I gave in... got a pet bird.. parakeet

[Saviah Wildlife]

Here he is, I am using the cage from that wild bird.

http://files.societytalks.com/07-31-06_1340.jpg

I'm going to work with him every day, get him used to me touching him, petting and his climbing on my finger.

I want him to be able to fly in rooms so long as he learns to come to me when called, but I think it might be difficult.

Oh yeah, one of the dish containers broke so for now I have a small bowl type thing with water at the bottom.

[MissDolittle]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!! :) What's his name?

Oh, you might want to get a bigger cage sooner or later..from what I saw
the cage for the wild bird is too small for a bird to live in permanently..at
least for my taste.

I see you have a mirror in there, cooooooool. They love it!

I had a parakeet as a teenager. And you know how teenagers can be..
only boyfriends and stuff in their heads lol. Anyways, after a while the
excitement of a 'new' bird got old and I didn't spend much time with him.
One day he was dead. The vet said he died because he was lonely..they
depend on company. If they can't have another bird with them, the human
has to make the commitment, DAILY.

I just thought I share that story..made me feel pretty guilty back then..

[Saviah Wildlife]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!! :) What's his name?
No name yet, thinking of waiting for my kids to come back from vacation. My wife is gonna be pissed lol
[quote]
Oh, you might want to get a bigger cage sooner or later..from what I saw
the cage for the wild bird is too small for a bird to live in permanently..at
least for my taste.
They told me it's more then enough room, I'll maybe take another pic so you can better decide for me soon ok?

I see you have a mirror in there, cooooooool. They love it!
Yep I see he is at the mirror more then anywhere else in the cage lol. I got lots of toys right off, I spend over $80 already (ouch)

I had a parakeet as a teenager. And you know how teenagers can be..
only boyfriends and stuff in their heads lol. Anyways, after a while the
excitement of a 'new' bird got old and I didn't spend much time with him.
One day he was dead. The vet said he died because he was lonely..they
depend on company. If they can't have another bird with them, the human
has to make the commitment.
For now I'm going to spend alot of time with him, the people said I should just keep one so he bonds to me. Later maybe I will think about getting another for a companion. I want to be careful though hopefully males don't fight.

I just thought I share that story..made me feel pretty guilty back then..

It's good to know, and I'll make sure to spend time with it.

[WingedCat]

Congratulations!

Be prepared for lots of Parakeet squaking, they love to do that. lol

Yes they do love mirrors, don't be suprised to see him trying to feed the bird in the mirror one of these days. Mine did that all the time, cracked me up.

Oh and they love anything with bells.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Question:

He has a metal band on his leg, should I leave that on him?

I don't plan on taking him outside without being in the cage.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Congratulations!

Be prepared for lots of Parakeet squaking, they love to do that. lol

Yes they do love mirrors, don't be suprised to see him trying to feed the bird in the mirror one of these days. Mine did that all the time, cracked me up.

Oh and they love anything with bells.

Thanks! Yeah I can imagine, birds are funny with mirrors lol

The mirror itself has a bell, and I might pick up another toy or two with a bell.

Edit: Can anyone think of a decent name for me to consider?

[MissDolittle]

Question:

He has a metal band on his leg, should I leave that on him?

I don't plan on taking him outside without being in the cage.

The ring is his ID, you need to leave it on. The number on it tells where he
comes from and that he was checked out. In times like these with the bird
flu and all..it's a free ticket.

[thundersquirrel]

wow, i wonder if he was imported from somewhere. i didn't think birds in america needed verification for check ups and such. maybe parakeets are especially vulnerable?

he's BEAUTIFUL. i've always wanted a green one.....blue is my second choice, though. i'd probably end up getting one of every color. i'm impulsive like that sometimes. usually i don't follow through though, hehe.

my friend martyna's parakeet got lonely. eventually they decided to let it fly free around the house. that way he came to them and forced them to love him lol. otherwise they'd forget. it was fun sleeping over, cause at the breakfast table it was likely you'd find a parakeet on your head. :D (only problem with that, though, is that one day it got loose, never came back....they were SO upset)

