Is a moustache parakeet good fist bird

teil · Feb 23, 2017

Hi! I'm planning on getting a bird shortly and have done research on the standard cockatiel, budgie and GCC but after watching a video which contained a moustache parakeet in it I have fallen in love with them. So my question is if they'd make a good first bird? I'm in year 8 and are gone from 7.30am from sometimes as late as 6pm but while I'm home I'm devoted to giving this bird the attention it needs. Also the cage size you have your birdie in or you recommend for this type of bird. Any and all opinions would be appreciated

Oli · Feb 23, 2017

Hello!
I'm 18, and I've had my Juliet since I was 16, so I understand what befriending a bird young is like. I assume you're around 14?

Anyways! I'm going to give you a lot of billeted advice that I think is very important...

-a mustache (red bellied) parakeet would be about as high maintenance as a conure in terms of attention, so the breed isn't a problem. They are generally really sweet and intelligent.

-when/ if you get the bird, make sure you do your research on reputable breeders. No inbreeding, lots of hand training and hand feeding, etc.
-or you could consider a rescue!
- it's really important for a birds health that seeds are at MOST 10% of the diet. I know it's a common misconception that they should be eating all seeds, but they are really fatty. I would even say absolutely NO peanuts or sunflower seeds at all.
- because of this, there are things called pellet mixes that you can try and transition a bird into. (My favorite are Harrison's high potency. They are all the same color so the bird won't throw out colors they don't "like" and they are really nutritious)
- but, do not just try to give a bird pellets cold turkey. It's likely any bird you find will be on seeds, so you'll need to introduce them slowly by mixing and association, eat some yourself too (I know it's weird lol, but it helps way more than you'd think)
- fruits and veggies should make up 20-30% of the diet for sure as well.

So just from that so far I hope you're ready for how expensive even their diet can be, haha.

Further on cages...
- never a rounded cage, birds need corners
- I am not exaggerating when I say this. Get literally THE LARGEST cage you can afford/ and fit in your house. Even for small birds
- it should be absolutely filled with toys. No mirrors if you want to avoid aggression
- you need to clean the paper every few days and the whole cage at least every other week, so maybe not too big If that'll be really hard on you.
- do NOT use bleach or any cleaners not made for birds, aside from gentle soaps and hot water. I use vinegar and sun for disinfectant of some things.

Another thing, balancing your birdie and School may be tough, but hey I'm a full time college student and I do it! Just spoil him rotten to make up for the few hours lol.

I just really want to make sure you know that you need lots of time and patience for this commitment. They can snap, bite, ignore, whatever. It can be totally heartbreaking and you can't take it personally. It's just not a good time for them sometimes.

This is also a LOOONG time friend... years and years.

Sorry if this is a lot of info but I just really want to make sure you're prepared!!!

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Oli · Feb 23, 2017

Ah.. and no more perfume, air freshener, or teflon ok? Lol.

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chris-md · Feb 23, 2017

Good advice. But I wouldn't say no sunflower seeds. They are actually quite healthy. The issue is when they are fed exclusively a seed diet, the mixes for which are heavy on sunflower seeds. They do in fact have a place in a healthy balanced diet.

teil · Feb 23, 2017

Oli said:
Hello!
I'm 18, and I've had my Juliet since I was 16, so I understand what befriending a bird young is like. I assume you're around 14?

Anyways! I'm going to give you a lot of billeted advice that I think is very important...

-a mustache (red bellied) parakeet would be about as high maintenance as a conure in terms of attention, so the breed isn't a problem. They are generally really sweet and intelligent.

-when/ if you get the bird, make sure you do your research on reputable breeders. No inbreeding, lots of hand training and hand feeding, etc.
-or you could consider a rescue!
- it's really important for a birds health that seeds are at MOST 10% of the diet. I know it's a common misconception that they should be eating all seeds, but they are really fatty. I would even say absolutely NO peanuts or sunflower seeds at all.
- because of this, there are things called pellet mixes that you can try and transition a bird into. (My favorite are Harrison's high potency. They are all the same color so the bird won't throw out colors they don't "like" and they are really nutritious)
- but, do not just try to give a bird pellets cold turkey. It's likely any bird you find will be on seeds, so you'll need to introduce them slowly by mixing and association, eat some yourself too (I know it's weird lol, but it helps way more than you'd think)
- fruits and veggies should make up 20-30% of the diet for sure as well.

So just from that so far I hope you're ready for how expensive even their diet can be, haha.

Further on cages...
- never a rounded cage, birds need corners
- I am not exaggerating when I say this. Get literally THE LARGEST cage you can afford/ and fit in your house. Even for small birds
- it should be absolutely filled with toys. No mirrors if you want to avoid aggression
- you need to clean the paper every few days and the whole cage at least every other week, so maybe not too big If that'll be really hard on you.
- do NOT use bleach or any cleaners not made for birds, aside from gentle soaps and hot water. I use vinegar and sun for disinfectant of some things.

Another thing, balancing your birdie and School may be tough, but hey I'm a full time college student and I do it! Just spoil him rotten to make up for the few hours lol.

I just really want to make sure you know that you need lots of time and patience for this commitment. They can snap, bite, ignore, whatever. It can be totally heartbreaking and you can't take it personally. It's just not a good time for them sometimes.

This is also a LOOONG time friend... years and years.

Sorry if this is a lot of info but I just really want to make sure you're prepared!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So they'd need roughly 3-4 hours of attention? And thanks for all the great tips [emoji4]

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Oli · Feb 23, 2017

Oh they need a lot more than that lol... as much as you can give them. Parrots need a LOT of love and attention if you're keeping them without another bird... as much as you can give

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GaleriaGila · Feb 23, 2017

Good for you, for reaching out and researching. You seem like a very sincere and receptive person. I have had my bird for a long time. He's old enough to be your father! lol
Anyway, I wish you a long and wonderful relationship.

teil · Mar 7, 2017

Oli said:
Oh they need a lot more than that lol... as much as you can give them. Parrots need a LOT of love and attention if you're keeping them without another bird... as much as you can give

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I was just wondering as that's probably the absolute most time I can dedicate to one during the week because of things like school

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Is a moustache parakeet good fist bird

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