You may be wondering if caring for a Budgerigar bird, also nicknamed budgie, is easy or if it requires a lot of sacrifice. Not to worry. In today’s article, we bring you tips on habitat, food and basic care, so you can keep them happy for many years. Let’s start by learning a little more about them:
Scientific name: Melopsittacus undulatus
Origin: Inland Australia
Size: 19 to 21 cm
Lifespan: 8 to 12 years
Color: green, blue, yellow, white, gray…
Recommendations for the Care of Budgies
Before we fully embark on the care of our bird, it is worth knowing some basic details, for example: that budgies, known as common parakeets, are very sociable animals and like to live in groups or at least in pairs, that they are very friendly and active animals and are ideal companions for the whole family, especially for children from six years, who will also be able to enjoy their company and participate in the simplest tasks for their education.
How Should a Budgie Cage Look Like?
In order for them to be comfortable and to be raised in good conditions, the aviary must be as large as possible in height, length and width: at least 60 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm so that they can fly and play inside. Our budgie friends need a lot of exercise because they tend to be overweight, hence the importance of the size of the cage.
Where to Place the Budgie Cage?
You will need to place the cage away from wind and direct sunlight. You can place it outside if the temperature is pleasant.
What Accessories Does a Budgie Cage Need?
Once you’ve decided on the right location for the cage, it’s time to “furnish” it. A feeder and an inverted bottle drinker are essential. A bowl for fruits and vegetables and toys specially designed for these cages will be the perfect complement. Hangers are also great to keep them busy and not bored.
If you want your budgies to be the kings of the house, we’ll tell you a secret: they love to take daily baths, so it’s important to provide them with a bathtub with clean water or spray them daily. You can’t imagine how happy you make them with a little water! You should also provide them with mineral blocks, cuttlebone and nail file perches to keep their beaks and nails healthy.
And once your budgie has gotten used to its new home, you and your family, it’s a good idea to let it out of its cage every day so it can stretch its wings and get some exercise.
Bedding and Cleaning
To clean the cage, use a damp sponge and scrub the screens well. Take advantage of the food and drink replenishment time to rinse the feeder. Once a month, it is recommended to deworm the cage and the budgie with an anti-mite insecticide.
For a perfect cage floor, it is best to use environmentally friendly litter, such as vegetable litter, plant litter or clean, dry gravel. It is usual to change the litter every two days, but this depends on the number of budgies living in the cage.
Budgie Feeding
Budgies need a good quality food based on birdseed, millet mix or specific parakeet food. You should provide a variety of foods to cover all their nutritional needs, such as fruit or egg pastes, parakeet bars or fruit and vegetable pieces. Remember that if you put pieces of apple, leaves … you should not leave them in the cage for more than four hours, because they could ferment and cause illness in our friend.
Budgies need a good quality food based on bird seed, millet mix or specific food for budgies. You should provide a varied diet to cover all of its nutritional needs, such as fruit or egg pastes, parakeet bars or fruit and vegetable pieces. Remember that if you put pieces of apple, leaves … you should not leave them in the cage for more than four hours, as they could ferment and cause illness in our friend.
During the season of change of feathers, it is very beneficial for them to take vitamin complexes in order not to lose strength and to maintain all the splendor of their plumage.
Do you have other pets? How do you care for them? Let us know in the comments below.