[Saviah Wildlife]

wow, i wonder if he was imported from somewhere. i didn't think birds in america needed verification for check ups and such. maybe parakeets are especially vulnerable?

he's BEAUTIFUL. i've always wanted a green one.....blue is my second choice, though. i'd probably end up getting one of every color. i'm impulsive like that sometimes. usually i don't follow through though, hehe.

my friend martyna's parakeet got lonely. eventually they decided to let it fly free around the house. that way he came to them and forced them to love him lol. otherwise they'd forget. it was fun sleeping over, cause at the breakfast table it was likely you'd find a parakeet on your head. :D (only problem with that, though, is that one day it got loose, never came back....they were SO upset)

Thanks, now to find a name...

Yeah I love his coloring. It took me like ten minutes to pick one, I was looking at the green one with yellow, the lighter blue with a yellow head then finally I picked this brat.

I'm planning to train him to come to me when I call him, so I won't be clipping his wings. I hope I can pull it off.

Now the wife and kids are away on vacation so it's a surprise. I hope I can have him trained at least somewhat in 3 days... probably not.

[MissDolittle]

wow, i wonder if he was imported from somewhere. i didn't think birds in america needed verification for check ups and such. maybe parakeets are especially vulnerable?

he's BEAUTIFUL. i've always wanted a green one.....blue is my second choice, though. i'd probably end up getting one of every color. i'm impulsive like that sometimes. usually i don't follow through though, hehe.

my friend martyna's parakeet got lonely. eventually they decided to let it fly free around the house. that way he came to them and forced them to love him lol. otherwise they'd forget. it was fun sleeping over, cause at the breakfast table it was likely you'd find a parakeet on your head. :D (only problem with that, though, is that one day it got loose, never came back....they were SO upset)

As far as I know all birds need to be banded. At least it's the way in Germany.
It's also one way to prevent smuggling and spreading diseases. Here they
can just confiscate your bird if it's not banded..at least parakeets. It's the
law, that much I know lol.

Michael..clipping wings on a parakeet? I never heard of that in my life,
but maybe it's an American way like de-clawing cats.

My grandma had a parakeet..his cage was always open. They got so used
to each other that she even took him outside with her. He flew into the
trees or sat by the open window and had a blast. Never flew away.

But they do fly away..few months ago I found a dead parakeet on my
door step. We had watched him flying around here for weeks, couldn't
catch him. We thought he is never going to make it past 2 days, but he
was good..until a cat got him.

[Saviah Wildlife]

As far as I know all birds need to be banded. At least it's the way in Germany.
It's also one way to prevent smuggling and spreading diseases. Here they
can just confiscate your bird if it's not banded..at least parakeets. It's the
law, that much I know lol.

Michael..clipping wings on a parakeet? I never heard of that in my life,
but maybe it's an American way like de-clawing cats.

My grandma had a parakeet..his cage was always open. They got so used
to each other that she even took him outside with her. He flew into the
trees or sat by the open window and had a blast. Never flew away.

But they do fly away..few months ago I found a dead parakeet on my
door step. We had watched him flying around here for weeks, couldn't
catch him. We thought he is never going to make it past 2 days, but he
was good..until a cat got him.

Yep he's clipped now, I told them I wouldn't continue doing so and had no desire to learn to clip. They informed me though that I need to learn to clip the toenails.

Yes even if I train this guy very good I don't think I'll trust him outside. Right now if I grab him he bites me lol I try to pet him every half hour or so and keep talking to him.

[MissDolittle]

Yes, toenails need to be clipped, but the wings..that's just cruel!
Think about it from the bird's side..he's locked up in a small cage, can't
fly either...what's left of the bird then?

I never petted a bird, and never would. I put my finger close to their heads
and they rub themselves against the finger with their heads or chest, but
that's about it. They come on the finger of fly on your shoulders and head.

But what I liked the most was their ability to talk!

Give him a day or 2 to settle in..just talk to him, do not touch..sounds like
he's scared enough already. Repeat words often, he'll pick them up sooner
or later. One day you get up in the morning and he calls you Dad or so lol :).

[Saviah Wildlife]

Yes, toenails need to be clipped, but the wings..that's just cruel!
Think about it from the bird's side..he's locked up in a small cage, can't
fly either...what's left of the bird then?

