Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Parakeets as Pets

By Cathy Doggins


Budgies or Parakeets are the most popular kind of parrot. They can be found in pet stores around the world. They are easy to maintain and are full of vitality and character. Birds are social creatures that like to interact with toys, chatter and interact with their owners and as social animals, other birds. Actually, it's believed that there are over 5,000,000 birds found in natural settings in nations such as Japan, Brazil, Florida and Columbia.

When shopping for a parakeet or budgie look for a younger bird. Look for signs such as black eyes, and stripes just behind the bare skin around the birds nostrils. In older birds, the stripes lead from the eyes across the head and the eyes are white. Parakeets continually chatter and can talk if taught when young. '

The birds can be found in a variety of colors. Budgies are best known for having a vibrant green body and a yellow face. Other coloring includes black edged feathers and a blue dot on the cheek. The end of the budgies beak is brown. The birds are skilled at self grooming the feathers. Breeders have mixed parakeets to create a rainbow of colors. This includes colors such as yellow, blue, white, gray and spots of lighter colours. The most healthy parakeets are green.

Younger birds can be trained. The wings of young birds can be clipped for easier handling and to avoid injury if the bird falls out of your hands. Birds are first taught the proper way to hop onto a finger. Say a word that the bird will associate with the action. Once the bird makes the connection, he or she will step on a finger each time the parakeet hears the word. Sessions should take place each day until the targeted behavior is understood.

Feed your parakeet to a variety of foods when young. This will make a familiarity with foods that will be used throughout the birds life. Parakeets eat a mix of seeds. The main seed is white millet. To make sure that the bird stays in good health, this may be mixed with vitamin enriched seeds. The diet should also be comprised of dark green plants, and fruit slices such as apple or grapes. If an owner intends to breed a bird, or when the bird is young, also include an egg based supplement or a boiled egg. Instead of fortified food, an owner can provide a vitamin supplement in a water bottle.

These steps and a clean hygienic bird cage will lead to a long relationship between you and your budgie.




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