Where to adopt a healthy young Parakeet?

BigDog101

Hi,

I'm considering getting a Parakeet and I was wondering if anyone with experience could advise me on what the best way is to go about this.

Is it the norm to just go down to pet stop and get one of out of the (seemingly over-crowded) cages or are they well bread and healthy, physically and socially?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Joeseph Balls

I wouldnt get one from a petshop personnally.
Have you decided on what breed?

BigDog101

I figured I'd get a budgie as it's my first bird and I'd imagine most suitable?

maggiepip

Now I dont know much about budgies but I do know you should not buy them from a pet shop because most of the time they are very difficult to tame. You need to get a hand reared one from a breeder - Eddie Drew of Copsewood Aviaries Co Wicklow is a supplier of hand reared birds and can apparently point you in the right direction. Ive seen his name mentioned a few times on google, pete the vet of tv3 has made references to him also. Ive no experience of any of this whatsoever though! Best of luck.

edited to re phrase!

Dingle_berry

Please don't buy from a pet shop. They are rarely properly cared for, the shops can't or won't tell you where they came from so they could be wild or poorly bred. Also pet shops are rarely able to give adequate care instruction & advice.

There are breeders in Ireland and vets with special interests in birds, find some of these and talk to them before getting a bird.

BigDog101

maggiepip wrote: »

Now I dont know much about budgies but I do know you should not buy them from a pet shop because most of the time they are very difficult to tame. You need to get a hand reared one from a breeder - Eddie Drew of Copsewood Aviaries Co Wicklow is a supplier of hand reared birds and can apparently point you in the right direction. Ive seen his name mentioned a few times on google, pete the vet of tv3 has made references to him also. Ive no experience of any of this whatsoever though! Best of luck.

edited to re phrase!

That sound like a good place to start! Thanks for the info!!

tk123

There's a poster here called budgese who might be able to give you some advise - maybe send them a PM?

Knine

The trick to getting a hand tamed budgie is to get a very young bird. You can tell a young bird by watching out for the following

Stripes (bars) right across the birds face right up to the cere (nostrils)

Pink or light purple cere

Less bright plumage

Male budgies are easier to tame, more agile & playful. Females are quieter with a harsher voice but they can bite fairly hard.

Both as young babies can have similar coloured ceres. However if you look very closely the females almost always have white around their nostril. Adult males generally have a blue cere except in some of the pied varieties where it remains pink. Adult females have a brown cere but it may turn bluish when out of breeding condition.

Budgies are very social so it is best to get more then one. Be aware that they can be very noisy & messy. Another type of bird that might interest you is a parrotlet!