New parakeet dad

Five.five_six

New member
Jun 17, 2020
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Full disclosure, this is a joint account shared by myself and my son who it the brand new keeper of a young parakeet named Azul. My wife an I bought our son the largest cage we could fit in his bedroom for his birthday some time back and just recently we went to Petco and to investigate getting a bird. While I was busy talking the ear off the poor sales associate (I’m not real bright, I should have done more listening and less talking) my son was very quietly bonding with this beautiful bird in the display. Well that was it, we ended up buying everything, and I mean everything that the sales associate mentioned we might possibly need... except a squirt bottle.. which I should probably go back and get....


I’ve spent enough time on this planet to know that even with the two books and stack of Petco marketing brochures that we are reading through, I have no idea what I am doing. I’m a member of several other online forums, with the same screen name, and I have found the wealth of experience available is invaluable in pursuit of my hobbies and interests.


My intent is for my son to take responsibility for his animal, and Ill keep an eye on him. Not too close but never very far away.

Enough about us, here is Azul:



yszd3e.jpg
 
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birbsRcool

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Jun 15, 2020
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Cage is a good size! Make sure Azul has time outside of its cage, about 2 weeks later. After a week, try putting your hand in the cage, repeat until it isn't scared. :D

3 toys is a good amount,if you get some make sure to arrange them around every month or so ;) and make sure you have some natural wood perches! :)

I recommend taking Azul to an avian vet ASAP, you should after getting a bird. Especially if said bird is from a pet store! What things (especially food) did the store employee tell you to buy? Most employees at pet stores are wrong about cage size, food, etc.

Anyways, welcome to the forum, and if you want to learn some common acronyms/abbreviations on here, click this link, it takes you to the thread:

http://www.parrotforums.com/new-members-welcome/83912-common-forum-acronyms-abbreviations.html

Congrats on your new fid!
 

LaManuka

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Hello and welcome to you and your new baby Five.five_six! That's a pretty little birdie you have there :)

For now I would just feed whatever Azul was eating at the pet shop, there will be plenty of time to adjust to a healthier diet in a few months or so.

I recommend the following link to help you start building a relationship with your new buddy...

http://www.parrotforums.com/budgies-parakeets/72068-taming-bonding-budgerigars-tips-beginners.html

It was written by our resident budgie whisperer "reeb" and has lots of helpful info.

Congrats on the new baby and thanks for joining :)
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Diet should be pellets, vegetables and grains (some are unsafe, so research) and minimal fruit, with a few healthy seeds.

NO garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, onions, scallions, rhubarb, tomato, mushrooms,celery (due to strings), chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, salt (except in very small amounts), avocado, sugar (except in very small amounts), no coffee (even decaf), certain beans are unsafe even when cooked (due to various toxins, including aflatoxins) and no canned beans should be given regularly due to salt and preservative content....no peanuts (due to aflatoxins and aspergillus risk) and no sunflower seeds (except in EXTREME moderation, as treats).
Oh-- and NO apple seeds or fruit pits!
Also- no artificial sweeteners for the most part, although a few aren't deadly, almost all cause digestive upset...


AH- almost forgot-- NO HONEY and limit cirtrus fruit to VERY small amounts if you feed it. For a large cockatoo that weighs over 1lb, the vet said 1 tangerine slice was okay per week. For a smaller bird, it will be much less.
 
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noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
This person (see link below) is new too and all of the stuff I posted to them, I would also post to you. Follow the link and then watch the videos/read my posts and see all of the other links I posted for that person LOL!

Welcome, BTW!

http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/86168-cage-question.html

^lots of info above (and most of it has nothing to do with the cage lol!). Scroll down and read my "novel" after watching the video- then see the links. :)

Also- as stated in the first link, the parrot should be in the main hub of your house (other than the kitchen)...Don't freak him out by trying to move his cage with him in it, but know that it is important for them to be where the family spends most of their time. Birds are flock animal, and therefore, a whole-family commitment/pet.
 
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birbsRcool

Active member
Jun 15, 2020
165
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41
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Parrots
1 cockatiel named pikachu^^
Diet should be pellets, vegetables and grains (some are unsafe, so research) and minimal fruit, with a few healthy seeds.

NO garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, onions, scallions, rhubarb, tomato, mushrooms,celery (due to strings), chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, salt (except in very small amounts), avocado, sugar (except in very small amounts), no coffee (even decaf), certain beans are unsafe even when cooked (due to various toxins, including aflatoxins) and no canned beans should be given regularly due to salt and preservative content....no peanuts (due to aflatoxins and aspergillus risk) and no sunflower seeds (except in EXTREME moderation, as treats).
Oh-- and NO apple seeds or fruit pits!
Also- no artificial sweeteners for the most part, although a few aren't deadly, almost all cause digestive upset...


AH- almost forgot-- NO HONEY and limit cirtrus fruit to VERY small amounts if you feed it. For a large cockatoo that weighs over 1lb, the vet said 1 tangerine slice was okay per week. For a smaller bird, it will be much less.

Oh my god... thank you so much for writing this!!! my cockatiel has sunflower seeds almost everyday (or i think they are sunflower seeds?) Are they okay with tiels? i'll feed them much less...!
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Diet should be pellets, vegetables and grains (some are unsafe, so research) and minimal fruit, with a few healthy seeds.

