Pet Parakeet Care: Clipping Parakeet Wings

Parakeet Perils - To Clip the Wings Or Not?

If you're planning on getting a parakeet, you're probably wondering whether or not to clip its wings. Well, that's one of the major arguments in the world of bird owners. Here are some things that you should know about the perils of parakeets in either situation.

First of all, when you first get your parakeet, the chances are good that it will have already had its wings clipped. That was to prevent it from getting loose in the store. If done properly, the wings will grow back. It will then be your responsibility to decide whether to have them clipped again or not.

That means that, when you first get your new parakeet home, you'll have to deal with the perils of clipped wings. A parakeet's natural instinct is to fly. Another natural instinct is to get as high as possible. So, your new feathered friend is likely to try to fly across the room and almost immediately drop like a rock. It's important to start out with your parakeet in a small room with plenty of blankets, pillows or other soft objects around, in case it falls.

Now, when the wings grow back, you're faced with another problem, potential escape. The best way to avoid a major escape is to lock your door when your parakeet is out and to confine the parakeet to only one room. Also, it's important to train the parakeet very early that you equal comfort and food. So, if it does get loose in a part of the house that you don't want it in, you can get it to return to you or its cage easily.

Pet Parakeet Care: How to Choose Your Parakeet Cage

Parakeet Bird Cages - How to Choose the Best One

If you have a parakeet, choosing a bird cage for your bird will not make you any problems, however, there are still several important thing you need to know before you make a decision which one to buy. In this article I will share a few important tips on choosing a great bird home which will make your parakeet's life better. So let us start.

The most important thing in any cage is its size. Experts say that each bird requires different size. For example if you home canary in macaws cage, it will fill itself in jail. Small birds require smaller homes, however there should be enough space to fly and spread wings. Parakeets are usually small and do not need huge cages or aviaries.

You should also consider materials. The problem is, there are materials which can be harmful for your pet. For example, you should avoid zinc or brass cages. Of course, usually they are less expensive as wrought iron or stainless steel cages, however, if you care about your bird, avoid these materials.

I do not recommend wooden cages too because they can be easily damaged by any bird, even parakeet. They like to chew everything they see and wooden cage will be the perfect thing to chew. if you do not want to change it every month, choose stainless steel. Personally, I prefer stainless steel and wrought iron cages since they are very durable and easy to maintain. It is undoubtedly a perfect house or any bird.

Pet Parakeet Care: Eliminate Bad Habits and Behavior From Your Parakeet

Parakeet Training - Eliminate Bad Habits and Behavior From Your Parakeet

Parakeets can adopt some reasonably annoying habits, and it's best if you do not like them, to coach your bird out of these habits. Parakeet training isn't too troublesome and with some practice, you'll see some truly fantastic results terribly fast.

Biting is one habit that must be purchased in order. Infrequently the biting is a technique to communicate with the owner, but there are much nicer and less unpleasant paths to communicate, so this behaviour should be stopped at each opportunity.

Biting is also a natural reply to fear, so there's the possibility that your bird is scared of something, when he attempts to bite. This may be the results of making an attempt to reach in and remove him from the cage, or it may even mean that frightening clown mask that you could be wearing. Either way, it is thanks to a fear.

If you're bitten at any point, even during parakeet training, it is highly necessary to keep calm. Don't hit the bird or make an annoyed gesture towards it. Be mindful of the hazards of this and you accept them by putting your hands where they can be bitten. Infrequently the bird will bite as his technique of informing you he's had enough, and wants some space, and let's accept it, we do have a tendency to act selfishly often towards our pets.

We hold them when we'd like, touch them when we'd like, play with them when we need, and they do have a mind of their own.

The smartest thing to do at any point when he attempts to bite you is walk away quietly and do nothing. You'll potentially find that as this occurs more, he is going to learn to trust you, and the biting may stop.

Feather picking is another thing that may become an issue for both owner and bird. It makes your bird look not attractive and it might be suggestive of stress or illness. If the bird is picking badly, there's the likelihood of him leaving open sores on his body, and this can cause infection and other issues.

Always attempt to cross out medical problems for this behaviour before attempting anything more. If it's a medical problem, it may become far worse quickly, so fast action should be undertaken. Your vet will be in a position to offer recommendation on the only way to deal with non-medical feather picking, and perhaps direct you to appropriate parakeet training.