I never petted a bird, and never would. I put my finger close to their heads
and they rub themselves against the finger with their heads or chest, but
that's about it. They come on the finger of fly on your shoulders and head.

But what I liked the most was their ability to talk!

Give him a day or 2 to settle in..just talk to him, do not touch..sounds like
he's scared enough already. Repeat words often, he'll pick them up sooner
or later. One day you get up in the morning and he calls you Dad or so lol :).

That's how I feel too, and why I want him to fly around in the house (probably once a day or so).

Well I've been petting him, he doesn't seem to mind it except touching his head. You say I need a bigger cage, I'm considering returning this one and getting a bigger one. Not alot bigger mind you.... I can't afford much.

Parakeets talk??????

Oh, I think I have named him Keeter.

[MissDolittle]

Keeter sounds perfect!!!!!!!! :dances:

Somewhere in my cludder I have a cassette tape FULL with our parakeet
talking, from way back.

As I said, the bird belonged to my grandparents. My grandpa wasn't the
happiest person and liked to get drunk. When he got up in the morning and
whined about his headache, the bird went:

Yaya, drunk drunk..stupid asshole!

Or when I came in he said "Sweet little girl, come here and play with me",
stuff like that.

He knew his address and was able to say it on command, so we were
really never too worried that he gets lost.

Then my mother got herself a Parakeet and he had the exact same
ability. The first thing she taught him was her address and phonenumber.

But it takes patience and time for him to pick it up and he needs to feel
comfortable too. They are routine animals.

I'm glad you are going to try to get a bigger cage. I'd wish you'd live close
to me, I got bunches.

[Saviah Wildlife]

That is so cool! I never realized they could say so much.

I am getting a bigger cage but not sure how big. As it is I'm nearly maxing out my card lol

What should I say when I return this cage, that it's not big enough? One of the feeder trays is broken (I never saw it happen) so maybe I could say that is the reason?

[MissDolittle]

Have you ever thought to build a cage yourself? The supplies should be
cheaper than a brandnew cage. Keep the lil one for wild bird emergencies
and go to a hardware store, buy a roll of hardware cloth or something
similiar (holes not bigger than 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch!).

You probably have a staple gun or so..go outside and get some branches.
Cut them to equal size..I suggest 2 ft and staple the wire around it. Don't
forget the door..it's easier to put that on top.

Put real branches in the cage for perches and you are all set. It's not hard
at all and easier to keep clean because you can just throw the old branches
away. Make sure there are no bird droppings from outside birds on there and
has no bugs or mold on the branches.

Of course you can buy the sticks for a couple of bucks at the hardware store
too.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Nah I'm not good at making things so that probably won't work. I will go check out Menards though I bet they have a bigger one priced better then a pet store.

Hey if you find the tapes, can you transfer them to the PC and maybe upload some of the sounds?

I just had a thought that if this guy heard another parakeet he might mimick it?

[MissDolittle]

Hehehehe, all the birds I talked where in Germany, except the one on the
front stairs of course. I don't think you want your bird to pick up German,
right? rolling

He's going to mimick you and your kids and your wife, IF he feels comfortable enough that is. And he will tell stories to the bird in the mirror
too. Give it some time tho! If he's a real youngen it'll take a few months.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Hehehehe, all the birds I talked where in Germany, except the one on the
front stairs of course. I don't think you want your bird to pick up German,
right? rolling

He's going to mimick you and your kids and your wife, IF he feels comfortable enough that is. And he will tell stories to the bird in the mirror
too. Give it some time tho! If he's a real youngen it'll take a few months.

lol okay nevermind ... I have been looking online for downloads, oddly enough I can't find any. I keep talking though to Keeter. He's still a bit stressed I think.

Here's another pic of the cage, taken on an angle to get a better idea how big it is. Like I said the person at the store said this is more then enough?

At any rate I am still going to Menards to look for a big one. Maybe I'll use this one to put Keeter outside for sunlight?

http://files.societytalks.com/08-01-06_0751.jpg

[Saviah Wildlife]

Update:

Checking eBay for cages, some are priced wonderfully but shipping is a pain.

