Chuck’s Pet Center

Parakeet

Care Sheet

Average Size:  6inches

Average life span: 12-15 years

Diet:  Whether you decide on a pelleted/extruded diet or a seed diet is up to you.  Either way there are good mixtures of each.  We feed Sun Seed Vita Parakeet seed along with Peak Health  (an egg based supplement) and fresh fruits and veggies.

Provide fresh clean water daily.

Vegetables: Corn on the cob, celery, green peas, carrots & beans.

Fruit: Apples, peaches, bananas, melons, strawberries, grapes, pears, papaya

Treats & supplements: 8 in 1 Conditioning, Moulting & Sun Seed Fruit Seed snack, Sun Seed Grainola bars.  Treats should make up no more than 25% of their diet.

We also recommend 8 in 1 Oyster Shells instead of grit to aid in digestion as well as L/M cuttlebone

Housing: Parakeets do best in cages that give them enough room to fly around.  A cage that is 24”x20”x16” is sufficient for a single bird.  Most home temperatures will work well.  Avoid drafts and dampness.  We suggest Sun Seed processed corncob, aspen shavings by North East Bedding or 8 in 1 gravel paper.  Parakeets also like protection from behind.  Place the cage against a wall.

Cage cleaning: Cage, food & water bowls should be disinfected weekly.  Substrate or papers should be changed at least weekly.  Sometimes more often if your birds are particularly messy.

Perches: Parakeets require 4” of perch per bird.  Offer varying perch diameters to promote foot health. We recommend the cement Poly Perches.  If perches are constructed of water resistant material they should be disinfected weekly with a mild bleach solution. (32 parts water to 1 part bleach).  If perches are wooden, feces should be scraped off as needed.  Replace any worn or damaged perches.

Sexing:  The only sure way to sex a parakeet is to have it DNA tested.  However, you can sometimes tell boy from girl by the cere.  That’s the fleshy patch of skin surrounding the nostrils.  A mature male’s turns blue while a female’s turns brown.  Although, not all mature birds will develop these colors.

Breeding:  Parakeets reproduce in captivity quite readily.  We suggest that the birds be at least 9-12 months old and be in good physical condition.  Once you obtain a compatible pair and an adequate cage you can introduce a nesting box.  Do not panic if the birds are alarmed by the presence of this box.  They will learn to accept it and eventually begin to enter.  If your birds are successful at mating eggs will appear in a few weeks.  One egg will be laid every other day until there are 3-6 of them.  An average clutch is 4-5 eggs.  After 18 days the first egg should hatch.  And the others will hatch on the corresponding days that they were laid.  Make sure the birds are fed according to our recommendations.  Typically the male will feed the female through the box opening.  Mom will only leave the nest to go to the bathroom.  Parakeet chicks are mature at approximately 6-7 weeks of age.  Make sure you offer nestling food to the parents when the chicks are about 3-4 weeks old.  This is an excellent transition to solid food.