New parakeet owner seeking advice

LisaT · New member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 6

I just got my first parakeet a little more than a week ago. He is a 10 week old male. Being a first time bird owner, I can definitely use some advice on parakeet behavior. Right now, I have 2 concerns:

1. My parakeet is not very active. He spends a good portion of the day perching in one spot. Nor is he very vocal; he chirped a little bit the first couple of days, and hasn't chirped since. He is eating and drinking. Is this normal behavior? Or should I be worried?

2. How can I tell if my parakeet is cold? My bird fluffs his feathers whenever I approach the cage. Is that an indication that he is cold? The average temperature of my house is about 70 - 72 degrees. The pet store where I bought my bird says that it's too cold and I need to buy a heat lamp to keep the temperature around 78 degrees. Is that a legitimate investment or are they just trying to get more of my money?

I want to provide the best care I can for my bird, and don't want to miss any warning signs. I would really appreciate any help / advice.

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2238 Location: uk

Hi firstly was it the shop owner that told you that you bought a male, The reason i ask is because it is not possible to tell exactly what sex they are until there first molt which is when they are 6months old this is when they get there adult colours and the cere will change colour aswell.

At 10 weeks old they all resemble the female.
The way i work the temprature indoors is that if its warm for me its warm for the birds aslong as the temp is kept constant then he/she will be fine.

For the first couple of days to couple of weeks the bird wont do much because it is getting used to its new surrounding.
If your bird sits all day with its feathers fluffed up then it is likely he/she is cold and all you have to is adjust the temp in the room,You dont need to go out and buy a heat lamp just simply turn up the heat in your home.
Most new birds do this anyway because they are scared.

Spending alot of time talking to you new bird even leaving a radio or tv on when no-one is home helps the bird settle..

Mike

LisaT · New member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 6

Thanks for the info, Mike. Yes, it was the pet store that told me that I have a male. When I first got the bird, they did say it was too young to tell. But I asked a couple days later when I brought the bird back to get its wings clipped, and they said that it's most likely a boy, because its cere is blue. But if they all resemble females before their first molt, is my bird older than I think it is?

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2238 Location: uk

Hi if your birds cere has started to turn blue then it sounds like he has already gone through his first molt or is just starting it so he will be around 6-8months old.

You will find that with all male birds they are easier trained and hand tamed than females which are highly strung and dont really like to learn.

Male birds learn very quickly to whistle tunes and it has been known for parakeets to say a couple of words not very clearly but still words a female will not attempt it she will whistle but only her own tune.

Mike

LisaT · New member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 6

Wow, interesting. I had no idea that male parakeets are make better pets; to think, I had wanted a female! I even gave my bird a female name. I think it kind of stuck, too, because it feels weird calling him anything else. Thanks again for all the info!

charmedagain · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 2238 Location: uk

Hi your welcome if you have any more questions feel free to ask away

kathy5 · Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 12:31 pm Post subject:

hi & welcome

LisaT · New member Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 6

Thanks! I am so happy that I found this site!

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Hi EVERYONE!!!

I have bought a parakeet yesterday.... I read a lot of books and websites on their care and health... But one thing i noticed really bothers me... MY keet has a bold spot around its anus. its about a size a thumb nail... when i got my bird i didnt notice it.. but later that day i noticed that sometimes poop gets stuck to her feathers.... Im really worried... my girlfriend who had parakeets for4 years told me not to get alarmed. However i love my bird Cutie and dont want anything to happen to her!

Also question number 2: When i bought the bird i was told it was around 2 months... the stripes are all over the forehead so its deffinetly not old plus it looks thin and the feathers look smooth... I was told that its likely that is a boy... the area above the beak is somewhat close to blue but deffinetly not strong blue like most male parakeets.... does this mean that my bird is possibly older than 2 months because her area above the beak is developing a slite blue tint?

Also is it possible to teach my parakeet to talk if might be around 6 months or older?

Thank You for taking time to read this!!!

I'll be waiting on the reply