30 Sept 2011

Keeping budgies as pets

WORLD OF BIRDS

Keeping Keeping budgies as pets

Budgies: Colourful, attractive,

sociable birds that

are easy to keep and

look after. They originate from

Australia and can

live up to 15 years

- so choosing one

as a pet is a long-term

commitment. They

can be kept

alone but prefer

the company of

their own species.

If kept indoors they

will need regular

daily exercise

outside

their cage and are

at their most active

during the daytime,

sleeping once

it gets dark.

Housing

Budgies can be housed
indoors in a large wire
cage with a plastic
base or outdoors in
a purpose-built
aviary. The
cage should have
some horizontal
bars on it to
allow climbing –
this means many
round
cages are unsuitable.
Bars should be no
wider than 12mm
apart to prevent
escape. Kept
outdoors, your
aviary should
allow room for
the birds to fly
around properly.
Budgies kept indoors
will need to be let
out of their cage daily
to exercise – make
sure you keep all
doors and windows
closed when you do
this. Covering the cage
with a cloth at night
will encourage your
Budgie to settle
down for sleep.

You should provide a
bath for your bird,
either fixed to the
outside of
the cage or
a shallow bowl
placed inside the
cage – although some
birds may prefer to be
sprayed with tepid
water instead.

The cage should also
contain plenty of
toys to keep your
Budgie amused,
particularly if
it is kept on
its own.

Types of Budgie

Budgies come in a
vast array of
colours and
markings including pied,
spangled, opaline,
blue, green, grey,
yellow faces,
lutino and albino.

Feeding

Budgies in the wild
eat a wide range
of seeds, grains,
and vegetation.
A good-quality

Budgerigar
/ Parakeet mix
makes a
good basic diet
although supplements
may also be required
such as
cuttlefish which
acts as a vitamin
supplement,
environmental
enrichment,
and also
helps grind the
beak down.
Small pieces
of fresh fruit and
vegetables may
also be given
as treats and
fresh drinking water
should always be
available. Certain
foods can be
harmful to your
Budgie - avoid
giving your pet
lettuce, avocado,
lemon, potato, or
any sweets or
drinks designed
for human
consumption.

Looking after your Budgies

Exercise & Entertainment:Budgies
are intelligent and
inquisitive birds
that enjoy
playing and climbing.
Toys are
essential to
stimulate
them mentally
and physically –
especially
important
for birds
kept on their
own.
Budgies can
also be taught
to mimic sounds
and talk.
If they hear
the same
words
repeatedly from the
same person
they may pick
them up and
begin mimicking
the words
or phrases.
A solitary
bird will
need more
attention and
affection
than a pair
or group
and should
be handled
every day.

Handling:
With patience,
Budgies can
become quite
tame although
it is essential
they are trained
from an early age
, and by
one person only.
The first step
is to get the
bird used to
being stroked
inside its cage
– use a stick
or perch,
not your hands.
Start by gently
stroking its
chest a
couple of times
a day, then
encourage
it to jump
onto the stick.
Next, repeat
the whole
process through
the door of
the cage
rather than
the bars.
Finally, repeat
again, using
your hands
this time
instead of
the stick. This
is a gradual
process
that may take
several weeks
but usually works in the end.

To pick up your Budgie,
ensure your palm
covers its back
and wings while
your middle and
index finger surround
the bird’s neck.
Be gentle – Budgies
will bite if they
feel stressed.
If catching an
aviary bird
use a
padded rim
net and
never
try to catch
it in mid
flight - always
wait until it
is perched safely.

Breeding:
Budgies can be
mated from
about a
year
old and
will
produce a
clutch of 4-6 eggs
in about
18-21 days.
As with
all pets,
breeding
Budgies
requires much
commitment
of time and
effort. It
is
recommended
that you
therefore
seek expert
advice and do
appropriate
research
before
considering
keeping
a breeding
pair and
only if
you’re certain
you can
find good
homes for
the babies.

Tips for a happy healthy Budgie

Community:
Budgies can be
kept alone
but prefer the
company
of their
own kind.
They can
be kept
in pairs
(hens with cocks)
although if
just keeping
a few
birds
together,
either sex
should be
fine. For
larger aviaries
it’s usually
best to keep
more hens
than
cocks
– otherwise
the cock birds
may fight
over the hens.
You can also
mix pairs of
Budgies with
other small
parakeets
although if
kept in a
breeding
aviary you
shouldn’t
mix more
than 2 species.

