What's the best diet, cage cleaning, and vet schedule for my bird?

Parakeets, also called Budgerigars, are small members of the parrot family and they can become good mimics. The average adult size is 7 inches long, head to end of tail. The average life span is between 10 to 20 years with proper care. A well-balanced Parakeet diet consists of: Specialized pellets should make up 60-70% of diet, fresh vegetables and fruits and small amounts of fortified seeds Clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water, changed daily. Do not feed birds: avocado, fruit seeds, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol; it can cause serious medical conditions. Avoid sugar and high fat treats. Things to remember when feeding your Parakeet: Fresh food and water should always be available. Vegetables and fruits not eaten within a few hours should be discarded. Remember, treats should not exceed 10% of total food intake. Housing Parakeets acclimate well to average household temperatures, not to exceed 80°F; be cautious of extreme temperature changes. The habitat should area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A habitat approximately 18"W x 18"D x 18"H, with metal bars spaced no greater than 1-2" apart, makes a good home for one Parakeet. A flight habitat is strongly recommended. It is best to provide the largest habitat possible. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with habitat paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning. To avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches. Parakeets can be kept alone to bond with pet parent or in pairs to bond with each other. Different birds she not be housed together. Normal Behavior Parakeets are talkers, but their little voices are sometimes hard to hear. Active and need daily time out of their habitats to interact with family. Keep in pairs if unable to devote daily interaction time. Provide foraging toys, which provide important mental stimulation. Housing Maintenance Clean and disinfect the habitat and perches regularly; replace substrate or habitat liner weekly or more often as needed. Replace perches, dishes, and toys when worn or damaged; rotate new toys into the habitat regularly. Ensure that there are no habitat parts or toys with lead, zinc or lead-based paints or galvanized parts as these can cause serious medical issues if ingested by your bird. Do not use a lot of cleaning agents around your bird a natural cleaner. Grooming & Hygiene Provide filtered, chlorine-free, lukewarm water regularly for bathing; remove the water when done. As an alternative, mist the bird with water. Clipping flight feathers is not necessary, but when done correctly it can help prevent injury or escape; consult an avian veterinarian on what is best for your bird. Nails should be trimmed by a qualified person to prevent injury to the bird. Signs of a Healthy Animal: Active, alert, and sociable Eats and drinks throughout the day Dry nares and bright, dry eyes Beak, legs and feet normal in appearance Clean, dry vent Smooth, well-groomed feathers Common Health Issues Chlamydiosis: Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, nasal discharge, green stool. Seek immediate avian veterinary attention. Diarrhea: Fecal portion of stool is not formed. Multiple causes from diet change to internal parasites. Consult with an avian veterinarian and ensure proper diet. Feather plucking: Bird plucks own feathers; may be due to boredom, poor diet or other illness. Consult your veterinarian and relieve boredom with attention, new toys or new space. Mites (scaly face and leg disease): White deposits on eyes, beak, legs, and feet. Consult your veterinarian. Red Flags Beak swelling or accumulations Fluffed, plucked, or soiled feathers Sitting on floor

Palpation of the pelvic bones is certainly a valid method of sexing birds, but a somewhat difficult one. Even experienced veterinary professionals still have difficultly sexing birds by this method or many others. In all honesty the only way to truly sex these parrots is by either waiting to see if it lays eggs or with imaging modalities at your veterinarian. In terms of general avian care, the first thing I would do is locate an avian veterinarian and establish a relationship. It does not have to be a specialist, but at least someone who is familiar and comfortable working with pet birds (unfortunately there are not too many). They can help walk you through some of the quirks of parrots in particular. In regards to general husbandry, wing clipping is not usually necessary more than once a year. Occasionally, twice a year is needed but this is uncommon. Nail trimming / beak trimming frequency will be determined by their environment and behavior. The more time Julie spends moving around and gnawing on things, the less likely and frequently you will need to have her trimmed. With a new pet bird, I would recommend a thorough check up by a vet as soon as possible to try and determine age and health. I would also bring in a fecal sample to make sure there are no parasites that might require treatment. Hope this information is helpful!

Hello. All birds should have fresh food and water changed every day. Clean the cage about once a week or more often as needed based on size of cage and mess produced. Tap water may be fine to give depending on your water source, so check with your municipality about that. If in doubt, offer bottled water. Feed about 65-75% complete pellets like ZuPreem or Roudybush, and the rest can be fresh veggies, some seed, and nuts. Have Tweety examined by an avian vet at least once a year for wellness, since catching problems early gives the best chance of successful treatment. Avian vets are listed at aav.org. Good luck!

It is hard to say, judging by the pictures alone, how much weight your bird has gained. I would recommend getting a gram scale so you can weigh her at least weekly to monitor her weight. The best thing you can do to keep her healthy is to offer her a high-quality pelleted bird food like Harrison‘s or Zupreme. Give her a small amount of fresh fruits and veggies, about 10% of her diet, and very few seeds/nuts. These offer a little nutritional value, have lots of fat and calories, and can cause issues with the liver later in life. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for your questions about birds. You can shower with birds, but it is recommended that they sit on a perch or on the shower rod during the shower, not that they are directly hit by the spray. A safer way to give them a shower is by using a gentle mist directed over the top of them with a spray bottle. When provided with appropriate and balanced nutrition, a cuttle bone is not necessary for parrots. The food that you posted is a reliable pelleted diet, but you would need to ensure that you got an appropriate size for the species - for example, the mini pellets would be good for a conure but not for an Amazon. If you have never had a bird before, it may be a big commitment to get a medium to large sized parrot. When cared for appropriately, these large parrots can live many decades - ideally 50 years or more. You may potentially consider starting with a smaller parrot, such as a cockatiel (life span of up to 25 years) or a budgerigar (life span around 8 years). I hope that gives you some additional information!

Feed mainly a commercial pelleted diet such as Harrison's, Lafeber or Higgins pellets. This should make up about 80% of the diet. The other 20% can be a mix of a fortified seed mix and fresh fruits and vegetables.

It looks normal but it is hard to tell 100% from this photo. I recommend you refer to this link/article: ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/birds-abnormal-droppings ) If you are worried you can always have your vet do a fecal test/gram stain. The biggest way to keep your bird healthy is to feed the appropriate diet. I strongly suggest Lafeber diets. I don't know what you are feeding but many people default to seeds but that is not a good diet. ( https://lafeber.com/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.