NO garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, onions, scallions, rhubarb, tomato, mushrooms,celery (due to strings), chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, salt (except in very small amounts), avocado, sugar (except in very small amounts), no coffee (even decaf), certain beans are unsafe even when cooked (due to various toxins, including aflatoxins) and no canned beans should be given regularly due to salt and preservative content....no peanuts (due to aflatoxins and aspergillus risk) and no sunflower seeds (except in EXTREME moderation, as treats).
Oh-- and NO apple seeds or fruit pits!
Also- no artificial sweeteners for the most part, although a few aren't deadly, almost all cause digestive upset...


AH- almost forgot-- NO HONEY and limit cirtrus fruit to VERY small amounts if you feed it. For a large cockatoo that weighs over 1lb, the vet said 1 tangerine slice was okay per week. For a smaller bird, it will be much less.

Oh my god... thank you so much for writing this!!! my cockatiel has sunflower seeds almost everyday (or i think they are sunflower seeds?) Are they okay with tiels? i'll feed them much less...!

If you feed a few daily it is fine (but it should be a special treat)-- they are like crack to them and they contain very little nutrients (plus they are very high in fat) so you end up with a bird who isn't getting the nutrition needed because he/she is filling up on junk (when they are given without parameters). They don't contain a toxin, but they can lead to malnutrition, obesity and liver issues is given as regular food (over time).

You will find peanuts and sunflowers in lots of mixes but it's because they are cheap and birds like them. Avoid both---and I would avoid peanuts altogether. They actually have a toxin in them, whereas sunflower seeds are to parrots as Takis are to me LOL.
 
Last edited:

birbsRcool

Active member
Jun 15, 2020
165
Media
2
41
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Parrots
1 cockatiel named pikachu^^
Diet should be pellets, vegetables and grains (some are unsafe, so research) and minimal fruit, with a few healthy seeds.

NO garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, onions, scallions, rhubarb, tomato, mushrooms,celery (due to strings), chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, salt (except in very small amounts), avocado, sugar (except in very small amounts), no coffee (even decaf), certain beans are unsafe even when cooked (due to various toxins, including aflatoxins) and no canned beans should be given regularly due to salt and preservative content....no peanuts (due to aflatoxins and aspergillus risk) and no sunflower seeds (except in EXTREME moderation, as treats).
Oh-- and NO apple seeds or fruit pits!
Also- no artificial sweeteners for the most part, although a few aren't deadly, almost all cause digestive upset...


AH- almost forgot-- NO HONEY and limit cirtrus fruit to VERY small amounts if you feed it. For a large cockatoo that weighs over 1lb, the vet said 1 tangerine slice was okay per week. For a smaller bird, it will be much less.

Oh my god... thank you so much for writing this!!! my cockatiel has sunflower seeds almost everyday (or i think they are sunflower seeds?) Are they okay with tiels? i'll feed them much less...!

If you feed a few daily it is fine-- but they are like crack to them and they contain very little nutrients (plus they are very high in fat) so you end up with a bird who isn't getting the nutrition needed because he/she is filling up on junk (when they are given without parameters). They don't contain a toxin, but they can lead to malnutrition, obesity and liver issues is given as regular food (over time).

You will find peanuts and sunflowers in lots of mixes but it's because they are cheap and birds like them. Avoid both---and I would avoid peanuts altogether. They actually have a toxin in them, whereas sunflower seeds are to parrots as Takis are to me LOL.

I'll try taking them out of his food bowl... he is converting to pellets thats why theres seeds
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
You can still feed some seeds (although it should be a small part of their diet)and you don't want to convert too fast, although you are wise to do so. Sunflowers (in particular) should be limited for sure (they are a good training treat).
Even once you convert to pellets, some seeds are okay (it would be a natural part of their diet). The issue is, they aren't active enough to justify the calorie input in captivity and seeds don't have the vitamins they would get with a more varied diet in the wild (hence the importance of chop and pellets). seeds aren't their main course in the wild-- they might find a few every so often, but never a giant bowl lol!

Either way, they are stubborn, so don't cut them off from what they know too quickly! They are one of teh few animals that will starve out of sheer stubbornness!
 
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Five.five_six

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Jun 17, 2020
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Dad here

You guys are great! Thanks so much, it’s nice to have all the pointers so we have the confidence of knowing we arn't inadvertently doing something terribly wrong. It’s helps to make the whole experience so far more enjoyable :)
 
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Five.five_six

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This is the picture of him with his feathers fluffed up. I 'm worried because I've never seen him do that before, is it ok?

And the other picture is that to many or to small amount of carrot pieces that I should give to Azul. Is that a good size and amount?
 

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noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
472
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
This is the picture of him with his feathers fluffed up. I 'm worried because I've never seen him do that before, is it ok?

And the other picture is that to many or to small amount of carrot pieces that I should give to Azul. Is that a good size and amount?

I don't have a parakeet, but we did growing up, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but here's my opinion:

If he eats it all, that is a lot. If he only picks at it and wastes most, that is okay. He's small, so if the total portion (unchopped or chopped) is the size of his head, that is like you eating something the size of your head, so that is kind of a helpful reference when you think about portions. You want to make sure he has a variety--- if he fills up on only one thing and you give him a lot of it, then he won't have the desire to try other foods.
So long-term, I would shoot for more variety and smaller portions of individual veggies at one time (look up parakeet chop recipes)---also, maybe chop it up a bit smaller (but some of that will come down to your bird's preference).
Very cute!
 

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