i'm considering purchasing 4 budgie's from a local pet store, first of all is it ok to buy from pet stores? and when i buy them what are some things that i should immediately purchase along with them? i have a huge black cage, food and water dishes, a few toys, and perches already. oh and food. am i missing anything important? should i immediately take them to a vet?
please help!!
thanx
2007-07-19 18:21:28 · 6 answers · asked by Mango 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
Don't forget the cuttle bone, a swing or two and make sure that if the are of both genders that you are prepared in case a pair decides to breed. If the pet store is a big name store then they should be okay. You will be hard pressed, maybe, to find a vet who will check out the health of small birds. Packing them around to all a bunch of different places is more likely to make them unwell than just getting them home and settled. Sounds like fun. Make sure also to get vitamins for their water, some powder or spray to keep mites to a minimum. I would imagine the store will have books on birds and it would be worth the investment.
2007-07-19 18:30:05 · answer #1 · answered by LEC 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have a reputable breeder near you, it would be better to buy directly from them. A good breeder will do a certain amount of hand rearing before selling their birds which makes it easier to train them later. A good breeder will also take better care of the birds than a pet store will. Birds that get sick or injured in a pet store are usually destroyed as it costs too much to care for them properly. The birds that end up in pet stores aren't always the best quality birds, either. Many birds in pet stores are shipped over long distances and some die along the way or are traumatized by the way they are handled. Pet stores frequently buy unweaned birds and try to let their 16 year old employees with no formal bird training hand wean them which ends with a dead or socially maladjusted bird most of the time.
2007-07-20 01:46:09 · answer #2 · answered by Joseph B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It'd be good to get them checked out by a vet, yes..and if you have any other birds, dont put them near each other until you're sure your new birds are clean and free of diseases.
You should pick up some swings for your birds, and also maybe some mirrors. But since youre going to get 4, they might not need the mirrors at all. cuttle bone is good to have for their beaks, millet spray is a nice treat, and when i buy new birds I always put some in the cage so that they have a nice treat while theyre adjusting to their new home.
Also I'd suggest buying a cover for their cage. If you dont cover them at night, prepare to be woken up with the sun in the morning. Birds are prone to night fright so you should have a night light by their cage so they can still see what's going on.
Some pet stores might try to sell you grit/gravel. Do NOT be talked into buying this for your parakeets. Parakeets have hook beaks, and husk their seeds before they eat it. Grit isnt necessary for these types of birds, and will just cause them more harm than good. Keep in mind that it takes time and patience to tame a bird.....and taming 4 is going to be 4 times as hard..but it'll be doable, if you're patient and persistant. Make sure that their wings are clipped or you'll never get them tame.
Good luck, have fun with your birdies.
2007-07-20 01:33:00 · answer #3 · answered by Dani 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pets from pet stores rarely make good pets. They've been teased, listened to little kids screaming for who knows how long, are usually sick, and aren't socialized properly while waiting for new families.
Not the makings of a good pet.
Best thing to do is get them from someone looking to "re-home" theirs. They will be tame and ready to be pets.
Look on www.craigslist.com and in your local newspaper. Contact shelters in your area, you'd be surprised at how many parakeets end up there.
***NOTE***
Parakeets will bond to each other and not you. They will ignore you (at best) and attack you (at worst).
The best pets are kept alone.
2007-07-20 01:32:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well one thing you can do is make sure you have all girls/boys, or 2 boys 2 girls w/e, and not just one of each sex, for example 1 girl and three boys. then the boys will start fighting for the girl.birds are real fun! we bread birds and have a whole bunch. my favrote are coackateals. also if you want your bird to be more friendly i sugest buying one. good luck with your budgies!
2007-07-20 01:31:44 · answer #5 · answered by tomsgirl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have maybe one more thing that might help you i don't know becuase i have had 3 parakeets and boy it was hard with 3 of them...... But if you don't want them to have baby's them of course get all of one gender... Also Birds (well some birds) love mirors they like to look at them sleves my bird right now loves her mirror!!! So good luck
2007-07-20 01:31:48 · answer #6 · answered by memegan2770 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