Convert - Gallon - Liter
Gallon = Liters / 3.7854
Liters
= Gallon X 3.7854
A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS
1.
My life is likely to last 10-15 Years. Any separation from you is likely to be
painful.
2.
Give me time to understand what you want of me.
3.
Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my wee-being.
4. Don't be angry with
me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your
friends, your entertainments, but I have only you.
5. Talk to me. Even if
i don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.
6. Be aware that
however you treat me, I will never forget it.
7. Before you hit me,
before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to
bite you.
8. Before you scold me
for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering
me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or
my heart might be getting old or weak.
9. Please take care of
me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.
10.
On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can’t bear
to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are
there, because I love you so.
New
Budgie Checklist
|
Supplies
|
Setting Up Before
Bringing Home
|
|
ÿ
Cage
– choose an appropriate size cage for the number of budgies it will house. At
least 1.5’X1.5’ (45cmX45cm) for one budgie. The bigger (wider, not taller)
the better.
ÿ
Food
& Water Dishes/Dispensers – purchase what the cage doesn’t come with, or
upgrade if desired.
ÿ
Perches
– cage should be equipped with a variety of perch types & shapes,
including at least one natural branch perch.
ÿ
Seed
– choose a quality seed labeled for budgies (parakeets).
ÿ
Cuttlebone
ÿ
Mineral
Block
ÿ
Toys
– choose a variety of toys for the cage. Simple bells, rings, and lattice
balls are favorites and inexpensive.
ÿ
Black
& White Newspaper – one of the best and cheapest cage liners.
ÿ
Light
Blanket – for use as a cage cover at night.
|
ÿ
Looking
Up – look up and jot down the number for your local avian vet as well as
emergency animal hospital that sees birds. Keep these numbers handy!
ÿ
Checking
Up - Scheduling a new-bird checkup with your local avian vet is highly
advisable. Try to schedule the checkup
for the day you’ll be bringing your new budgie home.
ÿ
Cleaning
– wash all new (or used) equipment, including cage.
ÿ
Tidying
– tidy up the room & surroundings your budgie(s) will be in.
ÿ
De-stressing
– coming to a new home is stressful, so remove any stressors from the room
& surroundings (i.e. turn off ceiling fans, keep other pets out of the
room, etc.)
ÿ
Setting
Up – set up the cage in its location and equip with food, water, perches,
cuttlebone, mineral block, toys, and liner. Leave some space where budgie(s)
can stretch and flap wings freely without hitting a toy or other item.
|
|
Choosing
Your Budgerigar
|
|
|
The Surroundings/Environment
ÿ
Pet
store/breeder’s place is clean and tidy.
ÿ
All
birds are supplied with clean food & water.
ÿ
Flock
is active.
ÿ
No
sick birds are apparent in the flock.
Signs of illness:
•
Consistently
very fluffed
•
Discoloration/discharge
present on feathers above nostrils
•
Lethargy
•
Vomiting
•
Inability
to balance
•
Stains
or accumulated poop on vent feathers
•
Crustiness
on or around eyes, cere, beak, feet/legs
|
The Budgie
ÿ
Health
& Vitality – this is the most important factor in choosing a budgie
A healthy budgie should:
•
Be
alert, playful, and interactive with the flock
•
Have
good weight (you should be able to just feel the breastbone, with a healthy
layer of muscle on both sides)
•
Have
clear, bright eyes
•
Not
have any of the signs of illness listed above
ÿ
Age
– if you plan on taming, choose a budgie 4 months or less
A budgie 4 months or less will:
•
Have
dark eyes in normal varieties
•
Have
bars all the way to the cere in normal varieties
ÿ
Personality
– watch the budgies and ask to interact with them
Desirable characteristics:
•
Curiosity
•
Playfulness
•
Tameness,
or if none are tame, one that is less skittish and will stay on your finger for
a short period of time.
