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| WINSTON |
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| SPECIES: Budgerigar () ORIGIN: Australia SIZE: 7-9" head to tail tip COLOR: Naturally green, now available in many colors and mixes: blue, yellow, white, grey. SEXING: Adult males in breeding condition have bright blue ceres, the area above the beak. Females have pink-dark brown ceres. Note that young birds and mixed color birds (like Winnie) are often difficult or impossible to visually sex. HOUSING: Anything under 12" x 12" x 12" is too small. WAY to small. Buy the biggest cage you can afford, but pay attention to bar spacing, which should be 1/2". Also, having a cage with a large front door is useful for removing the bird from the cage- many birds dislike being pulled through small spaces, such as a typical cage door. FEEDING: Preferably a good pelleted diet (Kaytee exact/ Rainbow exact; Lafebers, ZuPreem) however, a fortified seed diet can be used (Kaytee makes several). The problem with seed is that the birds (or small animals) tend to pick through it and take only what they eat, and they usually miss some important nutrients that way. Winnie eats fortified seed- I had him on pellet, but as soon as I left for college, my mother put him back on seed (Grr) because "he looked hungry." OTHER: I offer all my birds cuttlebone. Some people offer gravel, oyster shell and charcoal. It all depends on who you talk to. If you're not sure what your bird needs, call a vet. They should ALWAYS be willing to help you, and will probably give you more information than you ever wanted to know! VET CARE? Other than if your bird is hurt, vet visits are few and far between. It is always reccomended to take any animal to a vet one or two times a year for a check up. At least know of a vet in your area who will treat birds in an emergency. How to find one? Ask around, ask pet stores. Some people take their bird to the vet for beak, nail or wing trimming. |
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