Two questions about parakeets

[PercyNYC]

Hi everyone,
I am about to get a new parakeet after a while and I was wondering if certain colors are more aggressive then others or is it just a coincidence that white or light blue ones I had in the past were biters and were aggressive while green ones were calm and friendly?

The other question is when I had parakeet twice in my life in the past for 4-5 years each time I never considered training them, but I would like to try this time with a single parakeet. How long should I wait after bringing her home before I start attempting to train with a clicker? I don't want to startle the young one with clicks out of nowhere right away, although it might help associate clicker in a new environment.

I guess I will have more questions later, but these two always were at the corner of my mind and decided I should just ask these first.

 

[MikeyTN]

Aggression comes from how they were handled and raised. IF there's been no human interaction and socialization, then the aggression comes out, even a hand fed baby being left unsocialized, they will become aggressive over time as well. It have nothing to do with any sort of specific coloring.

Depending on the one you bring home, you can train right away with some of them. I got one many years ago from Petco, he was the friendliest bird ever. I could handle him and everything. He flies around but will always come back to me.

 

[MonicaMc]

My sweetest budgie was a light blue one.

The ones that bit the hardest was a green one and his mate, a green and yellow one.


I don't believe that aggression stems from lack of training, but rather from improper training. Birds who are afraid will bite to defend themselves, but that is not aggression. Aggression is a bird going out of their way to bite you with the intention of doing harm. Fear biting is usually the result of a bird trying their best to get away from you, and if they are captured or cornered, they bite as a last resort.


The best time to start training a new budgie is when they start to settle into their environment.

Good Bird Inc Parrot Training Talk: How to Make Friends with a Parrot

 

[MikeyTN]

Monica,

Years ago I had a pet shop that buys all my babies. I sold them a group of baby Budgies and told them that they need to play with them. They were left in the cage not played with. I trained them all myself and I know they're sweet babies. I go in to do their nails for them when they needed them done, they were quite mean after that from not being handled for so long.

Even my two Budgies, I do catch them every so often to check them up close and trim nails I needed to. Neither one have ever bite me so hard that I bleed. I rescued them from outside in the middle of the winter when they were babies.

 

[MonicaMc]

Were they mean because they were frightened? Or were they mean aggressively, going out of their way to attack you?

 

[MikeyTN]

They were mean that I can't even touch them, won't step up, nothing. They weren't like that when I dropped them off. I handled them right in front of the owners. I had them on my head, shoulders, arm and fingers. But when I went back to trim nails they were nasty towards me. They were out for blood....I asked them if they had taken the babies out to play with them, they replied no. Unless something had happened while I wasn't around? That I'll never know cause that pet shop went out of business long ago.

 

[MonicaMc]

That doesn't quite answer my question...


Although I don't think it applies in this situation as you are talking about previously handled birds where-as the OP is probably going to go with a bird that wasn't previously handled... unless the OP finds a breeder that hand raises the chicks instead of buying a pet store bird.

 

[MikeyTN]

Monica,

I'm not sure what specifics your looking for? They were not wanting me to touch, stick my hand in the cage, nothing. You touch you get bit.

And IF you read my post correctly! I said it depends on how they were handled, socialized and such!!! The poster is asking questions and I'm giving answers. The OP never said where getting the bird from or how socialized it was. OP was asking about coloring specifics. IF that had anything to do with aggression. I did not start this yesterday Monica!

 

[MonicaMc]

I was asking why they were biting and refusing to step up. The reason behind it. Fear? Aggression? Anxiety? Excitement?


I simply got the impression that the OP was buying an untamed bird rather than a hand raised bird, so perhaps the birds you handled and sold to the pet store will not act the same way as an untamed bird will.

 

[mtdoramike]

All I know is that you can have a hand reared bird that was hand fed and the bird will still bite the living %&%$#@ out of you once they start eating on their own. But this is usually due to the breeder holding them to feed them and not interacting with them any other time but for feeding. I have been to breeders who were skitish about handling some of their birds after they had been weaned due to lack of proper socialization.

 

[PercyNYC]

Thanks guys, I understand the difference now, I think that little one was mishandled by the store, therefore was over-defensive, you could not handle him without getting really bad bites. The green one I had was very friendly and nice, even though he wasn't really played with that much either. When he attempted to bite they weren't that bad, just nibbles.
I am off to getting a new one from Petco and I see the birds, I can tell the difference, these are some nice birds, nice feathers, nice beak conditions, younger, more active, curious and chatty birds, compared to other local stores where they are crammed in cages (even large cages look crammed with so many birds in there). I think petco even feeds them premium food with lots of treats in there, and that glass casing makes a lot of difference to the way birds live in there. I feel bad for sticking the bird in a smaller (largest I could buy, but I wish I could have an aviary or walk in cage even if it is for just one bird) but I plan to keep her out of her cage a lot so that kind of makes me feel better about the whole think.

I have a 3,5 year old son, and he will be traveling in about two weeks for 1 month. I was planning to buy the bird now, and start training when my son is away until he comes back (it would be quiet and bird can have his attention on me), I assume I can teach the bird few things in a month with enough dedication & training, but I am worried bird might get spoiled during these two weeks, them feeding the bird when I am away with all sorts of treats, etc.. First thing I read was to keep spray millet away unless we are in a training session.

If anyone has good video sources on parakeet training for beginners, I would appreciate it if you could share them. So far I only found this excellent video & site:
Taming Parakeets In 7 Days | Birdtricks.com
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z-yiDIjn2s"]Clicker Training Made Easy - YouTube[/ame]

I was about to pick up our baby bird today but I will give it another day until I hear from you guys.

Thanks again.
Oh I didn't mean to cause any clash between Monica and Mikey!

PS: I live in NYC, if there is any place you all suggest I visit to pick up a nice parakeet, please do share. I remember there was 33rd and Bird, that was an amazing place, they closed few years ago. Otherwise, petco it is.

 

[MonicaMc]

Generally speaking, pet stores like Petco do not feed their birds well. Many birds are subjected to a seed only diet, and seeds is a very poor diet for any bird. Budgies do in fact do better with seed in their diet, but they also require pellets, vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, the occasional cooked eggs....


I don't know of any good pet stores in NYC, although there is Parrots of the World in Rockville Center.

Buy Parrots and Exotic Pets - Parrots of the World - Pet Shop, Rockville Centre, Long Island, NY



You might also try finding breeders that sell hand raised chicks instead of buying a parent raised one from the store.



I would not recommend Bird Tricks since they recommend starving birds. Barbara Heidenreich, Susan Friedman, Lara Joseph, Karen Pryor, Melinda Johnson, Ann Castro... all these people are some good trainers! And the training that would work for a larger species could also work for a smaller one!



Living With Parrots Cage Free: Bucky and Strider - Millet Eating Fiends!


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUx81WHTUwk"]1 Bird in hand Leads to Many - YouTube[/ame]


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlSm4uFZzVU"]More Budgies!!!! - YouTube[/ame]



And don't worry about about me and Mikey! I think there will always be things that we disagree with and you can't change that!

 

[PercyNYC]

Thanks for the info, oh no, I wouldn't even consider starving my bird, the route I would take is just give them basic seed diet (mixed with vitamins and supplements, nothing too fancy) and keep all the juicy treats like sticks, millet and dried fruits for training. I read about it how you can tame them by starving, but I am not planning to start a circus show so no need to go too hard on them.

The local petco here seems to be feeding them very well, no, not just seed, I saw the premium stuff that they sell $5/lb with pellets and all those colorful stuff in their feeders, good stuff. I think that's one of the reasons their birds look a whole lot healthier than others stores I've been to.

I saw the guy in the link, isn't it the guy with with the pets biting each other where he got ferrets, monkeys, parrots, dogs, fish and cats on same table during a TV show, and I remember the turtle that got the puppy's tongue stretching it like a rubber toy, ouch. I thought this guy can't be serious, what did he expect!?

 

[MonicaMc]

Most of the food sold at the chain pet stores and grocery stores is crap, IMO. When I feed my flock I try to stay away from dyes and sugars. (as I say that, I am feeding one thing that has corn syrup in it... haven't found an alternative that I prefer yet)

I feed Kaylor of Colorado Sweet Harvest Cockatiel/Parakeet no sun seed, Goldenfeast Australian Blend/Petite Hookbill Legume and Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine to my smallest birds.

Of my larger birds, they get the Lafebers Nutriberries and Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine or Roudybush.




I no longer have budgies, but when I did, I had great eaters! They didn't come to me eating great, but they learned to eat a healthier variety of foods.

And yes, that's the guy on TV. He's the only pet store I can think of off the top of my head that I know is in NY. I'm sure there are others, but I can't recall the stores.

 

[MikeyTN]

From raising them before I notice that if they were left in a group of other budgies they tend to go wild if not socialized by handling them on a daily basis. But that's like a lot of other type of birds turning out the same way. Simply they were wanting to be with their own kind after losing bond. Budgies are flock birds so they can easily lose their tamness once left untouched and being with others of their own kind.

 

[MikeyTN]

If you get them while young even at petco you can mix diets to better their health. It's not the end of the world.

 

[Chelle]

Monica

What is in that food mix in the picture?

 

[MonicaMc]

Beans, rice, vegetables, some fruit and I think sprouts?

It's an old mix that I used to use, but I now use different beans and rice.

 

[Chelle]

Most of the food sold at the chain pet stores and grocery stores is crap, IMO. When I feed my flock I try to stay away from dyes and sugars. (as I say that, I am feeding one thing that has corn syrup in it... haven't found an alternative that I prefer yet)

I feed Kaylor of Colorado Sweet Harvest Cockatiel/Parakeet no sun seed, Goldenfeast Australian Blend/Petite Hookbill Legume and Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine to my smallest birds.

Of my larger birds, they get the Lafebers Nutriberries and Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine or Roudybush.






I no longer have budgies, but when I did, I had great eaters! They didn't come to me eating great, but they learned to eat a healthier variety of foods.

And yes, that's the guy on TV. He's the only pet store I can think of off the top of my head that I know is in NY. I'm sure there are others, but I can't recall the stores.

Beans, rice, vegetables, some fruit and I think sprouts?

It's an old mix that I used to use, but I now use different beans and rice.

Is it canned beans?
I really want to try something like this for my babies :22:
and I am assuming everything is cooked...

 

[MonicaMc]

Is it canned beans?
I really want to try something like this for my babies :22:
and I am assuming everything is cooked...

I avoid canned anything! Too much sodium, which just recently found out can cause a calcium deficiency as the salt causes the calcium to go through the body.

No, I buy dry ingredients, and I do not use bean mixes. I usually go to Whole Foods, but have also gone to Winco.


I once made a mash based off of Mickaboo's veggie and grain mix (that page has since been deleted ). I can't even remember everything I used!



Here's a picture of the grains I used (no white rice!)

Here's pictures of the legumes I used (mung beans and lentils)

Bad photo but this is vegetables and fruits.... this had bell peppers, broccoli, jalapenos, cucumber, kale, pomegranate, blueberries and I don't remember what all else chopped up fine! (yay for food processor!)

Photo of the cooked grains on top of the fresh foods.

Then everything mixed up and ready to be put into icecube trays for freezing!

This particular mix actually ended up being more moist than I wanted it to be, and I could have "fixed" that if I added in some dry whole grain pasta, which I didn't.... (never have, actually)



Anyway, the only things that I typically cook are the grains and legumes - but I could also sprout these instead. I prefer to choose grains and legumes that can be fed cooked or sprouted instead of only using the type that *must* be cooked for human consumption. I basically use things off of the list in this thread. (and I just realized that hot peppers aren't on the list! LOL)


http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html