About parakeets

Here are some interesting facts about pet parakeets:

• a parakeets real name is budgerigar, also called budgie
• budgies were originally from Australia
• budgies come in a variety of colors including: green. blue. violet. yellow. and white.
• budgies original color was green
• in the wild budgies travel in flocks of hundreds!
• a budgie's scientific name is melopsittaacus undulatus
• budgies are very playful and active pets
• they can live 14 to 15 years

budgies make the greatest pets for a beginner bird owners because they love to come out and play with their owner, also the male budgies can have the largest vocabulary of all parrots!

Trick no. 2 stacking cups

This fun trick should be very easy once your bird has learned the retrieve. Start by arranging the cups in order of size. Use only three cups at first. Hold the largest cup in front of you , and place the middle-sized cup in the center of the table. Point to the middle cup and say, "bring it to me." When the bird brings it to you, tap the large cup that you're holding to indicate where the cup should be placed. Praise the bird every time he does this. If your bird doesn't understand this, help him out.

When he brings the cup to your hand ( as he has learned from the retrieve ) tip the large cup forward so the middle cup your bird is carrying slides in to place. After two successful rounds of this, go back to just indicating to the larger cup. Next, place the smallest cup in the center of the table and have your bird bring it to you. when your bird brings the cups to you, place the cups in a row and have your bird pick up the middle cup and place it in the large cup, then have the bird pick up the smallest cup and place it in the other two.

At first praise him with every cup he gets right, but as he gets the idea don't praise him until he is done with all of the cups. Let him know that he has to stack all of the cups in order to get his treat. You should be able to teach this trick in one lesson if your bird already knows the retrieve. In fact, you will find that each new trick easier and quicker to teach from now on.

Training your bird to do tricks

Training your bird to do tricks is a great way to bond with your bird. Trick no. 1 the retrieve. Learning the retrieve is the first building block to all of these tricks, in fact, it forms the basis of many other tricks too. The retrieve command involves teaching the bird to bring any object to your hand.

Teaching the retrieve can make all future tricks much quicker and easier to teach. If your bird has already learned some tricks this will make this much easier to teach.

Decide on a praise word and a reward to follow his best effort. Use "bring it to me" as a verbal command. Place your hand flat on top of the training table with your palm faced up. This will be your physical cue. Choose any plastic object your bird can easily pick up off the table.

Hold a seed or any treat in your hand and let the bird see it, put the treat next to the object and let the bird see it, the bird will go and get the treat. The next time put the treat under the object, the bird will have to lift the object to get the treat, do this only a few times.

Once your bird is able to move the object, start using the verbal command. Stretch your arm out and say "bring it to me" the bird will look for the treat and pick up the object. Slip your hand under it and the bird will drop the object into your hand. Praise the bird every time he does this.

After a couple times move your hand back a bit so the bird has to walk to put the object in your hand. Keep moving your hand back until the bird will walk to you to put the object in your hand. Then start using different things for your bird to Carry to you. Finally you can tell your bird to bring any thing to you!

Hand feeding baby birds

Right now I am helping my mom hand feed 3 peachface Lovebirds and 4 blue blackmask Lovebirds, this is how I do it. Before you start you need a small container like an aquarium with a heating pad under it, to keep them warm. You line the aquarium with paper towels so the lovebirds have something soft to lay on. You also need several oral syringes ( which you can get at you can get at any bird show or on eBay ), and a good hand feeding formula. You put it in a small cup and mix it with warm water to the consistency of pancake batter. Suck it up in the syringe. Hold the baby bird still, place the syringe in the side of its mouth and slowly squeeze the syringe until its crop is full. The baby bird will bob its head up and down to swallow, this looks funny but this is natural. Baby birds need to be fed every 2-3 hours every day in the beginning. As they get older you can spread the feedings out a bit and at 5 to 6 weeks of age they get weaned. ( That means they start eating on their own ).

good foods for birds

If you are having trouble getting your birds to breed or eat good foods try feeding them sprouted seeds. You put the seeds in a jar with a screen or mesh lid and wet them then drain the water out. You need to repeat this two or three times a day for about three days until the seeds sprout roots. This will make them think it is breeding season.
Other good foods to try are:

• broccoli


• apples


• peas


• corn


• lettuce


• tomatoes


• sun flower seeds


• millet spray


• oranges


• green beans


• Grass seeds


• blue Berries
  
• raspberries
  
• pecans
  
• pumpkin
  
• carrots
  
• wheat
  
• grapes


• unsweetened cereal

Another good treat is bird bread. This is a picture of my peachface lovebirds eating bird bread.

This is the recipe:

• 2 c. yellow corn meal


• 2 c. oatmeal


• 1 c. cooked rice


• 1 c. pumpkin


• 1 c. apple sauce


• 1 c. dandelion greens


• 1 c. red beans


• 3 to 4 eggs with shells


• 1/3 to 1/2 c. oil


• 1 t. baking powder

preheat oven to 350* mix all ingredients in blender or food processor. Pour into large cake pan 9" x 13" and bake for 45 minutes or until done . Cut into small pieces and store in freezer until needed.

Hello Welcome to my blog!

I am 10 years old. and I am making this blog because I like birds. and I have 19 birds ( not counting the chickens) I have: 1 budgie, 2 cockatiels, 1 golden mantle rosella, 6 blue blackmask lovebirds, 5 peach face lovebirds, 2 rosie bourke parakeets and 2 red rump parakeets. cool huh? I also have 20 chickens and I live in a neighbourhood! Besides birds I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 22 fish, and 2 snakes.