Baby budgie

[Roxhum]

I am getting a hand fed Budgie. The cage is fixed up and ready. However I look at this cage and look at what the baby is used to. He is in a box with alfalfa hay on the ground. He is with a bunch of babies of different ages. What would be a good transition cage/enclosure?

 

[Lady Jane]

Can you show us a photo of the cage you have? Baby birds are clumsy at first. If this cage is on the small size that is great for the time being but later on a nice flight cage would be best. The only thing we use on the cage bottom is news paper over the grate.
Keep perches and food dishes fairly low at first and then transition to the large cage and move things up a bit.
Is the breeder going to cut the babies flight feathers? I hope not. There are many safety issues for raising a small or large bird. Several of them are in your kitchen. Have you researched this? Oh and have you checked to find an avian vet you can use when needed and for yearly wellness checks.

Congrats on getting a baby budgie. I cant wait to see him or her!

 

[Roxhum]

Thank you Lady Jane, the cage is a 24 x16 flight cage. I thought of maybe covering part of it at first, as well as your other suggestions. I already have a avian vet. I have been thinking about the wings. He is fully flighted now. Originally I thought I would request they clip the wings until the baby is used to me, but then I think the baby should have the opportunity to get good at flying. I know it flies but has little experience, living in a box and all.

Also it wouldn’t be used to toys yet, so should I remove and slowly add on at a time

 

[iamwhoiam]

You want to replace the dowel with natural wood perches. That cage has lift up doors and those can be dangerous. They are also known as guillotine doors because some birds figure out how to lift them up and there is a possibility the door will drop down on them as they make their way out of the cage. It is best to zip tie those. You have to see how the bird reacts to the cage and the toys and then go from there. Make sure with ring toys that the rings are either too small for the bird to fit their head through or large enough that they can get there entire body through. Some birds will stick their heads into the rings and then get stuck.

 

[Roxhum]

Thank you iamwhoiam, I will check the rings. The dowel stays. The other perches have been replaced but that one fits so nicely all the way across and in front of the bowls that I am keeping it. The bird will have plenty of other perches and that one will most likely be the least used. However your reply doesn’t address the question of transitioning a hand fed baby from essentially a box with no perches or toys to a cage, more open then the baby is accustomed to and, of course, toys hanging around.

 

[iamwhoiam]

As long as you have other perches the dowel should be OK. However, you could always consider replacing the dowel at some point in the future. You can use a rope perch that goes across the cage, have a natural wood perch custom made or use two perches that sort of meet up with one another.
Sounds like the baby is in an enclosed box and by that I mean he can't see out of it. Can you fit the box into the new cage temporarily so he can come out of the box and explore? If you move him from the box to the cage then 1)make sure you are home for several hours after that so you can observe, 2) make sure the perch is low and cover the grate with paper or remove the grate because he may want to eat from the bottom of the cage. You can also put food and water dishes on the bottom of the cage in the beginning, 3) remove the swing-like toy and lower the other toys for now. You really just have to see how he does when you move him. He may be scared and it will take him a while to get used to it or he may be just fine.

 

[Lady Jane]

Please read over this sub forum because there are many dangerous toys out there, especially in pet stores. I buy all toys from the AA vendors. !! Dangerous toys list !! | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

I am sorry but that cage is not that greatest. One reason mentioned is the door. Second reason is I see no horizontal bars for the baby to learn how to climb. The flight cages on wheels probably cost what that one did.

I will call on another member who can give you good advice about nutrition and brands of food and she also makes awesome, safe toys for little birds. @Mizzely

 

[Lady Jane]

Oh one more observation. My budgies chewed off the metal reflective surface of the disco ball you have hanging. It's not a safe toy. Look on page 10 in the link I gave you. I posted a photo of the chewed disco ball.

I don't mean to scare you, just educate you from our experiences.

 

[Roxhum]

Great idea iamwhoiam about maybe a box in the cage. I am thinking maybe something as low as a lid to a shoe box. That way it is something somewhat familiar to him and he can chose to explore.

Lady Jane I have had this cage for years and have used it as a temporary cage. My concern wasn’t about the cage so much as the transition to a cage. I appreciate the info on the toys. I just bought cheap toys to get something started. I don’t want to spend too much money until I figure out the types of toys he likes. Someone mentioned shiny toys and bells rather than shredding toys. If the toys are unsafe I can return them, and will.

Thanks to all giving me advice on these new little babies I am getting.

