Parakeet

crazy_cat_lady asked: "My husband and I took in a parakeet and he seems to love being held and he will sit on my shoulder for a few hours. But when we try to get him out of the cage he always wants to bite us. He is great outside of the cage but once he is in the cage he is completly different. Is there any way to teach him to act nicer and not to bite?
I open my cage in the morning and he come out when he is ready but he doesn't want to. I want him to be able to fly freely. My husband can get him but Im afraid to do it. I will sit my hand in the cage for 15 minutes or longer and he still wants to bite me. My husband can stick his in and get him within a minute. He tries to bite him to. My husband is a little bit more braver than me."

A1: jaicie2005 replied: "unfortunately keets think of their cage as THEIR space. you may just be frightenening him by going into the cage too fast when you take him out. put your hand in and around his cage a lot without actually taking him out so he can get used to the sight of it. eventually he will come out all by himself and may even fly over to you. for now tho- you can keep taking him out and letting him sit on your shoulder so he gets used to you and all."

A2: Laurie B replied: "the bird is feeling left out i know i use to own one,so keep trying to hold him and he'll give in...whisle at it and do a tune he will listen to"

A3: Heather B replied: "i don't think so"

A4: Grant M replied: "Just get adament with the bird.. Thrust your finger right above its legs and under its chest and it will get the idea that, that is what has to be done.... Good luck... Grant M from Pennsylvania"

A5: boogersmama replied: "Teach the bird step-ups away from the cage. Use a laddering technique until he readily steps-up onto your finger. Do this only away fro the cage. The bird is cage territorial. It is as if you are plucking him from the nest. I open the cage door and wait for mine to step out of the cage, then pick him up. It works for us."

A6: Karen replied: "I use a ladder platform,which is similar to a ladder only shorter and square,it clips onto the outside of the cage door. I open the door,let my bird come out when he is ready,then place my finger at the end of the platform,he readily steps onto my finger.When he's ready to go back home,I place my hand next to the platform,he hops on and in he goes. Some birds prefer to come out of the cage of their own free will before being handled,its worth a try.You should be able to get a platform from any pet store..."

peeca22123 asked: "So this parakeet, Spunky, killed her two of her 4 babies. She literally ripped off one of their wings, and broke one of the baby's necks. Two survived the brutal beating--a green parakeet and a beautiful canary yellow parakeet. The green baby knows how to eat normal bird seed, but the yellow one does not. How do I feed this yellow baby?"

A1: Jamila replied: "It sound as if they're nearly fledgling age! With the baby that is not eating seed you'll have to buy a special baby bird food but can be expensive and you usually have to order it. try soft fruit and boiled vegs. millet seed is best for babies, they find it easier to digest.
good luck."

A2: len g replied: "They can feed themselves and they should be in their own cage"

A3: Yogi T replied: "I had to feed a baby quaker at 2 days old. All I had was baby cereal . I mixed it with warm water and fed it with an eye dropper. It worked for a couple days till I could get to the pet store & buy baby bird food. Since they were feeding baby birds they sold me a small amount. I believe it was Exact feeding formula.If you have to buy a larger amount repackage it into small containers tightly sealed and freeze it. It will last a long time in the freezer. It is nice to have around for such emergencies as you are having or possibly a sick bird."

A4: Sydney J replied: "get the babies out QUICK! then go to store and get parakeet chick food. follow instructions and heat it to 102 degrees. feed it through the chicks right side because the left side is the air pipe and you will drown it. good luck! and if all else fails, call the vet."

A5: Clomo replied: "Buy special hand feeding formula for the bird at a pet store. This is meant for baby birds but I have been feeding it to my sick parakeet. It will give them strength and they will have a better chance! The feeding formula is called exact by Kaytee. Feed them with an eyedropper."

Sums asked: "My parakeet layed four eggs then a neighbors cat got in the house and killed her. How can I raise her four eggs?"

A1: *::♥Nicki♥::* replied: "buy another parakeet. :D goodluck and hope i helped!"

A2: Haley replied: "Well, first of all do you have another parakeet? Has she ever come in contact with a male budgie?

If not, there is no way the eggs are fertile, so you dont need to worry.

Sorry to hear she passed away."

A3: kana121569 replied: "So sorry to hear about your poor bird. I can't imagine the trauma that you must feel to have lost your feathered friend in that way.

If you don't have a "he" then the eggs weren't fertilized."

A4: Alyeria replied: "Do you have a pair of parakeets or was it only the one? Because if you don't have a male parakeet, the eggs haven't been fertilised and there aren't any babies anyway."

A5: Diana C replied: "Keep the eggs warm, maybe under a desk light. Call the vet or look for a number on a parakeet website."

A6: morgan p replied: "ok if you don't have a male they are not fertile and if you do he will take care of the babies until they hatch so you need to get another female and maybe she will take over the feeding process if not you need to be asking how to handfeed them because thats what you are going to have to do to keep the chicks alive. sorry bout your bird but good luck!"

A7: Faith P replied: "Unless your parakeet has a mate (Male), You can't raise those eggs, they are not fertile!

The male will help hatch them if there is one.

If you used a breeder (which I doubt but) try a heating pad on low."

A8: Serina P replied: "You can raise them by keeping them warm, and if they hatch, use a syringe to feed them. Feed them baby bird food, you get it from the bird store. I own 2 birds."

A9: v_azngirl replied: "ok i kno alot bout a bird theres a site where u can learn all about it but first before anythin happens but it against a 60watt lite to see a little shape if that baby is growing if u could see nothing its dead cuz its dead cold but if u see somethin but it in like a bowl or somethin with lotta warm blankets and cotton under a lamp with a hi watt thingy then keep on cheking to see if a shape thing is growing and if it hatches this site mite help u to handfeed it
good luk and im sorry bout ur bird"

A10: Bonsylar replied: "Unless you had a male in with her, there are no babies in the eggs. ( They're unfertalized, like chicken eggs from the grocery store)

If you do have a male, and they are fertalized, you need an incubator. Desk lamps won't cut it, they need specific heat and perfect humidity to hatch.
You need to research that, and get yourself a mentor.
Seek out a bird vet for advise.

Good luck."

Morgan asked: "I have a male parakeet. He is the only parakeet I have. I'm not sure if he is hand raised or not. He did used to have a male and female with him but I no longer have them. (Long story.) He will sometimes go onto my finger, but he is usually afraid of my finger. I want him to be comfortable with me so that I can take him out more easily and have him stay close to me when he's out. I know that this won't happen over night and I am willing to take as much time as needed. I'm also looking to see if I can teach him to talk. One other thing, does anybody here know how to read the rings on birds feet? I'd like to know his birthday and he has one. Any help is great.
Serious answers please."

A1: Evie D replied: "sing to it. play music for it it likes that."

A2: i1patrick replied: "Superglue."

A3: guttermouth029 replied: "Very Carefully"

A4: CJ replied: "its going to be a long road, just have patience. i would advice, getting a book at ur local book store or pet store. make sure it is about owning a PET bird, not breeding them. i have a black mask lovebird, and that is THE most valuable rescoure i have. look through the book before buying it, and make sure it has what u want in it. If u are able to find the right one, u will be throughtly, happy. ive had my lovebird for allmost three years, and i still refer to the book i bought about them. Hope u get the results u are looking for!"

A5: Callie's Friend replied: "Talk to him softly everytime you approach him or go to get him to come out of his cage...birds love a soft gentle voice...teaching him to perch on your finger will take time. If you can get him on the top of his cage or someplace on a an even level to your neck so he wont feel threatened...or what not. Just slowly put a perched finger towards his lower belly right near above his feet. If he is scared then try gently talking to him and again patience is the key...just take your time and see how he feels, patience will pay off in the end. Once you work your way to getting him to perch easily on your finger you can try seeing if he'll try your shoulder just wear a a small old rag or something just in case :) Getting him to talk will take a while but if you say a simple word such as "hello" every day to him or everytime you see him he should be able to catch on after awhile. And also if he is young it will be easier to teach him these things...an older bird takes alot more work. Oh and the bands around their feet I am not sure what they are for, usually identification I suppose but anyways try and pick a day for his birthday and make it special :) Like the day that you got him or something like that I do that with my pets and it works out great! But I hope you have lots of fun with your budgie :) And good luck"

A6: London T replied: "well, i would say all you have to do is just play with it as much as possible. if it still doesnt seem to like you, (i dont know if they have these, but.....) you could try bird treats (like i said, if they have them) every time you want to hold it. i hope your bird gets to like you! good luck!"