ÿ
Color
Preference – it’s up to you
|
Recommended
Ring Size for Birds
Size
|
Breed
|
||
Aluminum
Closed & Split
|
Plastic
Split
|
mm.
|
|
A
|
XF
|
2.16
|
Owl Finches, Gold-Breasted Waxbill, Orange-Cheeked Waxbill, Red-Eared Waxbill
|
B
|
XF
|
2.34
|
Cordon Bleu, Fire Finch, Lavender Finch
|
C
|
XF
|
2.49
|
Gouldian
Finch, Cherry Finch, Green Singing Finch, Silverbills, Star
Finch, Heck’s Grassfinch, Zebra Finch, Pictorella, Cherry Finch, Painted
Finch, Chestnut Breasted Finch, Red Siskin, Parrot Finches
|
D
|
XF
|
2.67
|
Green
Singing Finch, Cut-Throat Finch, Parrot Finch, Violet Eared Waxbill, European
Goldfinch, Bengalese Finch, Chestnut-Breasted
Finch, Pictorella Yellow-Rumped Finch, Zebra Finch
|
E
|
XCS
|
2.84
|
Gloster,
Fife, and miniature Canaries, Blackcap, Greenfinch, Nightingale, Yellow
Hammer, Chaffinch, Bramble Finch, Red Bunting, Diamond Sparrow, Diamond Firetail, Yellow Siskin and all Nuns
|
G
|
XCL
|
3.05
|
Border, Roller, Red Factor, Japanese Hoso,
Waterslager, American Singer and Lizard Canaries, Snow Bunting, Red-Faced
Pytilia
|
J
|
XCL
|
3.30
|
Yorkshire, Norwich, Crested and Parisien Frill Canaries, Corn Bunting, Pekin Robin
|
K
|
XB
|
3.94
|
Java Sparrow, Hawfinch, Shama, Mesia, Pekin
Robin, Saffron Finch, Diamond Dove
|
L
|
XB
|
4.09
|
Budgerigar,
Grass Parakeets including Bourkes, Turquoisines, Splendids, Elegants and
Bluewings plus Diamond Dove, Chinese Painted Quail, Button Quail, Parrotlets,
Bulbuls, Indian Shama
|
M
|
X3
|
4.34
|
Redrumps,
Manycolours, Lovebirds, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Shrike, Glossy Starlings,
Kakarikis, Lineolated Parakeets, Stanley Rosella, Swift Parrots, Meyer's Lory, Yellow and Red Fronted New Zealand
Parakeets
|
N
|
1FB
|
5.33
|
Cockatiels,
Mealie & Golden Mantled Rosellas, Pileated Parrot, Plumheaded Parakeet,
Goldie Lorikeet, Lutino & Pied Kakarikis, Marroon Bellied Conure, Pearly Conure, Pileated Red Bellied Conure, Redrumps
|
P
|
1FB
|
5.99
|
Cloncurry,
Pennant, small Quakers, large Quail, Dusky, Peach Fronted, Pyrrhura, Nanday, Jenday Sun, Green Cheeked, Blue Throated & Maroon Bellie Conures, African
Ring Neck, Tippler/Tumbler Pigeons & Doves, Barnards, Golden Mantled Rosella, Perfect Lorikeet, Port Lincolns, Princess
of Wales, Quaker
Parakeet, Merlin, Sparrowhawk
|
R
|
1FB
|
7.04
|
Twenty-Eight,
Blue Headed Pionus, Larger Rosellas, Crimson, Blue-Winged Conures, larger
Quakers, Lesser Hill Mynah, Rainbow, Dusky, Blue-Streaked & Violet Necked
Lory, Rock Pebbler, Barrabands, Grey Cheeked Parakeet, Chattering Lory, Coturnix Quail, Crimson Winged
Parakeet, Japanese Quail, Meyer's Parrot, Plumheads, Red Bellied Parrot, Red
Throated Conure, Senegal Parrot, Merlin(F), Hobby(M), Little Owl, Hen Harrier(M),
Sparrow-hawk(F), American Kestrel.
|
S
|
2FB
|
7.57
|
Derbyan, & Patagonian Conure,
Homing Pigeon, Australian King Parrot, Moustache Parakeets, Red Lory, Hahn’s
Macaw, Blue Crowned Pionus, Indian Ringneck Caiques, Senegals, Black Headed Caique, Green Winged King Parrot, Indian
Ringnecks, Lesse Patagonian Conure, Noble's Macaw, Pileated Parrot, Montagues Harrier,
Scops Owl, Hobby(F), Kestrel.
