Need help with getting a new bird

[r0ckinricky]

I recently lost my parakeet Rio a few days ago Im not sure what happened to rio to make her pass. and i have a few questions about what to do when i get a new one. how should i clean the cage and what should i replace. i got rio from the petstore and i want to get my new one from a breeder what kind of questions should i ask the breeder before buying.

[friend2parrots]

Sorry to hear about your parakeet's passing.

I am sure others may also have advice for you, but this is what comes to mind:

when you are looking for a parakeet from a breeder, try to buy one that is GREEN. with YELLOW and BLACK barring on the wings, and YELLOW head/face. this is called the WILD type. if you type in "wild budgerigar" in google you will get pictures of this.

the other colors of the budgie (another name for parakeet) are color mutations which have a LOT of genetic problems. i learned this the hard and sad way when i was young. the fancy color parakeets tend to live short lives because they are bred purely for color and often irresponsibly.
in fact this is true for all birds - color mutations live shorter lives and get sick more often.

you should keep your parakeet flighted. they are EXTREMELY easy to train. the blog of this website has all the info you need. go to the top left hand corner for the link.

you should get the BIGGEST cage you can possibly get.

others may feel differently, but I think two parakeets are much happier than one, and are good at encouraging each other to learn tricks.

anyway, that's my two cents - best wishes on your new parakeet!

[marie83]

Sorry to hear about your Rio.

I agree with everything friend2parrots said.

Also to add if your keeping the old cage then scrub it with soap and water, then disinfect it thoroughly with a birdsafe disinfectant like F10. Throw away and replace anything porus like stuff made from wood, so perches, toys etc as if your bird was sick when s/he passed they may be pathogens lurking which will make your new bird sick too. Don't forget to clean outside the cage area when yours spent time too.

[r0ckinricky]

ok thanks for the tips i plan on keeping them flighted. and were can i get that F10 cleaning stuff

[marie83]

What country are you in? I know a UK site that sells it, its by no means the only type of disinfectant available though. I assume your not in the UK though as most arent so your best bet is to google it with your country to bring up relevant results.

[r0ckinricky]

yea i live in the us ill try to google it and see what comes up thanks for all the help also what should i use to line the cage i have been using pellets as thats what the told me to use at the petstore is there other stuff i can use

[marie83]

Newspaper. Quick, easy and cheap. Its also more hygienic and lets you monitor poop better than other substrate

[friend2parrots]

yes, newspaper is best - just make sure you use RECENT newspaper, not ones that have been stored. the newspaper shouldnt be older than one week at the most, to be safe. (mold can develop in older newspaper).

[marie83]

yes, newspaper is best - just make sure you use RECENT newspaper, not ones that have been stored. the newspaper shouldnt be older than one week at the most, to be safe. (mold can develop in older newspaper).

Never heard this. In fact the opposite, do you have any references for this please?

[friend2parrots]

hi marie - yeah, i read this in an article recently - i'm going to post it in the health section.
i'm surprised you heard the opposite! i'd be very interested in what you think of that article!!

(rockinricky -please bear with us while we sort this out! )