A Pet's View / January 2006
Pick a Pair of Parakeets
Parakeets are inexpensive, entertaining pets. The small parrots are lively and playful, curious and, often, quite chatty.
Parakeets are fairly intelligent birds. There are over 120 species, varying in size from about 7” up to 18” in length, and each species has its own set of calls. Parakeets are found throughout Australia, Asia, regions of Africa, Central and South America. Originally from Australia, the parakeet (Psittacus undulatus) was introduced to England in 1840 and the birds were enormously popular pets during the Victorian era. Not quite as fragile as some birds, parakeets are suitable for children, and easy to care for.
Parakeets need a clean cage, fresh seed, water, toys and attention to thrive.
They like shiny things and mirrors, and enjoy nibbling on clothes, furniture, earrings, or whatever is at hand. Most parakeets enjoy music and many sing along with what they hear. Toys with mirrors, bells and rings are their favorite, and especially bright birds appreciate having different toys rotated into their cage to maintain their interest. Parakeets like to climb and chew, and even the least inexpensive ladders and rings will make a parakeet happy.
Parakeets cost from five to twenty dollars.
A typical cage, with room for the bird to stretch its wings, is usually less than $50 for a one time cost. The cage should be placed away from harmful fumes and drafts. Most parakeets need a humidity level of 60 to 70% and prefer twelve hours of daylight. Covering the cage at night provides a sense of security for the birds.
A cuttle bone or mineral block keeps the birds beak trimmed and provides a source of calcium and minerals.
Although originally available only in shades of yellow and green, successful breeding of birds with the recessive blue gene gave rise to blue and white color combinations. Blues bred with green-yellow birds produced more color variations, including multicolors, lighter-colored stripes like cinnamons, and shades of gray mixed with both colors.
Parakeets don’t usually mate for life, although sometimes they will. During ritual courting, the male will preen his partner’s head feathers, feed her and dance for her, bobbing his head up and down rapidly and excitedly. Parakeets also ‘dance’ to express excitement and pleasure. And, many parakeets will dance when music is playing, as they sing along and bob their heads in time to the song.
A pet parakeet’s diet consists of a good seed mixture, various fruits, green foods, and, for small parakeets, millet spray. Different seed mixes are available, depending on the birds size and the strength of its bill. There are pros and cons to feeding only a formulated diet as well as feeding only a seed diet. A formulated diet provides a good nutritional base and won’t require the addition of vitamins, however many parakeets become bored with it. A seed-only diet offers variety but requires additional vitamin and calcium supplements.
A small parakeet eats about two tablespoons of seed a day and perhaps a half a cup of fruits and vegetables. Possible supplemental fruits include apples, grapes, bananas, pears, oranges or melons. Good vegetables include spinach, carrots, peas, zucchini or green peppers. Additional proteins from cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs or peanuts, can be offered on rare occasions.
Birds should be given fresh seed and water every day, and have their cage cleaned every other day. Cages can be lined with newspaper, brown paper bags, paper towels or a thin layer of gravel.
Two birds are much better than one, since parakeets are social, flock-oriented creatures. They like attention and handling and get lonely without company.
The life span of parakeets may reach ten years, but larger parakeets, like the Ringneck and Regent, can live much longer.
Parakeet nomenclature reflects their particular characteristics. There are Red-Rumped, Red-Winged, Red-Capped and Scarlet-Chested parakeets, Turquoise, Blue-Winged, Elegant and Superb Parakeets and Golden-Manteled, Mustached, Plum-headed and Quaker Parakeets.
Parakeets are generally most receptive to training in the evening, with sessions of under 20 minutes and an hours rest in between. The first goal is for the parakeet to accept a treat. Next is a gentle scratch on the head, then getting the parakeet to step up on a finger. For speech training, repetition and frequency are the key. But almost every parakeet can learn at least a few words. The ones parakeet owners like to hear most are “Hello, I love you!” PL
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
Femme Fair 2006
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