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Related Articles & Questions
- Care Sheets
Parakeet Care: Your Complete Guide to Budgie Food, Habitat & Health
Learn how to care for parakeets (budgies), recommended diet and habitat setup. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on October 23rd, 2025
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Master Medium Parakeet Care: Essential Guide for a Long, Happy Life
Learn how to care for a medium-sized parakeets, recommended diet & bird cage setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
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Ultimate Parakeet Care: Feeding, Housing, Health & Fun Facts Guide
Parakeets can make great pets. Take a look at these fun facts about these winged companions and wow your friends with your knowledge.
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- Care Sheets
Expert Care for Your Large Hookbill: Food, Habitat, Health & Happiness
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- Care Sheets
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- Training & Behavior
New to parakeets? Essential care tips for first-time owners.
Parakeets, also called Budgerigars, are small members of the parrot family and they can become good mimics. The average adult size is 7 inches long, head to end of tail. The average life span is between 10 to 20 years with proper care. A well-balanced Parakeet diet consists of: Specialized pellets should make up 60-70% of diet, fresh vegetables and fruits and small amounts of fortified seeds Clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water, changed daily. Do not feed birds: avocado, fruit seeds, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol; it can cause serious medical conditions. Avoid sugar and high fat treats. Things to remember when feeding your Parakeet: Fresh food and water should always be available. Vegetables and fruits not eaten within a few hours should be discarded. Remember, treats should not exceed 10% of total food intake. Housing Parakeets acclimate well to average household temperatures, not to exceed 80°F; be cautious of extreme temperature changes. The habitat should area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A habitat approximately 18"W x 18"D x 18"H, with metal bars spaced no greater than 1-2" apart, makes a good home for one Parakeet. A flight habitat is strongly recommended. It is best to provide the largest habitat possible. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. Perches should be at least 4" long and 3-8" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with habitat paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning. To avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches. Parakeets can be kept alone to bond with pet parent or in pairs to bond with each other. Different birds she not be housed together. Normal Behavior Parakeets are talkers, but their little voices are sometimes hard to hear. Active and need daily time out of their habitats to interact with family. Keep in pairs if unable to devote daily interaction time. Provide foraging toys, which provide important mental stimulation. Housing Maintenance Clean and disinfect the habitat and perches regularly; replace substrate or habitat liner weekly or more often as needed. Replace perches, dishes, and toys when worn or damaged; rotate new toys into the habitat regularly. Ensure that there are no habitat parts or toys with lead, zinc or lead-based paints or galvanized parts as these can cause serious medical issues if ingested by your bird. Do not use a lot of cleaning agents around your bird a natural cleaner. Grooming & Hygiene Provide filtered, chlorine-free, lukewarm water regularly for bathing; remove the water when done. As an alternative, mist the bird with water. Clipping flight feathers is not necessary, but when done correctly it can help prevent injury or escape; consult an avian veterinarian on what is best for your bird. Nails should be trimmed by a qualified person to prevent injury to the bird. Signs of a Healthy Animal: Active, alert, and sociable Eats and drinks throughout the day Dry nares and bright, dry eyes Beak, legs and feet normal in appearance Clean, dry vent Smooth, well-groomed feathers Common Health Issues Chlamydiosis: Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, nasal discharge, green stool. Seek immediate avian veterinary attention. Diarrhea: Fecal portion of stool is not formed. Multiple causes from diet change to internal parasites. Consult with an avian veterinarian and ensure proper diet. Feather plucking: Bird plucks own feathers; may be due to boredom, poor diet or other illness. Consult your veterinarian and relieve boredom with attention, new toys or new space. Mites (scaly face and leg disease): White deposits on eyes, beak, legs, and feet. Consult your veterinarian. Red Flags Beak swelling or accumulations Fluffed, plucked, or soiled feathers Sitting on floor
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Training & Behavior
First parakeet: What do I do for care, taming, and habitat?
Hello and congratulations on your new friend, King! Parakeets make wonderful pets, and they are a great first bird for a new bird owner. It sounds like you have everything in order, but I'd definitely get King some toys sooner rather than later as parakeets do require mental stimulation - they are very intelligent! Taming will take some time and patience. Using a perch to entice him to step up can be a good place to start, though I recommend waiting a few days to allow him to adjust to his new surroundings first. Yummy treats can be helpful - dried fruits and veggies are a good choice. Here are some good tips on taming your parakeet: http://www.budgiekeet.com/taming.html Good luck, and I hope King adjusts well! :)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
Why do my parakeets chew perches and only eat from high food dishes?
It is not uncommon for birds to chew at one particular spot on a perch. It looks like you have a number of wooden dowel perches in the cage - you could try to vary these by providing Manzanita wood perches (they look more like branches) and this may provide them with some areas that they can clean their beaks and wear their nails as well. For your question about the food dishes - it is very common for birds to only utilize materials (including food, water, toys, and perches) that are at the top of their cage. The reason for this is that they typically live in the trees, so they like to be high up the majority of the time. I would advise removing the dishes that are down low, and only providing dishes high in the cage. You can still provide multiple dishes if desired, in case you have some competition for food among the birds in the family. I hope that answers your questions, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
My parakeet isn't eating. What should I do and what food can I give?
If Mithu is refusing to eat at all I would be concerned that he is ill. It would be best to bring him to a local vet for an exam to rule out issues such as illness, infection, parasites, nutritional issues, etc that could be causing him to feel ill and not want to eat. If he checks out healthy and just doesn't like his food, a balanced seed and pellet diet is a good base diet that provides plenty of nutrients. You can then add in fruits and veggies as treats to help add some variety and balance things out. Visit the Petco website for some [parakeet foods](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/bird/bird-food-and-treats#facet:43057809711497107101101116&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&) we offer so you can get a feel for what to feed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
- Food & Nutrition
What should I feed my new bird? Seeds, pellets, fruits, and veggies?
Hello again! These items look great for King, but the bag is correct - generally, parakeets and parrots should be fed a pellet-based diet to avoid fatty liver disease. Seed diets are high in fat (even without the sunflower seeds), so should be given as a treat supplementally only. Millet should also be given in moderation. Your bird can definitely have fruits, but include some veggies, too! Grapes, apple, banana, broccoli, kale, green beans, and peppers can be great for birds. Avoid avocado, apple cores/seeds, cherries (with seeds - seedless are ok) onion, and garlic. Dried fruits are ok too, just avoid the ones that have added sugar. I hope this helps! Good luck with King!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
