Suggestions?

[JasperB225]

So my neighbour has a 1 year old budgie who`s parents have an egg right now, and i she told me that if i wanted, when the the egg hatches i could have the bird and i personally think it will be a good idea cause my neighbour can give me tips, as she has owned and owns many different birds (Mainly ground birds) But she has owned budgies and as i mentioned earlier owns one currently. So the reason why im here is cause i dont really know how to take care of birds because ive never had one before. So any advice on taking care of a budgie?

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Does she only have one budgie? If so, the egg is not fertile.

 

[JasperB225]

The egg is from the budgie that she has` parents, she raised the budge from day 1 and the parents used to be hers but gave them to a close friend.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

The egg is from the budgie that she has` parents, she raised the budge from day 1 and the parents used to be hers but gave them to a close friend.

Sorry, I misunderstood. Thank you for clearing it up!

 

[JasperB225]

All good, it was poorly worded

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

I didn't want to give advice because I'm not really good at that but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to help.

 

[Lady Jane]

I am not clear. Is this egg from a male and female budgie or one female budgie?

First of all and important you will need a substantial amount of money for care of any bird, big or small. Some expenses: avian vet care, both routine and sickness or injury. Toys, large cage, another budgie for company, grooming, food, both fresh and various seed blends, cleaning supplies and many safety measures in your home. The list can go on and on. Should have an avian vet that is not too far away. I can go on but will let you digest this information first.

 

[JasperB225]

Male and female, and ive got all those things checked, i really just wanted some budgie advice

 

[cosmolove]

Bird ownership is a big commitment. In my opinion its even bigger when you're going to own a single bird rather than multiple, yes I know it sounds funny but hear me out!

When you have a single bird you have to remember that birds are flock animals. When kept in captivity it is our responsibility to keep them stimulated mentally and physically. You will need a decent size cage with safe bar spacing so that the budgie cannot get stuck. In my opinion the "parakeet/Budgie starter kits" at pet stores all are MUCH too small for a budgie. They're very active little birds I usually recommend a flight cage. Plenty of space for the bird to get around and play and plenty of space for toys and goodies!

Once you have the cage you'll want to look at perches. The first thing I recommend doing when you get the cage is throw away all of the perches that come with it. Dowel rod perches are horrible! Go for some natural wood ones you can buy from vendors here or in stores, make sure to buy different sizes and shapes. This will help keep their feet in shape and keep the risk of bumble foot down. All of my birds also enjoy rope perches so usually I'll have a rope perch or a rope swing/boing of some sort in their cage.

Now lets talk toys. You'll need LOTS of toys to keep the bird busy when you're not around. You can get some at pet stores but I really recommend checking out some of our vendors. Usually what I do is I put a bunch in their cages and every 2 weeks or so I'll rotate the toys so they get something new. I try to have it so that I can get through 2 full rotations without having to give the bird back the same toy. You'll want to look at shredable toys, acrylic, etc. The key is having a variety! Over time you'll start to learn your birds favorites and then you can start focusing a little more on ones they like and less of the ones they don't. Still keep up with a variety but for example, I have one bird who doesn't really care for certain toy parts. I pretty much stopped buying that type of toy. I still rotate a couple just in case he changes his mind but I try to keep him busy with ones he does like

Diet is another big one but honestly I don't have enough experience to give good advice for a budgie. They have different diet needs than bigger birds like I have You'll definitely want to offer fresh foods and such but hopefully someone with a bigger budgie background can chime in

Vetting is super important as well, make sure you find a AVIAN vet, not just one that will see birds. Finding one local to you is very important as if an emergency happens you'll run into the problem of vets who don't know what they're doing. Trust me I ended up in that situation with a lovebird I rescued! My avian vet was closed and we were running from vet to vet trying to find someone to help us.