Are you wanting to learn how to coach your pet to sit on a perch on command? It all begins with good parakeet training. When your parakeet is used to you putting your hand in its cage, put some soft background music on and ensure the room is quiet (except for the music).

Provide your pet with fresh food and water as you typically would every day, and ensure your pet is watching you do this. After the food and water are in place, pause for some moments, and then slowly take a perch from the opposite side to the parakeet.

Moving the perch round the cage meticulously, hold it at the same level as the parakeet and slowly move it towards your bird. Talk softly while you do this, and move the perch nearer to the bird's feet.

If the parakeet flies away, wait some more minutes and try the same process again.

Pet Parakeet Care: How to Hand Train a Parakeet

How to Hand Train a Parakeet

Who ever said training a parakeet was hard is lying. I thought it would be sweet of me to buy my fiancé a parakeet for valentines day. She always talked of having one, and we could use a little noise around the house. What I mean by noise is the sweet chirping and singing of a new Budgie. This would have been the hardest animal we owned so far to train, or so we thought. We already have a cat, and cats come pre programmed to be a domestic, friendly, loving pet, that needs little or no training. Then we have two fish tanks, It was pretty tough teaching our guppies to roll over, or fetch, so we just let them swim around at their own free will. So it's time for a step up, and take on a bigger challenge. This is when we got our bird, or should I say her bird.

Let me introduce you to Marty.

First off, let me start by telling you we bought our budgie at Petsm**t. Now we all know buying from a big box store like that only makes it harder to train. When you use these stores, the birds are handled like freight, like another item to stock on the shelf. Then they stuff the birds in a small cage with about a hundred more birds. So naturally they start to bond with each other, they interact, and react with each other (one bird flies they all fly). Then you finally pick the one you want, and the birds first real encounter with a human is usually some punk high school kid who just reaches in and grabs him. Pulls him away from his friends and family to stuff him in a small dark box with little holes. No that's not scary at all, that's not going to have an effect on the birds opinion of people, he'll be fine, no problem right.......Wrong! This must have been pretty scary if not traumatizing. Next time I'll use a local breeder and get one for a little more money but already hand tame.

So you did the same thing I did. I felt sorry, what am I supposed to do? Little guy, stuck in a strange place, he can't leave. I'll save you birdie, we'll take you home and let you be free, kinda. First thing you notice is how gitty he is. He wants nothing to do with you, and would go to great extremes to not be touched by you, check out this video and you'll see what I mean.

Does your parakeet do this? We can help.

Rules of buying a bird:
A) Buy as young as possible
B) Buy a cage big enough for him flap his wings and stretch.
C) Have plenty of food on hand, never run out.
D) Provide a safe environment for him.
E) Buy a cuttle bone and a mirror.
F) They like to rip things apart. I use manila rope.
G) Ensure you have time to dedicate
H) Get him some treats too, they love millet.

Now you have a bird at home and he's afraid of everything and anything. We can get started.

(Week 1)
1. Firstly, leave him alone. Put the cage in a corner preferably, this way he doesn't have to watch 4 sides at all times, this will help him relax. He can sit in one position and see everything that's going on. If you don't have a corner put him in, put him up high. If nothing else, put a towel over his cage draping two sides. This will really help him be less jittery. It's nice if he can have some sun, but not full blown sun he can't hide from. Make sure to cover him at night and uncover him each day (this is a good chance to do some talking). Talk to him regularly, as you pass the cage, from across the room, and don't go in the cage, except to change the water and food. And for god's sake do this everyday. He will build a small amount of trust, he'll start to know you won't hurt him. I would leave him alone at least two weeks. Just talking to him as much as possible. Let him hear your voice and get accustomed to it. He will watch your every move and learn your daily routines. This makes a more stable home for him at first that he understands better.

