Parakeet food?

[Blazer]

I would void mirrors in general. Again, you don't know if they will get along and even if they do, one or both could still obsess over the mirror

How many pellets per day should I give each of my 2 Budgies? (Wants I get them)

 

[noodles123]

It depends-- if you get 2, I'd have 2 different food and water dishes and quarantine them in separate rooms w/ careful washing for the first 45 days.


Once they are in, you can't know that they will get along, but make sure they have their own food/water.


They do need some seeds and you should never cut them from what they are used to without taking the time to make sure they are actually eating it (a gram scale with a perch is also helpful for this reason). As grass-foraging parrots, they would get some seeds- but the issue is that they need to fly etc in the wild and they may or may not in captivity (which is why seeds shouldn't be their only diet).


Veg and fruit should be daily, with more fruit than veg (but not all fruit/veg are safe so you should look into that as well).


Make sure that the pellets you use are budgie-size and ask the breeder what they are used to (or the person you get them from)


If you totally change an unhealthy bird's diet without making sure they are actually eating, they can starve because they can be super picky and stubborn.

 

[Blazer]

It depends-- if you get 2, I'd have 2 different food and water dishes and quarantine them in separate rooms w/ careful washing for the first 45 days.


Once they are in, you can't know that they will get along, but make sure they have their own food/water.


They do need some seeds and you should never cut them from what they are used to without taking the time to make sure they are actually eating it (a gram scale with a perch is also helpful for this reason). As grass-foraging parrots, they would get some seeds- but the issue is that they need to fly etc in the wild and they may or may not in captivity (which is why seeds shouldn't be their only diet).


Veg and fruit should be daily, with more fruit than veg (but not all fruit/veg are safe so you should look into that as well).


Make sure that the pellets you use are budgie-size and ask the breeder what they are used to (or the person you get them from)


If you totally change an unhealthy bird's diet without making sure they are actually eating, they can starve because they can be super picky and stubborn.

Why quarantine them for 45 days?

 

[noodles123]

It depends-- if you get 2, I'd have 2 different food and water dishes and quarantine them in separate rooms w/ careful washing for the first 45 days.


Once they are in, you can't know that they will get along, but make sure they have their own food/water.


They do need some seeds and you should never cut them from what they are used to without taking the time to make sure they are actually eating it (a gram scale with a perch is also helpful for this reason). As grass-foraging parrots, they would get some seeds- but the issue is that they need to fly etc in the wild and they may or may not in captivity (which is why seeds shouldn't be their only diet).


Veg and fruit should be daily, with more fruit than veg (but not all fruit/veg are safe so you should look into that as well).


Make sure that the pellets you use are budgie-size and ask the breeder what they are used to (or the person you get them from)


If you totally change an unhealthy bird's diet without making sure they are actually eating, they can starve because they can be super picky and stubborn.

Why quarantine them for 45 days?

Unless they have been together since birth or close to that amount of time, they can spread disease to others (especially during times of stress-- as are typical in a new-home setting). They can be contagious with a deadly illness and never show a single sign of sickness if they are a carrier/asymptomatic. The 45 days allows both birds time to get checked for viruses etc separately and also diminishes the risk of asymptomatic birds spreading to healthy birds--asymptomatic birds can shed viruses and bacteria that kill even non-stressed birds (kind of like covid) only these carriers last a lifetime and can also produce false negatives because they only shed the virus when stressed. You need to use that time to make sure both birds are genuinely healthy and also to avoid that stress window when a bird could test negative but still spread bad stuff to a stressed bird.


If 2 birds have already been together in close proximity for many months, they don't need to be quarantined in the same way... BUT, if you had a bird for, say, 2 years , 1 month or even 1 day, and then bought another from the same pet store, they would need to be quarantined and, ideally, tested (the only reason you wouldn't need to quarantine a new bird is if they were apparently healthy and had already spent an extended amount of time with your current birds in very close quarters--aka- same cage).

 

[noodles123]

If a pair is exhibiting bonding behavior and has been doing so for a few weeks- months etc, then they have likely been exposed to a virus already at high levels (having engaged in said behavior- although even this is not certain).


Even in an aviary setting, if a bird gets sick, they still say to isolate that bird from the others.

The scariest thing is that viruses can spread without symptoms and that they shed better when birds are stressed but asymptomatic. Similarly, a stressed bird is more likely to contract a virus, so 2 new in the same house=risky without quarantine etc.

 

[Blazer]

If a pair is exhibiting bonding behavior and has been doing so for a few weeks- months etc, then they have likely been exposed to a virus already at high levels (having engaged in said behavior- although even this is not certain).