|
T
|
3FB
|
8.69
|
Alexandrine Parakeet, Mitred, White Eyed,
Red Fronted, White Crowned & Scaly Headed Pionus, White Fronted, Yellow
Billed and Tucuman Amazons, Dwarf Macaws, Red Bellied Parrots, Large Lories,
Chattering Lories, Cherry Headed Conure, Jardine Parrot, Stella's Lory, Hawk
Headed Parrots, Blue Naped Parrot, Bronzed
Winged Pionus, Golden Conure, Greater Patagonian Conure, Roseate Cockatoo, Yellow Naped Macaw,
Burrowing Owl
|
U
|
4PB
|
9.45
|
Goffin, Citron Crested, Lesser Sulphur
Crested and Rose Breasted Cockatoos, Timneh African Greys, Severe Macaw,
White Crowned Turaco, Cuban Amazon, Great
Billed Parrot, Green Cheeked Amazon, Hawk-Headed Parrot, Hispanoiolan Amazon,
Yellow
Billed Amazon, Hen Harrier(F), Marsh Harrier, Coopers Hawk(M), Barn Owl,
Tawny Owl, Short-Eared Owl
|
V
|
5PB
|
11.00
|
Congo African Grey, Medium Sulphur Crested
Cockatoos, Mexican Red Headed, Yellow Crowned & Red Lored Amazons, all
Eclectus, Black Palm Cockatoo, Caninde Macaw, Chestnut Fronted
Macaw, Citron Crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Orange Winged Amazon, St.
Vincent Amazon, Yellow
Naped Amazon, Goshawk(M), Honey Buzzard, Barbary Falcon(M), Coopers Hawk(F),
Peregrine Falcon(M), Red-Shouldered Hawk(M)
|
W
|
6PB
|
12.70
|
Triton, Moluccan and Umbrella Cockatoos,
Scarlet Macaw, Greater Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Blue & Gold Macaw,
Military Macaw, Umbrella Cockatoo, Goshawk(F), Peregrine Falcon(F), Common
Buzzard, Rough-Legged Buzzard, Gyr Falcon(M), Lanner, Lugger, Red Kite,
Barbary Falcon(F), Harris Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Red-Shouldered Hawk(F), Saker
Falcon, Swainson's Hawk, Caracara(Mexican Eagle).
|
X
|
7PB
|
14.29
|
Green Winged and other large Macaws,
Leadbeater's, Palm and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Red-Tailed Buzzard(M), Gyr
Falcon(F), Ferruginous Hawk(M).
|
Y
|
8PB
|
15.98
|
Hyacinth Macaw, Red-Tailed Buzzard(F),
Ferruginous Hawk(F), Osprey, Bengal Eagle Owl, Snowy Owl.
|
Z
|
19.00
|
European Eagle Owl
|
|
Recommended Cage size for Pet Birds
Bird Size
|
Min. Cage Size
|
Bar Spacing
|
X-Small
|
Rectangular, as large as possible
|
3/8" - 7/16"
|
Small
|
18"x18"x18" or 18"x18"x24"
|
3/8" - 1/2"
|
Medium
|
24"x24"x24"
|
1/2" - 3/4"
|
Large
|
24"x24"x36"
|
3/4" - 1"
|
X-Large
|
36"x24"x36"
|
3/4" - 1.5"
|
NB:- It is best to try and purchase the largest cage that is suitable to ensure the bird will have an adequate area to move around.
Talking Abilities
This chart applies to male birds of each species.
Note:
Some pet bird owners disagree with the below assessment - speaking in
general terms, individual capabilities do vary. Some birds coming from a
family that is classified as "poor talkers" may indeed turn out to be
very talented.
Life Span of Pet Birds
BIRD
|
AVERAGE LIFESPAN
|
Finch
|
5-10 Years
|
Canary
|
7-12 Years
|
Doves and Pigeons
|
10-15 Years
|
African Lovebird
|
15-20 Years
|
Budgerigar
|
7-15 Years
|
Parrotlets
|
15-20 Years
|
Cockatiel
|
15-20 Years
|
Conures
|
15-20 Years
|
Lories & Lorikeet
|
15-20 Years
|
Quaker Parakeet
|
25-30 Years
|
Caique
|
20-30 Years
|
Pionus
|
15-25 Years
|
Mini Macaws
|
20-25 Years
|
Senegals
|
25-30 Years
|
Eclectus
|
40-65 Years
|
African grey parrot
|
50-60 Years
|
Amazon parrot
|
40-60 Years
|
Cockatoos
|
40-60 Years
|
Macaws
|
50-75 Years
|
A
bird's actual lifespan depends on whether or not it is receiving
proper nutrition, veterinary care and attention. Most of the birds have
been known to live years longer than what is stated here.