(week 2-3)
2. When he's finally eating regular and chirping around, he is getting comfortable. This is a good thing. He knows you feed him and take care of him. He sees the same people everyday and starts to believe this is his "flock". Now the fun part, You're going to need a lot of patience. He is still not finger trained and this part takes time and patience. Bring the cage in a room that has little or no hiding places, (he will find them and you will be moving furniture to get him out, I promise). Once he's in the room and you got it birdie proof, turn off the lights. I mean a dark room, no lights at all. Go in his cage and put your finger under his chest closer to the leg side and lift up gently. Talk to him as you do this, so he knows it's you. Always use a soft voice and don't let him see you mad or frustrated. This will only scare him more. When he steps up just find a resting place for your hand and leave it there. He has no idea where he is sitting, and you'll show him soon enough. Do this every other night for a week, and try to do it at the same time, so he knows it's coming. Once he steps up on his own you can start the next step.

(week 4)
3. Now he's stepping up on your finger without even trying you say? Now the fun part. Grab a flash light, turn it on but standing on the floor (blocking the light). Once he's up on your finger, slowly pick up the flash light to lighten the room gradually. He still don't know it's you holding him, but he'll realize that as soon as his eyes adjust. Once he sees it, he'll probably jump off and panic. Don't worry put the light down (to darken again) give him time to adjust and start over. Work him like this daily or every other day. And soon you'll see he's sitting on your finger out of habit. It's becomes something he does all the time, but, at this point, in his cage (safe place) during the day he wouldn't consider going near you, this is all normal and will change as time passes. If you want to try to turn on the light in the room like i did, try. He might take well to it. Don't be let down if he's not completly trusting yet. If he spazzed out turn off the light and do it again. The trick is letting his eyes adjust to the dark.

Tricking him on our finger.

The lights were off for about 3 minutes or so.

(week 5-6)
4. So now he sits on your finger in his cage from the dark and he's not that jumpy, WOW! Now it's time to take him out of the cage. Still training in the almost dark, if you have any other pets this is the time to introduce them face to face, with no bars in between. Our cat is a good boy for the most part, he just want to smell him. We introduce them and talk to both the cat and the bird.

We remind the cat to be a "Good boy" and we pet him as he's checking out the bird. This way he associated the bird as family and wouldn't think to hurt him. Once he's had his fill, he'll walk away and get bored with the whole bird thing. Now have someone turn on a light in the other room. It'll be brighter than the flashlight, and it's like a shock to his eyes, and give you time to work with him. Always talking to him make step up over and over on your finger so he don't get distracted. His eyes will adjust and chances are he'll fly towards the light. Walk over there and pick him up with your finger, don't grab him roughly and break all the work you already did. He'll soon realize you're coming to his rescue. Do this as much as possible and be gentle with him. This is a scary thing for him and your his protector.

(week 7)
5. Once we got him used to being on our finger it was time to start doing it during the day. It feels like lost progress, but he has to put it together on his own and will soon be jumping up on your finger whistling Dixie. You'll be chasing him around his cage again, but it will all work out. Once you get him up on our finger, don't push it, let him see what's happening and adjust. Keep talking and drill the sound of your voice into his little brain. At one point you'll be able to take him out. Chances are if he sees his cage, he will take off for it. So I got a little trick for this, see video below.

Getting him out. takes a little practice.

You get him up and turn around quickly so he can't see his cage

Once he's out, take him to where he can't see the cage and won't be tempted. He will always try to go to the cage at first but with clipped wings he'll rarely make it, and you'll have to "Rescue him" and bring him up so he can reach. This develops a bond because you bring him back home every time. Using the same trick to get him away from the cage, do to get him back. So he don't fly from your finger but, step from your finger to his house.

(week 8)
6. You'll soon see, he finds it more interesting to hang out with you, rather than be alone in the cage. What I did was make it more accessible for him. I put some rope in places where I do things, like my computer for example. There's a rope going from a shelf to my computer monitor. He just sits there and watches me type. He finds that rather enjoyable and doesn't fly away. He also like watching us do dishes, he whistles with the sound of the water.

He also likes to sit on top of our laptop while the wife does her internet thing. There are certain places he he likes more than others. I found any of the curtain rods in the hose he likes. I think it's because he's so high and he can see the whole room. When he does fly down he'll wander the floor. Remember let the other animals check him out. If he's not in danger let them interact with each other. My cat is funny, he chases him while the bird comes in for a landing. The bird in turn lands and walk towards the cat and the cat don't know what to do so he jumps back. The bird want to check him out this time and the cats scared...lol it's hilarious

(the rest of time)
7. Soon your budgie will be interacting with you, you'll find him talking and squawking as you talk to people. He feels it's his contribution to the flock. And if we stop, he stops, it's so funny. He even tries yelling over us just to be heard, we acknowledge him and he stops. He just wants to talk that's all. They are social creatures that need interaction. Just don't ignore him and don't abuse him. Teach your kids why and how to treat the bird. Remind them that he is little, and he trusts them. They need to make sure he don't get hurt so he lives a long happy life.