Here's one I'm looking at, which is a flight cage:

http://files.societytalks.com/cage1.jpeg

Size:30 x 18 x 58"H

5/8" bar spacing

3 large slide up doors,3 Perches, 6 Feed cups

Plastic Slide out bottom pan

Non-toxic Powder Coated Solid Metal Construction

Wheels for Easy Maneuverability

Color: White and black

Which color would be best for the bird, I'm thinking black?

[MissDolittle]

Ya it looks normal, for the US. Rule of thumb, do not believe what you are
being told a pet store. They have no idea! I could write a book about all the
wrong advise they are gave!

Here are some cool cages on Ebay:

http://search.ebay.com/bird-cage_W0QQfromZR40QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQsbrsrtZd

and here is a basic Parakeet Guide:

http://www.sunseed.com/artccatRQLNUNUQ.html

[MissDolittle]

LOOOOL! Same thinking here huh?

[Saviah Wildlife]

LOOOOL! Same thinking here huh?

lmao yep!

So which is better for the bird's view, black or white? Are there theories?

[MissDolittle]

I don't think that matters.

[Saviah Wildlife]

There has to be at least theories as to which is better for the bird to see out of?

Oh, here's another I am debating about:

http://files.societytalks.com/cage2.jpeg

Details:

Color: White
Dimension: 30"Length x 19"Depth x 36"Height
One Large Lift Up Front Door ( 10"x 12" ) With Small Door ( 3.25" x 5.5" ) Inside
Accessories: 4 Cups, 4 Feeder Doors (3.25" x 5.5") and 3 Perches
Slide out bottom tray
Bar Spacing: 7/16"

Non-toxic Powder Coated Metal Construction

[MissDolittle]

Most people buy cages that fit their decorations..I don't think it matters to
the bird what color the cage is. I'm not even sure if they can see colors at
all. Google it!

[Saviah Wildlife]

Which cage though do you think, the taller one?

I think the taller one since this is a long term thing for the bird.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Okay I just purchased the bigger one, in black. Saw nothing on the net about what birds prefer.

Can't wait to get this monster, talk about getting a huge cage!!!!!!

[MissDolittle]

AWESOME! This way you don't have to think twice when Keeter is ready for
a mate! You are da man!!! :smt041

[Saviah Wildlife]

AWESOME! This way you don't have to think twice when Keeter is ready for
a mate! You are da man!!! :smt041

Well things are working out this way due to my recently getting a loan. I got a new car and a few things for the family.

We're nearly completely out of cash, but this cage at that price.... I couldn't pass it up.

Wow Tina is going to be pissed at me though lol

[Saviah Wildlife]

Here's the listing for the cage: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Large-Flight-Bird-Cage-Small-Animal-Sugar-Glider_W0QQitemZ150014604151QQihZ005QQcategoryZ462 89QQcmdZViewItem

I won I won lol

[MissDolittle]

Hehehe..lots of lots of lots of toys and mirrors fit in there lol.

I remember my bird loving to take a bathe, either in the birdbaths you
can buy or in a shallow bowl of warm water OR if you guys are having a
salad for dinner..grab a few leaves and wash them real good..leave them
wet. My Hansi loved those. He sat in those and just danced lol.

A piece of apple or half a grape is a nice treat too.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Hehehe..lots of lots of lots of toys and mirrors fit in there lol.

I remember my bird loving to take a bathe, either in the birdbaths you
can buy or in a shallow bowl of warm water OR if you guys are having a
salad for dinner..grab a few leaves and wash them real good..leave them
wet. My Hansi loved those. He sat in those and just danced lol.

A piece of apple or half a grape is a nice treat too.

There are birdbath units I can get for the cage? Can you point me to some more info?

I'm going to get a small spray bottle for misting him now and then.

Is romaine lettuce okay for treats? Blueberries? I have some grapes too.

I can't wait for the new cage!

[Saviah Wildlife]

Keeter sure does like biting me when I try to hold him but I want him to get used to me.

I don't cry out, I only say softly "bad bird" which of course he doesn't understand yet. I can tolerate the pain so as not to alarm him though, I know you have problems if you yell out, that can ruin the bird.