A7: lifetimebirdowner replied: "I first must tell you that each budgie has a unique personality and not all are trainable. That said, I have found from experience that some budgies who are scared of stepping up onto a finger are not scared of stepping onto the palm side of a hand at about a thirty degree angle. Also, every time he steps up, tell him to step up. In most cases the bird will connect the words step up with stepping onto you and all you have to do to get him on your finger is to say step up. Another thing is that quite a few budgies do not like to sit on a person's hand, but will gladly stay on their shoulder for long periods of time.
Now on talking, budgies are not your best talkers, but if it is going to say something, it will be something he's heard over and over again. So pick a word or phrase and repeat it to him every chance you get.
Most bands have two sets of numbers.
The first numbers are the ones you can read around it. These are used by the breeder as identification numbers.
The second set of numbers are the two digits that are perpendicular to the first set. This is the year that your bird hatched. Some breeders will also include the month and others like myself will give you the hatch date.
Good luck!"

A8: Mary S replied: "Thats a good sign that he will sometimes go on your fingers. I assume with that and that since the others are gone he ll be more open to being more social with you.

Start with feeding him in the cage with the food on your open hand. And continue on in further steps when you acheive this. Then on to having your hand with the food outside the cage and so on. You have to arrange yourself in a comfortable positon because its not holding your hand and arm out like that for long.

Try to have him in a room that most of the activities are and talk to him as much as possible. I can t imagine that he won t adopt you as his new friend. They are sociable. I have put mine on my shoulders when just sitting-reading a book and mine had become very comfortable with that and would then stay put when walking around while I was doing other things. Would talk to them-even if it was just reciting what I was doing. It all Their favorite time was when I would make supper. Since I have a couple kids that are vegatarian - I would put some of them on a plate on the counter and they would make their way down to sample some of it."

Jenny asked: "I know that my parakeet gets lonely during the day when I'm gone because as soon as I get home she chirps madly until I pet her. I wanted to get another parakeet, not just for her company, but because I love birds. Does it really matter what color the parakeet is? I know they are different breeds, but is it life threatening to my parakeet? She's all white except for a patch of blue on her back."

A1: paintedrain2 replied: "At the pet store, they're often caged together, despite the colors.
When I was growing up, we had a blue and a green, in the same cage and they were just fine."

A2: jkme85 replied: "I don't believe there is an issue when it comes to the different colors. You just want to make sure it is the same type of bird, i.e. a parakeet and not a cockatiel or something. I have two budgies (parakeets), one is a dilute, and one is a blue on white, and they get along fine. They fight over treats, but that is about it, and to be expected."

A3: hawkeyeRose replied: "when i was little i had a yellow and a blue parakeet and they got along great."

A4: jahj2011 replied: "It won't hurt the parakeet at all, different colors dosen't mean it is a different breed but a parekeet is a parot and there are different types of parots."

A5: Oksana replied: "Whatever your parakeets breed is I would suggest buying the same breed. Colour has just about nothing to do with it. It also does not matter what the sex of the parakeet is. When buying your parakeet observe it in the pet store. Choose a parakeet buy how it reacts to the other ones in the aviary. Buying a second parakeet is a great decision it will keep both you and your parakeet very happy."

A6: I_heart_anderson_cooper replied: "color is not an issue. If you introduce the new bird to the other bird's cage, be careful. Keep it quaritined in a seperate cage for a few days to make sure it's not sick. If it has anything coming out of it's eyes or nose, don't put it in with your bird! you might want to take the new bird to the vet first for a checkup. After that's over, slowly introduce the new bird. Please be careful, not all birds get along!"

A7: PinkDagger replied: "I'll assume you mean budgerigar, which is a type of parakeet. As long as you're getting another budgie/budgerigar, colour doesn't matter and they can be inter-caged safely AS LONG AS you quarantine properly (that's 30 days of keeping the birds in separate rooms in separate cages so the new bird can let any illness pass through its body, and during this time, the bird should be taken for a vet visit to make sure it can't pass any disease to your current bird). Even during quarantine, the company of each other's voices keeps them from feeling alone, which is why many people who feel their birds are lonely leave the TV, radio, music, CDs, tapes, or DVDs on so their birds have something to communicate to and hear the vocalizations of.

However, be aware that not all birds get along. You'll want to keep a second cage in case they wind up fighting and must be separated, if you choose to keep them in the same cage to begin with. I highly suggest you keep them in separate cages beside each other, and allow them to interact during supervised out of cage time. Many birds, even those who are mated and bond extremely closely, can do fatal damage to each other because of what began as a tiny "don't do that" squawk."

A8: x3mtm replied: "no problem...i had about 10 white and blue parekeets when i introduces my yellow one.....after a day they all became friends and now i got green ones...lol...got 15 in total now..."

anonymous asked: "My friend's parakeet just laid her second brood and is most likely going to lay a third brood. If that happens my friend wants to know if it is possible if my adult female parakeet could incubate the eggs of my friend's parakeet's third brood and then raise the babies when they are hatched. If so, what do I do to make it possible for that to happen?"

A1: Kimmie replied: "the ONLY way this might succeed is if your parakeet is in nesting mode at the same time. You can't just give a nestbox with eggs in it to a hen as they will likely ignore it or worse, attack and break the eggs.
Before giving a nestbox, you'll need to provide egg food, calcium and shreddable materials. Once you see her go regularly into the box and building her nest, let your friend know. As soon as your own budgie lays an egg, swap it for one of your friends birds eggs, continuing swapping until your hen is finished laying "her" clutch. If she's never hatched babies before, you'll really need to be ready to handfeed the newborns as she may very well have no interest or no clue what to do.
Your friend should give her birds a well deserved rest and remove all nesting items from the bird's cage. It's harmful for a hen to continue laying so many times.
Best Wishes"

A2: miley cyrus replied: "just dont touch it and watch oyt my birds eat there eags **
O"

A3: nicoleharres replied: "Kimmie is right, your friend should remove any and everything that could be interpreted as nesting material (even food bowls if necessary). A female should never lay that many eggs so closely together (usually only one to two broods a year at the most!). Chances are the female is going to have problems with calcium deficiencies as well as other severe medical problems if she is allowed to continue. And, since she's already had two clutches so closely together and might already be experiencing some problems your friend should at the very minimum start adding protein and calcium foods to her parakeet's diet (good sources would be cooked chicken, beans, hard boiled eggs with the shell left on to eat among other things).

Now with that said and to answer your question, it would be nearly impossible to get another parakeet (or another bird for that matter) to hatch eggs that don't belong to her. And, even if you could get her to incubate the eggs, just moving the eggs could cause damage making the eggs bad eggs anyway. If your friend continues to move forward and needs to have the eggs incubated, she should contact a local breeder or bird store and see if she can either buy or use an incubator. An experienced breeder could help her relocate the eggs so that they would not be damaged. Most breeders are willing to incubate eggs in return for one of the babies once hatched.

If the eggs are incubated and hatched, the new babies will require hand feeding more than likely. It is doubtful that another bird would take in the chicks as her own, or, for that matter, once the eggs have been taken from the mother, that she would take them back and care for them. If the hatchlings need to be hand fed, please talk to a breeder or a veternarian to make sure this is done properly. Food not mixed or prepared at the proper temperatures can cause numerous problems including severe bacterial infections and damaged crops.

Honestly, the best thing would be for this female to not be allowed to lay any more eggs at all for at least six months. Any eggs that are layed should be immediately removed so as to negate her from nesting and continuing this cycle. Being separated from the male might also be a good idea. If egg laying does continue, the best thing would be for the eggs to remain with her. The first clutch of a bird is often not successful - I've had parents eat their first babies (it's truly terrible), so moving them is probably not the best idea if this bird has already proven a successful breeder.

Hope I've sufficiently answered your question. And please, share this with your friend before something terrible happens to her little girl."

A4: wifenwife3340 replied: "might eat the eggs might take care of them just depends"

Mustafa H asked: "I got my 2 parakeet a day ago(March 24, 2007). I try to make sure it can trust me. And I really want to make it come on my hand. How do you think I can build the trust and how long do you think it will take? So my main question is how can I train my bird to let it sit on my hand and trust me?"

A1: Morbid_Engel replied: "Yes! I have a parakeet who will sit in my hand and on my shoulder for 10-20 min. at a time. She's real loving. You just need to spend time with yours everyday and show them how much s/he means to you!

--JC"

A2: Kelsey N replied: "well, i used to have about 15 parakeets, i had to get rid of them though, but anyways. I had someone clip their wings then i would shut the door and leave their door open so they could come out, after they got used to me being around and everything they weren't that shy of me, then i started to hold out my hand with food so they'd eat outa my hand then they started to just come to me and get on my hand then make their way up my shoulder......it's not that hard, it takes a few weeks though."

