Ok, so I’ve settled on a parakeet….now I need to know where to get one…Breeder vs store vs flea market
I was watching on youtube and I saw parakeets that could actually talk! I thought it was a joke until I saw how many others there were! Do any of you have parakeets that can talk??? Did you get yours from a pet store or a breeder or a flea market????? I would like to train one to speak, but I first need to know more about them. Tell me all you know about your experience with parakeets. Feel free to talk about your pet bird!
Any helpfull comments are appreciated, websites are highly biased and its not the same as the interaction from people you receive here! 
Thanks you parakeet lovers!
The birds at the flea market here are from a breeder who goe there on the weekends. They do not look like they have been mistreated and are fairly calm around people and look healthy…just a fyi to those who were concerned, but i am doing all the research I can come up with. I just got back from the library too…
I use to have a parakeet that would call my brother’s name every time the telephone rang… Obviously the phone was always for my brother and the bird took the ringing as his cue to call out for my brother… It was awesome!
Find a breeder that breeds their own birds and hand raises their own birds. Hand fed birds are easier to train because they have had human interaction from the start.
Store bought birds, even the one’s that claim “hand fed” are not as good for training and such, they could have been hand fed, but once they get to the store, they sit in the cage and are no longer hand fed and that ruins it!
When you bring your parakeet home from a breeder that hand feeds the birds, let the bird get use to his surroundings and still attempt feeding him by hand as well as his food in his dishes. Do not get disappointed when the bird does not take to you right away… that is normal! Let the bird get use to you, with some you have to hold your hand in the cage and slowly move towards the bird and stop moving your hand when you notice the bird getting uncomfortable… Now, hand fed babies are not as bad with this and take quicker to their new owner…. Just keep in mind to not push too much on the bird while he/she adapts to the new surroundings… Be patient!!! Birds require tons of patience.
Once the bird is comfortable with you, spend as much time as possible with the little guy and he/she will want to stay with you when you are home… It is rather cool when you have a bird that flies to you when he wants to or when you call it.. I use to have one do that!
I use to get home, get settled, and take the bird out as soon as I was settled then the bird would stay with me at all times to the point of having his own plate at the table and would eat with us. oh wait, that was a conure hehe… Still the parakeet that use to call my brother’s name would fly to me the second I came home (someone was always home before me and let the bird out) This parakeet use to go shower with me too,,, he would sit on top of the shower door and sometimes get a little misted with splashes and he was taking a bath.
As for the talking, parakeets can talk, but, keep in mind it takes longer for parakeets to pick it up…. It also takes him/her hearing the same thing over and over again…. Again, more patience…
Basically, the more time you spend with any type of bird, the more responsive the bird is to you….. Make sure you feed him the proper diet…. If you do get from a breeder, ask the breeder for the food that the bird is currently eating and a good breeder will be able to sell you the proper food…Keep the cage clean every day! and keep fresh water for the little one…. Most of them like taking a bath and I have heard of people placing a separate water dish in the cage for bathing purposes only… My birds have always used their water dishes which made it so that I had to change the water more often during the day!
I am so glad to see someone research prior to purchasing a bird… Congratulations on taking the proper first step by learning!!
Good luck with your new family member!