Your Questions & Our Answers

1. How long does it take for a bird to be ready to go to their new home?

Baby birds are usually ready at about 6 to 10 weeks from their hatch date. Some may be ready earlier & some may be ready later. Each bird is different & some take a little bit longer to wean. We make sure our babies wean themselves off. We don't force wean them.

2. I heard males are better than females. Is that true?  What is the difference?

In our experience, we have not seen a difference in how the males behave compared to the females. The only difference is that the females lay eggs as they get older. Males & females have the capabilities to talk, do tricks, be sweet & have an amazing personality. In our opinion, the gender does not determine a good or bad bird. It's the environment & the people they are exposed to in their new home that shapes their personality & behavior.

3. My bird is biting. What do I do?

If your bird is biting you, look at the surroundings & circumstances.

If you have your bird hanging out with you on your shoulder & he/she starts biting than make sure its not a blemish, mole or skin tag they are trying to remove. They will groom you & pick at anything they feel doesn't belong.

They may also be picking at your jewelry (earrings, necklace, rings, etc.). They love shiny objects!

They bite when they are mottling. Mottling hurts!

If you have children & your bird starts biting, make sure the children are not poking their finger at the bird. Birds do not like to be poked at when they are inside or outside their cage.

If you can not determine the reason for their biting, than they are just being brats. Continue to hold & hang out with them. DO NOT let them know that  their biting bothers you. They are smart! If they see that you leave them alone when they bite, they will bite you every time.

4. I obtained a female bird from you & she is starting to lay. What do I do?

Laying eggs is rough on a female bird. Make sure she has plenty of cuttlebone! If she is laying eggs in the food/water dishes, remove the dishes & replace them with ones that hang on the outside & have a spout going through the bars. Remove anything she is laying eggs in because if she continues to lay, it will wear her out & possibly kill her. Also, remove her eggs too. Her poop will  be large, most of the time this will subside after she stops laying & gets out of her fertile stage. Once you remove all items she considers a good nesting spot, she should lose interest & go back to being that sweet little girl.

5. My bird is spitting up on the mirror & climbing on top of some of his/her toys. It looks like he/she may be humping the toys. What is going on?

Your bird is ready to mate. He or she has found a mate in one of the toys and/or in the mirror. The spit up & mess is your bird's way of feeding the other mate & yes your bird is humping that toy. It is perfectly normal. You may remove the mirror & the main object of his or her affection if you would like. After their love fit, you can put the toys back or just buy new ones. It all depends if you want to scrub them clean or not.

6. My parakeet was fine one minute but died shortly after. What happened?

Parakeets are a prey species. They do not show any signs of illness until it is too late. Here are a few things that may help you in protecting your parakeet.

DO NOT use burning candles, Teflon pans, Air Fryers, Silicone Bakeware & tap water from the faucet. AVOID stressful situations.

ALWAYS wash your hands before & after handling your parakeet & keep a clean living space for your parakeet.

WATCH FOR THESE DANGERS IN YOUR HOUSE: bathrooms (especially toilets), bookshelves (they can get stuck behind them), open closets, open doors, open drawers, containers filled with water, direct sun, hot car, floor (they can get stepped on), poisons, stovetop burners, electrical appliances, rapid temperature changes, waste basket, ornamental vases, plants & any pets you may have that will chase a bird down.

BE CAUTIOUS when introducing your parakeet to another parakeet. Some parakeets are immune to things that other parakeets are not. This can cause a parakeet to get sick & die.

7. Should I clip my bird's wings?

When you receive your new baby bird from us, they will be clipped. This is because we feel like it is safer for the bird, in our home. When the bird leaves our home, it is up to you on whether you want to continue clipping the or let your bird grow them out. If you decide to let your bird's wings grow out, keep these things in mind. Be watchful of fans & open doors. If your bird can fly, he or she may decide to fly from you instead of to you. Watch your other pets to make sure they do not chase your bird down & just be watchful of your surroundings when your bird is out. Know where your bird is at all times.

8. My bird keeps running away and/or back to his/her cage while I am trying to bond with them.

What do I do?

First of all, remove the cage. Out of site, out of mind. If your bird continues to run, grab him/her gently & put him/her back on your shoulder, lap, finger or hand. Repeat this until he/she stops running. Eventually, your bird will get tired & realize that hanging out with you is not so bad.

