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A Guide To Budgie Care

birbfriendios

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
3/1/19
Messages
16
Real Name
Dodie
I posted this on the Birds Amino not too long ago, and I thought I'd put it here too!

Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional, nor an avian vet - this is just a fun and hopefully informational project I’ve been working on to help new budgie owners! All images used are not mine.


What you need (essentials)


Cage - must be at least 18 x 18 x 18 inches


A good seed and pellet mix - some good brands include Tops, Harrisons and Roudybush.


Treats - millet is a popular and generally much-loved choice


Food and Water bowls - stainless steel is best.


Toys - 3-5 at the very least


Perches! - see below for more information

A cuttlebone and/or mineral block (these are, however, not necessary if your budgie is on a good, balanced diet - more information below)


Diet

Diet is by far the most important - and sadly, overlooked - aspect of budgie ownership. Your budgie should always have seeds and pellets available, and they should be offered a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit daily, which can be fed in a variety of different ways from chop mixes to simply clipping them to the side of the cage.



An all-seed diet can lead to serious illnesses including fatty liver disease, which in many cases can be fatal for your budgie.

As for treats, most budgies love spray millet, however, some may not.



There are many other healthy treat options out there, including Nutri-berries, sunflower seeds (these MUST be fed in moderation), fruits, nuts, bird muffins and more! You could even try your hand at homemade treats. Remember: treats should be reserved for training purposes, or as a special surprise once a week. They should NOT be fed as part of your budgie’s everyday diet.

Commonly asked questions

Should I feed my birds pellets or seeds?

As a general rule, pellets are too high in protein to be fed as a “substitute” for seeds for budgies and other smaller birds. Budgies actually do fine with just a good seed mix, if supplemented with a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables.

An example of an ideal diet would be a mix of both pellets and seeds daily, as well as vegetables, fruits and maybe special treats such as boiled eggs weekly, treats as training food and offered very occasionally as a special treat, and perhaps some sprouted seeds and other safe grains and legumes offered daily as well.


Does my budgie need grit?

Because budgies remove the husks of seeds before swallowing, they have little to no indigestible foods in their system, therefore they don’t need grit to help digest their food. Too much grit can lead to damage in your budgie’s crop.


Which fruits and vegetables are safe to feed my budgie?

You can find safe and unsafe budgie food lists here:

Bird Safe Fresh Foods & Toxic Food Lists & More | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Safe Budgie Food List

Foods To Avoid (Unsafe Food List)

[If you have any other questions I can add to this list, please let me know!]


Cage

A cage for one budgie should be at least 18 square inches or 45 square cm. Two budgies would need a slightly bigger cage, as would three, and so on.

Budgie Cage Size Calculator

The spacing between the bars of the cage should be no more than 1/2 an inch. Any wider and your budgie could get their head stuck through the bars or escape their cage.

Your cage should have easily accessible feeder doors, as well as a slide-out tray, which isn’t necessary but does make cleaning a lot easier.

Do NOT get a round cage for your budgie - they can lead to insecurity in your budgie because of their lack of corners and cause serious physiological problems including stress, which in turn can lead to destructive behavior. They are also dangerous as the space between the bars gets larger as they get closer to the top. Generally, they’re also far too small for your budgie.

Are Round Cages Bad For Birds?

Be careful with slide-up doors, also known as guillotine doors that come with most smaller cages. These are potentially dangerous; your budgie can use these as an escape route and get seriously injured if the door slams down on them. They can be held shut by clips but a door that is secure and opens in a side-to-side motion is the best and safest option for your feathered friend.


Beware of Gullitoine Doors (The Parrot Forum)

Some good budgie cages (in no particular order):

#1 Prevue Hendryx Flight Cage (Amazon)


#2 Prevue Wrought Iron Flight Cage


#3 Prevue Hampton Divides Breeder Cage


#4 Prevue Pet Products Flight Cage




Cleaning

Daily Cleaning

• Change the cage lining (newspaper, paper or paper towels)
• Change and clean food and water bowls (water in bowls should preferably be changed twice a day)
• Spot clean any toys with droppings on them and change bird bath water (if you have one in the cage)

During daily cage cleaning, you can check on your bird's health by looking at their dropping and checking for any abnormal changes.

Weekly Cleaning

• Empty and wash the cage with hot soapy water, and spray it down with a disinfectant
• Wash and disinfect any dirty perches and toys

Weekly cage cleaning can also be a good opportunity for you to re-arrange your birds’ setup and rotate toys around.

Where should I put my budgie’s cage?

Your budgie’s cage should be put:

• In the place where you and/or your family spend most of your time
• Against a wall or in a corner, so they feel safe
• In a place where they’re not exposed to direct sunlight and hot or cold hair
• Away from the kitchen as possible - fumes from cooking and smoke can be awful for your budgie’s respiratory system
• Somewhere that’s fairly calm and dark at night

Perches
Your budgie will spend most of their life perching, so it’s important to provide him/her with a comfortable and safe place to perch and roost.

Perches to avoid:

Dowel and Plastic Perches


Dowel and plastic perches have smooth surfaces that don’t allow your budgie’s feet the exercise and comfort they need. Extended use of dowels and plastic perches can lead to serious conditions such as bumblefoot, painful sores on your budgie’s feet. Dowels are fine to use as long as they’re not being used too often and your budgies have access to a variety of natural perches. Plastic perches shouldn’t be used in your cage at all.

Sand and Concrete Perches



Sand and concrete perches are rough, uncomfortable and can also cause painful sores on your budgie’s feet.

Best perches to use:
  • Natural Perches
  • Calcium Perches
  • Safe Pumice Perches
  • Rope Perches and Boings
(You should, however, always check these for any signs of fraying or chewing).

Toys

Budgies are active and playful birds and need toys to keep them entertained while in their cage.

At the very least, your budgie should have around five toys in their cage. Budgies, in particular, tend to like bells but keep in mind birds, like people have different and varying preferences. A wood toy, for example, may not be as entertaining or stimulating to one budgie as a good shredding toy, and vice versa with a different budgie.

Some good budgie toys include...

Bird KABOB...


Foraging Pineapple...


Bric Brac...


...and more.



Sometimes toys and even random household objects can be so much more interesting to your little one than that thirty-dollar toy you just bought them (much to many parronts’ annoyance).

You can certainly try your own hand at toy making, and even turn it into a fun hobby! Just remember to make sure the materials that you’re using are safe for your budgies, and won’t cause any problems for either of you.

Safe and Unsafe Materials List...
Bird Toy Safe and Unsafe Material
... and great materials thread:
Are supplies safe? | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

Here are some awesome examples of homemade toys:





Great Bird Toy Vendors
  • Bonka Bird Toys
  • The Leather Elves
  • Talon Toys
  • Superbird Creations
  • Chewy
Taming and socialising

Taking a budgie requires time and effort, and can take anywhere from no time at all to years, depending on where and how you got them, as well as their individual personalities. The most important thing you can do for your feathered friend is patient - naturally, we are predators, and generally, their natural instinct is to be afraid of us.

As a general rule, it’s easier to tame baby, single and hand raised budgies.

To get your budgie comfortable with your presence, you can read to them, sing to them, and generally go about your daily activities next to them. Make sure your movements are slow, and your voice calm and patient. Sudden movements and loud noises can scare your budgie. If your budgie seems uncomfortable at any stage of the process, don’t be afraid to take a step back and start again. There are lots of different methods of taming your budgie, some more widely used than others.

Here are a few helpful resources to help with gaining the trust of your feathered friend(s):

Taming Your Budgie|Taming Budgie Tips | Taming A Budgie | Budgie Guide | Guide | Omlet UK]

[Youtube Videos - copy and paste on YouTube]
Budgie Care | How to Tame, Gain Trust Compilation
Bonding With & Taming Your Budgie
How We Tamed Our Budgie - Taming a New Bird
10 Hours+ || Calming Music For Birds || Budgies || Relaxing Music to Tame your Birds #3
Your budgie should get at least four hours of interaction a day. This doesn’t necessarily have to be hands-on, it could be a simple as sitting next to their cage and talking/singing/reading to them.

One budgie or two?

Budgies are flock animals and do thrive from flock interaction, however, they will be just fine alone provided you give them a few hours of interaction every day.


Useful Resources

YouTube Channels
Alen AxP
Love of Pets
The Parakeet Perch
Flock-talk


Websites
Homekeethome
Budgies Are Awesome (they are)


Thank you and well done for making it this far! Congratulations and good luck to all new budgie owners! Again, I’m in no way a professional, but I hoped I helped clear some things up! I definitely feel like I forgot a few things, so definitely let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to add or change.

PS. I’ve got some VERY exciting news coming up very very soon! ;);):D
 

mizziebirb

Meeting neighbors
Joined
4/30/19
Messages
33
Real Name
Mel
Wow, very well written :D I'm sure it's really helped some people!

Also, I love the name of your bird. I'm a big Dodie Clark fan (seeing her in September!!)
 

birbfriendios

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
3/1/19
Messages
16
Real Name
Dodie
Thank you! Dodie Clark is an amazing artist. You're so lucky you get the opportunity to see her! I bet you're incredibly excited - I definitely would be! :D
 
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