Easter dinner results in surprise

[bobm]

We were invited to Easter dinner yesterday at #2 grandson & granddaughter's cousins house . Their cousins' cousins seem to have found this greenish yellowish critter on their lawn about 3 years ago that came to live with them and so they named it Sprite. Well, their Mom and Dad sold their house within 2 days with a fast close of escrow of 20 days, at which point they would be homeless. So they went house shopping for a week and then last Saturday they purchased a house with a 90 day close of escrow. So, they all will have to live in their travel trailer until they can move into their new house. Then that leaves Sprite odd one out. At the Easter dinner, whereupon grandma hears about this predicament from #2 grandkids who have 2 rambuctous dogs and their parents said NO to any more occupants at their house ... who along with all 6 kids and 7 adults informs ME that I need someone to keep me company and keep me from being lonely while grandma is at work. Long story short WE now have another occupant at our home. Oh, what is Sprite , you ask ? Sprite is a female, normal color patterned very dilute yellowish / greenish parakeet !

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

awwww! Post pics of her! how much fun will that be to take care of something completely out of your comfort zone!

 

[Nyboy]

Don't they live as long as a person?

 

[bobm]

awwww! Post pics of her! how much fun will that be to take care of something completely out of your comfort zone!

While still in high school and for years after, I had a rather large aviary as well as many cages so I bred parakeets, cockatiels, canaries, finches, pheasants, etc.

Don't they live as long as a person?

No , the parakeet life span varies considerably from just a couple years to about 20 depending on their owners' knowledge, environment and genetics. What you are thinking of is the large parrots which do live to a ripe old age.

 

[so lucky]

Bob, I bet you will find having a single parakeet will be a different experience altogether, from having an aviary for breeding. Hopefully Sprite is hand-tame. They can be so much company, and so very trusting ( and trustworthy) once they know you. Our little parakeet would sit on my step-daughter's shoulder and patiently groom her eyelashes. Never went for the eyes!
I wouldn't try that with a chicken!

 

[bobm]

Bob, I bet you will find having a single parakeet will be a different experience altogether, from having an aviary for breeding. Hopefully Sprite is hand-tame. They can be so much company, and so very trusting ( and trustworthy) once they know you. Our little parakeet would sit on my step-daughter's shoulder and patiently groom her eyelashes. Never went for the eyes!
I wouldn't try that with a chicken!

Yes, Sprite is hand tame. That is how she was brought into the cousins' house by their mom when she was found in the front yard. She just jumped onto the mom's hand and stayed there when transported into their house. She had No leg band for an ID.The mom advertised in the local paper for a lost parakeet for a month with NO replies. The cousins played with her daily for 3 years. She stepped onto my wife's hand when she put her hand into the cage. Then onto mine when I did it too. She must have had hand training while very young by the original owner to be that tame.

 

[so lucky]

Yep. You're gonna have fun with her!

 

[Carol Dee]

My Grandmother had a blue and white Budgie named Fred! He was left out of he is cage and would flit about the house and come back to a whistle. Would sit on hands and shoulders. I do not remember how old he got.

 

[digitS']

I had a pleasant little parakeet hen for nearly 10 years. Her cage was hung in a little dead tree I brought home and attached to a wood base.

During the day, she would come out of her cage and sit on the tree branches, playing with her toys. She seldom traveled anywhere else in the house. I remember that she ended up in the stairwell once and it was a scary experience for her. At most, she would fly to the top of the living room drapes once or twice a month. It was easy to shoo her back to her tree.

A "friend" arrived one day with a male budgie. She didn't want him, didn't like him, and intended to leave him with us. Presumptuous? Much!

We kept him and he lived (outlived) nearly as long as the little female. He never did calm down! There was no carrying him around! He would absolutely stay with the female. Other than being noisy, he was no more trouble having around. She didn't like him at first but they became friends and were fun to watch together. He was okay after she was gone but never a nice bird.

Steve