I'm going to give it time, but I need him to be tolerant of the kids soon too.

I can't wait to let him fly through the house, hopefully it only takes a couple months to get to that point.

[Saviah Wildlife]

When I get this cage, should I put the food and water towards the top perch to promote flying?

EDIT: Woohoo, 700 posts!

[MissDolittle]

Ya, he bites because he is scared. Birds are not for holding and petting like
a dog or cat. Once confined in your hand 99% of all birds freak.

If you want physical contact with him, start offering seeds from your finger.
Wet your finger in water and put it in the seeds so some are sticking to it.

Sit with him and talk so he gets used to you. That takes a while..it's not a
matter of hours.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Ya, he bites because he is scared. Birds are not for holding and petting like
a dog or cat. Once confined in your hand 99% of all birds freak.

If you want physical contact with him, start offering seeds from your finger.
Wet your finger in water and put it in the seeds so some are sticking to it.

Sit with him and talk so he gets used to you. That takes a while..it's not a
matter of hours.

okay no problem, I'm very patient.

[MissDolittle]

I always used these kind of bird baths..with a mirror in the back:

http://www.petsolutions.com/default.aspx?ItemId=80681810&EID=80681810&SID=FROOGLE

[Saviah Wildlife]

I always used these kind of bird baths..with a mirror in the back:

http://www.petsolutions.com/default.aspx?ItemId=80681810&EID=80681810&SID=FROOGLE

Okay, just bought it ... will he know to use it right off?

He hasn't seemed to have taken to the food yet even. I'm concerned.

[MissDolittle]

He's scared! He needs time to adjust. I'd just sit with him an hour or 2 for
now and leave him alone the rest of the day. Since you had him in your
hand he probably thinks you are some kind of preditator lol. Let him come
to you on his terms.

It usually takes 2-3 days for a bird to settle in.

Same with the bath..it'll take a while until he is not scared of it and tries it
out.

[WingedCat]

MissD Wrote

But what I liked the most was their ability to talk!

Mine never did learn to talk, no matter how hard I worked with him. He only learned to mimick on thing a fart. Soooo not kidding. That was incredibly embarrassing. Here sits this beautiful bird going thppppt all day. :shock:

[WingedCat]

MissD Wrote

Put real branches in the cage for perches and you are all set.

I wanted to do that for the birds I have had, but I always worried about disease from other birds. Maybe the parakeet would be different, how about for doves since we have them around here?

[MissDolittle]

MUAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA

They really only learn what they hear a LOT. My grandma was home all day
and so was her husband. That bird sure picked up some words that weren't
meant for children's ears loool.

But I have yet to see a parakeet that did not talk..no wrong, the one that
died because he was lonely didn't talk...

[WingedCat]

They really only learn what they hear a LOT.

Blame the thppppt on my husband!

Nakia's cage sat in the living room. I talked to him constantly, when he was in the cage or out sitting on my finger. Repeating "hello", "pretty bird", his name, etc. Nothing.

I spent a lot of time with him playing "ferris wheel" ( I would move one finger up above the other so he could climb from finger to finger), he loved that. If I stopped the game to soon for his taste I ended up with the parakeet bite!

Micheal,

Definately let Keeter (cute name btw) have some space for a few days. Pet stores are stressful, the move is stressful, a new cage is stressful, new smells are even stressful and a new two legged (you) is stressful. He needs some time to settle down. Once he has settled into his new cage and has gotten a chance to figure out that you are bringing his food and aren't a threat he will feel better.

To get him used to your hand you can do like MissD suggested or you can try putting the seed in the palm of your hand, I usually did this when the seed was a bit low and my parakeet was a bit hungry (not talking starving here), they have favorite seeds and they get tempted to "crawl on board" when they see their favorite seeds. Most importantly give him time.

When your family gets home you are going to have to stress to your kids they need to give him space as well. One human at a time at this point. If you don't give him that space and time to get used to you, well he will become a stressed out bird who will not be very happy and I know you don't want that!

Nice big cage you bought him! Oh and the bird bath, give him time, mine figured it out in a day or two (if it was even that long). He may just drink out of it at first, mine did, then he realized it was big enough to sit in and the rest was history. lol

Good luck!