 

[Serin]

You don't need to well, "baby", a baby hand-fed budgie as it should be able to adjust quickly to change at this age. In the wild, they basically jump out of their nest and immediately face the world, which is much more to take in than a cage and being handfed it will already be socialized to humans and view you as a flock.

I only have cages with those doors and have never had an issue. Almost all cages have those doors. Just secure them with a clip when open, don't let them stay open by their own weight, as they can fall. Likewise, my budgies quickly learn to climb the vertical bars.

The cage is small as a permanent cage but perfect for a baby bird.

Dowels are perfectly acceptable perches when used in conjunction with some other types for variety. I use dowels in every cage, combined with a varying assortment of natural branches, big and little swings, ropes and flat wood perches. Dowels don't hurt bird's feet, it's a misconception based on how if a bird lives in a cage with nothing but perches of a single diameter it can develop foot problems due to a lack of flexing.

I don't think you need to do anything special at all, but if you want you can set a little shoebox on the cage floor with wood chips or hay inside to give the baby a "nest" that it can leave on its own when ready and sleep in at first if so it chooses.

Wing-clipping is not necessary. I have tamed fully flighted budgies with clicker training in a couple of days. A hand-fed baby should already be tame and come to you on its own.

 

[Lodah]

Please purchase stainless steel containers for you baby... plastic ones can harbor deadly bacteria and you will not notice it till its too late! Especially the drinking one! Good luck with your little one!

 

[Serin]

Oh for goodness gracious... I only have plastic. Is anything safe anymore?

Just my two cents... not everything will kill your bird.

 

[Lodah]

Oh for goodness gracious... I only have plastic. Is anything safe anymore?

Just my two cents... not everything will kill your bird.

Very true... but it only takes one! Again, just some kind advice and not intended to scare you! Those drink containers if not washed out frequently can contain mould very easily

 

[Roxhum]

Serin, thank you so much for your post. I appreciate your input and agree with you

 

[Mizzely]

My budgie customers seem to really like cork, balsa, papers, yucca, vine, and finger traps - shredding stuff! I sell very few bell toys to them right now! Shredding is a natural instinct so that's why many are likely drawn to it.

A nest box is totally normal depending on the age, and most will be good with a transition to the cage without extra assistance. You can pad the bottom of the cage with towels or fleece in case it falls as it learns to fly. The suggestion of a shallow box is also a good one.

For the doors, you can clip them close to prevent an escape, and also can clip them open to prevent them from falling on a bird. I have used those cages without issues; you just have to be mindful that they CAN be a problem if not handled properly. I would not say that most cages have those - only small cages do. Larger cages have a regular door vs the slider.

I also prefer stainless steel or ceramic over plastic, but as long as you wash daily and toss it when the surface is no longer smooth, you can keep bacteria at bay.

One dowel is fine if it is not the main perch used. If they spend a significant amount of time on it, then I would either use a dremel to carve into to add texture, wrap with vet wrap or rope, or replace it. Rope perches can be great to bridge from one side to the other, but some birds chew the ropes and can cause crop impaction, so just monitor if you go that route.

 

[Serin]

Very true... but it only takes one! Again, just some kind advice and not intended to scare you! Those drink containers if not washed out frequently can contain mould very easily

I wash out tubes daily with dish soap and rinse thoroughly.

 

[Lady Jane]

I am sorry some of the advice here is confusing to you. My first priority is safety and that is where I come from. Others may brush off the advice given to you as not necessary. Over time plastic dishes can harbor microorganisms. @Mizzely has given the best suggestions and has very good suggestions, as usual.

 

[Roxhum]

Mizzely thank you for the informative helpful post.
I am not really a total newbie to birds. I just haven’t had such young/hand-fed babies before.
I am a washing fool theses days with Pampa’s bowls and mess.
The cage is the cage because after endless shopping online the most spacious practical home for them that fits my budget a space is the 30 x 18 x 18 flight cages.
Again thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply.

 

[iamwhoiam]

I only have cages with those doors and have never had an issue. Almost all cages have those doors. Just secure them with a clip when open, don't let them stay open by their own weight, as they can fall. Likewise, my budgies quickly learn to climb the vertical bars.

It really depends on the bird but I personally don't feel that cages with guillotine doors are the safest for most birds. Those doors should be secured when closed as well as when opened. Don't have budgies now but have had some in the past who figured out how to open doors. There are many cages available that don't have those types of doors. If I had the option I would always purchase a cage without them. JMHO

 

[Lady Jane]

Those type of cage doors are a nuisance at best. Anything that is even potentially dangerous to your bird should be avoided.