A3: Sabbes replied: "Patience!!! Just put your hand into the cage without doing anything else....one day he will step up on it....we had several parakeets and it varied from being immediately tame to the one we have now it took almost a year..., but he is so tame now that he even plays soccer with a little Playmobil soccer ball on the floor etc...
We also put his cage on the floor when he was new and it was playtime and then we opened the cage door and we were laying all on the floor pushing little soccer balls around or bird toys...eventually he came out and played. Good luck! Always be gentle and talk to him!! They love that!"

A4: budgie breeder 101 replied: "you have to be extremely gentle. I would train one, them the other. You can put them in separet cages to make it easier, if possible.

1 try to put your hand in the cage, but don't touch him. if he flies away, try again in about 15 min. repeat until he doesn't fly away.

2 the next day, or week, when he is comfy with you hand in the cage, start stretching it around and opening and closing it.

3 after he is comfortable with 2, probably about a day, and doesn't fly away, hold a small perch in your hand and move it towards him. if he flies away, try again in a few min.

4 after he is comfortable with that, move the perch rite above his feet, and say step up, wile gently pushing up on his abdomen. he should step up hold him there a few min. then put him back on his solid perch and leave him alone. this shows him that this thing really isn't so bad, and that it is safe to sit on.

5 next, after doing step 4 for about a day, every 15 min or so, get a short perch, about as long as your finger, and hold it with your finger on top, do step 4.

6 then do it w/o the perch. gradually move out of the cage, out of the room, to a different floor, until he is OK with it all. i wouldn't keep i longer than 5 min. out of his cage. the next day, add a min. to get it up to 6 min. next day, 7. animals need this gradual adjustment. it may seem to be taking forever, but he needs that. Good luck!"

A5: Brian replied: "its really easy i had 4 parakeets growing up and all you do is stick you're index finger against its chest and say up when it goes up give it a treat they really like millet spray which you can buy at wall-mart in the pets section do this for a couple weeks and it will just come up whenever its told unless it really doesnt want to like if its tired."

A6: sapphire replied: "first of all you dont make any fast movements to the point where it gets scarred......and just give it time......dont forse it to do something it doesnt want to do!!!"

Miss Texas asked: "I have a new parakeet and it will not come to me. It always squawks and flies from me. I was really close to my last bird, which was a cockateal but it seems as though parakeets might have a different peronality?? Any suggestions?"

A1: nautre-addict replied: "wearing gloves is good during this process b/c u could get bitten. Just keep working and bonding with it and eventually you two will be fine.

i've had 6 parakeets and went through the same thing almost every time!"

A2: mockingbird replied: "maybe the parakeet was not hand-fed? it is harder to tame a bird that was not hand-fed. if you were friends with your cockatiel you should be able to win this one over too. sometimes all they need is time (for someone who had a friendly cockatiel -- others also need more knowledge)."

A3: Sam replied: "I have some suggestions for you.

1. (The best one) Just keep on trying to love and bond with it!
2. To look up some good care for parakeets, try getting a book about them.
3.Try getting into some Parrot Talk Forums (Yes they do have these). Like this link:
4. Speak with an Avian Veterinarian about your parakeet and what you should do.

As a cockatiel owner you should do great. Take it from me, I use to own a Parakeet (His name was Dennis but he died *sob* D:). Well just keep bonding and loving with your parakeet!

Sincerely, [Insert cool name here]."

A4: Janna replied: "Offer unsalted sunflower seeds or other food and treats from your hand. It may not come to you immediately, and it may take a while, but this is the best way to get them to trust you."

A5: luvslifeinwi replied: "Handle it alot. Even if it doesn't like it at first. It will get use to it and realize that people are nice."

A6: deertimgab replied: "Just work with your bird everyday. I am also having the same thing going on with my new parakeet. My cockatiel is very loving, but my new bird jumps around when I get near her. BUT, since I have been working with her a lot here lately, when I put my finger out to her when she is out of the cage and tell her to step up, she does it now!! so that is a good sign. Just keep working with your new bird everyday but only for a few min at a time. I have a ladder at the door of the cage , so she can come out when she wants to. Since doing this she has been a little more trusting and use to me. Give it time"

A7: larry replied: "Parakeets (Budgies) are flighty, but all birds are smart. Offer treats, and allow Budgies to be Budgies."

A8: marchockey replied: "sry to say Texasgirl but I have no experience personal with cockateals .. I had budgies (the green and yellow parakeets) as a kid but they had been hand-fed and therefore very used to being with humans. where in the Lone Star state are you btw?

best regards, Marc
McAllen TX (about halfway between Laredo and Brownseville)"

tlindemayer@snet.net asked: "I have a parakeet who's sick. It hardly eats, it sleeps much of the time with it's head on it's back and every time it ruffles it's feathers. It also won't drink much water, though both fresh food and water are readily available. It also can't stand too long or too well. Every time it tries to walk or shakes itself, it falls over. I put medicine for birds in it's water each day, and also add 3 drops of a special bird vitamin per fluid ounce of water and per ounce of food. Please tell me what I can do to make the parakeet stronger and healtier. I'm at a loss of what I can do for it."

A1: Peach b replied: "You can look up the symptoms for the
kind of sickness it has or you can take it to the
vet it costs about $200
but if you find what kind of sickness it
has you might be able to buy medicine at a pet store"

A2: kim replied: "If your budgie is sick you need to take him to an avian vet ASAP. When they get sick they go down hill very fast.

Not eating enough, ruffled feathers all the time & sleeping too much can be a sign of serious illness.

Budgies are desert birds, they don't drink a great deal of water usually.

Is your bdgie active when it's not sleeping? Also lack of sleep can be because it's not getting a good night sleep at night, something may be keeping it awake.

Has a vet recommended the medicine & vit sups? You should never offer these without knowing the cause of the budgies illness as you can make it even sicker. Vit sups should only be given once the vet has given it a check over & sees the budgie is lacking in vits. you don't know what vits exactly the budgie needs so you could be givin it the wrong sups, too much of the sups, therefore causing more harm."

A3: Bobbie F replied: "Wow - if she was mine, I would tube feed her baby bird food.

If you have an incubator, get her into it at 90 degrees. If not, put her into a small cage and put a heating pad under it on low. This is an ICU for her. When you pick her up to move her to the small cage -feel her keel bone - if it is sticking out she is starving. Kaytee Exact makes a baby bird food that good pet/feed stores sell. I would get some and hand feed her. Even force feed her. And unless you have $300 or more to spend on a vet who can tell you Nothing - do the best you can and she if she turns around. How old is she?
It is time for her to die? Could she have eaten something toxic - paint, etc? You can also feed her baby food - Gerbers turkey will give her some protein. Best of luck to you."

A4: Karen replied: "You can only "cure" your bird if KNOW what the illness is!! Your bird REALLY needs to see a vet. Please do whats right for your bird, see a vet..............ASAP..."

A5: Michelle H replied: "Hi. I have a parakeet myself, so I may beable to help you. Your parakeet sounds really sick. My recomendation is to take it to a vet and see wht they can do. Or you can google your parakeets symptoms, and then see if there is anyway to treat its sickness. I hope your parakeet gets well SOON!"

youkokanna asked: "I have a parakeet that i've had for a year now and want to get a buddy for him. Would it be ok if I get a cockitiel but keep them in seperate cages and take them out at different times during the day? I read in a few books the two get along alright and on some websites that they make wonderful friends even though they're different speicies."

A1: Crystal C replied: "Even if the website say they do get along, be very careful with the introdution and ensure they get along."

A2: ma143cherp replied: "i have two parrots and a parakeet, the 2 parrots couldnt be in the same cage without fighting. so i put one of the parrots with my lil parakeet they're so different but they managed to stay in the same cage without fighting. so im sure your birds will be fine...."

A3: precious_vampire25 replied: "you should be able to...I had the same kind of problems....so...what i would do is have the two cages about a foot away from each other so they get used to each other..."

A4: well_sht replied: "Yes you can. I would let them stay close enough that they can see each other. Take your time and you will be able to let them out of the cage together. I had 4 parakeets and 2 cockatiels. When I first got them I turned all of them loose in the house. All of their wings were clipped so they stayed on the floor. I didn't have a problem as they had plenty of room to get away from each other if they wanted. However I would find them eating and drinking together. When I would spray the water all came and took baths."

A5: queenogreen replied: "If you are just looking for a buddy for your bird, another parakeet would work great as cockatiels and parakeets have several differences besides species. Their dietary needs are different for instance. If you are looking into cockatiels as a buddy for your parakeet and you, I raised cockatiels for years and think they are the greatest. Keeping the birds in seperate cages would be fine. Even keeping the cages pushed next to each other works. Cockatiels and parakeets will cohabitate too but it depends on the personality of the bird you end up with. If you haven't had a cockatiel before, they can be very loud. Do a little more reading on raising a cockatiel and I suggest even joining a cockatiel or bird forum/group, where experts and owners will answer questions."

A6: Cockatielluver replied: "SURE! but don't just get a bird for that reason. What if the birds turn out to be ENEMIES! then you'll be stuck with a bird. But i put a lovebird and cockatile together! MANY are shocked and say not to, but they are BEST buddies. they were even in the same cage! but my cockatiel one day got beat up by the LOVEBIRD! they're best buds now though.

With careful, slow bonding the parakeet and cockatiel can be best buds too! just keep a CLOSE eye on them! O_o"

Pharaoh asked: "As odd as it might sound, I recently gained a pet parakeet at a yard sale. I believe it to be a boy, by the blue coloring above it's beak. I've had parakeets before, but it's been awhile, and am looking for tips on handling it.

My new parakeet is of course, still getting used to me and my home, and is quite fluttery when I open the cage to feed it. What tips are there for getting the bird used to me, and maybe trying to teach it a couple tricks?

Mostly, I'd just like to know how to help get my bird used to me. Thanks in advance"

A1: Raven replied: "Just try spending more time with your bird and talk to him softly every day. Try to stick your finger in the cage and gently rub his stomach with it, to get him to step up. Try hand feeding him and playing with him often. it's best to start early.

Best Of Luck To Your Bird Buddy."

A2: famousamos075 replied: "feed and water it"

A3: Steel replied: "Take about 10 minutes two or three times a day (more is good if you have the time) to just sit next to your bird's cage and talk softly to him. Be at eye level with your budgie -- don't loom over the cage. Avoid sudden movements, just sit still and talk to him. Eventually he will get used to your presence, and since he's all alone, he'll learn to enjoy having you close.

Don't rush your hand up to him if you can tell he's scared. Sometimes a bird will sit rigid on their perch, so you think that they're calm, but really they're frozen with fear. It's best to just hold some millet in your open hand and rest it on the opening of the cage until eventually he comes to you. Don't expect it to happen the first time -- it'll take several tries of just holding the millet there before he expresses interest in it.

It's all about gaining your budgie's trust, so never grab him. Once he becomes unafraid of your hand, you can try to coax him to get on your hand. But keep in mind to watch his body language -- if his feathers are tight against his body, he's scared and doesn't want you to advance. In this case, just take your hand away and try again a different time. Another note: visit your bird at the same times each day. This can be helpful, since following a routine is less likely to startle them.

All the best with your new little parrot!"

Tonya F asked: "I had just bought another parakeet for my son from a pet store. Unfortunately, his wings were clipped and he can't fly around like the other parakeet we have. He tries, but instead of flying up he flys down. I feel sorry for him. He wants to be like the other bird. I just wanted to know how long it will be like this. I want him to be able to explore my house as the other bird does."

A1: Billie77 replied: "It will take a few months for the wings to come back. Soon he will be able to enjoy everything in your house."

A2: mark replied: "he really needs to moult to grow the new feathers . So it may be several months .

If the wings were clipped correctly he should be able to safely fly down to the floor but wont be able to get back up except for very short distances."

A3: kdawg replied: "Letting the birds fly around your house is a big risk. I have heard of peoples bird chewing on electrical wires and getting hurt. They can also get stuck in between places. But to answer your question...It takes a while for them to grow it back."

A4: Lily L replied: "I have had the same problem before. I also feel sorry for the bird cuz I find it cruel they cut their wings nd then they cant fly. Nonetheless, it will take at least three months for them to grow back. HOwever, let him out to fly every day. Why? Simply because he will gain strength in his wings and when his feathers start growing back, the sooner he will be able to fly like yur other bird"

A5: Hott Momma replied: "Ok, first, the bird doesnt need to moult for its feathers to grow back if they are clipped. I have mine clipped, and we have to take them back every month, to month and a half. They grow back quickly. If left un clipped, they should grow back in a few months. Secondly, clipping a birds wings is not a substitute for safety precautions. If your birds wings are clipped, they will learn to glide to get from place to place, and can still get into things, and or get hurt. You cant plan on your bird getting into lotions, so you need to saftey proof your house anyway. Go ahead and let them grow if you want to, just make sure that you watch them."

A6: Banana replied: "about 6 months"

Mia asked: "I just got a parakeet. My friend who has one says he should go to bed no later than 9 pm. But, my bird is eating and jumping around. What do you recommend?"

A1: pink_panther1248 replied: "dont have one"

A2: Aravyndra replied: "My birds are up when the sun rises, and in bed when the sun sets, just as it is in nature. if for some reason I'm late getting them covered, they put themselves to bed if the room is dark.

this is what the avian specialist I worked with recommended. Follow nature.

They need at least a good 10 hours of sleep to 12. (So like 5pm to 5am, 7pm to 7am, so on.)"

A3: Jay D replied: "HAMMERTIME!"

A4: over the rainbow replied: "like around 8 or 9"

A5: sk11230 replied: "my parakeets are up know but when the house gets dark they fall asleep"

A6: power s replied: "hi"

A7: destiny l replied: "put a light sheet over his cage but always remember to remove it in the morning"

A8: ramon90003 replied: "man that parakeet wants to party let it be it's all good but mines went to sleep just when the sun went down"

A9: Sabrina replied: "I don't have a parakeet, but I have a pigeon.
She goes to sleep whenever it's quiet and the lights are turned off."

A10: itsme replied: "You should always cover his cage with a towel to make it dark and cozy for him."

A11: Snarkâ„¢ replied: "I don't have parakeets, but I put my three caiques to bed at 9 p.m. I turn out ALL the lights (I don't cover their cage), and close the door (their cage is in my bedroom). Even though I stay up a couple more hours, as long as they can't hear me or see me, they don't get whiny and want to come out until morning."

A12: flutter. replied: "parakeets sleep when the sun sets. but if the room is lit up and noisy, they cannot go to sleep. so i'm assuming there's a lot of things going on around your bird? if so, it's a good idea to cover your birds cage once it gets dark. like with a blanket, or a towel. he will know it's bed time. :]"

A13: patricia c replied: "what i do, when i go to sleep, i put a cover over my parakeet so he won't keep me up all night. i bought a flannel cover from a fabric store where they carry material, so i've been using that to put over my parakeet's cage. when you cover the cage, the bird will calm down."

AarOn L :) asked: "I also bought a bird box that was made for finches, will my parakeets fit in there? Also if i buy a new parakeet will any of them fight for the nest?"

A1: David K replied: "if by parakeet you mean budgie, the males have a deep royal blue ridge on their beak. They will probably not use the finch nest, they prefer a almost a bird house, with a smooth bottom that is rounded slightly. there are tons of info on the web, google or yahoo search it. birdfancy.com would be a good place to start, or petweb.com if it still works. we bred some in science class back in 8th grade, once the chicks hatch they were quite easy to tame and were very neat."

A2: Brown Eyed Girl replied: "How do I find out if my Parakeet is a Male or Female?
If you look at your birds beak you will see a waxy fleshy part of skin surrounding their nostrells. This is called the cere. If it is blue then its a boy. If its white with light blue, beige, tan, brown its a girl.

How do I breed them?
You need to purchase a Parakeet breeding box, a finch breeding box is not suitable. Sometimes the box can become very crowded and when that happens some chicks might develop 'spayed legs' - Which is where the legs form out the sides instead of straight down. You can buy a Budgie (Parakeet) breeding box at your pet store ranging... 6-15 Australian Dollars. The bottom of the box must have a concave bottom for the budgie to lay its eggs on. Like..
You're budgies might not breed if you only have two, budgies are flock birds and need more to encourage them to breed. It is very important that you supply the mother with a lot of calcium because she will be loosing a lot of it from laying eggs so you must have cuttlebone, iodine blocks, shell grit in the cage available for her. You really need to read up on breeding parakeets yourself, its not just as simple as putting in a box and WAHLAH! eggs. Its much more complex.

If you bought a new parakeet would they fight for the nest?
No. The only reason that would happen were if you owned another pair and they had bonded and needed the nest.

Good luck! and read up on it!!"

A3: moggie2 replied: "First things first..............how old are your budgies ?
( and parakeet is a term that means a whole family of parrot type birds not just the budgerigar ).
Far too many times the question is not asked...how old are they...before someone just says ...put a nestbox in if you see them mating or if the cere is in "breeding condition" .
Budgies MUST BE 12 months or older to breed.

Until they are DO NOT put a nestbox in their cage.

