Insomniac keet??

[Jules]

I'm Julie, new to this site. I have a couple questions about my new parakeet, Pippin. He doesn't seem to sleep-EVER. I sneak up on him at night, early in the a.m., whenever...he is always awake! What the heck? Birds close their eyes when they sleep, right? Also-he is deathly afraid of his water dish. He is a baby, approximately 4-5 months old but I don't think that should make any difference. The only way he will drink water is if I hold him in my lap and bring the dish to his beak, then he will take a few sips. This is not practical!! I'm so worried he's going to get dehydrated...how much water does a parakeet consume in a day on average? Thanks for any help any of you can offer! : )

[Monica]

Budgies, like many birds, have an accute hearing, so they are able to wake with even the slightest amount of noise, or even a change in the air. I wouldn't worry about this.

As far as drinking, you can try buying some different water dishes to put into his cage to see if he'll drink from them instead, or even a water bottle (similar to ones meant for rodents). It's hard to say how much a bird will drink as some birds drink more than others so might it be possible if he drinks water when you might not be around???

Beyond that though, try to be sure to give him plenty of veggies, include from fruit, breads, pastas, rice, beans, etc into the diet so he will be healthier and live a longer happier life. He may not accept this food at first so you must be persistent.

And welcome to the forum!

[Jules]

Thanks for putting my mind at ease...I am just terribly paranoid about him getting sick or worse. My daughters (and I) are just in love with him and he's really become part of the family! Anyway, from what you are saying, I think he will be fine. He acts fine, in fact, hyper. I guess with a parakeet this is a good thing. I will keep pushing the fruits and veggies. No luck yet, but hopefully soon. : )
-Julie

[Monica]

I'm glad to know that he is loved a lot!!! As for fresh foods, it's easiest to start out with bread, carrot tops, different types of lettuce, broccoli, parsley, anything that is dark green leafy, or might resemble seeds, and even try corn on the cob (though just a small piece). Also try offering these foods in varius ways presenting them in tiny bits, chunks, strips, cooked, raw (cleaned of course) etc.