Parakeet questions

[*JoGo*]

My 10yr old son wants a parakeet. He loves birds, and my MIL bought a parakeet.... she's now wanting to get rid of it. She's had it 2 months, never lets it out of it's cage b/c her dog is so jealous. The poor thing is malting. I feel bad for it... but do I want to keep it forever?

We closed the dog in her bedroom (it barked the entire time), and my son put his hand in the cage. After awhile, he was able to pet the bird on it's front, and the bird was comfortable with his hand being in there. MIL said she has never been able to pet the bird.

We're trying to make an informed decision... one that is in the best interest of the bird... and we're now researching online...

what do we need to know IF we decide to take the bird?
does it need shots? do they get sick easily or prone to any illnesses?
should we have it's wings clipped?
do they smell?

 

[ilovejack02]

No smell, doesn't need shots, should have wings clipped if you want to let it out of cage and be a real part of the family. Clipping wings keep them friendlier because they have to depend on you to move around etc. and the biggest reason is their safety!
Keep it away from air conditioner vents.

Can be really good pets and if your son is able to get it on his hand I think you should try it.

You may read to use gravel to aid in digestion, no no no no no no no. I can't say it enough, no. THey can over eat and it can become impacted in their crop and they will die. Only songbird varieties need gravel/grit.
Cuttle bone is good to keep in cage .
Raised birds for about 10 yrs and managed my inlaws pet store.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

One parakeet alone gets very friendly with the family. I have 2 right now, they are great company for each other, but not so much with the family. They get let out in the morning and fly around the house all day and go in their cage when it gets dark out. I have never clipped the wings, just prefer to let them fly all over the place. I had one that bonded with me, she loved me, would take a bath in the dogs water, she was so friendly. She would sit on my shoulder all day. She was so friendly that she would lay on her back in the palm of my hand and I would rub her belly. Birds are fun.

 

[MushyMushy]

My husband got me a cockatiel for Christmas one year -- he actually got me a Cockatiels for Dummies book and a gift card for the bird. Said he'd take me to get the bird after I finished the book. Maybe you can do something similar for your son! I really enjoyed that.

I adored my bird, and parakeets are so sweet.

 

[*JoGo*]

I thought we'd just let the bird fly free in ONLY his room... because what about the poop?

lovesmickeymouse - your story is so sweet!!

I read that they are a flock bird, but as long as you give it plenty of attention, a single bird will be ok b/c the family is it's 'flock' and it'll be easier to teach and have a stronger bond.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

mine would fly back to there cage or area (in our case the edge of the cabinte) to poop. I loved my parakeetes. I had one that hated its cage mates so he became VERY attached to me. I would go for it

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I love parakeets! They can be noisy, though, so you might want a cage cover if the bird is going to be in your son's room. Mine would start singing just before dawn - not so bad in the winter, but much too early in the summer!

We never clipped my parakeet's wings, but just let it fly around loose when I was home to supervise. You do need to carefully watch, though, if you do this - my bird used to get stuck behind the dresser quite frequently if startled. I did have to have his nails clipped by the vet every once in awhile, though - they would get too long and he'd have difficulty walking.

If you do decide to take the bird, your son will want to start "socializing" with it as soon as possible. If the bird has spent the last two months confined to its cage, it will already be a bit "wild". I had a lot of luck with just sitting quietly with my hand in the cage until my parakeet warmed up to me and got used to be being there. After that, he would perch on my laptop for hours while I did my college work and chirp cheerfully and ride on my shoulder around the house.

I miss having birds around - they're so cheerful!

 

[minkydog]

I love parakeets. We used to have 2, a male and a female. It took a little time for them to get used to each other(the female would try to beat the crap outta the poor little male) but eventually they got along well. I loved how they chattered all day.

One thing about birds, if you're going to have them flying around-- Make sure you know where they are. My DSil had 2 cockatiels. One flew from the top of the fridge to her shoulder--then fell right into the deep fryer she was cooking her fries in. I won't give the details but it was HORRIBLE. Her second one succumbed a few days later when she heated up a pan too hot--a Teflon pan. They apparently can release some kind of toxin that birds are sensitive to. ANyway, it started smoking and within a day that bird was dead. Just the saddest thing you ever saw.

