* Pet Bird Chat * NEW

[~Totally Insane~]

Can anyone suggest some foods/veggies/fruits I can mash up for my Sun? He gets out of hospital tomorrow and the vet wants me to syringe feed him. My poor boy flew into the fan, thank the gods it wasn't on.

[cat;;]

Can anyone suggest some foods/veggies/fruits I can mash up for my Sun? He gets out of hospital tomorrow and the vet wants me to syringe feed him. My poor boy flew into the fan, thank the gods it wasn't on.

oh wow, I am sorry to hear that! Glad he is okay! I'm sure he will give you a formula for the syringe feeding and you won't have to concoct your own... but if so I just suggest doing his normal food watered and mashed until he gets better.
If you would like to incorporate veggies and fruits here's a big list of things you can feed birds

[StrikingEmber36]

Hello there again! I still haven't gotten my bird yet, because I am still deciding what I should get. My mom doesn't want me to get a finch, and my friend wants me to get a Diamond Dove, but I don't want one. I saw my friends' parakeets today, and I fell in love. I haven't done much research on them yet, but I know that they are beginner birds and that they are quite lively? If you can, just spew me with information, facts, and tips on them so I can just have a basic understanding of them, if you don't mind. Things like cage size, personality, food, and cleaning the cage would be helpful information.
Sorry if I'm being a bit burdensome, I just want to make sure that before I commit to anything, I know everything bout it that I can and that I can make my birds' life as great as possible.

[cat;;]

Hello there again! I still haven't gotten my bird yet, because I am still deciding what I should get. My mom doesn't want me to get a finch, and my friend wants me to get a Diamond Dove, but I don't want one. I saw my friends' parakeets today, and I fell in love. I haven't done much research on them yet, but I know that they are beginner birds and that they are quite lively? If you can, just spew me with information, facts, and tips on them so I can just have a basic understanding of them, if you don't mind. Things like cage size, personality, food, and cleaning the cage would be helpful information.
Sorry if I'm being a bit burdensome, I just want to make sure that before I commit to anything, I know everything bout it that I can and that I can make my birds' life as great as possible.

You are on a GREAT track already by asking and realizing that this is a HUGE commitment! I don't really count any parrot as a beginner bird myself... because parrots are so complex and so intellectual.. they are never for the 'light of heart' so to speak. They need hours upon hours every day of interactive play and cost roughly $100 PER MONTH ( i.e. bedding, food, veggies, new toys, treats, vet visits when needed )

Budgies are better though then say a macaw for a first bird to someone, but they are still wild animals and will act like such. They can be very playful and talkative ( yes, they can learn to mimic quite well! ) and have a smaller beak, so whenever that hard bite comes ( and trust me, it will ) you won't break a bone, although they still may draw blood. They need lots of socializing and playtime out of cage every day.. I suggest at least 5 hours.

Parrots are much harder to have as pets then say a dog, a hamster, or a cat.. They NEED attention and will become depressed, pluck, or worse if they do not get this attention. I assume you would want this budgie to be tame and friendly. If you happen to be looking upon your local bird rescue and see a pair that are already bonded, by all means, they would LOVE a home.... but if you see a single, I would suggest getting him/her. Although they do need a flock if they are already in that rescue situation, nothing would be better for them then to be with YOU and get ALL of your attention. Because this will be your first Parrot, you will probably do best with just one for now to see how it works out. Parrots are a lot more than people anticipate so you want to really be sure.

Parrots thrive best on a mostlypellet diet, with seeds in foraging toys and veggies daily.They need a very diverse diet and it is very expensive. They need high quality pellets and low fat seeds, with organic veggies and fruits.

The bigger the cage THE BETTER! Whatever people say the minimum cage size is.. forget it. You will want to get the biggest cage you can afford possible. My lovebird, Nash, is in a 5x4 size cage with tons of enrichment and he loves it! Your bird will spend a lot of the day and night in the cage ( presumably ) so you want it to be big and FUN! Toys are anything but cheap, but you can always look online for great sites for cheap and good toys! I suggest this site, and this one.

