Bird Tips

Before I got Kadence, I did a lot of shopping around to find the best deals on everything. There are so many different cages to choose from and pet stores will charge way more than they need to. Check Amazon for the best prices on cages. I got a cage that's large enough for Kadence to spread her wings and still have room for some of her toys and I paid less than I would have for a smaller cage in a pet store. Look for a 'breeding' or 'flight' cage. Roomier and cheaper than the more decorative cages you can find.

While there are some really nice store bought toys out there, its super easy to make your own. Not to mention they'll cost less. The Talk Budgies forum has some great ideas for homemade toys. The members of the forum are so nice and helpful. They were great when I had all my questions.

Water bottle or water dish? I recommend going with the water dish so your bird can bathe if he/she chooses to. In the summer I turn the faucet on to a trickle & let it warm up before I let Kadence in the sink to play. She loves bathing in the sink. I let her play until she hops out on her own. Be aware that if your bird drinks a lot of water during bath time (as Kadence does) their droppings will probably be more watery than normal until it's all passed. I freaked when I noticed this the first time. (A birds droppings can be your first sign of illness as they hide it well)

Get your bird to eat pellets, as well as seed, at a young age. It may take awhile (Kadence is stubborn) but keep at it. An all seed diet isn't healthy for your bird. I use the Zupreem fruit pellets for Kadence, only I get her the ones sized for Canary/Finches. I think their smaller size is easier for them to eat.

When it comes to getting your bird to try new foods such as fruits & veggies, I found the key is to eat them in front of the bird. Kadence will not leave me alone when I'm eating. She thinks she has to try anything I try.

Popcorn is a very cheap snack. We've always got a bag of popcorn seeds in the house. Throw a few in the microwave & voila a quick and easy snack for your bird. Do NOT give your bird popcorn that has butter or salt on it. I don't care if it looks 'clean' don't do it.

Okay, my brain is shutting down due to migraine again. Perhaps I'll update this later.

Kadence

Let the introductions begin! Kadence is up first.

This:



...is Kadence

She's a budgie, more commonly known as a parakeet and was born sometime around March-May.

I had been without a pet for so almost a year and was absolutely miserable. My dad had brought up the idea of getting a parakeet but I didn't want a bird. I wanted a dog. Unfortunately that wasn't going to happen since my mom was completely against it.

After some thought on it I decided to get a bird. I hadn't had one in years and I remembered how fun and interactive they are (with proper socialization and care). My dad and I looked into getting an Indian Ringneck Parakeet first, but there were no local breeders. They didn't seem to carry them in the petstores either.

I was fine with not getting the IRN since I had my mind set on getting a hand-fed bird from a local breeder. Hand-fed birds are generally more social with people. Plus with a local breeder I was able to get background information on the bird and if I had any questions, I know I'd be talking to someone who knows what he's talking about. I spent more for a hand-fed bird from a breeder than I did for a parakeet from a petstore, but I found it worth it.

I really wanted to get a cockatiel, but my dad was so against it I decided to go with a standard parakeet instead.

I found a breeder who lived in the same town I went to school in and started talking with him. He didn't have any parakeets at the time since his pairs had yet to breed. He promised to get ahold of me when he had babies.

It was probably a month or so before I heard from him again. He was in contact with a woman from Rochester who had some parakeets. He was able to bring home a couple of her young ones and I got to go pick one out.

They weren't quite weened yet, so I had to hand-feed little Sora her formula.

--But wait, I thought Kadence was the name of your parakeet?

You would be right, it is. Little Sora grew sick shortly after bringing her home and unfortunately she didn't survive. I was completely heartbroken. I hadn't wanted to admit it, but the breeder should never have agreed to let her leave until she was eating seed on her own.

I wanted to go get my money back and find somewhere else to get a parakeet since I was worried that perhaps the whole bunch had been sick too. My dad called the breeder who was more than willing to let us take the other baby home.

We picked up the other baby June 4, 2008 and brought her home.

I could tell instantly she was healthier than Sora had been. She sure was scrappy looking when I got her. It took at least two molts before her dingy feathers came in white. Now she's absolutely gorgeous. My grandma can't stop complimenting how pretty she is.

Sure took me awhile to come up with her name. I had it narrowed down to a few and finally made my decision when I heard her chirping along to my parents during their band practice. That's when she became Kadence. Though I must admit I call her birdie more often than Kadence.

Kadence is a sassy little thing. She loves bananas and will go nuts if you near the cage with one. Whenever she's let out of the cage to fly around she spends most of her time trying to land on my dad's shoulder. She loves him even if he doesn't return the sentiment. In fact when he talks to her, she'll actually talk back.

While male parakeets tend to talk more than females, Kadence has her moments. She can mimic the wolf whistle perfectly, and she'll make a kissing noise if you do it to her first. There are times when she talks in her garbled little bird voice and I'm very certain she does nothing but swear like a sailor (thanks dad).

I'm definitely glad we brought her home. If I had the space in the cage, I'd get her a friend. Since she gets time out of the cage every day and is interacted with all the time, she does well on her own.

And that is Kadence's story.

If you've managed to read through it all, congratulations, you get a cookie!

Stay tuned for my next blog, which will include tips for owning a parakeet.