Hey! I just got two parakeets -- but I do not know anything about them. I am used to taking care of other birds, but not these. They seem rather quiet, so I am concerned about this. One of them just sleeps on one perch and the other just sits on the other. Is there anything wrong with them?
Please help -- I am concerned about their behavior.
Elizabeth

 

You may want to get a book on them to get a little knowlege. If it's a little to cold they will just sit there. Another thing like many birds they like toys.

 

Hi-
If you just got them, they are probably a little subdued from being in a strange new place. If they are healthy, they should become more active over the next couple of weeks as they get used to their new surroundings. Make sure that their cage is not in a draft, and they have plenty of food and clean water. Budgies tend to drop the hulls from their seeds back into their food dish, so it can look like their dish is full when it is really all hulls. Take the food dish out of the cage and take it outside (or out a window) and blow on it gently to blow the hulls out of the seed.

Budgies also need perches in a variety of sizes and shapes in order to keep their feet healthy. Keep the perches clean by scrubbing them with an old toothbrush when you clean the cage. Don't buy the sandpaper perch covers - they just make the perches uncomfortable and give the birds sore feet. The birds will also require a dish of budgie-sized gravel, and a calcium source - either a cuttlebone or else ground oyster-shell made especially for cage birds. They will not need any of those anti-mite preparations. Unless the birds actually have parasites, there is no point in exposing them to toxic pesticides.

Budgies enjoy fruit and greens - you can give them lettuce, apples, grapes et cetera. Do NOT give avocadoes as they are poisonous to birds. Remember to promptly remove any uneaten fruit as it will mold, and mold is very bad for birds. You should also be careful in cooking if you have any pots or pans coated with teflon. Overheated teflon emits a colourless, odourless gas that does not harm people but may cause your birds to die mysteriously.

Cover the cage with a light towel or sheet at night to make them feel more secure.

Yes, they do like toys. Check to make sure that there are no small open parts where your birds could get their legs or toes stuck.

They will also appreciate a chance to bathe. Give them a broad, shallow bowl with water about half an inch deep. Put the dish in the bottom of the cage every week or so and leave it for about half an hour so they can bathe if so inclined. If they get really enthusiastic they may splash water all over, so don't put your priceless Queen Anne table underneath the cage.

You can find a lot of info on-line by doing a Google search on 'budgie'.