Budgies are a great choice for beginning bird parents. They are adaptable to a wide range of care conditions, not too demanding in their day-to-day care, and can be trained to be handled with minimal stress.
When it comes to companionship, budgies are flock birds that enjoy the company of other birds. The ideal number of birds to house together is related to how much attention, time, and resources you have as a pet parents. Individual budgies will likely require more personal attention from you to meet their socialization needs, while groups housed together have less need for interaction. For most pet parents, housing four budgies together is reasonable. The noise level is acceptable, cleanliness is achievable, and the cost is affordable.
Recommended Home for Budgies
Budgies prefer a quiet, low-traffic environment where they can observe people going about their daily business, like a living room. It is best to place their cage away from windows and doors that let in drafts and direct sunlight.
Budgies make excellent pets for parents of all ages, from mature adults to responsible children. They can adapt to a range of lifestyles because they are paired off. Individual budgies need more socialization and enrichment from their pet parents. Budgies travel well and have minimal space requirements. They are an excellent pet for a novice bird owner because their care costs are rather low.
To prevent spreading illness, newly purchased birds should be kept apart from your budgies in a quarantine. Maintaining the budgie cage off the ground and away from furniture or countertops will help to keep your other pets from having access to it. If you own cats, be mindful of the paths they could take to get to the budgie cage by jumping. It is not advisable to let budgies fly or play near other pets in order to prevent unintentional harm.
Budgies are small and relatively docile pets. To build trust, they can be trained with food rewards and regular attention. Budgies, like the majority of companion birds, defend themselves by biting at imagined enemies. The budgie bite is little more than a painful annoyance. They usually only inflict minor injuries, but they are more likely to bite those who come too close.
All budgies will chirp and whistle, but some can mimic repeated words, phrases, or chattering sounds. Male budgies are more likely to mimic words and phrases.
Adult supervision is advisable around children. The majority of families will discover that budgies make wonderful additions to their homes.
An ideal enclosure for an individual budgie is 18x18x18 inches. If you are keeping two budgies together, the enclosure needs to be 30 by 18 by 18 inches. The enclosure should be 32 by 18 by 20 inches if there are more than two budgies. The bars should be spaced ½-inch apart or smaller.
Paper should be used to line the cage’s bottom for daily cleaning, and any sickly-looking droppings should be closely examined. Bedding comes in a variety of forms that are readily available and reasonably priced, such as:
- Newspaper
- Paper towels
- Plain paper packaging
- Brown paper bags
- Butcher paper
Do not use glossy printed advertisements as the ink could be harmful if consumed. Additionally, bedding made of crushed corn cobs or pelleted paper should not be used. These goods will retain moisture, which in warm conditions could encourage the growth of fungi. Additionally, they will conceal disease indicators that would otherwise be seen when the droppings have a higher moisture content. Because the cage will seem cleaner than it actually is, pet parents might put off changing the bedding or forget to get the necessary veterinary attention.
Feeding dishes may include:
- Plastic trough with hanging hooks
- A bowl made of stainless steel that can be attached to the cage with a clamp
- Ceramic crock style that sits on the cage floor
These dishes need to be carefully washed and dried every day. Water, fresh food, and dry food ought to be served in different dishes. The water dishes ought to be big enough for the budgie to take a bath in. To prevent competition for food, if multiple budgies are housed in the habitat, each budgie should have its own feeding station. To avoid harm, any worn-out or broken dishes should be swapped out for new ones.
It is recommended that a variety of sizes, heights, textures, and materials be available for perks. e. , rope). By doing this, the budgie will be able to exercise its feet, which could help avoid sores. Perches ought to measure at least 4 inches in length and 3/8 inches in diameter. Expanded perches may hinder appropriate grasping, potentially resulting in falls and other severe injuries. Refrain from positioning perches directly above their food or water bowls to stop bird droppings from contaminating them. For safety reasons, make sure to replace any worn-out or damaged perches.
A range of toys ought to be available for amusement, physical activity, and enrichment. This will lessen boredom and possibly stop undesirable habits like plucking feathers. Toys can be constructed from materials such as hard plastic, cardboard, paper, or soft wood that don’t have tiny pieces that could be ingested. To avoid boredom, toys should be switched out every week and replaced every month. Only add one new toy at a time to prevent stress from abrupt changes. Toys should be replaced when they become worn out or damaged. Recommended toys for budgies include:
When there is little natural sunlight, a full-spectrum UV light intended for birds should be used 1012 hours a day to augment UV exposure.
A high-quality pelleted diet provides balanced nutrition and ought to comprise 60% to 70% of a budget-conscious dog’s diet. Recommended pelleted feed includes:
Budgies should always have access to clean, fresh water that is replaced every day. Filtered tap water or bottled spring water is preferred.
Treats, fruits, and vegetables should make up roughly 30 to 40 percent of your budgie’s overall diet (no more than 2010 percent of the diet should be given as treats). Treats include fortified seed and millet sprays. Berries, melons, and papaya are examples of fruits, and broccoli, sweet potatoes, pea pods, and bell peppers are examples of vegetables that budgies enjoy.
As a source of calcium and trace minerals, which are essential for strong and healthy bones, beaks, nails, and feathers, mineral blocks or cuttle bones should be offered. Since budgies remove the seed hulls before ingesting them, grita granular, dense, insoluble mineral materialis not necessary for the digestion of seeds.
Budgies should not be offered:
- Avocado
- Chocolate
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Before giving budgies food, remove the pits and seeds from the fruit.
- Foods that are high in salt, fat, and sugar
- Sugar-free food and candy (may contain xylitol)
- Seasonings and ingredients for garlic and onions: non-stick cookware should not be used near birds because when these products heat up, a toxic gas that has no color or odor is released.
Handling Considerations for Budgies
Hand-raised by human parents, budgies are used to handling without stress. They are willing to eat when food is offered to them and may approach pet parents on their own. Care must be taken when handling birds that have been raised by their bird parents and are not accustomed to being handled by humans in order to prevent stress and harm.
When handling a bird, wrapping a tiny hand towel around it can help prevent injuries to both the bird and the handler and lessen the bird’s fear of the approaching hand. To protect the bird from harm, carefully fold its wings inward toward its body while wrapping it in a towel. In order to allow the bird to breathe while being held, it is also essential to avoid constriction of the chest and abdomen. In general, to lessen stress, try to hold your bird for a shorter period of time at a time.
Signs of a Healthy Budgie
Signs of a healthy budgie include:
- Ideal body condition
- Smooth, brightly colored feathers
- Eyes are clear and bright
- Have no discoloration or nasal discharge above the nares.
- There are no thickened, swollen, or cracked spots on the smooth skin.
- Vent does not have any sticky material or discoloration
- Do not have any swellings visible under their feathers
- Green-brown droplets with a hint of white and very little wetness form.
FAQ
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What should you not do with a budgie?
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