If they are old enough thats fine and you can put a nestbox in, but only keep that pair in that cage and no other budgies. Birds that will ordinarily be happy to share cage space wont once a nestbox is in there. Birds that are way too young ....once they see a nestbox will fight for possession of it in order to breed too young.
With regard to male / female.....again it isnt just about blue cere for boys and pinky brown for girls. It also depends on what kind of budgie you have. Certain types of budgies do not get the blue cere if they are boys. At certain times for hens they have a blue cere. Other conditions in males they have a brown cere. Double factor dominant pied males have a cere that more often is pink or a combination of pink and blue. Recessive pied males have pinky purple ceres, as do albinos and lutinos. Those that straight out tell you blue means boy and pink means girl have been either listening to the simplistic terms petshop people use or they havent experienced all the type of budgies there are to be able to tell you any different.
Finch nest...NO.
WAY too small. You have to consider a possible 4-6 chicks and both parents fitting in it. So a finch nest is cheaper at the petstore, than a real budgie nestbox...doesnt mean you buy the wrong kind just because its cheaper.
If you truly want success in breeding your budgies you must....

1. Make sure they are old enough.
2. Make sure they have been on the best diet leading up to breeding and continue on the best diet, including calcium supplements in their water and all kinds of vegies on a regular basis.
3. Provide a seperate breeding cage for them large enough for the babies to come out into once fledged. No other birds in the cage but the parents.
4. Make sure the nestbox is the correct type. Do not try and squeeze it into the cage space...fity it externally with the entrance in the cage. Set the nestbox high up in the cage now ground level.
5. Make sure the perches for mating are thicker than usual and strong and do not move about.
6. Make sure there is room in the breeding cage for the parents to fly across the cage from perch to perch as part of their mating ritual.
7. Make sure you read, ask questions and learn enough to succeed before you start or you will be posting HELP !! topics on here and maybe getting the wrong answers depending on who cares enough to help you at the time.
"

A4: MamaSmurf replied: "Trying to sex budgies by coloring is not always reliable. DNA testing is the only sure fire way to tell"

I'm Human:D asked: "Whenever I try to get my 5 month old parakeet to step up, it jumps to the back wall. What should I do to prevent this? Thanks for all answers."

A1: parrotgirl replied: "He's scared of your hands. Give him treats when you put your hand in his cage and he should trust you. When he's eating a treat (such as lettuce or millet spray) put your hand up to him and he should step up.

I hope this helps."

A2: Sweetz replied: "hes still not used to u. give it timeeeee"

Game freak asked: "Should I buy a parakeet from the pet store? Are the birds at the pet store mean? Do they bite all the time? Are they hand fed? Can they be trained if there from the pet store? Please help."

A1: resateka1692 replied: "I have had each. I prefer hand-raised to not. Hand-raised are used to human handling while others are'nt. I bought a parakeet from a pet store that didnt hand raise and I couldnt ever pick him up because he was too scared and would constantly try to bite me. The hand-raised, however was the sweetest bird I've ever had. Hope it helped! Ps- Hand raised, as far as I know, means hand fed and used to human contact."

A2: stinky_poo1 replied: "You can buy a parakeet from the store and no they are not mean and the only reason why they bite is because they are using that as a defense because they are scared. You just have to take the bird out once everyday or everyother day. That way he will get used to you. After he get used to you, you can train him."

A3: Buzz B replied: "the hand raised are used to people handling them,
they will be friendly and not afraid of you...

the birds from the store can be trained if you get them kinda young....

patience. =)"

A4: jeremy g replied: "i speak from experience having had both hand fed and not, get the hand-fed bird they are much nicer and used to humans handling them the non hand fed ones aren't particularly mean but they aren't the nicest"

A5: dark_knight_deathscythe replied: "Hope this may help you out:

What is a "hand-fed" bird?

Unfortunately, the term "hand-fed" can be very broadly defined depending on the person using it. Any bird that has been taken from its parents any time before fledging and fed by a human surrogate. A "hand-fed" bird may or may not be friendly and sweet, may or may not have been handled at a young age, and may or may not have a strong attachment to humans. People selling baby birds often define the term more loosely than people looking to buy baby birds. Most potential baby parrot owners expect a "hand-fed" bird to have been pulled from the nest early enough that the bird is truly confused about what its parents look like. It does not recognize a difference between humans and birds. The zoological term (zoologists always have a term!) for this is "imprinted". Imprinted birds often prefer the company of a human over the company of another of its own species. Not all hand-fed birds are imprinted. Hand-fed birds turn out really sweet when the hand-feeder spends a lot of time with the young birds. (The hand-feeder should not be taking care of more birds than he could possibly pay attention to.) Just feeding them is usually not enough.

Do I need to get a hand-fed bird if I want it to bond with me?

There are different levels of bonding. Even an imported bird can form a bond of friendship with its owner. Some individual pets may be more trusting than others, but a "bond" still exists. An imprinted bird may come to view its owner as its mate. A great deal of affection is generally associated with this type of bond. Parrots in this kind of relationship can also be jealous and demanding. (Training is important to keep this under control.) A mate-like bond with an imprinted bird requires a much greater level of commitment than the roommate-like bond with a bird that is not imprinted.

Won't the bird bond with the person that hand-feeds it? Should I hand-feed the bird if I want it to bond with me?

An imprinted bird goes through its natural emotional and psychological growth phases with humans replacing what would otherwise be their bird counterparts. In nature, the baby parrots depend on their parents for everything. The parent shows the baby how to function in its environment and how to eat. The baby's basic sense of security is built as it trusts its parents to teach it the skills it needs to survive. The bond between parent and baby is very intense, but it is not meant to be a permanent bond. When a human takes over the role of the parent, it becomes the human's job to teach the bird to function in its environment (playing with toys, living in a cage, basic social interacting), and how to eat real food out of a dish. Expecting a baby bird to learn this on its own is stressful and traumatic and can upset the bird's basic sense of security. The most logical person to finish hand-feeding a bird is the human/parent rather than the human/mate. (I often hear from people who did all the care-taking for the new baby bird in the house, only to have it bond with someone else. In nature, if there is any other possible choice of a mate, most animals will not choose one of their parents. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that the bird has complete control over who he likes most. A human can do little to change the bird's individual taste in companions.) As the baby bird matures it spends more time with its peers, practicing social interactions. As they reach sexual maturity, they pair off to form lifetime, monogamous relationships. Most people want to take this place in their companion bird's heart. A potential bird owner can either visit recently weaned birds and let the bird "pick" the person or choose a very young bird and visit it frequently until it is weaned. A handfed bird can be a wonderful companion if it is well adjusted and it is usually the most well-adjusted if it is weaned by its human parents."

A6: pikamoo replied: "the ones from the pet store are usually skittish. hand raised ones are experienced with hands andare more easier to tame. i have one from the pet store right now and its been quite a while and i still cant tame it. takes a lot of patience -.-"

A7: Summer A replied: "Hand-fed are used to human hands. This means they are less likely to bite because they won't be afraid of them. Also, they are more comfortable and won't be as skittish when you put your hand out to them."

A8: explorer w replied: "Most of the birds i've gotten are from the pet store. Once you earn their trust, they are just as nice as hand fed birds. My current one lets me scratch him on the head, but does not like being held in the hand. He does not bite when I hold him in the hand, but starts to cry or whine. He prefers staying perched on the finger or shoulder. It did take several weeks for him to get use to us. You have to maintain human contact with him in order for him to get domesticated."

A9: Wendy D.V.M. replied: "If you DO get one make sure it IS hand-fed. It will not be mean if i IS hand-fed. This means it was literally fed by human hands. It's used to humans and will be more affectionate you. Not hand-raised means that it's very own mother raised it. I suggest not getting this.

The pet store will not train them for you."

A10: susan m replied: "a parakeet that is hand fed from a baby will love human contact but a parakeet that was not hand fed will bite"

Jake asked: "How do you put up a parakeet for adoption? Our new apartment doesn't allow pets and I live in the Seattle Metro area.

Thanks for any help."

A1: Robbie replied: "SNAUSAGES"

A2: rabbitwhisperer replied: "Contact your local humane society and ask them about relinquishing your bird to them. They may know of other rescues within the Seattle area that specialize in birds."

A3: toobeaucoup2005 replied: "Try Craig's List -- look up your city and write a free ad."

A4: balloon knot replied: "let it fly away."

A5: ovov replied: "http://seattle.craigslist.org/"

A6: BeansLady replied: "you can try giving him to a pet store, i know petco takes in unwanted animals, and they go fast also."

A7: canine_advisor replied: "call your vet and see if anyone does bird rescue in your area.. if not then chekc with pet stores sometimes they buy them.. Search the web for rescues."

A8: Ivan replied: "Freeze it till you find a good home. They don't eat too much this way!!"

A9: michelle J replied: "I think the best bet is if there is a Petco around you take it there. they take good care of them untill they are adopted. i have adopted a gerbil and two budgies(parakeeets) this way. people take them for all kinds of reasons moving,can't take care of them or other reasons. when someone adopts them they fill out a free form and then take the pet to its new home. good luck with your pet and move."