The amount you will need to clean your cage depends on the size of the cage. I only need to clean Nash's huge cage every 2-3 weeks, but if he was in a smaller one.. say 2ftx2ft I would do it every week. You really have to get a feel for how messy your bird is and how often it seems like it needs to be done.

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I hope this was helpful and I hope you make the right choice in getting a bird! Although it may seems like parrots are 'cooler' and 'better pets', that's certainly not the case! Finches and doves can be just as friendly and cuddly as a parrot, and are much less of a commitment! Budgies can live upwards of 20 years and you need to be able to keep them all of those 20+ years. Parrots can go into a state of depression when their owners who can no longer take care of them give them up. I volunteer at a parrot rescue and we get in far too many birds just from our state and it's very sad how these birds act... They need to be your WORLD!

If you get a parrot your social life will come to a complete halt and you will find it hard to squeeze in time to see your friends. Parrots NEED time with their owners every single day! They are a HUGE commitment, and it's like having a 3 year old child. If you don't think you are prepared to have a toddler in your life right now.... don't get a parrot. They are like toddlers but they will bite you until you bleed and never stop screaming. Even budgies scream can make your ears ring.

I am not trying to tell you not to get a parrot... but just think it through very carefully before you go and look up your local parrot rescue. Try to hang out with some birds in person to see their personalities and to hear their stories. They are magnificent animals, but not magnificent pets. They are not for everyone, and that's okay! I own a diamond dove and some finches myself, all of whom are tamed, and they are very loving too! They are much less of a hassle and a great bird for someone new into the bird world! I would suggest looking into them as well, just to get an idea!

[dazai osamu]

I'd just like to say everyone's birds look and sound so lovely~
My parents are against keeping birds, excluding poultry. (It's a shame because I really love birds. I'd quite like a cockatiel or owl.)

At college we have some different species of birds, sadly none are tame enough to do anything with. But our African Grey Hornbills are absolutely stunning and quite funny to watch.

[akuma <3]

AHHH OKAY SO I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF FOR BIRDS LIKE FINCHES AND PARROTS AND STUFF BUT THIS IS REALLY BIIIIG NEWS~!!!
So, we have 3 Sebastopol & Pomeranian geese.
we have 2 males and 1 female. our female brooded on a clutch of 7 eggs (2 didn't last, they went rotten )
We hatched out 4 babies today!! they're sooo cute! I'll make sure to get pictures!

[cat;;]

AHHH OKAY SO I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF FOR BIRDS LIKE FINCHES AND PARROTS AND STUFF BUT THIS IS REALLY BIIIIG NEWS~!!!
So, we have 3 Sebastopol & Pomeranian geese.
we have 2 males and 1 female. our female brooded on a clutch of 7 eggs (2 didn't last, they went rotten )
We hatched out 4 babies today!! they're sooo cute! I'll make sure to get pictures!

Congrats! Yes, most people post about parrots and finches but if you have any other type of PET bird you can share! There is another thread for poultry.. but I don't think those are really "pets" as much as the ones on here!

[kaatlove]

AHHH OKAY SO I KNOW THIS IS KIND OF FOR BIRDS LIKE FINCHES AND PARROTS AND STUFF BUT THIS IS REALLY BIIIIG NEWS~!!!
So, we have 3 Sebastopol & Pomeranian geese.
we have 2 males and 1 female. our female brooded on a clutch of 7 glorious chicken eggs (2 didn't last, they went rotten )
We hatched out 4 babies today!! they're sooo cute! I'll make sure to get pictures!

ahhhhh congrats!! cant wait to see some pics

AND GUYS
CHICKEN WORLD
AYAYYAYAYYA

[Tabbster]

Hey there! =) Just to give a quick update, I now have a parakeet and 6 diamond doves. The eggs from one of the diamond doves hatched on easter, here are the babies.

[CatagoricalClick]

Oh my goodness they're precious. <3
I love baby birds. They're so cute.