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Do Parakeetes require gravel to eat???

N

Nefrodite

Banned
wondering cuz i saw some in a pet store that was marked for consumption.. supposedly to help them digest. am i depriving the birds right now cuz i have no gravel? i had no idea😛


 
Nefrodite, my dad has 6 parakeets and he says the gravel aids in their digestion 🙂
 
hm guess i'll pick some up tommrow. from the box it says to leave some on newspaper at the bottom of the cage. i'm worried the dumb birds will just cr@p on it instead. they don't really aim, they cr@p in their water dish a bit too often😛


the older one is a bit scruffy sometimes, not all that healthy i suppose. the other one is fine.
 
Nefrodite, my dad puts the parakeet gravel in those perches that hang on the side of the cage w/ a little mirror, not on the bottom of the cage. You're right though, they have no aim whatsoever 🙂
 
birds have a tough time digesting seed stuff... very tough. for optimal bird health (like many other animals... didn't dinosaurs in Jurassic Park too?) there needs to be some sort of stones that help grind it all up.
 
Guess I'll pick some up tommorow at the pet store. I need to get some more seed as well.

My cage has a wire cover over the litter pan (looks like the side of the cage) Its so they dont throw stuff out, and I use this corn cob litter stuff. Its supposed to be for small pets (birds, etc...) Its a lot better than newspaper in my opinion.

Where should I put the gravel in the cage? My mirror does not have a perch on it.

I do have a "beak block" (white stone that hangs from cage 😉 ) does this do the same thing? or do I still need gravel?
 
yea i got a beak block too, but i believe it only supplies them with minerals. my perch only has a mirror, no place for gravel. guess i'll have to buy a hanging bin or something to put gravel in😛


btw don't forget millet spray, they go nutz over it, its like birdie crack. 🙂 one 1-2inch section per bird per day max and your fine. well thats all i know hehe🙂
 
Originally posted by: Nefrodite
yea i got a beak block too, but i believe it only supplies them with minerals. my perch only has a mirror, no place for gravel. guess i'll have to buy a hanging bin or something to put gravel in😛

btw don't forget millet spray, they go nutz over it, its like birdie crack. 🙂 one 1-2inch section per bird per day max and your fine. well thats all i know hehe🙂
Click to expand...

MIllet Spray? I'll have to pass that on to my dad Nefrodite. Not sure what you birds like, but the 6 my dad has loves fresh cut peaches! Go figure 🙂
 
do you have special bath bowls for your birds?

I have seen them in the store. they are small shallow dishes that you place in the cage so the birds can take a bath.


I haven't picked one up because my bird usually just takes a bath in his water bowl. (my bird is wierd...)
 
heh atleast your birds take baths. mine avoid the bath dish i leave out sometimes😛


as for millet spray, found out about that one in a parkette book i flipped through🙂 1-2 inches only per bird per day or else thats all they'll eat and thats no good🙂


i ussually use some metal clips to hold the millet spray to the cage. they go nutz and u gotta use the dustbuster after they are done🙂
 
yeah its not good for them if thats all they eat.

I also read that eating to much of it can make your birds "fat"

Kinda like snacks for us I guess.
 
Ugh, I don't see how people can have birds as pets. They're smelly, messy, and make so much noise, and if you get sick of them and toss them on the barbeque, they don't taste too good either.


Kind of like children.
 
I like the pics Nefrodite, the yellow one looks like a trouble maker 🙂

Thanks for the tip on the millet spray 🙂
 
hehe oops with my bad spelling. at first i spelled it parakettes, then i swear a spell check came up with parkettes or something, or i was just tired.😛 guess i'll edit the title.


as for noise. only some are noisy, its odd. these two are for the most part quiet. the white ones newer. it replaced one i returned because it yapped way too much.


as for troublemaker, the yellow is the sick one. well its feathers are sometimes sorta fluffed. they seem to take turns picking on each other, then making up😛
 
Always great to meet a fellow budgie owner! I myself have owned a female harlequin budgie for the past ten years, and she was at least ten when she got her. So she's at least 20 now, and is still happy and healthy!

I feed her budgie seed mix and gravel, with an occasional treat of a honey stick on special occasions. Also everyone in the family talks and plays with her. We leave her cage door open all day, since she is tame, and we move the cage to a secluded location at nighttime and cover the cage with a cloth so she can sleep without constantly looking out for predators.

She likes flying on people's shoulders and is very sociable. She even sings while we're washing the dishes or doing other tasks. 🙂
 
wow, your bird sounds really trained🙂 how do you keep it from cr@pping everywhere. when i take my birds out of their cage they take a dump every couple minutes no matter whwere they are😛
 
Gravel serves two purposes AFAIK. First, by ingesting it it goes into the gizzards (or is it the crop?) to help them break down their food, because they have no teeth and their beaks can only serve to dehusk. Second, it also helps to naturally wear down their talons so they don't grow too long.
 
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