Hope this helps I know it sure worked for me and I have video proof of it. Enjoy your bird, and remember he's a part of your family now, treat him like it. Once he's adjusted well you can put his cage anywhere. Try not to put him in direct sunlight he can't escape from. Birds are a shade loving animal.

Pet Parakeet Care: How to Choose the Best Parakeet

Picking a Parakeet - How to Choose the Best Parakeet

If you have made a decision to get a new pet to introduce to your family environment, and a Parakeet is the pet you want then be certain to pay some attention to the things that you want to have a look for and understand, when picking a parakeet.

You must make sure you are getting a healthy bird, and preferably from a reliable and reputable source, like a parakeet breeder, or respected pet store. Make your selection, based on what it is you want from your bird, either a friendly interactive companion, or something more beautiful that can be admired from a distance.

The way in which a bird is raised, either by humans or its natural parents, determines the way the bird will behave around folks.

To obtain a pet that is to be kept in an aviary and can be admired from a distance, consider a parent-raised parakeet, this way he has not yet been too affected by human intervention and will act more natural in his environment.

On the other hand, if you want a playful bird that will interact with family and pals, a hand-fed bird is a much better choice. These birds are removed from the nest at a very early age, at which time they are cared for by humans instead of the natural parents.

Picking a parakeet is really quite easy. Actually obtaining your parakeet needs some care. Picking a parakeet isn't something that you want to do gently, so make sure that you either (a) buy from a breeder (b) buy from a reputable pet store, or (c) Adopt a bird from an animal rescue shelter.

Parakeet Breeders dedicate a large part of their lives to parakeets, and are intensely knowledgeable when it comes to picking a parakeet. They are totally in tune with the care and training needed for your pet. One of the great things about purchasing from a reputable breeder is the fact that they are certain to coach you through the various stages of parakeet management.

An important thing to think about is that when you visit with the breeder, you need to naturally get the impression that the person loves birds, and that they are receptive to your questions both now and into the future.

Pet Stores should be reputable stores with a great reputation, and preferably with a specialty in birds. Picking a parakeet is a heavy consideration for you now, and the last thing you want is for a salesperson attempting to change your intelligence, or sell you things you do not want. Staff should be very knowledgeable and you must feel that you can approach them anytime after the sale, to gain help.

All animals in the store should appear healthy and clean, and food should be fresh. Take a little time and wander the store, conduct an investigation of sorts, and do not be afraid to ask questions.

Animal Shelters and bird rescue centers are a great source of animals, particularly birds. Birds are well cared for generally, receive all necessary health checks before being put up for adoption, and the cash you spend here, is usually going to a good cause as against somebody's mortgage.

Take a look at your local council guides for information about centers in your area.

Pet Parakeet Care: Home For a Parakeet

Home For a Parakeet - Best Tips to Make a Perfect Home

Before you bring your parakeet home to your folks you would like to ensure that you have everything he wants set up. If you're going to be housing him in a cage within, then an appropriate cage and accessories already set up and waiting for his arrival would be a great idea.

If on the other hand you're going to put your new bird in a bird house, you need to have all that set up outside, prepared to just open the door and set him free. Both options make a great home for parakeet.

With a cage option, you must ensure that the cage is spacious enough for the bird to feel space. They like to fly, forwards not upwards, and they like to climb too so there are a couple of things to think about when employing a cage as home for parakeet.

Firstly the scale of the cage, which is truly dependent on the amount of residents there'll be. As a minimum for one bird, the cage should be 16x16x16 inches, but there is not any harm in having a much bigger cage than this.

A special parakeet cage will come with a pull out bottom tray which keeps the bird away from droppings, and makes it straightforward to scrub the tray out.

