is high in quality (NOT FROM WALMART OR A GROCERY STORE, BUT RATHER FROM PETCO, PETSMART, OR ANOTHER BIRD OR PET SHOP), and that is the correct size for them, as they can't eat a lot of the larger seeds, nuts, legumes, corn, etc. that larger parrots can eat, nor shoud they eat that stuff anyway...Seed-Mix brands such as Zupreem, Tropimix, Volkman's, LaFabre Pelletberries (not Nutriberries, they're treats), and Kaytee Exact are just some of the better seed mixes for Budgies. And as Laura said, in addition to making sure he/she always has fresh seeds in their cage, you need to also give him/her fresh veggies and dark, leafy greens every single day (EVERYTHING BUT ONIONS, LEEKS, OR CHIVES) and then fresh Fruit as an occasional treat (EVERYTHING BUT AVOCADO AND CITRUS FRUIT LIKE ORANGES)...And if you want to slowly switch him/her over to a healthy Budgie pellet-staple you can try Harrisons, Tops, Zupreem, etc., but it will take time...Budgies do really well on a seed-mix staple as long as they are also getting fresh veggies and dark, leafy greens every single day as well...My first Budgie live to be almost 19, so they can live a very long time with proper care and love...

Also, make sure that he/she has a Cuttlebone, a Mineral Block, and then lots and lots of different types of toys in his/her cage, they love all the cheaper plastic bird toys they sell at the pet shops, along with the shredding toys that are made of thick paper and look like "finger traps" that you can buy at Petco or PetSmart...6-10 toys at any given time, another reason you need as large a cage as you can afford...