And now for my stupid bird-owner story. I set my birds out on the back porch so they could enjoy the June breeze. Thought I'd just clean the cage while they were out there. Somehow I didn't fasten the cage door properly and one of them flew the coop. I rushed to shut the door and the OTHER one flew out. Last I saw them they were sitting up on a high branch of my pine tree. Then they were gone. Those little buggers are fast!

 

[ilovejack02]

I thought we'd just let the bird fly free in ONLY his room... because what about the poop?

lovesmickeymouse - your story is so sweet!!

I read that they are a flock bird, but as long as you give it plenty of attention, a single bird will be ok b/c the family is it's 'flock' and it'll be easier to teach and have a stronger bond.

I have a real problem with letting the birds fly free. I unfortunately heard many stories from my regular customers of birds falling into washing machines, onto open pots in stove, tangled up in mini blind cords and the worst was a few run ins with ceiling fans. Had one bird shut in a door because child didnt realize his pet was flying behind him when he slammed it shut . : (

It is much much safer to have wings clipped. Properly clipped wings will allow the bird a safe flight to the floor easily and keep them away from the dreaded ceiling fans and other dangers.

As far a pooping issue my MIL trained her Cockatoo to potty on command, maybe the same can be done with parakeets . THat is one I haven't tried lol.

 

[*JoGo*]

ilovejack - that's why i was thinking of only letting it fly free in his room - no ceiling fan, cooking, blinds, etc. i was leaning towards not clipping his wings b/c i wanted him to always be able to get back to his cage... but there are also good reasons to clip them. haven't decided yet.

the more i'm reading, i'm thinking the bird is molting b/c of his age, not stress. which would put him at about 4months old. so i'm glad he's not as stressed as i thought, and he's also at a good age to start training him.

also, with the cooking thing - i've read you're to keep them away from kitchens b/c of the strong smells.

 

[MinnieTink]

My DD got a parakeet for her 9th birthday. I had some reservations but what a great pet!! We all love our "Tiki Bird" and she loves us! She loves to be out. She is very easy to care for and my DD even taught her to say her name. "Tiki Bird, tiki bird (kissy sounds)" haha! Company always gets a kick out if her. I think it would be great for your son and the bird. We keep her on a bookshelf in the livingroom because she really loves and needs company. We do have her wings clipped. When they grow out and she takes off it is crazy! I'm afraid she will knock herself out flying into something. We cover her cage with a towel at night and she's quiet til we take it off. Changing the cage is no biggie. There is no smell, unless you go too long without cleaning the cage. Parakeets are great pets!

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

Big Advice....KEEP CEILING FANS TURNED OFF WHEN PARAKEETS ARE OUT OF CAGE!!!!!!!!!!! we sadly learned that the hard way when parakeet escaped cage!!!

 

[samshane]

We've had 2 parakeets over the years - not a big fan. No real reason, guess I am not a bird person.

One was so cool - it was a male and my grandmother taught him to talk (he said a few phrases - nothing like a parrot). She was mainly homebound so she would talk to him everyday - and one day he started talking back. He would blow kisses - and she starting calling the dog (her name was Nosey). And he loved to say "I love you".

As much as I wasn't into him - he was great for my grandmother...

 

[novajeanjellybean]

Parakeets are great pets. We had one when I was in 2nd grade until I was in the 6th grade. Her name was Ariel lol. Wonder where I got that from I dont remember any smell. We just had to clean the cage like once a week. We used to let her fly around the house. She was very social and she would sit on our shoulders. Unfortunately, when I was in 6th grade my mom let her out in a snowstorm when she was off her meds After that we had two more but they never had the same bond with us as Ariel

 

[chisnpeke]

We had a parakeet when I was young. My dad took the cage outside to clean it and she flew away. Poor Ellie...

