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| | From:  M2twisted (Original Message) | Sent: 2/22/2005 7:52 PM |
Hi everyone! my boyfriend got me a very cute pair of parakeets! they are a lot of fun and i am enjoying them. i have a few questions maybe some of you will the answer to! 1) my roomate told me they need grit, is this true? if so what is it and where would i find it? 2) anyone have any good tips at getting them used to people? they don't mind me when i am outside the cage but i if i try to handle them and such they get very scared and bite me :( thanx so much! |
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|  0 recommendations | Message 2 of 9 in Discussion |
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Nope, your roomie is wrong. No hookbilled bird needs grit or gravel. They can digest just fine without it. Abby just put a new page in the sidebar about how dangerous grit can be to parrot type birds--as parakeets (budgies) are. Here's a link to that page. You will probably have to separate them to tame them down. Most little guys, when kept two to a cage, are very difficult to tame. They have one another and don't need us like single birds do. Also you may have to have their wings trimmed by a competent vet or pet shop to prevent them flying out of reach during the taming process. Good luck. Don't feed grit!!  Annie |
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Gee, I could have just said "Ditto".  Annie |
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| | 0 recommendations | Message 5 of 9 in Discussion |
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Then ditto from me also........Too2 |
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Ditto from me, too, but I would add an few obvious comments. First, be sure to check out the articles under Bird Care Articles at the left. Birds do not thrive on seed and water. You'll need to track down a good avian vet for their first well-bird check-up within the next 2 or 3 weeks. Time, patience, and love are crucial to earning your birds' trust and love. If you consider that your hand is big enough to snap their necks in a heartbeat, it's no wonder that they instinctively try to take flight and bite. You have to gently overcome those instincts, and when you do, you'll have two little darlings for the next 10-15 years. Research, learn, relax, and enjoy. Come back often and let us know how things are going, please. |
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thanks for the info! what kind of yummy treats and food would you suggest? i have a pelleted feed, but they won't eat it. i have read that they enjoy things such as fruits and veggies. so far the fruit i have tried to feed them has been thrown out of their bowl and not eaten :( I have enjoyed them so much, i want to do the best that i can, any info is helpful :) |
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If your birds weren't weaned onto pelleted foods, it is a long, slow process to convert them. It would be well worth it, of course, since there's a complete diet in the pellets but you have to be so careful that they don't starve while changing them over. Follow the directions on the packaging and allow even more time than they state. Budgies are native to the arid grasslands of Australia so their natural diet doesn't include much in the way of fruits and veggies but these things are sooooo good for them. If I were you, I would give them their clean water and fresh parakeet seed/pellet mix each morning. (Some folks recommend the "people food" first thing, when they're hungriest.) Then, a bit later in the day, I might give them a little cooked pasta or a cooked bean mix in a separate cup. And toward evening, a fruit/veggie mix in that cup, after it's emptied and washed. The important thing to remember is that budgies eat what looks like small amounts to us during a day, and that sometimes it has to be in very, very small pieces. They might like things cooked or raw -- diced, sliced, shredded, cubed, or on a skewer hanging from the side of the cage. You'll have to experiment until you find the way they like it and what they like best. A millet spray hanging in the cage at all times is a treat that most budgies love. Time and patience. |
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