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Parakeets are America's most popular pet bird. There are many reasons for their popularity. They are colorful, hardy, and easy to care for. They are lively, playful, and make very entertaining pets. With proper training they can be taught tricks and even talk.  Just give your Parakeet attention and some tender loving care and he/she will reward you with thousands of hours of pleasure.

NEW ARRIVALS
Your bird will be frightened when it is added to a new cage. Give him a day or two to get used to his new home before you try to handle it. The cage should be placed off the floor in an area that is well-lit and away from drafts. Locate the cage in an area where there is a lot of family activity, and talk to it in a soothing voice as often as possible. During the first few nights cover the cage in the early evening.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE
The personal hygiene of your parakeet can include a bath or shower two or three times a week. Bathing can be accomplished with either a flat dish that your bird can step into and use it's beak to throw water on itself, or by spraying your bird with a light mist of lukewarm water. Bathing stimulates normal grooming behavior and decreases dust and dander.  The wings should be kept trim if you want to discourage flight. Keep nails trimmed as well. The beak needs to be
trimmed if it becomes overgrown or deformed. There are many mineral blocks and other beak grooming items available at your pet store.  Add fresh food and water daily. Remove the empty shells from the seed dish before adding new seed (a seed dish that looks full may only contain empty shells). The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week.  Parakeets kept in a cage need to be let out for exercise daily.  Many pet stores sell "Parakeet Kits" which contain cages way too small for even one Parakeet. The minimum size  for one parakeet is 16 x 16 x 16 [inches] and the size for two is 20 x 20 x 20 [inches]. If you have more than 2  Parakeets, then make it 24 x 24 x 24 [inches] for three, and 28 x 28 x 28 [inches] for four. Try to get a cage that  the bar spacing should be no bigger than 1/4 or the Parakeet might get his head stuck and strangle himself. Try to  have a cage that's more wider than taller; birds like to fly forward not up and they get more room to move around  and won't use the bottom if it's too tall. Try to have cages that have the horizontal bars as Parakeets love to climb  and horizontal bars are easier and more comfortable to climb. The parakeet cage should be large enough so that  the bird's head does not touch the top, its tail does not touch the bottom, and it has enough room for unrestricted  movements. Also make sure that the cage does not contain any Zinc; it is toxic to birds and can kill them. Look out  for guillotine doors; your bird can open the door and have it fall on its head choking it or fall on another part of its
body and injure it. Put the cage in an area where there's lots of people and interaction.

The temperature that a parakeet is most comfortable at is 69F to 88F.  They are used to warmer climates since they are from Australia. 

NOTE: The information on this Care Sheet is not a substitute for veterinary care. If you need additional information, please contact your Avian Vet as appropriate. DO NOT put the cage in the kitchen; it can get killed by the harmful fumes and Teflon. Also don't place in a room with drafts, direct sunlight or where you're going to be smoking. If you're going to house two Parakeets together try to get two males or a male and female for females tend to fight a lot and try to keep the number of Parakeets in a cage even.
 

What to include in cage:
• 3 or more perches, not all dowel perches (rope, natural branch, plastic etc) for it doesn't exercise your bird's feet.
• 1 feed cup and 1 water cup . You can also include a treat/fruits and veggies cup.
• 3 toys in cage, which are rotated with other toys each month (a bird does get bored of the same old toys).
• Cuttlebone or mineral block or both.
 

TOYS
Exercise and play are important activities for the physical well-being and psychological health of your Parakeet.  Toys are designed to stimulate the bird’s mind as well as its motor skills. Watch out for toys that have "Jingle" type bells on them for your bird can easily get its beak, feet, head, tongue and feathers in the bell. Also if you get a rope toy watch for any fraying that happens for your bird's feet and toes can get stuck in them. Just cut any fraying to prevent this. Make sure toys do not contain any lead, zinc, or lead and lead-based paints or nothing small they can
break off or swallow, and nothing they can get caught or strangled in. Some cheap and fun toys for your Parakeet can be an empty toilet roll, a bracelet (plastic and not harmful) wrapped around its perch or a rolled up newspaper for them to shred up.

DIET AND NUTRITION
Variety is important to any bird’s diet. NOTE: Do not feed avocado, as it is toxic to birds! Other foods that are indigestible to birds are raw and green potatoes, all the cabbage family, grapefruit, lemons, plumbs, rhubarb, peanut shells, butter, salt, chocolate and dried fruits that have been treated with sulphur dioxide. Check with your Avian Vet for more information.
Seed mixes are NOT a complete diet. It is unfortunate that the majority of pet birds are started on seeds and do not learn to eat many more nutritious foods. Vitamin A deficiency often occurs in birds fed predominately seeds. Vitamin A is important in maintaining the immune system and preventing bacterial infections. One of the leading causes of early death in Parakeets is improper nutrition. If a bird owner is feeding seeds only, then several essential areas of nutrition are being ignored. A high-quality pelleted diet that is combined with a variety of other foods
and vitamins is a complete and nutritious diet to insure long-term good health. Good supplements include Millet Spray, Honey Sticks, Dry Greens, Oats, cooked pasta and rice; dark leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, or kale; and foods high in protein, such as beans and peas. You can also offer your bird small amounts of fresh fruits as long as they are given less frequently. Store food in a cool dry area in a sealed container to prevent insect
infestation. Birds that have been on a seed-only diet are often not easily convinced to change over to the pelleted diet or eat other foods. During the transition period, it is important to mix the seeds and the pellets together and gradually decrease the amount of seed in the mixture over two to three weeks. Talk with your veterinarian about the correct diet and supplements.
 

NOTE: The information on this Care Sheet is not a substitute for veterinary care. If you need additional information, please contact your Avian Vet as appropriate.