New Member from Louisville, KY area - NEED HELP

[Leanora]

I just happened upon this board this evening while hunting for information on parakeets. We are looking for a family pet and have been thinking about a parakeet for a while. My family had one when I was a kid.

I really need some help. My son's 8th birthday is the 22nd and we wanted to get a Parakeet for his birthday. When I had a bird when I was younger it had belonged to someone before us and it was a frightened bird and it never really got friendly. I don't want this to happen with the bird we get. I'm completely oblivious as to where to purchase a parakeet but I HAVE been reading about what to do when you get one home.

I'm hoping someone could help me find a reputable place to purchase a parakeet and get some good advice for when we bring it home.

Looking forward to any help I can get.

Thanks!

[catschair]

Welcome to BB! I am a long way from KY, but I am sure someone will be along soon with some good info.

[Kiwi1224]

Welcome to the forum. I've had parakeets since a kid as well and my best suggestion is two-fold. If there is a breeder in your area, try to get a newly weaned budgie so your son can work with the little one and they get accustomed to one another. or, if you have a pet store with a solid reputation that they can provide you with the age of the bird and give you the opportunity to handle the bird to ensure it won't be too flighty. I've had great success with local stores in which we brought one budgie home that the minute she came out of the carrier, she was on our finger and became quite a character.

Just ensure to really take time to watch the bird at rest before approaching to ensure that their breathing is not labored (no tail bob) and then when you approach ensure that their eyes are bright, there is no discharge from the ceres or any stains above the cere which would indicate recent illness. Also, ensure that the vent is clean...any signs of staining could indicate a possible problem.

I would secure a certified avian vet and take the bird for a well care check-up. check with the store on their return policy if there is a problem. Hope this helps...that's all I can think about for now. Good luck with your search...my son was 8 when I surprised him with his own bird...it was love at first sight and he takes such good care of his birds.

[Kiwi1224]

forgot to mention...you can go into BirdBreeders.com - Bird Breeders Directory of Availability and Parrot Breeders to search for a breeder for budgies. I checked real quick and could not find a breeder in KY for budgies but possibly there is a surrounding state that would not be too much of a drive if you chose to go with a breeder.

One other breed that would be a great bird is a parrotlet. I have a Pacific Parrotlet who is so sweet...they love spending time with their human flock. They are a small parrot, about 5 1/2 inches from beak to their stubby tail. We've had our parrotlet for 8 months now and she is a doll. We were able to get her newly weaned and she loves to be with us. Just a thought.

[Monica]

There are various small species that would make great pets. Cockatiels, bourkes, and budgies all can make excellent pets!

I started with budgies, then a tiel, then a conure... later on got bourkes and thought that they were very lovely little birds! If you can get handraised, well they make excellent pets! But so can parent raised birds if you get them at a young age (easiest to tame them when they are young).

You might want to try finding a bird club in your area that may be able to point you to a breeder who handraises their birds... or, you might even want to look around for avian vets or bird stores that could do the same.

http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup/
Vaughn Veterinary Services
VetCity - Veterinary Associates Stonefield
BirdsnWays - Avian Veterinarians - Vets - Vet Services for Pet Parrots & Exotic Birds

[GlendaNS]

There are bird shows in New Albany quite often. I think there is a bird club there as well. Just across the bridge! I am about an hour north of Louisville.
Welcome!