Lesa G asked: "I have a parakeet that is 8 years old and I was wondering how old is/was the longest living parakeet. I heard 20 years but i'm not sure and if you find some information please give me the site. Thank you."

A1: jessiika.babz replied: "The average is 8-10 years, the longest living was 20 years old."

A2: tropicalswirlzz replied: "I'm guessing in the 20s. Congratz on your old bird!! You're obviously a good budgie owner! =D"

goofysis23 asked: "I have one of those cages that have pull out tray for the food and water. But my parakeet has learned to push it out and fly out the opening all by himself. I've tried pressing a book next to it but he can push the book too (strong bird)! If I move the cage toward the wall so he can't push the food he will push water. HELP!"

A1: gabby replied: "DO NOT FEED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

A2: hellzenvy replied: "can you wire it shut after you put food and water in, have you tried duct tape, have you thought about a diffrent bird, have you put a mirror up so your bird can talk to itself? how about a new birdcage. You could have its wings clipped so it cant fly."

A3: Mel replied: "that's a smart bird!! especially if your talking about a budgie, but yeah maybe tie it shut with a shoelace, or somthing, but don't use anything metal becase if the bird chews on it some metal may rub off and ur bird may injest it, which would be bad"

A4: yamaha_venom600 replied: "Grab the parakeet firmly by the waste. Tell him to "Knock It Off or He'll regret it." If he keeps it up grab him firmly by the body again and restate what you said and with your free hand spank his little a-s-s. I have trained birds for over forty years and though this may seem vague it really does work. If he screams you maybe spanking him to hard. Look him in the eye as you crack his a-s-s as this will establish dominance."

Mandie Moe asked: "My parakeet is about 8 months old and is now tame. I have tried ever since I have got him to eat foods other than seeds and he just will not do it. I have read that dipping the food in seeds will get them used to it and will ease them into eating other foods, but it did not work."

A1: Angel replied: "My Cocatiel is 10 years old and he wont touch human food. I have tried also, but I find some birds will not eat food other than seeds. So if have been trying for awhile it is more likely that your bird will not. Plus she might not be old enough to even care."

A2: thesunnshynne replied: "well all you can do is keep trying. some birds dont like other foods, my bird will eat anything its rather annoying somtimes because he will eat off my plate. lol if my bird hasnt tried somthing i just kind put it up 2 his beak and he will taste it and if he likes it he will eat it."

A3: Goldeen W replied: "chop it in very small pieces and put it in with his or her regular food, then you sholuld have a health bird!"

A4: Hot Girl replied: "Chop it into incredibly tiny peices, this might make it easier. Parakeets don't all eat fruitsand vegeis. Some parakeet's just dont like the taste."

A5: Samantha replied: "Persistence.

Sometimes it can take days weeks or months for them to even try something new. Mine likes Broccoli and shredded carrots the best. but it took him a couple of weeks to get the courage to taste it.

You have to give it to him regularly and persistently, they are picky and finicky little creatures."

lsvar45 asked: "I have seen that the male parakeet climbs on top of the female like 3 times? They're mating right?"

A1: bird lady 2 replied: "when you see the tale of the female going to the side and them almost being sideways that is when they are actually mating,if you want to help put a couple of perches close together so that they don't loose their coordination and stop the process they need a Really level area or a nesting area try that and maybe you'll have some luck"

A2: elaine c replied: "Birds don't get pregnant they lay eggs. Once she lays the eggs it will take 17 to 20 days for the eggs to hatch once she starts sitting on them. She will need a wooden nestbox to lay her eggs in and raise the chicks. Here is a good site
with breeding info"

charlieboy0514 asked: "Getting my parakeet to get on my finger. How do I do it? Is it easy or hard?"

A1: Sundancer replied: "put a treat on ur finger"

A2: Skittles replied: "my parakeet will get into my hand if there is millet in it"

A3: bubba replied: "i found it easy.i usually just rub the stomach of the parakeet and it climbs up on my finger.it can be hard if they are affraid of hands,so you might need to let the bird gain some trust in you"

A4: rrr replied: "This is how i taught my parakeet AND parrot to perch on my finger:
Put finger a little bit above it's feet and say "step up".
Then press with your finger (still pointing out in same spot) gently on it.
If it doesnt do anything keeep your finger still there and take your other hand and gently give it a LITTLE nodge on the back."

A5: pigs003 replied: "Some birds are very stubborn. My newest parakeet took a while to perch. I HIGHLY suggest joining the training group at I thought training my parakeet was impossible until I joined there."

A6: sarah replied: "Push your finger gently on his chest just above his legs until he steps on your finger. Every time you do this tell him to step up. Pretty soon you wont even have to push just say step up. He might put his beak on you before he steps on your finger, they do this to see if what they are stepping on is sturdy."

A7: MS Bryant replied: "Let your parakeet fly around a safe room until it is so tired, it has no choice but to sit on your finger. This is accomplished much quicker if you clip the first 4 feathers on each wing closes to it's body. DO NOT CLIP WINGS ON AN ALBINO! They tend to bleed. Let your parakeet tire out a couple of times and you will have its trust. I know this works because years ago a pet shop I worked in, had a "tame your parakeet in 5 minutes or your money back". We never had to give the money back."

A8: ellie replied: "You take the bird to a small room like the bathroom. You talk to the bird as you take it to the room cupped in your hands. You continue to talk to the bird in the room and continue to try to put your finger against its chest. After doing this every day for about a week or so, it will then get on your finger every time. They like it in their cage though, so you might have to hold the bird to take it out of its cage. Also, the bird will bite at first until it gets use to you taking it into the other room. It's only a pinch though."

A9: Blanca Long replied: "Talk softly and gently and put your finger on it's chest slightly pushing and repeat the word up. When they finally do don't forget to say good boy or good girl and keep doing it. We need encouragement and lots of practice."

A10: Hott Momma replied: "Finger training your budgie is a fairly simple process...I would start by just setting your hand in the cage for a while...Just let it sit there....After a week, put it a little closer to your bird...(make sure you are talking nice to him or her, and tell them that your hand is safe.) After a week of doing that, move your hand slightly closer to the bird....each day move it a little closer. Eventually your bird will know that your hand is safe, and might even hop up on it, if its comfortable enough. When it understands your hand is safe, put your finger up to it's chest and say "UP". This will teach him or her, that you want him on your finger, and usually they will come. When it comes up to your finger, tell him or her that they are a good bird. Eventually when they start flying around the house, and if you put your finger up, it will come when you put your finger out and say up..BUT finger training is the FIRST thing you do....especially if your budgie is skiddish. Iwill put a link in there to help you with that, and when that is done. you can teach it perch to fingers, and out of cage finger training...Have fun, and remember, this will take a lot of time and paitnece, but its worth it!"

A11: Genuine Guy replied: "It is very easy......Leave your parakeet to relax and get used to the new environment in the first day....In the second or preferably the third day , try to slowly open the cage door and gently approach your finger towards its chest, if it reacts violently and flies all over the cage then leave it and try the next day till you get it...It all depends on the parakeet really, some parakeets get comfortable faster than others so just keep trying....Hope this helps...Good Luck"

microfurby asked: "I have 3 parakeet heliconias in front of my house. What should I do to ensure that they thrive?"

A1: carl l replied: "Where are you located? They are not freeze hardy.
I would give them mixed sunlight with protection from the sun during the warmer hours.
High organic soil with good drainage."

Goober g asked: "My friend gave me one of her parakeet eggs, she has 3 eggs. There would be 5 but 1 broke and I have the other one. I'm trying to hatch it my self. Have any ideas on how to keep it warm or how to incubate it. I'm not sure if its fertalized ethier. But right now I have a 40 watt light over it and a heating under it and it's in wood shavings."

A1: Wendy N replied: "You should put like a toll on it or something that can give it warmth.





P.S. hope it hatches!."

A2: Jonathan N replied: "Are you trying to cook it.try buying a female and a male bird."

ღஜ Ęlíäną ஜღ asked: "My aunt trained her parakeet to say a phrase. Also, could I train my parakeet to make a sound? How many phrases could a parakeet learn?"

A1: acoustic8guitarist replied: "Talk to it every day and reward it if it tries to mimic you!"

A2: P.I. Joe replied: "There's no hard numbers involved here, because every parakeet is different. Some are smart enough to learn specific phrases, and even to use specific phrases at certain times. (My neighbor in middle school had a parakeet that would only say "hello" when you first walked in the door.) Other parakeets are dumb as a diaper full of yuck, and will never talk.