Even in an aviary setting, if a bird gets sick, they still say to isolate that bird from the others.

The scariest thing is that viruses can spread without symptoms and that they shed better when birds are stressed but asymptomatic. Similarly, a stressed bird is more likely to contract a virus, so 2 new in the same house=risky without quarantine etc.

I have found a Budgie toy, except it seems to have some type of color that comes off of it, kind of like chalk, is it okay for 2 Budgies to play with?
Link- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085XSXYYZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Blazer]

It depends-- if you get 2, I'd have 2 different food and water dishes and quarantine them in separate rooms w/ careful washing for the first 45 days.


Once they are in, you can't know that they will get along, but make sure they have their own food/water.


They do need some seeds and you should never cut them from what they are used to without taking the time to make sure they are actually eating it (a gram scale with a perch is also helpful for this reason). As grass-foraging parrots, they would get some seeds- but the issue is that they need to fly etc in the wild and they may or may not in captivity (which is why seeds shouldn't be their only diet).


Veg and fruit should be daily, with more fruit than veg (but not all fruit/veg are safe so you should look into that as well).


Make sure that the pellets you use are budgie-size and ask the breeder what they are used to (or the person you get them from)


If you totally change an unhealthy bird's diet without making sure they are actually eating, they can starve because they can be super picky and stubborn.

Thank You, but I am still confused about how many pellets and seeds I should give them per day?

 

[noodles123]

They generally won't eat all of them.. You will dump out a lot of perfectly good food (that's just how it is).

I just fill my bird's bowl about 1/2 way or so-- being mindful of the fact that empty seeds can land in the bowl and make it look full when it is not actually full at all-- so no matter how full it looks, keep changing it daily. If you have an over-eater, you may have to adjust the plan..but I don't have an exact amount that I give-- just 1/2 to 3/4 of the bowl filled (there WILL be a lot of waste if you fill it that much)...**BUT** it also depends on what you have in your mix-- I'd never fill her bowl halfway with something like sunflower seeds--- those are like crack. Try to use a healthier seed mix, but also, do not cut them off what they know cold-turkey or they can starve from stubbornness.



Keep track of your bird's weight as well so that you know if he/she is gaining or losing

 

[Blazer]

They generally won't eat all of them.. You will dump out a lot of perfectly good food (that's just how it is).

I just fill my bird's bowl about 1/2 way or so-- being mindful of the fact that empty seeds can land in the bowl and make it look full when it is not actually full at all-- so no matter how full it looks, keep changing it daily. If you have an over-eater, you may have to adjust the plan..but I don't have an exact amount that I give-- just 1/2 to 3/4 of the bowl filled (there WILL be a lot of waste if you fill it that much)...**BUT** it also depends on what you have in your mix-- I'd never fill her bowl halfway with something like sunflower seeds--- those are like crack. Try to use a healthier seed mix, but also, do not cut them off what they know cold-turkey or they can starve from stubbornness.



Keep track of your bird's weight as well so that you know if he/she is gaining or losing

Thank You so much!! Getting my Budgie tomorrow! Can you answer this one last question?

I have found a Budgie toy, except it seems to have some type of color that comes off of it, kind of like chalk, is it okay for 2 Budgies to play with?
Link- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[noodles123]

They generally won't eat all of them.. You will dump out a lot of perfectly good food (that's just how it is).

I just fill my bird's bowl about 1/2 way or so-- being mindful of the fact that empty seeds can land in the bowl and make it look full when it is not actually full at all-- so no matter how full it looks, keep changing it daily. If you have an over-eater, you may have to adjust the plan..but I don't have an exact amount that I give-- just 1/2 to 3/4 of the bowl filled (there WILL be a lot of waste if you fill it that much)...**BUT** it also depends on what you have in your mix-- I'd never fill her bowl halfway with something like sunflower seeds--- those are like crack. Try to use a healthier seed mix, but also, do not cut them off what they know cold-turkey or they can starve from stubbornness.



Keep track of your bird's weight as well so that you know if he/she is gaining or losing

Thank You so much!! Getting my Budgie tomorrow! Can you answer this one last question?

I have found a Budgie toy, except it seems to have some type of color that comes off of it, kind of like chalk, is it okay for 2 Budgies to play with?
Link- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I couldn't see the link-- I tried. Where is it manufactured and what is the chalky stuff? You need to find out what it's made of-- you can call or look at the label...Is it a calcium supplement possibly (attached as part of the toy?)


