As with most aspects of linnie care, variety is the key. You cannot give your lineolated parakeet a dish of seeds and some clean water every day and call it good. Linnies eat a wide variety of foods including: fresh or frozen fruits (mango, peaches, berries, etc.) and vegetables (peas, corn, carrot, beans), green leafy vegetables (parsley, spinach, beet tops, kale, cilantro, pesticide-free dandelion greens and chickweed, etc.) sprouted legumes (ONLY peas, lentils, adzuki, garbanzo/chick peas, and mung beans are safe to feed sprouted and raw - "Eatmore" sells a very handy clamshell pack of this mix that linnies love, available at most grocery stores), soaked and sprouted seeds and grain, a good quality dry seed mix, and good quality small parrot pellets. Roudybush and Harrison's are generally accepted as some of the best quality bird pellet brands, but can be difficult to locate. Eagle Rise vet hospital in Langford sells Harrison's pellets (and Dr. Chris Collis is a highly recommended avian vet).

Linnies, like humans, do not like to eat the same kind of food every day. They will become bored and refuse to eat what you give them. Some foods may also not be healthy in large quantities, for example, spinach. Spinach is a favourite of my birds, however it can bind calcium and thus should be given only in moderation. By rotating foods and providing a wide variety, you reduce the chance that a bird will get too much, or too little, of any one food. This may sound complicated but it really is not. It's a simple matter of thawing a spoonful of frozen mixed vegetables or frozen mango, for example, and tearing off a few sprigs of parsley. The next day, cut off a small piece of apple, a slice of red pepper and a few spinach leaves. Some quality seed mix should be provided each day, and sprouted seeds and grains are very healthy, much healthier than dry seed.

Sprouting seeds for birds is very easy and does not require any special containers or equipment! When sprouting seeds for birds, you only want the seeds to germinate, not start to grow stems and tiny leaves. Germination activates many vitamins in seeds and grains and makes them more nutritious. You only need to germinate the seeds or grains until there is 1/4 - 1/2 an inch "tail" of root, then refrigerate until you are ready to use.

All you need to do to germinate seeds and grain, is to rinse them gently in room-temperature water until the water runs clear. Then cover the seeds/grain with more tepid water in a small container, and let sit. GENTLY rinse the seeds/grain and replace the water a couple of times a day until germination occurs. That is all there is to it! How long germination takes, depends on the individual seed/grain. Be sure to rinse thoroughly before feeding to your birds.

Some good sprouting materials include wheat grains (you may find these labelled as "wheat berries"), spelt, quinoa, buckwheat, sesame seeds, flax seeds, millet, etc. You may be lucky enough to find some in the bulk section of your grocery store, though you may have very iffy results with sprouting these. Some varieties of pet store bird seed will sprout, but some are "dead seeds" and will not germinate. It's a good idea to try sprouting whatever seed mix you are using for your bird. If the seed fails to germinate, it is dead seed and likely low in nutrition; you may want to try another brand. You can usually buy good sprouting seeds at health food stores, or order them online. Seeds/grain sold specifically for sprouting tend to be fresher, and germinate more reliably.

Foods Dangerous for linnies text here

Supplements for your linnies text here

Linnies may be small parrots, but this does not mean that they can be kept in tiny cages! Linnies are very active birds and need a lot of room to move around. Linnies prefer climbing and running to flying, but they do also like to fly about a bit in their cage. A budgie-sized cage is NOT adequate for even a single linnie (in truth, I do not believe that cages sold by pet stores for budgies are big enough for budgies either).

You must take into consideration that your linnie's cage is their home, the place they are likely to spend the majority of their time. Your first consideration should be for the health and well-being of your bird(s), not how well a cage will fit in with your room decor. Please don't purchase a small cage because you "don't have room for a bigger cage". If you don't have the room, it's best to wait until you have more space before adopting a bird.

Even if you plan to let your bird have daily time outside the cage (as you should, if at all possible), it's virtually guaranteed that there will be times when you are too busy for this, or you fall ill, or you have company visit, you bring a new pet into the household, etc. Your bird(s) will already spend at least 8 hours in their cage overnight, and if you work outside the home, they will be caged all day while you are at work. Simply letting the bird(s) out for a few hours each day does not mean it's OK to confine them to a small space the rest of the time.

The *smallest* cage you should consider, in my opinion, is a large cockatiel cage for a single bird or a pair. However, the more room you can provide for your bird(s), the better. My own birds are housed in cages that are 36" long, 20" wide and 18" high. With my own birds, I find that they make fuller use of the cage space if the cage is longer than it is tall. They also like to run around on the cage floor, and this orientation gives them more room to run than a cage that is taller but not as wide/deep. However, you can certainly make a very serviceable environment using a taller cage, and different birds may use space differently. The bar spacing should be no larger than 1/2".

New cages can be costly! However, I watch the ads on usedvictoria and have seen many very nice, lightly used cages come up for sale for very reasonable prices, many of which also come with dishes, perches and toys. You can also use small animal cages, as long as the bar spacing is correct. I have seen some cages designed for rats that would work very well for linnies. You must just make sure that a used cage and any accessories are well sanitized before use.

Take care that any cage you use for your linnies does not have any sharp edges, or metal parts that contain zinc. Birds can succumb to zinc poisoning very easily. Just because a toy or accessory is sold at a pet store, and sold for birds, does not mean that it is automatically safe for your bird. Beware of galvanized wire. Galvanized wire or other metal = zinc. It is possible to paint galvanized wire/metal with zinc-free, non-toxic paint (NEVER use paint around your birds - use paint outdoors only, and let the wire cure for at least three days, longer in cold/wet weather), or wire can be brushed with vinegar every couple of months to reduce toxicity. If your bird is a wire biter/chewer however, then it's best to avoid galvanized wire if possible.

Lineolated parakeets are very active birds and will be happiest in a varied environment including different kinds of perches and toys.

Be sure to provide a variety of perches. Rope perches in different thicknesses, smooth dowel wood perches, natural wood perches (make sure you use safe varieties, like apple - check the toxic/safe substances section for more info), and specially designed nail-trimming perches are all good choices! You can also get creative and use plastic ring baby toys, dog toys, etc. Just be sure that any perches are non-toxic - particularly that they do not have any galvanized metal parts or paint that may contain zinc or lead. Be sure as well that there are no sharp edges, or anything that your bird could catch a nail or toe in, and injure themselves.

Use caution when selecting nail-trimming perches. Some may be known to cause issues with parrots' feet - it's usually a good idea to google the brand of a perch you are interested in, to make sure there are no known issues. Sanded-paper perch wraps are not recommended as they can cause irritation to your bird's feet, and they may slip as your bird moves about. Over time, this can cause joint problems.

I personally recommend the Polly's Sandwalk Perches for a nail-trimming perch. They are somewhat pricey but will last for a long time, are safe for your birds' feet, do a good job of keeping nails trimmed, and the birds seem to enjoy the feel of the perches under their feet. Place your nail-trimming perch as the highest perch in the cage to encourage your linnies to use it often.

Linnies LOVE to climb, so dangling knotted ropes/rope nets, vertical ladders, and other climbables are excellent choices for a linnie's cage.

Once again, variety is the key! Providing plenty of variety makes for a happy bird. Changing the perch arrangements around regularly will help keep your linnie from getting bored.