Health:
Budgies can
catch Scaly Beak,
a contagious
condition that
requires
immediate
treatment
by a vet.
As with all
birds, if you
are worried
about any
aspect of
your Budgie’s
health, seek
advice from
an Avian
veterinarian. For
a healthy life,
your Budgie
needs the following:

A good balanced diet with no sudden changes
Plenty of toys to keep them amused
Water bottle and feed bowls cleaned daily
Their nails clipped several times a year – ask your vet for advice
A daily bath – essential for their preening activities
Regular exercise outside their cage

Information on Budgie Facts, Care, Temperament & Health

Size: 12 - 16 cm / 5 - 6 inches

Life Expectancy: 10 - 15 years

About Budgie

Budgies (budgerigars) are an extremely popular pet bird, and for good reason. These small parrots make delightful pets, and are usually friendly and easy to tame. While they can sometimes be difficult to understand, they are quite capable of mimicking speech.

Description

The typical coloration of the Budgie is green with black bars on the wings, back and head. Mature females have a tan or beige cere (nose) and the males have a bluish cere, but this is unreliable in some color variations and young birds of both sexes have pink ceres.

Young budgies have bar markings on the forehead that recede with age, and their eyes have dark irises that gradually become gray with age, but again this doesn't necessarily hold true for all colors. Through selective breeding a huge variety of colors and patterns are available, such as violet, blue, yellow, pied, albino, and more.

Origin of the Budgie

The word "budgie" is short for budgerigar, which is a native green and yellow bird in Australia. Budgies are small, colorful birds that are found in large numbers in the desert interiors of Australia.

Special Characteristics

Not all Budgerigars are easily tamed. But once tamed, the budgerigar can be taught to talk, but only in "parrot-fashion."

Some Budgies may be sensitive while others might get into mischief at every opportunity.

Well-trained Budgies are a delight in your life but stubborn ones can wreak disaster.

Some Budgies are stubborn by nature while others are very sweet.

Wiggles, The Cute Budgie

Temperament

The Budgies are friendly, cheerful companions for all age groups, and are particularly suitable for flats and other situations where a larger pet may not be practicable. Basically, gentle and docile bird, Budgies are very easy to tame if acquired at a young age. They are also very playful and active, and quieter than some other parrots although some of them can still be noisy.

Budgie As A Pet

The Budgies are quite famous as pets. Budgies are quite birds and are of non-destructive nature. With proper training and attention they turn into great pets. Their gentle and entertaining nature helps them to bond with the entire family members. Budgies possess imitating and acrobatic skills.

However, Budgies come with different personalities. Some are cute and sweet and some are stubborn while some are sensitive. They also love getting into mischief. With careful training and guidance Budgies can develop amazing vocabulary list.

Cage

The cage shape is also very important for the bird. Square or rectangular cages are more appropriate for parrots. Before buying the cage, do a thorough checking of the security mechanism.

The Budgies are active and playful and should have a large cage to allow room for toys and exercise. Horizontal cage bars offer the best opportunity for climbing and exercise. There should be space to place at least a couple of perches at different levels with enough space to comfortably move between them. Offering a variety of perch sizes will help keep the feet in good shape.

Even with a large cage, Budgies need play and socialization time outside of the cage as well. Keeping the wings trimmed is a good idea though, to prevent escapes.

Cage size should be:

Budgies need approximately: 18" W x 18" H x 24" D

Bar spacing: 1/2" or less

Diet

Since commercial food does not meet your bird's nutritional needs, a Budgie strives best on grains, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, pellets and meats.

Small hookbill.
Small or mini pellets.
Fresh vegetables.
In the while they eat fruit and berries, so these can be a nice addition to the diet.
Some whole grains such as cooked quinoa, sprouted bread, and millet on occasion.

Vitamin and calcium supplements should be added in their diet from time to time. Remember, your pet's diet will improve its health and will keep it content.

Health Issues

Although hardy birds, but the Budgies are prone to accidents owing to their small size. They are also very sensitive to their environment; therefore, hygiene and cleanliness must be maintained. Water should be changed everyday and food should not be kept over 3 hours in the cage. Clean their cage with anti-bacterial solutions from time to time.

Usually active, energetic and healthy, Budgie can suffer from common diseases like any other Budgies. These health issues are: