Parakeets - advice, opinions, guidance etc

[emryst]

So we finally bought a cage and this weekend we are going to buy a parakeet at the local pet store! They say their parakeets come from a local breeder. Does 'puppy mill' bird breeding exist?

So far we have toys, dishes, the cage.

Does anyone have recommendations for a brand of food?

Any advice? Anything would be much appreciated!

I know that tefelon pans are a big no no. I don't use them but sometimes our roommate does... but I don't think he has burned anything yet.

We currently live in an apartment (currently house hunting!!!) but we have permission from the owner to have a parakeet!

Yayyy!!!

 

[jason_mazzy]

Standard parakeets like at petsmart or english parakeets? I have both. Yes 99.9% of them are puppy milled. U can find some handfed and raised but expect to pay around $100 for them. It is why they are not usually handfed small breeder style (because most will not pay the price for it). But you can easily buy a hand fed english budgie (parakeet0 for the same price. I have a pied lavendar.

 

[emryst]

It isn't petsmart but it is something like that I think. A local chain...

They do sell some that are supposedly already tamed for 10$ more.

Ahh now I am having doubts because I definitely do not want to support 'puppy mill' like breeding.

 

[markbirds]

Hello, I am a breeder and I sell to local pet stores and private party. To answer your question about bird mill breeders, that would be yes, there are. I breed all my birds for certain qualities, like color, disposition etc. I aviary breed mine and cage breed, where they breed for 3 clutches and rest the rest of the year. I do not hand feed unless the person wants them hand fed. I handle all mine while they are in the nest which makes them very tame when they leave the nest. One thing I do encourage is to beable to contact the breeder if the pet store will allow you to. I have many people who call to find out where and how the birds kept and if they can see. And I always let them. They only place I do not take visitors in is my parrot room. These birds are very tempermental and will abandon their nests if visitors are in there. Anyway my advice would be to find out if the pet store can give you some back ground on the breeder and the conditions.

 

[emryst]

Are you a breeder in Wisco by any chance?

 

[markbirds]

LOL no I'm in Louisiana.... I was on the phone with one of the shops a few minutes ago. A customer would like to atleast meet me, that would be an idea for you. If they will not let you contact the breeder, maybe they would come meet you at the shop.

 

[ScissorChick]

I have bought from our local pet store, but don't recommend it.

I only bought from the pet store near us becuase they're not a big commercial

petstore, and they actually take fantastic care of their pets, and all are healthy.

Please search craiglist before buying from a petstore. Just like dogs and cats, theres

lots of birds out there that need good homes. I recommend

you feed your birds pellets. They will live much longer, look healthier, and feel

healthier. All seed diets are the reason people tell you parakeets only live

5-6 years. Seed diets can create an obese bird. In the wild, they eat seeds,

yes, but they get ALOT of exersize in the wild. On pellets diets they can live

15+ years. Sprouts are very healthy also. I feed roudy bush pellets. It's a natural

pellet that has no artificial coloring (Alot of sugar comes with coloring). I also give

A tad of seeds, just to forage for. So in total, my bird's diet ends up being around

85% pellets and 15% seeds. Never use the 'mite control' stuff you hang on the side

of their cage. It's TOXIC. Never feed grit. Parakeets, and other hookbills hull their

seeds before eating, and therefore, grit is not needed, and parakeets and other

hookbills can get their crops compacted full of grit. They should have cuttle

bone in the cage, and lots of different sized and diametered perches for healthy feet.

A bird who sets on one sized perch all day (even if theres more than ONE) is just like a

human who sets in the same chair all day. Not very comfy eh? Don't use beddings from

the petstore (corn cob / etc) It's a waste of money, and most hold bacteria. I recommend

the 'simple' things. Newspaper, paper towels, copy paper.


SC

 

[markbirds]

Exactly... a private breeder is always a much better way to go, but like I said, I do let customers from the 2 shops visit if they want. The pets stores do keep them clean, normally, but I wouldn't buy a bird from a nasty breeder either lol

 

[Akane]

I can get hand raised parakeets for about $25. They aren't that expensive. Maybe if you are getting show quality english budgies that are hand raised but mine are just parakeet mutts. The one guy does nothing but hand raise various birds from parakeets and diamond doves to rare species of parrot. hoobly.com and ebayclassifieds.com are good places to look for breeders. Most petstores will only get their parakeets from bird mills and they often are very difficult to tame. Most won't even tolerate your hand near the cage. Even getting from a breeder who doesn't hand raise is a better idea.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The big pet store chains buy from bird mills. Little private shops may buy from a nice local breeder or not. In addition to seeing parakeets needing homes on Craigslist, local animal shelters usually have parakeets available, too.

I like to feed pellets, a little seed and a variety of fresh foods. I like to use a very fine grater to prepare fresh foods like carrots. Or you can finely chop things with a knife. Other foods that are softer my budgies have been willing to work on by themselves, like the occasional grape segment, cooked acorn squash or leafy greens. You can also plant a little grass for them in a shallow pot or saucer. They like to nibble on it and mess around in it.

The most difficult thing about feeding fresh foods to a single parakeet is how tiny they are. A thimble full is a huge amount of food to them! So, think in terms of 1/4 or 1/2 a teaspoon and skip the starchy foods, go very easy on fruits and concentrate on the veggies and dark leafy greens.