First of all, I know it says to buy one as young as possible, but how old is that? I know kittens/puppies have to be 6 weeks old before they can be adopted, but what about parakeets? At what week are they considered "ready"?

I live in Michigan and cannot find anyone who sells hand raised parakeets (which I would prefer). Just one pet shop that has 10-11 week old parakeets in a cage. Does anyone know any breeders in Michigan that I could contact? I live in northern Michigan, but would be willing to travel (within reason), to pick up a "nice" parakeet.

I am 40 years old and have always wanted a parakeet and I think my family and I are finally ready and I've found so much great information on Lisa's website, now I can't find my bird! Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

I have never been there but I have been told that Preuss Pets in Lansing is very good for birds. Usually keets should be at least 8 weeks old and at that young age should be easy to hand train even if they were not hand raised.

I think keets should be at least 8 wks? Some breeders do let them go younger than that tho. You can tell a young keet by the stripes on its forehead. If it still has stripes going down to its cere(nose) then it is probably under 4 mos old.
Here's a site with breeders listed by state. Not ALL breeders of course, but it's a start. http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/breeders.htm
Good luck and let us know if you find one!

You could TRY asking the pet stores who their breeders are that supply them..and a hand fed keet..is really lovely but they adapt so readily that even if its not hand fed it wont be long before they become your second skin...just takes some patience and time and this forum is full of great people who are kind enuf to be gentle and help with all that info..going to a BREEDER in my opinion is ALWAYS best..ask a vet..contact avian vets in the area THEY KNOW ..and u will need one anyway...so check with vets..thats a good source ..also find out thru vets about local bird clubs as often they are invited to speak at the clubs...and again that would be the best way to source out the info you need to find just what u want..take your time ..do it right...dont let wanting a bird have u making hasty decisions u may not be happy with later. Good luck im sure u will find just the bird whose meant for you

oh one more thing dont skimp on a cage...a good size cage should be min. 18in square if u can go a bit larger ..i have a 25in x 14in then do that..remember it will be ur keets home for a very very long time..and room enuf to open its wings and flap without hitting toys ..perches ...and ladders u will put in is what your trying to do.

Thanks for all the great information so far! I am using this time to study, but would love to find one by Christmas time, it would make a wonderful family gift for all of us.

My mom had a parakeet when she was young and she would tell me wonderful stories, it could even speak English and Danish! So I have wanted one ever since. And she got hers from a dime store!

I know patience is key, but I also want a very friendly bird and think the best chances would be to find a young, hand-fed one.

This information is a great start and feel free to keep it coming -- am hoping to find one in the next month or so -- I'll let you know!

yes a lot of lil budgies do talk males are the bigger ones but females do talk also..when they very young tho there is no way of distinguishing male from female..getting them young tho is what u should consider..dont let your decisions be swayed tho in getting one if u cant find a local breeder who hand feeds. As ive said and many will tell u ..parent raised birds will become JUST AS FRIENDLY...and u will want to spend LOTS of time with you new friend anyway ..so finger training is a good start to getting to know and trust each other.

Are there any bird rescues in you area? Sometimes perfectly nice, socialized birds are relinquished when someone becomes ill or is allergic to them, and you could find a new friend and save a homeless bird. It's worth a shot. Try Petfinder and see what comes up in your area!

You might call vets in your area to see if they know of anyone who breeds keets. Good luck in your search. How far north are you?

Kathy

No bird rescues in the area. No luck on Petfinder. One vet in town, but they knew of no breeders.
I'm about 5 hours north of Detroit. So for now, I'm trying to find a nice cage that is affordable. Want it to look nice since he/she will live in the living room. Saw some nice ones on ebay, but don't have $300+ to spend on a cage.

Keep the great info coming, it is MUCH appreciated! Even if I don't have the opportunity to respond, I am reading and absorbing all the information I am given.

Thanks!

norwexdawn - getting a parakeet from a breeder does not guarantee that it will be what you are expecting. One of the things you can do is go to a pet store that has parakeets and just spend some time watching the birds. It is amazing how their personalities start becoming apparent.

Got to warn you though, if you see one in a cage by itself be sure to find out why it is by itself. One day when I was in the pet store there was this beautiful little girl in a cage by herself; and she was just turning herself inside out trying to get to the birds in the cage next to her. I felt so sorry for her I got her and brought her home. Well - that is Gracie. She is a bully, picks fights, and hogs the food and anything else that she wants. I even had to separate her on different occasions. When I would do that she would just about turn herself inside out trying to get to my other birds. Moral of the story – ask questions.

