Budgie Care Guide
From the beginning of time, birds have fascinated us. We often find ourselves daydreaming about them; soaring on their weightless wings high above everything. Birds hold something magical that we may never be able to reach (planes are great, but we can’t feel the sun on our backs and the wind in our faces). So perhaps the next best thing, is owning a little bit of that magic, no matter how small.
Cage Set-Up
Before purchasing a budgie, your need to have its enclosure completely set up. The last thing you want to do is stress the bird out more by rearranging its new cage right after it moved to your house. For one bird, a cage 20x20x20 inches is ideal. Stop by a local pet store and browse their bird cages. Search for one that will be simple to clean and easy to get into. Never use a container with glass sides for your pet bird.
Once you have decided upon a cage, you can start decorating your bird’s habitat. It can be surprisingly fun to choose, buy—or make—toys, perches, hammocks, and other exciting items for your bird to enjoy. Local pet stores, Etsy, and Amazon have so many choices it may even becoming overwhelming if you let it. To prevent this from happening to you (we want bird parenting to be as fun and simple as possible) create a list of must-haves.
Once you have decided upon a cage, you can start decorating your bird’s habitat. It can be surprisingly fun to choose, buy—or make—toys, perches, hammocks, and other exciting items for your bird to enjoy. Local pet stores, Etsy, and Amazon have so many choices it may even becoming overwhelming if you let it. To prevent this from happening to you (we want bird parenting to be as fun and simple as possible) create a list of must-haves.
Toys
Being curious creatures at heart, budgies enjoy toys that stimulate them such as balls, ladders, bells, and swings. Make sure your bird’s toys are made using soft, non-toxic wood, and a non-slippery plastic. You can also purchase toys for your birds to use outside of their cage when you are watching. Many people give their birds skateboards and teach them to do tricks on them. Making your own toys and perches is also a great idea since you can be sure that the materials used are pet-friendly.
While it is important for your budgies to have toys so they don’t get bored, you don’t want to have too many toys. As long as you have a shredding toy, a bell or something that makes noise, and a puzzle toy with treats inside, you should be good.
While it is important for your budgies to have toys so they don’t get bored, you don’t want to have too many toys. As long as you have a shredding toy, a bell or something that makes noise, and a puzzle toy with treats inside, you should be good.
Bringing your Budgie home
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Whether you’re buying your first budgie or your fifth, bringing your new bird home for the first time can be a crazy mixture of excitement and fright. It can feel like a lot to suddenly be in charge of a tiny bird’s life—and it’s okay to feel like that. In time both you and your bird should be thriving together. Just take it slowly.
Any species of bird should NOT be bought at your local pet store. Both PetSmart and Pet Co buy their birds from cruel bird breeders that do not care at all for their birds’ well-being. Many birds die on their way to pet stores in very tiny, dirty cages without anything to do. On top of that, the birds arriving alive are unhealthy and should not be bought. If you want to buy a pet bird, look for rescue centers to adopt one. |
Getting Settled
Let your budgies get used to their new surroundings and don’t handle them too much for the first few weeks they are in your care. Stay close to their cage and speak softly to them, repeating their new name softly whenever you can to get your budgie used to it. Always be very quiet and avoid quick, loud noises around your budgie’s cage for the first month the new bird is in your care.
If you have other budgies, quarantine your bird for about a month to make sure it is free of any illnesses before introducing it to its new roommates.
If you have other budgies, quarantine your bird for about a month to make sure it is free of any illnesses before introducing it to its new roommates.
Feeding
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When feeding your birds, you want to prevent as much bacteria as possible by using metal food dishes which have a lesser risk of bacterial contamination.
TreatsGiving your bird treats as a reward can be good for training and bonding purposes. It is up to you whether you want to buy commercial bird treats or simply feed your pets fresh fruit snacks. Refrain from feeding budgies toxic treats such as chocolate, onions, garlic, cheese, apple seeds, mushrooms, avocado, and eggplant.
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Drinking
Be sure to change your budgie’s drinking water each day to keep it fresh. As long as your budgie’s healthy, you shouldn’t have to track if your budgie is eating a drinking since they normally don’t forget to eat and drink.
It may also be a good idea to put a cuttlebone in your budgie’s water as a mineral source as long as you remember to change it every few weeks.
It may also be a good idea to put a cuttlebone in your budgie’s water as a mineral source as long as you remember to change it every few weeks.
Playing with your budgie
Budgies like spending time with you. They may even feel safer with ‘their person’ next to you (let’s face it; they think they were the ones that adopted you). Set aside an hour every day to to pet, gently cuddle, and play with your friendly budgie. Let them fly around a safe room and explore. It is very important your are with them at all times whenever they are outside of their cage.
Note that budgies (and all birds) poop. If your budgie is flying around in a room, it will poop. It’s unavoidable—especially when they poop every twenty minutes. Whenever it creates a mess on the floor, chair, desk, or wherever, wipe it up as soon as possible.
Don’t we do a lot of those we love?
Note that budgies (and all birds) poop. If your budgie is flying around in a room, it will poop. It’s unavoidable—especially when they poop every twenty minutes. Whenever it creates a mess on the floor, chair, desk, or wherever, wipe it up as soon as possible.
Don’t we do a lot of those we love?
Bathing
Budgies prefer to be clean and take many bathes. Every day you should take your budgie out of it’s cage for a bath. Fill up about plastic basin with half an inch of water and let your budgie preen and splash about for a while. Once it seems content with its cleanliness, you can gently towel dry your pet bird.
Bedtime Problems
Sometimes budgies can be loud during the night, and this may because they easily become scared of darkness. Create a cozy environment for your scared little birds by turning on a night-light and placing a towel gently over their cage far enough away from the bars so the birds don’t chew it. Make sure air can enter their cage—let’s nut suffocate your bird on its first night. Hopefully your budgies will quiet down in the warmer, lighter habitat, and if not, then at least the towel will muffle their chirps so you can get a few more hours of sleep.
Cage Hygiene
Clean your budgies cage at least once a week to prevent any bacterial buildup. Only use non-toxic dish soap when scrubbing your bird’s water and food bowls. It is also a good idea to take a sponge and rub the sides of your bird’s cage to remove any excess grime.