Congratulations, by the way!!!!


what kind of perches do you have? Even if you don't have them by tomorrow, you want to use perches with variation along the perch --- dowel perches alone can lead to bumblefoot and arthritis, but this doesn't happen overnight or anything (it's important to get better perches if you don't have them, but it doesn't have to happen this second-- it's just often easier if you introduce them upfront because everything will be new tomorrow anyway, so a change will be scary (but so will all of it lol)




You will definitly want more than one toy, but also keep in mind that your new bird may be scared of the toys, so maybe start with 1 or 2 and then increase it as your bird adjusts-- if your bird is scared of new objects, place them in the room from a few feet away and let him/her get used to them over the course of a few days..Then you can move them a bit closer etc and eventually (before finally putting them in). Once you have trust established, make sure your bird actually knows what the toys are for by standing a bit in the distance but pretending to have fun with the toy (nothing crazy, but just act like you really like it and use key phrases about it).


Talk around your bird about what you are doing as you do it (even when you aren't right there). If you are picking something up off the ground, say "picking up this paper"..if you take out the trash, say: "taking out the trash"..Think of a 2 year old who is learning a language-- without exposure they do not learn as much and the more you label/talk about what you are doing, the more your bird will associate words with activities-- leading to a calmer bird (because he/she can better anticipate based on words/routines etc).


For instance-- the broom used to TERRIFY Noodles. I started sweeping far away from her, but let her see me with it from a distance and I said, "sweeping the floor! yay!"-- I tried to make it seem really happy and fun but I always said "getting the broom" or "sweeping" and now she knows what that means and is far less scared of the broom because she knows what I do with it and I can talk about the objects because she knows their names due to exposure over time/constant narration.



This also builds trust because it doesn't require you to get in their face but it gives you things to say and gets them used to hearing you (while learning vocab associated with common routines).

 

[Blazer]

They generally won't eat all of them.. You will dump out a lot of perfectly good food (that's just how it is).

I just fill my bird's bowl about 1/2 way or so-- being mindful of the fact that empty seeds can land in the bowl and make it look full when it is not actually full at all-- so no matter how full it looks, keep changing it daily. If you have an over-eater, you may have to adjust the plan..but I don't have an exact amount that I give-- just 1/2 to 3/4 of the bowl filled (there WILL be a lot of waste if you fill it that much)...**BUT** it also depends on what you have in your mix-- I'd never fill her bowl halfway with something like sunflower seeds--- those are like crack. Try to use a healthier seed mix, but also, do not cut them off what they know cold-turkey or they can starve from stubbornness.



Keep track of your bird's weight as well so that you know if he/she is gaining or losing

Thank You so much!! Getting my Budgie tomorrow! Can you answer this one last question?

I have found a Budgie toy, except it seems to have some type of color that comes off of it, kind of like chalk, is it okay for 2 Budgies to play with?
Link- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I couldn't see the link-- I tried. Where is it manufactured and what is the chalky stuff? You need to find out what it's made of-- you can call or look at the label...Is it a calcium supplement possibly (attached as part of the toy?)


Congratulations, by the way!!!!


what kind of perches do you have? Even if you don't have them by tomorrow, you want to use perches with variation along the perch --- dowel perches alone can lead to bumblefoot and arthritis, but this doesn't happen overnight or anything (it's important to get better perches if you don't have them, but it doesn't have to happen this second-- it's just often easier if you introduce them upfront because everything will be new tomorrow anyway, so a change will be scary (but so will all of it lol)




You will definitly want more than one toy, but also keep in mind that your new bird may be scared of the toys, so maybe start with 1 or 2 and then increase it as your bird adjusts-- if your bird is scared of new objects, place them in the room from a few feet away and let him/her get used to them over the course of a few days..Then you can move them a bit closer etc and eventually (before finally putting them in). Once you have trust established, make sure your bird actually knows what the toys are for by standing a bit in the distance but pretending to have fun with the toy (nothing crazy, but just act like you really like it and use key phrases about it).


Talk around your bird about what you are doing as you do it (even when you aren't right there). If you are picking something up off the ground, say "picking up this paper"..if you take out the trash, say: "taking out the trash"..Think of a 2 year old who is learning a language-- without exposure they do not learn as much and the more you label/talk about what you are doing, the more your bird will associate words with activities-- leading to a calmer bird (because he/she can better anticipate based on words/routines etc).