[Saviah Wildlife]

They really only learn what they hear a LOT.

Blame the thppppt on my husband!

Nakia's cage sat in the living room. I talked to him constantly, when he was in the cage or out sitting on my finger. Repeating "hello", "pretty bird", his name, etc. Nothing.

I spent a lot of time with him playing "ferris wheel" ( I would move one finger up above the other so he could climb from finger to finger), he loved that. If I stopped the game to soon for his taste I ended up with the parakeet bite!

Micheal,

Definately let Keeter (cute name btw) have some space for a few days. Pet stores are stressful, the move is stressful, a new cage is stressful, new smells are even stressful and a new two legged (you) is stressful. He needs some time to settle down. Once he has settled into his new cage and has gotten a chance to figure out that you are bringing his food and aren't a threat he will feel better.

To get him used to your hand you can do like MissD suggested or you can try putting the seed in the palm of your hand, I usually did this when the seed was a bit low and my parakeet was a bit hungry (not talking starving here), they have favorite seeds and they get tempted to "crawl on board" when they see their favorite seeds. Most importantly give him time.

When your family gets home you are going to have to stress to your kids they need to give him space as well. One human at a time at this point. If you don't give him that space and time to get used to you, well he will become a stressed out bird who will not be very happy and I know you don't want that!

Nice big cage you bought him! Oh and the bird bath, give him time, mine figured it out in a day or two (if it was even that long). He may just drink out of it at first, mine did, then he realized it was big enough to sit in and the rest was history. lol

Good luck!

Yeah I'm trying to give him time, but yet want him to know me. I'm good with having patience, and will instill that into the kids with him.

he's a lucky bird if you think about it, we'll treat him quite well. I can't wait until the kids do see him. Sadly though they will want to hold him right off, which isn't going to happen.

[MissDolittle]

You did make a good choice though.

Of all the pets in the world, parakeets are the easiest. They don't stink,
aren't loud all the time, you don't have to bring him to the vet on regular
basis for shots, and he doesn't need much space..and your kids are going
to learn about animals :).

How old are your kids?

[Saviah Wildlife]

Victoria is 5, Kody is 8.

Tori has a way with animals like her dad, they come to her from the wild for no reason. One of our cats tolerates her abusing him (we have to intervene).

Overall they know to respect animals though, and most of the time are pretty good about it.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Still no email from the seller of the cage, was hoping to at least hear from them by now... wonders....

Update: Just got an email from them for the birdbath, seems they have sent it out. Tracking number too!

Now for the danged cage...

[Saviah Wildlife]

*sigh* still no word from the cage seller.... what the heck?

[Saviah Wildlife]

Okay they finally emailed me, they say will ship tomorrow.

So basically I'll get the birdbath first lol

[Saviah Wildlife]

Okay the cage is on its way. I think I'll end up getting it by Monday, if I'm lucky Saturday.

I now have the birdbath, it seems you connect it on the outside. It doesn't fit. I hope it fits the big cage, but those openings seem huge. So with that knowledge I have to ask you, can I set the birdbath on the floor of the cage?

[MissDolittle]

You can hang or just put the bath on the ground..no biggie.

[Saviah Wildlife]

You can hang or just put the bath on the ground..no biggie.

The way it's made is you can't hang it unless you have a hole. I'll check how the new cage is setup when I get it.

Update: My cats won't leave this poor bird alone. They keep standing right in front of the cage. I can't wait until he has the big cage. He seems to enjoy when I put him outside in the sun for a bit. I don't leave him out long though since it has been so hot here.

[MissDolittle]

OMG, don't let the cats do that! Birds can get a heart attack and die of stress!

[Saviah Wildlife]

OMG, don't let the cats do that! Birds can get a heart attack and die of stress!

I know, like I said I look for them going up there. I'm thinking of hanging the cage but am reluctant since the new cage is on the way.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Okay we got the cage. It didn't come with instructions but the seller was nice to email them to me and I printed it out.

Keeter loves his new cage, and of course he's on the top perch most of the time. I can't wait until his wings grow a bit so he can fly better.

I'm going to stop by Petco today for some more toys and a bigger mirror for him.