I got a parakeet last year named Daisy. She was the sweetest thing but never tamed. We got her in April and before Thanksgiving we uncovered her cage and she was dead. Birds hide illness well so when they show signs there is often not much that can be done. I didn't notice anything with her though.

I also had a cockatiel die last year. I had just gotten her about two weeks prior and bonded and had her tamed. I was so sad when she was sick and took her to the vet where she passed. I got those two birds around the same time.

I currently have a canary and a cockatiel. Neither of them are tamed but I'm trying to get the cockatiel to warm up, slowly but surely.

I think parakeets are great little birds.

 

[DebD4T]

My DS has a parakeet named Patty. We have had her for about a year now. She never comes out of her cage. You can put your hand in and she will hop on your finger, you can pet her, but when you take her near the opening of the cage, she flies back to her perch.

She really is the cutest thing though!!

 

[MushyMushy]

Another thing you have to watch for is odors of ANY kind. You can't spray perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning sprays. You can't light candles or have plug in fresheners. Using non-stick cookware can be lethal to them.

Despite knowing these hazards, we lost our dear cockatiel several months ago when DH used bleach in the basement to clean the floor.

But I agree with ilovejack about flying. You can get the wings trimmed to where they can flutter down from their cage or get a little bit of flight, but I wouldn't want a fully flighted bird in the house. They can still slam into doorways and walls and get into all kinds of mischief that'll kill them.

 

[ilovejack02]

Another thing you have to watch for is odors of ANY kind. You can't spray perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning sprays. You can't light candles or have plug in fresheners. Using non-stick cookware can be lethal to them.

I completely forgot about those issues !! M.M. is correct. The main issue with non stick cookware is leaving one on stove and letting it burn out . I have never done it , but did have one customer who did and lost all 5 of her birds .

Keeping bird near kitchen or in kitchen not that big of deal. My MIL's cockatoo lived in hallway between kitchen and living room, large area and she could see the family and interact all day long . It isn't the smells of cooking that is an issue it is the cookware if you let it burn.

Best to have a birdie where they can see the family and have lots of interaction.

Another thing is don't get him a mirror for cage. Birds tend to be friendlier and bond better with family if alone, if there is a mirror they think it is a friend and sometimes bond with the friend in the mirror. You want him to bond with you, not another bird.

 

[mrsv98]

We have had our "Birdy Boys" for 18 months and we love them! Their chattering and singing make me happy, they are very content little creatures. Ours do not come out of the cage, the dogs are WAY too interested in them and there are too many hazards in our house. We made the decision to get two knowing they would bond to each other and not us because we are at work much of the day and they are so social we wanted them to be happy.

The cage sits on a table in between the family room and kitchen so they are right in the midst of the activity. Their cage does not smell. I change the paper at least once a week, I have a dedicated dust buster to clean around their cage and they get fresh water just about everyday. Once every 6 months or so, I put them in their travel cage and take the big cage apart to give it a thorough cleaning. They DO NOT like to be out of the cage so I don't do it more often though I do take the perches and toys out to clean fairly often.

They have active little brains so I rotate toys and treats, giving them new things to do. They are supposed to eat fresh food for 1/3 of their diet but I can't get them to eat much. They love oranges, low fat Triscuits and tortilla chips. I have tried, and continue to try a wide variety of foods but they just talk to it and don't eat it!

All in all, they are clean, friendly and easy to care for and I don't know why we waited so long to get them!

 

[JessicaR]

Growing up we had many parakeets. They were wonderful pets for us kids. I have very fond memories of them and it taught us some responsibility. They all have greatly different personalities. We had one that walked everywhere and never flew. We had to be very careful when we walked.

The above poster that mentioned they can get themselves in trouble while flying around is right. Good idea to let him free in your sons room only. One of our birds flew right into a pan of grease. Thankfully it was cooled but it was a mess!

Also they are very sensitive to drafts and certain odors. Teflon pans while cooking is a no no. Certain cleaners offend them too.

Overall they are a wonderful pet! I hope your son gets to keep him!