9. My bird has a band on him/her. Can I remove the band?

If its a solid metal band with BAA on it, it should not be removed. Those bands are put on Exhibition Budgies. It's a way to ID them & prevent others from showing a bird that is not theirs. It can also cause an injury if an attempt is made to remove it. Please DO NOT attempt to remove the bands off of our Exhibition Budgies.

If its a plastic split band, you could try to remove that one. Those are only put on our other birds for our own ID purposes. However, you do need to be careful that you DO NOT injure your bird trying.

10. What about wing clipping?

Ok, so here's a subject that people ask about, a lot. First off, we clip ALL our birds that go to new homes, even our own pets. Here's why: they don't fly out, we can chase them down easier & it helps with bonding.
Here's the issues you have when not keeping the wings clipped. We have also heard of alot of people with issues dealing with wings that weren't kept clipped.

1. They can fly away. It does not matter how long you have had your baby. Any open window or door is a new adventure. Don't let others fool You! We have heard of birds with strong bonds to their owners, get out & never come back.

2. Once they get their flight, it may be harder to continue to bond or keep a bond. Some birds build a bond, fly & still have a bond with the owners. Others do not. As soon as they take flight, they don't want anything to do with you. When you clip their wings again, you may have to build that bind again.

3. You will have to chase them down to work on your person to bird bond. Clipped wings prevent them from running to far. Most, will run from you when they arrive in your home. Having clipped wings makes it easier for YOU & keeps your bird from flying away & crashing in to things to avoid you.

4. Other pets (or kids) can get to them before you. If your bird has wings, flies off of you or the cage, another pet or KID can get to the bird first before you can come to the rescue. If their wings are clipped, they can't get too far & you have a better chance of getting to them first.

However, you can also have issues with clipped wings too.

5. They can hit the ground hard, if on your shoulder while you are standing.

6. They can't fly away from potential harm.

7. It's harder for them to get around in a larger cage.

So  clipping versus not clipping is up to you, overall. However, when they leave here...they will be clipped.

11.Why does my birds feet feel warm?

It is quite normal for birds to have warm feet. They do not have sweat glands so they control their body heat through their feet.

12. We just got our bird recently. Why is my bird so quiet? Why does it seem like he's not eating and/or drinking?

It is normal for birds to be quiet when they arrive in their new home. Some birds need time to adjust to their new home. This adjustment can take just a few days to a few months. It depends on the bird & their environment.

The bird may also not be as vocal as his/her siblings. Each bird is different. Some may chat up a storm, some may just make noises & some may be quiet. Each bird is different.

A new bird, in a new home, may not be seen eating or drinking at first. For new bird owners, this is something they may not notice when looking at the food dish. Some birds hull their seeds & leave the shells, so it may not look like they have eaten when they actually have. You want to be careful of this. You may think your bird isn't eating, when he/she has & you aren't giving them new food because their dish looks full, when actually you are now starving them.

Some birds will not eat or drink at first because of their change in environment & introduction to a new home. Just keep an eye on them & maybe provide some millet, if millet is disappearing, than they are eating. Don't provide millet 24/7 though, it's high in fat.

**Please keep in mind that your new bird may not warm up to you immediately. It does take some time for bonding. It's not something that will happen over night & will take a lot of patience on your part. In the years we have been doing this, we always get customers who think bonding should be immediately. It does not happen that way we all want it too. Birds are small & people are big and scary, keep that in mind.

**Also, please do not compare a bird you had in the past to a new bird. Each bird is different.

13.  What's the difference between hand tame & parent raised?

*FYI:  All of our birds are hand tame, except our ones we decide to keep as breeders.

*HAND TAME VS PARENT RAISED:

Hand tamed babies will be hand fed & handled every day from the time they are pulled from their parents. You will be able to hold the baby bird & it makes it easier to bond & train your baby. Parent raised babies will be with their parents until they go to their new homes. They will not be hand tamed or hand fed. They will bite you if you handle them & could possibly draw blood. They will be harder to bond with & train. That is the difference between our hand tame & parent raised baby birds. 

14. I want a bird with a great personality! Can you tell which ones will have a great personality or will be outgoing & sweet?

