My first kakariki

xiania · New Member Joined: Aug 06, 2011 Posts: 2

Hello

I just got my first kakariki i am 8 years old
can you tell me some info about what food dose it eat and what it cant have?

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Hi..Im sure you must be the youngest member we have here...and thats real cool.
On the left is a "quick Search" block....
type in say diet and everything with what to feed and what not to feed comes up....A lot of reading....
If we want to know how to do thing properly, and advoid making mistakes, that means a lot of reading, listening....and then asking questions...
And that makes no difference if you are 8 yrs old or 80yrs old

This would be your best iformation on what to feed.
http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-12.html

Once you have learnt how to look after your bird, to be healty...you make like to look up taming

And see if you can upload some pics for us to see your bird.

May · Site Admin Joined: Apr 03, 2008 Posts: 281

hiya ... does your kakariki have a welsh accent? mine love dandilion flowers and there are loads about at the moment. there is a lot of stuff you can pick from hedgerows n gardens... i sort of use the rule if wild birds eat it its probably fine. good luck with your new bird :)

xiania · New Member Joined: Aug 06, 2011 Posts: 2

Hi Steptoe and May
Thank you for advice
I am doing lots of research about kaks

we thought it was a female so we called it doris but then we found out it is a male after it took a liking to my green xbox box so he is now called horace and he hasnt talked yet but he is trying his best to

i will post some pictures soon
thank you again
Xiania

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

(Admin: moved post to correct thread)

Hi guys how are your kaks mine has now learnt how to hi5 for a treat and he also goes back in his cage after his flying time when my mum says bedtime and nite nite to him
its only took him a few days to learn bedtime and only a couple of hours to learn hi5 so hes well intelligent my mum says like me signlol

tc all speak to you soon
Xiania angel

t his voice breaking mum told me what it meant ha ha
PS signlol

bou

xiania

pabloc · Foundation Member Joined: Sep 26, 2007 Posts: 988

@ hi5
he must look hilarious doing it
kaks are one of the most under-rated parakeets

they are not as colorful as other parakeets, but... they are not noisy, they are not 'dusty', not dstructive, they are fearless, and they grab stuff with their feet like larger parrots, not to mention their intelligence
and at least over here in Spain they are as cheap as cockatiels and most other cheap species

cheers

/ Pabs

Aurorakak · Member Joined: Sep 12, 2011 Posts: 7

hello
i just got my first kak and i am 11 years old, all is going well so far but i havent heard her make a sound, shes been absolutely silent..Is this normal??
i really need to find out because i want to be a good owner and want her to live a healthy life.
i got her from my local petshop where she was surrounded by other birds, but even then i dont THINK she was noisy. If anyone knows anything about this please reply because i hear that kaks are quite noisy birds.
I also need some tips on how to prepare the food because their beaks are quite small so i dont know what to do.
-Aurorakak duno

pabloc · Foundation Member Joined: Sep 26, 2007 Posts: 988

Hi m8

first of all, w3c

to the forum/community (I should say family!).

Take a look aroudn the forum, there's a general care subforum, with a "what do you feed your kikes" thread.
To sum it up a parakeet dry seed mix as a back up, and lots of different veggies.
I guess it's your mum/dad who cooks at home, so instruct them to feed a bit of whatever veggies they are cooking, or when you eat an apple, feed him the core.

Kakariki are not noisy. Usually they fit in well, me and other colleagues have seen them take a bath right after releasing them into the cage/aviary. Maybe this bird is a bit stressed/lethargic.
They make weeping-like sounds (besides from the louder sounds, goat-like)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E5iN8UF0dw&feature=related

Cheers/ Pablo

May · Site Admin Joined: Apr 03, 2008 Posts: 281

hello and

from me too.... your new bird might be feeling a little bit unsettled from the move... also you probably dont know how long she was at the pet shop ...she might have been moved about a fair bit recently.... so allow some time to settle in and ...offer lots of different fresh food as well as a suply of seed and cuttle fish for calcium. talk to her and sit close to the cage so you get to know each other. You dont have to buy lots of special food... if you have a garden you can probably find some yummy stuff growing... read up on what not to feed..... apple cores are fine like pab said but take out any pips they arnt good for them. They like dandilions.... the leaves and especially the flowers.... grass seeds as well and rose hips. they love bits of lettuce peas sweetcorn n stuff like that..and they also like a little branch of apple tree or willow tree or similar as a perch but leave the leaves on.. thery like nibbling on them or just pulling them off for something to do.

and if you havent done it already get some stuff in the cage for her to play with ..... again you dont have to buy a lot of expensive bird toys.... Steps will tell you to put an old boot in there signlol

i think there is a thread on here with ideas for that too.......

and..... the other thing..... they love having a bath...... so put a large bowl of water in the bottom of the cage n see if she has a bath.... something like an ice cream tub or similar will be fine...... good luck hope she settles in soon

Aurorakak · Member Joined: Sep 12, 2011 Posts: 7

thank you for the advice may Laughing

most of the birds at the petshop werent that used to people and some with scarring for life because of previous owners, so i can imagine why shes a bit unsettled. I will try my hardest to keep her happy and feeling safe!!
thanks -- Aurorakak

pabloc · Foundation Member Joined: Sep 26, 2007 Posts: 988

to keep it simple, as Steptoe usually advises, let the kakariki at the cage for a week or two, then grab a coke and a good book/magazine, open the cage door and sit to read, eventually the bird will get curious about you, on its terms. From then on it's easy, especially with kakariki.

Aurorakak · Member Joined: Sep 12, 2011 Posts: 7

hi
another thing is that when i got her she had very short clipped wings so she cant fly, only fall while flapping her wings, it is really sad watching her sit there not being able to fly around the cage. how long do you think it will take her wings to grow back?? please if anyone has knows please get back to me. Think

thanks--Aurorakak

pabloc · Foundation Member Joined: Sep 26, 2007 Posts: 988

She will eventually moult them, over here in Europe they moult around mid summer if they are not breeding.
Nevertheless kakariki have more ability on their feet than other parakeets, so even though it's not a good situation, it's not as bad as for a cockatiel or so.

May · Site Admin Joined: Apr 03, 2008 Posts: 281

yeah....like pablo said.... with any luck she will moult in the next few months and then she should grow some good strong wing feathers... it must be horrid for them to not be able to fly Sad

but dont stress over it she sounds like she is in good hands now!! a couple of mine love to run about upside down on the roof of the cage... they are a bit different to most parrots in that they can climb without using their beak.... and they like sliding down virtical bars on the cage. what do you have in the bottom of the cage? they like to scratch about on the floor like chickens (chooks) i use wood shavings others use sand so they can have a good old scratch ...i also empty the old seed in the bottom and they scratch about picking up bits they missed. id also say put lots of branch perches in as she cant fly.... in all diferent directions crossing over and diaganal so she can get about easier. keep us posted whith how its going