As it turns out her and Gilbert are now a bonded pair, that is when she is not flirting with Jason and bossing Gilbert around. He must really love her because he just takes it all in stride.

Check Craigslist. People do sell parakeets on craigslist.

More great advice -- thanks! I enjoy reading everyone's parakeet stories and seeing the pictures. I don't even care what color mine is, they are all so beautiful!

Checked craigslist, no luck.

Thanks again!

Found THE cage. It is 18 x 18 x 21.5. Claims it is the perfect size for one parakeet. Now, to find my bird....

Sounds like about the same size as my first cage. I think mine was 23H tho. It was a good size for one keet Of course eventually you're going to want even bigger to make room for more TOYS. LOL You'll see, it's an addiction! haha
Good luck finding the little monster to put in it!

I know how excited u must be ...the anticipation of that new friend coming home once u make your decision..dont forget u will have toys and ladders etc in the cage also that will take up space and birdie needs to extend its wings to flap/excercise..so rotating toys as opposed to overcrowding it is a consideration to make..besides they think they are being spoiled that way..errrrrrm hmmmmmmm sigh..ok ..THEY ARE.

i also get so excited to bring home your keet.

i got mine from petco and petsmart. petco is better because the wings are clipped and they have a band on the leg

my new budgie from a breeder has no band..the band most times can also become a real hazard to birds..and clipped wings well too each their own as i dont believe in that either unless u have kids who dont think sometimes and just open the door. I just dont believe in clipped wings and i know some others in here that feel as strongly as i do about it and wish they would come out an say it too ..not just in private..geeeeeesh..i hear this in private ALOT but some folks dont want to go against what some of the site admins may say or some others and are afraid to ruffle feathers pardon the pun...HOWEVER i see a forum as a place to speak ur truths and let every individual freely make their own choice.

http://www.birdbreeders.com/breedersinmi.aspx

Here is a list of breeders in Michigan. I would also keep an eye on classifieds in newspapers, bulletin boards in grocery stores, coffee stores etc.

Good Luck!

Kathy

These wonderful posts -- whether controversial or not -- are helping me very much. I am trying to learn as much as possible before bringing my keet home. Just knowing this site is here and everyone just trying to be so helpful and kind is such a relief because I want to do the right things.

This is going to be a family Christmas gift, so I am hoping the timing will work out. If not, we'll all just get an empty cage for Christmas morning!

I live in a very small town, so no Petco or Petsmart like that around. There is a small pet shop 25 minutes away that sells parakeets, not handfed, and right now they are 11 weeks old. So I don't want to go there unless they get another "shipment" in closer to Christmas.

I also found a pet store approximately 1 1/2 hours away that does sell hand-fed keets. They are approximately double the money, but maybe that would be worth it.

Another question, I know I need to cover the cage at night, but what does everyone suggest? I want my keet to stay warm, but don't want to suffocate the poor thing. Don't really want to spend money on a cover either if I can just use a towel or flannel sheet or blanket. Suggestions would be welcomed!

Am planning on lots of toys and rotating them, just like I used to do when my kids were toddlers!

i use just a ordinary twin size sheet..and hand fed would cost more .. be sure to ask for a guarantee an plan on a bit more for a vet check asap have u checked around yet also for any local avian vets IF NOT ask the breeder who they use.

I use a plain old sheet too. altho depending on what time of year it is, I use a reg one in summer and flannel in winter. If it's extremely cold out i also use a blanket over the back portion of cage because they are on an outside wall.
Very good suggestion to locate an Avian vet beforehand
Maybe your closest Avian vet would know of breeders in your area? Worth a shot. Have you tried these sites? http://www.avianbiotech.com/Breeders/Breeders.asp
http://www.birdsnways.com/index.htm
Good luck! I did the same as you and found this forum while doing research BEFORE i got a keet. What a huge help everyone was! And since then, I haven't been able to leave! LOL You learn something new every day.

I use a table cloth to cover my keets cage.

Picked up my bird yesterday! Drove about 1 1/2 hours away to buy one from a bird store that hand feeds its birds. Bought a young one. She brought him out to me in her hands and it sat on my finger. The owner told me to NOT take him out of the cage until he eats, which he has not done yet. He has all the toys in his new cage that he was used to and the same seed he was used to. I sure hope he eats soon.

Should I try to give him veggies or should I wait until he eats some seed first?

It will take at least a couple of days for him to adjust. It should be today or tomorrow when you see him eat. I would suggest putting a cover on the top and three sides of his cage. That will make him feel much safer.

On the veggies, I would wait until he is used to his new environment.

