If you decide to buy a wavy parakeet, also known as a budgie, be prepared for a challenging task, as it can live up to 9-14 years; given its longevity, you need to be absolutely sure that you are buying the right one for you and your family. To make a good choice, you need to examine the animal's health, personality and happiness before taking it. Finding a specimen that will make a happy member of the family for a long time requires a certain amount of scruple on your part, as well as knowing that you are giving up on a specimen that simply isn't right for you.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Choosing a Healthy Parakeet
Step 1. Look for a specimen from a qualified dealer
These budgies are sold online, through newspaper ads or in pet stores. You can also find one at animal shelters. Regardless of where you get it, make sure the dealer treats the birds with respect and maintains their health.
- Check out the online reviews of the different retailers you are evaluating. Are almost all customers satisfied with the bird they bought from that particular retailer?
- If you have a friend who owns budgies, ask him where you can find one with the qualities you are looking for; his advice can be especially helpful if you have caught one or more birds recently.
Step 2. Go to a pet shop or breeder
Evaluate the first impression you have and trust your instincts. Does the environment seem clean and well cared for? Do you think the staff or shop assistants are responsible and conscientious people who care about the health and happiness of the birds? If you have doubts about even one of these, go away.
Step 3. Ask the dealer how he cares for parakeets
Make sure the cages are cleaned regularly. Do employees wash their hands before handling birds? These are simple, but important things to ensure parrots are healthy and happy.
Step 4. Look at the cages they are in
Parakeets need spacious, clean places to live. Are there too many specimens inside the cages to the point that they can't move? Are the cages or containers clean? Does the condition of the cage reflect what the retailer told you about the attention and care he gives to the birds? Do the animals have water available? Do they have appropriate food, such as seeds, pellets, and vegetables? These are all important aspects to consider before choosing which parakeet to buy.
Step 5. See if the parrots appear healthy and happy
Do they interact with each other? Check the head, body and legs of each specimen you are considering; if he is healthy and happy, the feathers must be smooth and shiny, not all ruffled. Your dog should have a healthy appetite, so watch if he eats the seeds. Also check the beak and legs, which shouldn't have scabs; the cloaca should be clean and you shouldn't see any nasal discharge.
- The feathers should appear shiny, slender, and smooth.
- You shouldn't notice any growths or abnormalities on the body.
- You shouldn't see mites on the legs and the toes should be smooth and clean.
Part 2 of 2: Choosing a Parakeet for Personality and Appearance
Step 1. Assess the character of your potential new pet
If he is healthy and happy, he should be active and happy. Does he move, eat the seeds and drink? Although when left alone it should be relatively quiet, it is quite natural for it to prick up its feathers as you approach the cage; therefore you must not experience this behavior as a negative fact.
Usually, the specimens found in pet stores are not tame to be handled, this means that you will need to take the time to get your parrot used to getting used to your hand if you want to be able to hold it. If you want to buy one that is already used to being touched, you need to go to a specialized breeder
Step 2. Look for a young specimen
You can tell the parakeet's age by looking at the black lines on its forehead. One young (less than 4 months) has black bars all over the head up to the wax (the fleshy part above the beak); when it is over 4 months old, the black stripes disappear.
The parrot sheds around six months, this is the ideal age to train it
Step 3. Define if your pet is male or female
This aspect is only important if you have a specific preference and the method to follow to distinguish the sex works only when the specimen is sufficiently grown and the black bars are gone. In males the wax is blue, while in females it is very light blue, beige or brown.
Males tend to vocalize a little more; therefore, if you want a "chatty" parrot, make sure it is male. Either way, a healthy young bird of either sex is a very good talker if trained in the right way
Step 4. Get an interesting colored parakeet
If you are buying it from a retailer that has many healthy, active specimens, feel free to pick the bird based on its appearance. Feathers can have an infinite variety of colors, so choose the animal that shows the color combinations you prefer!
Advice
- Before you buy your new friend, make sure you have enough time for him. Many people buy a parakeet without realizing they don't have enough time to care for and raise it. Remember that these birds can live up to fifteen years! What will you do in the next ten years? Will you still have a couple of hours a day to dedicate to him?
- Parakeets tend to suffer from loneliness and want to be part of a group. You should consider making him a friend to make him happy; however, remember that if you take another specimen as a playmate, you will lose some of his affection for you. Also, keep in mind that parrots can learn to talk, but are less likely to do so when they have the company of their own.
Warnings
- Parakeets are able to hide their diseases well, so you need to observe for some time what you want to take before buying it.
- When you pick up the budgie, be careful not to squeeze it, otherwise you could cause some psychological trauma and even injure it.