Just repeat the same phrase around it very VERY often. Like if you want the parakeet to say "Hello", say "Hello" to it about 500 times a day for a couple months. Also, don't be surprised if you hear half-formed words from your parakeet at night sometimes. I used to have a lesser sulphur crested cockatoo that would do that, trying to sound out things it heard through the day, but never quite getting them right."

A3: Kaustaub replied: "Mine had about 10 phrases. Some single words Ouch!

He also wistled and could make the sound of a toy train.( I had one by his cage... 8^)"

A4: Gary D replied: "Repeat the same word(s) constantly to the bird and it will pick up those sounds and mimic them sooner or later. A parakeet can learn a small number of words/sounds, but not many...usually about 5-10 different things."

A5: Soliel B replied: "Talk to your parakeet. repeat the phrase, sounds, words you want him to learn.....give its favorite snack as a reward when it does try to mimick or says the sounds."

A6: chips replied: "I don't know how much phrases they can say.. I have 3 and none talk.. Because they are too many... If you wanna teach him to talk, keep him isolated from other parrots and talk to him regularly and a lot! But say the same thing! Start with his name first.. repeat it to him constantly.. Good luck ( Wish mine talked:( )"

A7: Karen replied: "A male under 4 months is ideal.Older Parakeets above 1year of age,are very difficult to train.
The key to teaching a Parakeet to talk is to have the Parakeet think it's part of the "human flock", and therefore that it needs to communicate with its human friends. If you have a mirror in the cage, or other Parakeets, it will see Parakeets around it and want to talk like them (i.e. chirp). So step one is to have your young Parakeet on its own, surrounded by humans that talk to it.While male Parakeets tend to talk better than female Parakeets do, both can certainly talk! Birds learn best in the morning, when their mind is fresh and ready for new information. If you use a towel or cover over your bird's cage, talk to them for 1/2 hr before you remove it each morning. Repeat the same phrases loudly, slowly and clearly. Parakeets do best with hard letters like K and T, so the traditional "hello" is actually sort of hard for a Parakeet. "Cutie" would be much better! Parakeets tend to mumble and to talk quickly, so the more slowly you talk, the more normal it will sound when the bird starts to repeat it.
Have patience, and eventually (hopefully) your Parakeet will start to answer back to you! Once they get the hang of it, they'll learn more and more quickly as you go. It works best if you physically talk to your Parakeet, and that you do it often.
Parakeets can also learn to mimic other sounds around them. They can learn to chirp like a cell phone, whistle a short tune, and much more... Parakeets are capable of learning many,many words/phrases with dedication from the owner!..."

A8: ali r replied: "Turn off all distractions around you and your bird and put him on your finger and say the word you want him to say. Do that every day for at least 10 minutes until he tries that word. (Dont change the word you are teaching him because it will confuse him)"

A9: Sushmita replied: "Use this site:"

A10: cheyennecracker replied: "Talk to it everyday and when it repeats what you say give it a treat."

CheRRy BloSSom asked: "My parakeet doesn't bite or anything but it doesn't know how to perch and when I put it on my shoulder, it jumps off?"

A1: Buddie replied: "Your parakeet won't jump off your shoulder if you trim it's flight feathers! Here are instructions. Make sure to follow them to the letter and to have some powdered sugar or corn starch available to stop the bleeding if you make a mistake:"

Luis asked: "I want to teach my parakeet to lay on his back. He is about 4-5 months. He is finger trained and I can put him on my shoulder."

A1: buggin_out41 replied: "Tape him down...lol"

A2: whiteman replied: "stop feeding him."

A3: fattastic replied: "What you need to do is put him on your finger, And then put your hand on his back you will have to hole his wings lightly and turn it over. You need to keep your hand on his back and keep your finger where his talons where in case he/she lets go, Usually he/she wont, But you put him on his back for a few seconds and bring it back up, Practice this for a few months and he/she will get comfortable with it. I just taker's time patients and trust."

A4: PinkDagger replied: "You're not so much teaching him to (it's pretty different from teaching a dog to roll over, but also similar in that they take a vulnerable/submissive position), but you have to show him that he can be safe and feel secure and comfortable on his back and in your presence, as well as the presence of other people/things. The bird has to trust you a LOT for you to be able to hold him on his back because, understand this, it is a VERY vulnerable position and being touched on the back feels very vulnerable as it is.

It may be a long process, especially since, in the coming months when sexual maturity hits (6 to 8 months) and he may become territorial, moody, or aggressive to advances to touch him. I can hold one of my lovebirds on her back, but not for very long and she'll sometimes fight it. If you get your bird used to being approached from behind and aware that you won't hurt him when you do so, this is a step forward. I began with touching at my bird's back, letting her know I was doing it, letting her watch me as I came up. When she was less wary and afraid of my hand coming toward her, I would cup my hand over her back and just leave it there. It'll start to teach the bird that your hand being over his back isn't going to do any harm, that it's just there. I started picking her up this way on occasion, and later on, slowly tilting her backward until she was just lying on her back. Some birds learn to be very comfortable with this and will lie still in your hand, or lie still on whatever surface. Some birds also learn to play-wrestle with their people while on their back as well.

Remember, it takes trust and that can take time to build."

A5: ~AmBeR~ replied: "omg now that is a cool trick i taught my parakeet to do, well hopefully your parakeet is young and not old so i hope you just got the bird, because it's much easier to train while young what you do it just lay it down in your hand for a little while keep doing it everyday until the bird gets used to it. my bird would lay on his back without me holding him hope i helped"

A6: Rev. Two Bears replied: "This requires a LOT of trust in the parakeet before wh will be willing to allow you to lay him on his back.

Try petting his back and gently leaning him back about 45 degrees then bring him back upright and praise him for being a good little bird, then later try it again. until you have earned his trust.

I always try to get their trust to lay them on their back.

This is a great way to clip wings, check the keel bone for injuries, check to see if there are dropping around the vent, or see is a female is egg bound."

kingsako32 asked: "My friend's parakeet flew on to a tree after a cat attacked the cage, now the bird is on the tree, and if you get close to it it flys away.
i'm pretty sure he wants it down alive"

A1: gentle giant replied: "If it likes it's food, maybe if you put its dish down low it will go for it."

A2: dishwasher67 replied: "shoot it down"

A3: Bruno Tataglia replied: "nothing stays up forever ...
it will come down certainly"

A4: Dubberino replied: "Shotgun.

Oh, you mean alive... try distracting it from the front then throwing a net over from directly behind. Eyes are on the side of the head so they're hard to sneak up on"

A5: FILO replied: "Very slowly."

A6: Hate-Monger replied: "Shoot it and it will fall down."

A7: PearLover replied: "Make sure the cat is no where around. Set it's cage on the front step with fresh food and water in it. leave the door open and hope that the remembered safety is stronger than the fear of a moment.
Good Luck"

A8: crazylarry88 replied: "i cant promise this will work, its a long shot. but maybe if you put the cage where it can see it, and leave it open, the bird may come to it, if not you may have to use a net or something to catch it, parakeets can not survive in the wild, they do not know how to look for food, so i wish you luck"

A9: Kimberly T replied: "Good question, maybe take cage out side so he or she see it with the door open, and maybe it will fly into the cage, call a rescue company for suggestions."

A10: perfidy replied: "Is the cat still around? It might be why the 'keet won't come down. Try putting its cage somewhere it can see it. If the 'keet is tame, your friend can stay near the cage and try to call it down. If it's afraid of people, then stay away from the cage but still somewhere in sight in case the cat comes back."

A11: Ms. Shyann replied: "We had a cockatoo and my stupid ex left the door open wide, the
next thing I know Woody went flyin outside in the 90 degree heat
in Las Vegas. We called his name, brought out his cage, etc.
We never saw him again. That was sad. I hate to say it, but birds
are next to impossible to catch. Hopefully, the birdie will learn
from the other birdies how to survive....."

A12: NATIVE NEW YORKER replied: "GO BUY YOUR FRIEND ANOTHER PARAKEET"

A13: definitivamente06 replied: "Keep the cat away from the cage so the parakeet can see it's safe to go back to its old territory."

A14: fwuffy.bunny replied: "Parakeets are very timid birds. When they get upset by something that is much bigger than them, well they tend to get scared of other things too. If you're not careful one of these days you will end up seeing feathers hanging out of the cats mouth. Besides you should always keep a close on birds. If they are in your company keep it inside the cage unless you are willing to keep an eye on it then you can take it out. No wonder the lil thing was scared"

A15: Jag1 replied: "Shotgun..?"

A16: C&S Tropical replied: "If you know someone else with a parakeet have them bring the other bird in a cage and the one in the tree should come down to it. Also leave some seed high up until the bird spots it. Once the bird eats from the dish move the dish into the birds cage and put the cage where the dish sat. the bird should go into the cage to get the food. Your best bet is the sound of another parakeet."