Congratulations. Do you have a name yet? What color is he?

Yes, I put a sheet on the top and 3 sides. Poor thing! He(?) is green and yellow. His name? Kitty!

Thanks for the info. I will feel much better when I see him eat.

Love the name. He has probably eaten some, it will take a little more time for Kitty to eat in front of you. He will.

Put seed cups all over they are more important than any toys right now..the less for him to focus on with exception of food would be good ..he isnt going to play with his toys just yet anyway...once he begins to eat then add a toy every couple of days..put some small seed cups right aside of the perch he sits on most at both ends of it.

Both of mine were used to eating from a dish on the cage floor when I got them. You could try putting a seed dish on the floor too.
Congrats on your new "Kitty" LOL Luv the name!
How young is he? Did you happen to ask the breeder when his hatchday is?

I love the name "Kitty". thats really cute

His hatchday is October 11. Finally ate in front of us yesterday and was looking at us. Decided to slowly put my finger in (at the bird store, he sat on my finger and knew "up"). Talked to him softly, but he bit me. I didn't jerk my hand away or anything, just sat there and still talked to him. Was NOT interested in my finger, so he has not come out yet.

Now I haven't seen him eat since then, so wonder if I moved too quickly. However, especially since he as hand raised, I don't want to get him too far away from that. Should I try again today or am I moving too fast?

Don;t worry about the not eating because he will. I also bought a hand fed keet. He got used to me pretty quick. Just be patient with him. They do bite hard! My hand fed hooked into my finger and I lifted my finger with him latched on.

Saw him eat a few times today, but he still looks so frightened. Poor thing. Still hates my finger! Should I try having him sit on my finger once a day? Every other day? Several times a day? Just want him to be happy!

I would say as often as he will tolerate it. The more you interact with him the better.

try your hand instead of your finger..also try approaching your finger from the back of him under his tail to get him to step up..it was VERY good you didnt jerk your hand back when he may have tried to nibble onto you..and also good you move your hand slowly around him/her...
Sounds like to me your doing quite well some take a bit longer than others each is a individual so dont get discouraged and id try maybe three times a day..sometimes if there is enough room in the cage and perches are long id just put my hand on the perch within a range that doesnt frighten and leave it there..without even advancing moves for a time maybe one of the three times of doing this so he doesnt think each time your hand is in cage it means a threat..

Thanks so much for all the information and encouragement. I need it because I am getting discourage. I know, I know, I've read everything about being patient, but I just feel like he's never going to get comfortable! I could have gotten a parakeet from a pet store about 30 minutes from here, but they weren't handraised and about 6 months old, so I thought I was better off driving far away to get this one. He seemed fine on my finger in the store, I really thought he would get more used to me by now.

Thanks for all the great tips, I will try them and let you know. At least he's eating...

Thanks so much -- approaching from the back worked! He got on my husband's finger, was able to get him out of the cage and he sat on all of our fingers (there's 5 of us) last night and tonight! Still does not like sudden movements, so we are careful around him. He does a lot of preening when we are holding him. Is that ok? He's not pulling out his feathers, just cleaning under his wings, etc. Hope to make more progress every day.

Dont rush a good thing just savor the moment and preening when on your hand means he is comfortable with you so BE SURE to continue to move slow so he dont feel as tho his trust has been betrayed and become frightened...now try PERCH training for when he does fly and reaches tho high spots or crashes and burns and its a spot you cant reach well ..you can use a loooonnnng perch or buy a dowel from crafts dept or hardware store...and NEVER get discouraged ...things will progress and he will let you all know when he is ready for the next step his body language will tell you...congratulations on your success with the rear approach many feel more comfortable with that..now ..SMILE..

Thanks! Yes, we'll still move slow. He's still not even playing with his toys yet and will still only eat his bird food from the bird store. But at least he's getting more comfortable and really appreciate all the advice. Will definitely get a dowel if my husband doesn't already have one.

Even well established keet family members will not even get near a new toy. That may take him a while to figure out that these monsters are really for him to play with, not out to get him.

Awww, poor thing!

I usually have to "play" with the toys so peepers think new toys= fun!. I kinda like playing with them too...lol

yep i get mine started with playing with them first an acting jealous when he tries to take over but...only till he gets familar with the toy then i dont do the jealous act thing. At this time though im his favorite toy it seems..wish he would get into playing more with his stuff instead of my glasses .. jewelry im wearing..fuzz balls on my clothes, etc etc.

Um i tried petfinder, and it does not work. i tried finding keets in my area, but it messed up. but i resorted to pet store keets, theyre just as good, at times.

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