New parakeet questions

[gracebowen]

How old am I. Am I a boy or girl. I've been at my new home 3 days and I. Not eating or drinking. Should my owner be worried?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry, I can't help with the sex or age of the parakeet, but yes, the owner should be worried if the little one hasn't eaten anything for 3 days.

 

[SilverSage]

Your bird is under 4 months old. It could be male or female it is hard to tell in the lighting and the pics aren't showing up clearly for me.

The general rule is that "boys have blue Ceres and girls have brown" but some mutations can be tricky, and many a young female has had a very blue cere. The cere is that fleshy part above the beak where the nostrils are. The best advice I can give at this age is to look at the skin closest to the actual nostrils. If the small rings around the nostrils are blue or pink/purplish, you most likely have a boy. If the rings are white, it is most likely female. It would be much easier to tell if you could get a picture in natural light that is not blurry.

Yes, you should be concerned if it is not eating or drinking. Offer more kinds of food in more places. What are you feeding now? For right now, to get it to eat, offer at least one dish of seeds, one of colorful pellets (zupreem is nice and colorful, get the size for finches not the size for budgies) and a dish of finely chopped veggies, you could even use a food processor or blender for this. Also have a couple of water dishes. Try putting the food on small plates on the floor of the cage, even if. They get pooped on, and see if that helps for now, but try to be sure the water cannot get pooped in easily. Did the store she came from perhaps have a water bottle instead of a dish? If so, get one. This is one of the two times I will EVER say this, but get her some millet spray and see if she will eat that. Just until you are sure she is eating and drinking, mind you.

 

[gracebowen]

For right now I'm feeding it the same seed/pellet mixture the pet shop used. I have also offered s carrot. I just put a vitamin drop in the water, put a bowl of water on the floor and gave it a celery stuck perch. I think k I'll name it Ace. My goal is to transition to parrot bread, other fresh foods and pellets

 

[SilverSage]

I'm not necessarily suggesting how you should feed her i general, I'm just saying at 3 days without food or water you need to get some in her RIGHT AWAY. Take the vitamins out of her water until you know she is drinking, the taste could be puting her off. Also, most bird vitamins are not regulated and can be dangerous anyway, I don't use them at all, but I suggest clear fresh water for now. I suggested lots of options in order to tempt her curiosity, and the placement of it on the floor to appeal to her natural tendencies as a grass parakeet, as well as so that she is sure to know exactly where the food is at all times and doesn't need to find it in a bowl that may not be the same size, shape, or color as she is looking for.

Also, please remove the clelery. The long strings can ball up inside them and cause sever, sometimes fatal blockages and celery has very little nutritional value anyway.

 

[gracebowen]

Ok changes made. Let's see what happens. Placed food in an area of floor where Ace has not pooped yet.

 

[SilverSage]

If the bird has truly not pooped in three days she needs to go to the vet ASAP!!

 

[Ann333]

It is hard to tell for sure from these pictures, but it looks like your birdie has already gone through its first moult and lost the barring on his forehead, but isnt old enough that his eyes have turned from black to brown yet. I think he is probably about 5 months old? Cant tell if it is a boy or a girl though. The cere looks blue but it also looks like there may be white rings around the nostrils...

 

[gracebowen]

It's pooping. Ace has a favorite perch and is only pooping on one side of cage. Food is on the floor on the other side.

 

[gracebowen]

Ace has pooped but only one side of cage. Food is on other side. Ace has a big cage.

 

[SilverSage]

Perfect. Pooping is important

 

[gracebowen]

Ann I got the pics I could. I know they aren't that good. When I look at Ace closely I think I see faint lines all the way to cere. They are dark and obvious on sides but very faint in the middle.

 

[Ann333]

Haha birdies dont usually sit still for pictures. i know there are alot of really good sites that explain budgie age and gender one site even had pictures to show the difference that might be helpful to you. You can see him/her in person so you can tell better than we can.

How Old Is Your Budgie? - Cute Little Birdies Aviary

Budgie Sex & Age - Welcome to Budgies 101

 

[Minimaker]

They love millet (available almost anywhere), and if yours is not eating well you might want to give him a spray of it to get him through for now. Just leave it on the floor and I'm sure he'll get to it in a hurry. Some food is better than none in his system, that's for sure. Millet should only be a treat obviously, but if he won't eat at all I'd really be worried enough to let him have his way for awhile until he settles in.

 

[Kalidasa]

New budgies seldom eat in front of humans, they're too nervous. Your budgie is most likely eating but stopping when you step in the room. This will change as he becomes more acclimated to your presence. He's a cutie reminds me of one of my budgies, Diego.

 

[gracebowen]

Ace is eating millet. Earlier today I moved it and his food dishes closer to his favorite perch.

 

[gracebowen]

Now Ace has dragged his millet out of his treat dish and somehow has it balanced on his favorite perch.