A17: iceni replied: "Leave the cage near it and open. It will probably fly in to roost and eat when it gets hungry
A"

A18: cherokee replied: "If calling to him with your arm or hand out, or with a perch in your hand, doesn't work, try spreading birdseed on the ground, or bread crumbs...

If all else fails...spray the bird, in the tree, with a hose, with a very fine mist until he's too wet to fly. You can then climb a ladder to the tree limb & rescue the bird...with adult supervision, that is."

A19: bob b replied: "try talking to it,,, make him feel conformable.."

A20: Nicky S replied: "try grabbing it"

HJ asked: "I've had a parakeet for a few weeks now and it has started sqawking loudly everytime I try to talk on the phone. It's annoying and disruptive but I refuse to leave the room to accommodate the bird. Any suggestions of how I can put a stop to this. Seriously ! Thank you."

A1: Matt replied: "put a towel over the cage so he cant see out. it will make him chill out. Also, try doing it every night when you go to bed, and then taking it off in the morning. that way he will sleep and develop a pattern smiler to yours."

A2: Shortie replied: "You either need to leave the room or get used to it. I have two parakeets that are usually noisy most of the day. I am just used to it. That is their personality. If you cannot adjust move them to another room if possible or get rid of them if they are that bothersome. Whatever you do, do not yell at them or be mean to them. A firm voice will do just fine. Sometimes if you ignore the unwanted behavior, they will stop or reduce what they are doing. When they start getting loud try walking out of the room and shutting the door, do this everytime they get too loud, and hopefully they will associate their loudness with you leaving. My Avian vet suggested me doing this while training my Amazon to step-up from inside her cage. She said to try to get her to step-up for 15 seconds, after that shut the cage door and leave the room. She has some broken blood feathers so I am letting her heal fully before I start training her again, so I cannot for certain say this method will work. You can also try covering them up for a brief period of time when they get too loud, this worked for my Amazon. Good luck and remember birds require an extreme amount of attention."

A3: Melon-Collie replied: "Sounds like your budgie is in the early stages of starting to mimic you.

He knows that when the phone rings you are very talkative and he is responding to that.
Probably won't be long before he says "hello" when the phone rings.

As annoying as it is (and a towel or dark sheet over the cage should help) you should be flattered....he is interacting with you, and trying to join in."

A4: ac : ) replied: "well first off don't yell at him it makes it worse... try covering the cage or using a spray bottle with mist action...with water of course... you can get the empty spray mist bottle at walmart... however dont spray him if its cold outside... also dont let him sit on damp perches it causes arthritis!
You can try putting the phone up 2 him... maybe he wants to talk too! ; )"

A5: soldiersMom2008 replied: "whats he doing to be disciplined? maybe its lack of attention? time out in cage is sufficient"

A6: werdna963 replied: "let him out to play when ur on the phone, that way hes a busy bee and doesn't even notice.

NEVER DISCIPLINE A BIRD. IT WILL ONLY MAKE HIM HATE YOU!"

A7: nic replied: "It could be that your budgie (aka: parakeet) is trying to call to the birds outside. However, there are many reasons why she might have started squawking. Sudden, abnormal changes in behavior like this are often triggered by something. Sometimes it can be triggered by a stress in the environment or disease even.

If you haven't taken your parakeet into see your avian vet for a wellness exam recently, I would strongly encourage you to do so. If she has been seen recently, I would still encourage you to call and speak with your avian vet to see if they feel this warrants a vet-check up."

A8: cat_92 replied: "buy a cat and teach your bird to say "here kitty, kitty!""

A9: Diamond replied: "cover the cage when you make a call
or go into another room
there is not much you can do with a bird can't ground him or take his millet they don't understand"

A10: Dave Womach replied: "A good rule of thumb is that you never want to punish a bird, you merely want to avoid reinforcing a behaviour you don't like.

For instance, if the bird is making noise that is irritating to you, don't yell at the bird or go over and tell it to be quiet because you're merely reinforcing the behaviour. You're then teaching it that that's all it has to do to get you to come over and talk to it.

Just don't react to the noise. Maybe your bird is just excited to hear you talk because it thinks you're talking to him! The best thing you should do it leave the room so the bird learns when he makes a lot of noise, you leave and don't give it any attention for it. Then when he has been quiet for a little while, go in and reinforce that with rewards and socializing with your bird. He will catch on, it just won't happen over night."

joloaz213 asked: "How do I get my parakeet to stop laying eggs? She's laid 9 since January! There's no boy bird around and we don't plan on getting one."

A1: ericams85 replied: "she will always lay eggs, but they are not fertilized. you can just dispose of them. it is part of her cycle. she will do this her whole life unless she gets a hysterectomy, which they only do if it's medically nessisary."

A2: Prodigy556 replied: "When she lays the eggs leave then in with her until she stops sitting on them. If you take them away she will instinctivly lay more to replace the ones that went missing.

Female birds (most commonly budgerigars/parakeets, cockatiels, finches and some other species) can become stimulated to lay eggs without breeding. This can happen in response to exposure to constant periods of light and dark that mimic springtime.

My cockatiel constantly lays eggs, all you can do is make sure she has enough calcium, or else she will get egg bound. Use cuddle bones, crush up egg shells(boiled first), I used reptile calcium and sprinkle a bit on her food when she is laying."

A3: PinkDagger replied: "Thank goodness you have the sense to stop this behaviour, rather than encourage it and put a mate in! So many people lack this sort of sense, I've noticed. If she lays over and over and over and over, she'll become a chronic layer, which is very dangerous and may very well take her life one day. Chronic layers tend to lay huge clutches (3-5 eggs is a normal clutch) on a consistent basis.

Anyway, there are some mating factors you need to consider. She's laying because she thinks it's spring/summer, and that's a great mating season. To make it seem like winter/fall, when she wouldn't want to mate:
1) Cover her cage or give her at least 12 hours of darkness and silence a day. If she keeps laying, cover her longer. Sometimes it takes going to the extreme of covering her for 20 to 22 hours a day, but daylight is a big factor. Long daylight hours symbolize warm weather, so long night time hours symbolize poor, cold weather.
2) Monitor her food intake. All birds are different, but you should be able to get a gist of how much she needs to eat per day and feed her accordingly. I'm not sure about budgies, but my lovebirds (a bit bigger than budgies) eat about 1.5 spoons of food per day, so that's all I free-feed them. I'm not starving them because I know that's all they'll eat, and I'll refill their food the very next day.
3) Don't pet her anywhere stimulating. That would be everywhere but the head. If something is stimulating her, especially on the back, wings, tail, under the wings, and belly, she feels as if a mate is initiating the mating process.
4) Keep her occupied and adapt her to change. Change her cage around at least once a week, so that every single perch and every single toy is replaced by another and moved in a different position. She'll keep busy with all the new things, she'll feel mentally challenged by it, and she'll know that babies won't survive in an environment that's constantly changing. You may even want to move her entire cage to another part of the room, or a separate room.
5) Don't allow her nests. If she has any nooks and crannies she burrows into to lay in, remove them. Don't give her any nesting materials. If she shreds the paper on the bottom of her cage and piles it, put something between her and the paper. A grate is very convenient in these times. It's another thing to clean, but I had a lovebird who was determined to nest. I put the grate in for maybe 3 to 5 weeks and she lost interest in shredding nesting material.

Do NOT remove her eggs. They're infertile anyway, so there's no worry of them hatching. Leave them with her for the duration of incubation (21 to 30 days since the last egg was laid) and when she realizes for herself that they aren't hatching, she'll leave them of her own accord. By constantly removing her eggs, you're sending her the message that predators are taking them. Her instincts tell her that in order to further the species effectively, she has to lay more and more to replace those eggs, so she'll do so!

Make sure she's on a good, balanced diet. I suggest pellets, seed, and fresh foods. Pellets are a good alternative if you can't feed a large variety of fresh foods during the day. Harrison's, Roudybush, and Zupreem (without natural colours) are great brands. A nice pelleted diet for a budgie would be 10% seeds, 10% fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains but NO avocado, chocolate, tomato leaves, mushrooms, onions, apple seeds, other fruit pits and seeds, salty, sugary, greasy, caffeinated, or carbonated items, and 80% pellet. Fresh foods that would be great for her right now would be foods that are high in calcium (egg shells require a LOT of calcium that takes away from the hen). Dark, leafy greens are very popular, such as kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, bok choy, broccoli, etc. You should also provide some high quality mineral blocks that she can pick at in case she feels she needs in. Manu blocks are wonderful; they're very natural and highly nutritious, and many people will also suggest cuttlefish bone. Be careful of the solid backing, as birds may be able to choke on it.

Good luck."