For instance-- the broom used to TERRIFY Noodles. I started sweeping far away from her, but let her see me with it from a distance and I said, "sweeping the floor! yay!"-- I tried to make it seem really happy and fun but I always said "getting the broom" or "sweeping" and now she knows what that means and is far less scared of the broom because she knows what I do with it and I can talk about the objects because she knows their names due to exposure over time/constant narration.



This also builds trust because it doesn't require you to get in their face but it gives you things to say and gets them used to hearing you (while learning vocab associated with common routines).

Thank You!
I have 5 different types of perches with different textures, and sizes.
For the chalk toy, the website says it is a "molar toy" and that all toys are "made of natural materials and dyed with natural food coloring. Purely handmade, safe and beautiful."

 

[noodles123]

I haven't heard of those. Is it for birds specifically and did you read reviews about it?

 

[Blazer]

I haven't heard of those. Is it for birds specifically and did you read reviews about it?

Yes, it says it is for birds and mentions Budgies specifically. I also read a ton of reviews and they all talk about how good the toys are. Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars with 111 ratings.

 

[noodles123]

I haven't heard of those. Is it for birds specifically and did you read reviews about it?

Yes, it says it is for birds and mentions Budgies specifically. I also read a ton of reviews and they all talk about how good the toys are. Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars with 111 ratings.

I think I know what you are talking about after Googling it. I'm guessing its pumice or grinding stone for the beak. As long as your bird isn't eating chunks of it at a time, I doubt it will be an issue (given those reviews etc---ALTHOUGH, you could call the company if you wanted to verify, as I am just sort of guessing, so don't quote me, but the material looks a lot like the perches that are made of a similar material for grinding (although I don't remember those being super powdery to the point of rubbing on hands--- calcium blocks do sometimes do that though.


Again, KEEP US POSTED and take it slow-- so glad you stuck around-- can't wait to hear updates!

 

[Blazer]

I haven't heard of those. Is it for birds specifically and did you read reviews about it?

Yes, it says it is for birds and mentions Budgies specifically. I also read a ton of reviews and they all talk about how good the toys are. Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars with 111 ratings.

I think I know what you are talking about after Googling it. I'm guessing its pumice or grinding stone for the beak. As long as your bird isn't eating chunks of it at a time, I doubt it will be an issue (given those reviews etc---ALTHOUGH, you could call the company if you wanted to verify, as I am just sort of guessing, so don't quote me, but the material looks a lot like the perches that are made of a similar material for grinding (although I don't remember those being super powdery to the point of rubbing on hands--- calcium blocks do sometimes do that though.


Again, KEEP US POSTED and take it slow-- so glad you stuck around-- can't wait to hear updates!

Will do! Again Thank You for the help!

 

[noodles123]

Anytime-- I wish I had better answers to some of your questions, but I look forward to hearing more about your journey!


BTW-- since this is new to you etc, there is a very recent thread that talks a lot about how to build trust and what not to do. Every one of us makes mistakes but it's kind of a helpful overview for things to consider with a new bird http://www.parrotforums.com/behavioral/88795-new-gcc-attacking-hands.html <-- if you are interested, that's the thread.

 

[Blazer]

Anytime-- I wish I had better answers to some of your questions, but I look forward to hearing more about your journey!


BTW-- since this is new to you etc, there is a very recent thread that talks a lot about how to build trust and what not to do. Every one of us makes mistakes but it's kind of a helpful overview for things to consider with a new bird http://www.parrotforums.com/behavioral/88795-new-gcc-attacking-hands.html <-- if you are interested, that's the thread.

Okay, I have got my 2 Budgies but they seem to only walk around their cage. They climb the cage bars vertically but do not fly. Is this a problem or do they just need time? Also, do you think wild bird seed would be okay to feed to 2 Budgies for a few days?

 

[noodles123]

They need time. Always--- think of this as a very slow motion process when compared to dogs or cats. They are super scared right now.
NEVER feed wild bird seed. It is not safe for non-wild birds, and honestly, seed in general should be monitored closely, as it can be harmful for some species.

 

[noodles123]

So..do you not have food for them after all of this? Not trying to be snarky, but just confused....Again, they are very sensitive and smart and I am worried now. They do need to eat, but wild bird food is not safe-- nor is most human food.



I am hoping everything is okay...

 

[Blazer]

So..do you not have food for them after all of this? Not trying to be snarky, but just confused....Again, they are very sensitive and smart and I am worried now. They do need to eat, but wild bird food is not safe-- nor is most human food.



I am hoping everything is okay...

I have pellets and Kaytee birdseed for them, I was just asking a question as my brother wanted to know.