You must confirm the birds head doesn't hit the apex of the cage that his tail doesn't touch the floor or sides, and there's plenty of room for him to stroll, climb and have a laugh.

Talking of climbing, parakeets love to climb. Ensure that the bars round the cage are horizontal as this provides a more comfortable climbing experience, instead of vertical bars. You also have to make sure that the bars are spaced suitably apart so that your pet can't put his head between them and strangle himself.

Ensure there are no sharp items in the cage environment and that there is not any lead anywhere. Lead can be lethal to birds. If on the other hand you are using an out of doors bird house for your new pet, and this can be home for a parakeet, guarantee there are no deadly plants or substances in the bird house. Make special care to see that there's no lead metals anywhere, nor any sharp objects the bird could fly into.

Again with the dimensions of the openings in the wire round the bird house, confirm there isn't any space for the bird to stab his head through. This can lead to hideous issues, completely avoidable by putting some attention to your home for a parakeet.

In every case, have lots of perches available. Differing kinds, and sizes mean the bird is inspired to get some great exercise, and with an outside bird house, really there's no limit. You may have small enclosures he'll fly into and hide, you may have tree branches, little bushes, natural water (pumped and filtered) pools, and lots of other items that keep him having a great time, and that gives him plenty of reason to play.

With an indoor cage confirm there's sufficient room within for him to get to his food and water. You may have rope perches, swings, and other decorative items for your new pet to play on, making a great home for a parakeet. Mirrors and bells have frequently been seen in parakeet cages.

Cages should be cleaned out frequently ensuring there isn't any waste around anywhere. Change and clean feeders daily and watch for dust and other particles getting into the environment.

Pet Parakeet Care: Buying a Parakeet Bird Cage

Buying a Parakeet Bird Cage - 4 Important Things to Know

When people speak of wanting a parrot as a pet, many times they are visualizing a parakeet. It is the term that is loosely applied to many small and medium long-tailed parrots including budgies and conures. So if you are thinking of bringing home one of these birds, you should first buy a parakeet bird cage. It is important that you have a home ready for your pet before you pick it up.

When looking for a parakeet bird cage there are a few things that you should know.

1. Size: Although parakeets are relatively smaller than many other birds they should not be housed in a cage smaller than 24"x16"x16". This is because your bird will need enough room to spread its wings fully. You should factor in the wingspan and room to spare in all directions.

A parakeet should never feel crunched for space from having its wings or tail brush against the sides when it tries to spread them. This will negatively impact their physical, and eventually, their mental well-being. So, as is the recommendation with any bird cage, you should pick up the largest parakeet cage you can afford.

Since parakeets do like to nest with each other, you can get a really big cage and keep two or three of them together. Many parakeet cages come with multiple feeder bowls and water bottles to accommodate such an arrangement. But you should avoid housing a parakeet with other kinds of parrots as this can lead to behavioral problems.

2. Shape: Whatever size cage you are able to afford, it is key to note that parakeets benefit more from a wide rather than a tall cage as the birds tend to fly back and forth. Height almost tends to get wasted in regards to flight but it may come in handy if you have perches at varied levels to encourage climbing.

In terms of the recommended shape of the cage, a rectangular one with one side of the parakeet cage against the wall will probably make the bird feel most secure. Repeatedly, we hear parrot experts say that a round cage is not the best idea.

3. Bars: Given the small size of the parakeet, the cage you choose should have bar spaced no more than ½ an inch apart. A wider spacing may tempt the bird to push its head through and this can be dangerous as it can get stuck in that position. Speaking of bar spacing, experts recommend that two cage walls with horizontal bars may be ideal for parakeets as they love to climb.

4. Type of Material: The next question is what material is ideal for a parakeet cage. Stainless steel tops the list of recommendations and wrought iron and cold rolled steel are also candidates.

Stainless steel is easy to maintain and rust resistant and this is the reason it the material of choice. Avoid cages made of brass, lead, galvanized steel or zinc as these can be toxic for the parakeets.

Parakeets like to chew and explore and they may ingest poisonous tarnish or rust that can cause serious harm. This is the also the reason to keep a constant eye out for chipped paint or dislodged metal. Look for a cage that is made with naturally treated materials rather than ones that use too many chemical elements.

With this list in hand, you will have no trouble locating the perfect parakeet bird cage.