On socialization he's not doing all that great, but he's starting to get used to all of us talking to him when we enter the room.

[MissDolittle]

Good news! :)

It takes week, sometimes months before a bird comes around and starts
feeling comfortable enough to interact with you guys. Takes lots of patience :).

[Saviah Wildlife]

Oh jeez I never got to Petco. Maybe tomorrow. I was hoping to get a tune up on my new (used) car but maybe not. I know the kids want to goto the park again.

I'll probably get a pic of Keeter in the cage, he really thinks he's hot stuff on that top perch. He's such a brat when we go barely near him he starts moving down the perch.

We have our work cut out for us lol

[BirdAdvocate]

Keets can be so kool! We had one pair that threw only Albinos and Lutinos. We'd pull them from the nest as they grew and play with them, then pull them a few days before they were fully weaned and hand feed them. They were the sweetest birds imaginable. They'd "help" the ex and the kids put puzzles together, and generally got into everything.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Thanks for reminding me to update this thread :)
Keeter refuses to become a "pet". He hates being touched (although I held him and clipped his nails) hates being looked at and wants to be left alone to talk to the birds outside.

We all talk to him all the time, tell him good morning etc. I've held him a few times and tolerated the immense pain from biting me so that I could talk to him and smoothly pet his head but that doesn't work.

[MissDolittle]

Thanks for the update..that's a damn shame that the bird tuns out this way.
Have you considered getting him a mate at least? The cage is big enough, birds
like to be amongst their own kind of course and it might just turn things around.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Thanks for the update..that's a damn shame that the bird tuns out this way.
Have you considered getting him a mate at least? The cage is big enough, birds
like to be amongst their own kind of course and it might just turn things around.

I actually thought of this, but I thought you told me not to get it a mate? Well someone then told me it would lessen the chance of him getting to know us.

Anyway regardless I was thinking about it. Has to be another male though lol

[MissDolittle]

Yes, usually it doesn't help with the taming, but if yours hasn't gotten used to
you guys yet, I'm afraid it's not going to happen, so I figured that maybe he'll
feel more comfortable around you guys if he has a mate that might be tame
already even.

[BirdAdvocate]

Thanks for reminding me to update this thread :)
Keeter refuses to become a "pet". He hates being touched (although I held him and clipped his nails) hates being looked at and wants to be left alone to talk to the birds outside.

We all talk to him all the time, tell him good morning etc. I've held him a few times and tolerated the immense pain from biting me so that I could talk to him and smoothly pet his head but that doesn't work.

Michael, the years I had my aviary I kept a small ignition point file within reach. The first thing I did on every bird, from Keet to Macaw, I had to handle was trim its beak. You simply blunt the upper point and round off the bottom. This makes things ever so much more pleasant, whether you're training them, or doctoring them.

[MissDolittle]

I would think that this would interfere with them opening seeds..there ya can
see how much I know about birds hehehe.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Not sure I want to mess with his beak in anyway. I can handle the pain. I'll try holding him more often.

[MissDolittle]

Maybe that's what's going wrong. Maybe it's because you force yourself on him and that's why he gets more scared instead tame.

How about not holding him and just talking to him and spending some time with him. I used to dunk my finger into water and then into some seeds and held my finger there for hours on end until he finally came around and started pecking on it (back when I had parakeets that is). Do things like that, but let him come on his own terms.

Bird's aren't really the kind of pets you should hold and pet anyways.

[Saviah Wildlife]

That's what I said isn't going well, the whole family talks to him. He scoots away no matter what.

All he wants to do is tweet to the birds outside the window.

Question: What are the chances that the birds will fight if I get him a friend?

Male of course.

[MissDolittle]

I used to work at a pet store as a teenager and we had bunches of parakeets
in one cage..I saw them argue once in a while but never fight. So my guess
would be they don't fight.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Ha I think I'll get a green and yellow this time.

[BirdAdvocate]

Not sure I want to mess with his beak in anyway. I can handle the pain. I'll try holding him more often.

I used to consistently hand tame wild caught Nanday Conures to step up, have them on my hand or shoulder, and have them taking sunflower seeds from between my lips in about two hours. It's not that difficult to learn. :-)