File :-(, x, )
Mr. Accessory !RWXlOyU5/U
Sup /an/. My girlfriend and I have gotten a parakeet. Well, 4 keets to be exact. I have a few questions regarding the care of these buggers that google has failed me. Any keet/budgie owners out there that has some tips or pointers, specifically hand training and raising multiple keets, send me an IM @ angryarmoredtaco. (PS, I'm a wowfag in SSC, so I may be slow)
>> Anonymous
Keep them in a cage with space to fly if possible. My keets also like having toys to play with, cycle a few different ones in and out to keep them entertained. Cuttlebone or mineral blocks are a must.

If you have females that are laying eggs and have not mated, then keep a close eye on them as they may sometimes continue laying and sitting for weeks on end (brooding). Brooding depletes their calcium. Fresh greens and fruits are also favorites of keets, as well as tiny or crushed nuts from time to time. Do not overfeed nuts or other fatty seeds (sunflower) as it can contribute to tumors in older birds.

Handtraining is best when they are young. Ease into it by getting them used to your hand in their cage, then gradually progressing to petting, and then pushing your finger against their keel to make em climb up. Never move suddenly or they'll freak.
>> Mr. Accessory !RWXlOyU5/U
>>127428
I've been told it wont be possible to hand train the four of them (They're all young, <4 months old), in the same cage. Should I split them into seperate cages? I already have a couple types of perches, a bell, and 2 swings, and a cuddlebone. However i need to get a bigger cage either way
>> Anonymous
I'd say split them up.

I bought four of them at once aswell about a year ago and still have them.
But none of them give a shit about me since they've got the others for company.
>> erica
i like birds
>> erica
hey do you know where to get midnight ravens by any chance?
>> Swallow It
I've hand trained hundreds of birds like this for a pet store. Its very simple. I take a 2 gallon fish bowl either paint it or paper the outside. Trim the tip of the birds wings so it cannot fly. Leave the bird seperated in this area away from the other birds. Many times a day/hour. Go to the bowl slowly/carefully put your hand in. It will not take 48 hours before the bird bonds to you. If you have 4 birds all together they may never become tam. Also older birds will take longer than 48 hours to tame.
>> Anonymous
>>127476

Fail-tit,this thread is keets.Not raves.GTFO
>> Mr. Accessory !RWXlOyU5/U
I wouldn't mind so much if they're not hand-trained. My girlfriend and I just really want them to be able to come in and out of the cage while we're home with the doors closed. I'd hate being clumped up in a cage too. :(
>> Anonymous
Training birds to handfeed and then handtrain is often easier than doing straight hand training. If you forget to feed them for a day, then you have a good oppourtunity to start handfeeding em. Put some food in a hand, slide it into the cage and wait. It'll take some time before the hungry bird eats out of your hand. When it eats the bit of food you offer, slowly retract your hand and repeat. It'll take some tries before the bird gets comfortable. Some of the more adventuresome ones will hop onto your hand and eat outta it.
>> Anonymous
>>128009
No need to starve the birds. Just get them hooked on millet and/or lettuce; they'll come running.

As to getting them to be friendly (if not hand-tame) with people, well, long as you greet them when you come into the room and tell them bye when you go away for a while, they'll get used to you eventually, a few weeks at most. Talking's good, remember to make gentle eye contact directly (these aren't dogs, it's not a hostile gesture) so they know they're being talked to.
>> Anonymous
fucking budgies
>> Anonymous
whistling to them works great too.
especially when you're in another room and they can't see you, they get curious as to where its coming from.
>> Anonymous
When they make the possibly loud "chirp, chirp" sound at you, or around in general, you should respond in kind. That's their contact call. Every budgie's is different, though birds from the same flock tend to have more similar ones. They recognize each other on an individual level from the contact call; as I understand, it's a somewhat important flock dynamic.

I just say "chirp, chirp" right back at them, stressing the first syllables. You'll know it's worked when they do the call again right after you.
>> Anonymous
It can help to cut an onion in half and leave it in the cage with them if they seem agitated. The fumes act like a sedative.