We are not able to tell until they get in to their new home. Sorry. Each bird has a different personality & most of the time we never know until the baby has gone off to their new home. So some may warm up to you immediately & some may need more time. We have had some of the most timid birds become the best companions to their new families. It could take a few days, a few weeks or even months before they warm up to you. Some can take years. Each bird is different. Also, please do not try to compare your new bird with one you had in the past. Doesn't work & as we said before "Each bird is different. "

15. Since my baby bird is hand tame & hand fed, will it bond easier to me?

Bonding takes time & patience. We will have your baby hand tamed so that you can handle your bird. However, it is up to you to build that bond with your new baby bird. Your bird will be shy & scared of their new surroundings & it is up to you to teach them things & build trust so that you can build a bond that will last. Keep in mind that birds don't stay hand tamed & they don't bond with you if you don't spend time with them daily. Please think about this before you purchase a bird of any kind. Just something we have learned & wanted to pass on to new bird owners.

16. Which gender is better?

In our opinion, they are both equally good. We've had both males & females speak, be social & just become great companions.

17. Why does my bird run from me when I reach in the cage?

Some birds hop on your hand/finger straight out of the cage, some birds do not & some birds do one day & don't the next. Don't worry, it happens with birds. Our pet parakeet, Sage, & our pet Exhibition, Hedwig, act like brats too. They climb out willingly one day & the next they don't. It's just something you deal with. We just reach in & grab them on their stubborn days. After we pull them out, they're just fine. They hang out, sweet talk, etc.

18. We just got our bird recently. Why is my bird so quiet? Why does it seem like he's not eating and/or drinking?

It is normal for birds to be quiet when they arrive in their new home. Some birds need time to adjust to their new home. This adjustment can take just a few days to a few months. It depends on the bird & their environment.

The bird may also not be as vocal as his/her siblings. Each bird is different. Some may chat up a storm, some may just make noises & some may be quiet. Each bird is different.

A new bird, in a new home, may not be seen eating or drinking at first. For new bird owners, this is something they may not notice when looking at the food dish. Some birds hull their seeds & leave the shells, so it may not look like they have eaten when they actually have. You want to be careful of this. You may think your bird isn't eating, when he/she has & you aren't giving them new food because their dish looks full, when actually you are now starving them.

Some birds will not eat or drink at first because of their change in environment & introduction to a new home. Just keep an eye on them & maybe provide some millet, if millet is disappearing, than they are eating. Don't provide millet 24/7 though, it's high in fat.

19. Birds, veterinarians & antibiotics?

If you take your bird to the vet, make sure it's a certified avian veterinarian. Veterinarians who are not specialized in birds, usually prescribe antibiotics just to comfort you & it doesn't help you bird. Antibiotics are not helpful, if your bird is not sick with a bacterial infection or not sick at all. Antibiotics will kill bacteria, even the normal healthy bacteria that all living things carry. Without normal healthy bacteria, a pathogenic bacteria (even if it was normal at one time) can overtake the immune system & cause all sorts of issues with your bird(s). A healthy bird given antibiotics, can turn in to a sick and/or dying bird. Please do not give antibiotics to your bird, unless prescribed by a certified avian vet.  

20. Seeds versus Pellets? Which is better?

This is always a heated debate between bird lovers everywhere. No matter what you choose, keep in mind that birds WILL STARVE THEMSELVES TO DEATH, if  they don't like what you picked out for them.

We feed our birds seeds, fresh fruits & veggies, soft foods that contain egg & lots of vitamins & minerals.

We  do not do pellets unless it comes within our mixes because our birds just refuse to eat it.

When you purchase a bird, make sure you purchase the exact seed/pellets they are used to eating & millet (most birds love millet), just in case.

Also, make sure you have seen them eat it too. Some pet stores will force budgies to eat what they think is better & tell you they eat it. However, they may actually have been starving them & when you get your bird home...it dies.

If you want to transition them to something else, make sure you do it slowly. ALWAYS have that original seed available as a fall back. Millet is also handy to have. 

Whenever a bird starts fluffing up constantly, seems lethargic, seems slow, less active, looks sick & may even have seizures, add the original seed and/or millet in their cage. If they run straight to it and start eating, they were starved & refusing to eat what you wanted them to eat.

Never remove their food completely to force them to eat other things. We always leave seed in the flights & cages 24/7, for our birds. Birds can die easily from starvation.