Why shopping lists need to be followed...

[Taikira]

Ever go to the store and walk out with more than you planned? I guess I should be glad it wasn't 5 bags of junk food like what happens with grocery stores...
So we go to the pet store for a new cage and bird kabob chew toy and have the poor sense to walk by the cages. One parakeet walks right up to the glass in front of us and stares at us. We also noticed one sitting in a food dish sleeping. We watched them for a while then went to the mall next door. Hour and a half later I ask him if he's still thinking about the two birds and we end up back in the store. This time the one that had been sleeping in the food jar is out but he looks like a sick bird. One "you know what buying a sick bird means?" conversation later we leave the store with him. In the store cage he looked perpetually fluffed and was constantly trying to sleep (and being harassed by the other birds).
In the car on the way home (about 45-60 min drive) 'daddy' lets him climb his hand out of the box and the bird is very calm and just kinda walks around on him and me. Once we get into the apartment we offer him fresh food and water. He ignores the spinach leaf but tears apart the seed mix. For the next 2 hours he switches between feeding and napping on me (my chest is referred to as the 'birdie shelf'). We check him for any detectable signs other than the sleeping and don't find any but do notice that he looks different-puffier than all the other birds. After this morning when he ran around exploring the main room and continued to show a very good appetite we concluded that he is probably way younger than he should be and may additionally be depressed from early removal from his bird parents.
He is being housed separately from the others either way since he is smaller. Don't want him being harassed by our other birds while we work with him. Currently he is unnamed and being addressed primarily as 'Baby'. He is completely unconcerned by us moving around him and is generally content to be sitting on me though he does occasionally jump down and run around the room. He hasn't looked fluffed up since we got him out of the store which is definitely reassuring.

[ArticunoGail]

When you refer to him being housed separately, do you mean in a completely different room (i hope this is what you mean)or just a different cage in the same room? Because all new arrivals should be quarantined (as in separate room at least) for at least 30 days, with you washing your hands between handling new arrival and handling existing birds. If a new arrival IS sick and you put it in the same room (or cage) with old birds and/or do not wash hands between handling, your new bird, if sick, may be contagious (if it's a contagious sickness) which means you may start out with one sick bird but end up with more sick birds, which I would think would be an obvious concern with bringing a sick-seeming bird into the house. Perhaps a well-bird check-up for 'Baby' at your regular avian vet will confirm your assessment and put your minds at rest?

Sorry if I seem to be stating the obvious, but I read your post and alarm bells began ringing in my head, I am merely concerned for your birds, and am sure 'Baby' will benefit from your loving care.

Good luck with your new fid!

ArticunoGail.

[Taikira]

I wash my hands before handling everyone's food and water and usually I OCD wash throughout the day.. esp since they either leave presents on my hand or shirt... or in 'Baby's case drop them on my shirt then pick them up and throw them elsewhere @.@
He is staying in my room while the primary housing is in the living room. After bringing him home he showed immediate improvement which is making me want to hunt down the pet stores suppliers and beat them. My suspicion since the first night has been that he was the youngest of a clutch and the entire clutch was handed over as soon as the first hatch hit a month. His feathers aren't as filled out as our other birds. If I had the ability to take him to a vet that I thought had even as little as a clue I would in a heartbeat. The only reason he didn't go to the vet Rio went to is she didn't seem to have a clue- 'daddy' diagnosed him for her and also just coming home and being interacted with seemed to clear up the problems we saw at the store. I'm planning on moving once our lease expires in Nov to another city where I can just take a quick bus over the river to a avian certified vet (and there's a second one next town beyond that if the first one fails).
I think the only danger he has is of being the most spoiled bird in the house^^ He is currently being treated like the world revolves around him. Right now he is napping on my shoulder. He is typically only confined at night for safety reasons. He is filling out also - when he came home he was a little bone blade with feathers >< . If I ever find his breeder they will be visiting the hospital... if they're lucky.
He is very active and curious when awake. Yesterday he even went as far as walking out of my room to find 'daddy'. I feed him a seed/pellet mix from Drs Foster & Smith and also offer millet and occasional spinach leaves (he ignores the leaves so far which isn't unexpected).

For the record I bought him from Petco and based on not only him but my other birds it seems that the parakeets they receive are exceptionally young. Its been two months here for Rio, Angel and Sky and they all still have barring down to their ceres which from what I read is supposed to fade around 3 or 4 months.

[ArticunoGail]

So glad to hear they're currently in separate rooms....and even better that Little One is perking up!
Although I live in the UK, I have read plenty opf horror stories on here about Petco stores and the condition of their birds.
Your Little One is obviously a lucky bird, and already getting brave enough to come out! Any name ideas yet?

My pair were bought at what I was told was 3 months old, and lost their baby barring in their first molt, which was several months later, (not long after that one of what we were told were two boys developed a walnet cere so had to have her name changed from Cyril to Julie

And you're right,the breeder needs shooting if he or she is selling birds to a pet store before they're weaned!

Good luck with your birds!

ArticunoGail