Many people decide to get a parrot, naively believing that these are the most problem-free pets. Like, caring for a parrot is not difficult. In fact, small birds need more care and attention than we used to think.
We will tell you further how to care for budgies and what you should never do.

Place for a cage

The first commandment in caring for parrots: protect from drafts and noise.

To prevent the bird’s nervous system from suffering, budgies should live in a quiet room, preferably remote. Ideally, there should be no equipment such as speakers or a TV here. Because wavy animals do not like sharp and loud sounds. And also because the wonders of modern technology interfere with the bird’s activity and rest regime.

If there are no options, carefully monitor the behavior of the birds. And when budgies begin to nod and hide their noses in their feathers, cover the cage with a thick blanket that does not allow light to pass through. Just leave one side of the cage open so that air can pass through and the parrot does not get lost in space.

Caring for a budgie in the first days consists of providing him with maximum rest. Let your pet get used to its new home and look around. All this time the cage should be located at the level of human height. This is how the budgie gets used to its owner’s face and voice. Later the cage can be rearranged a little lower. On a cabinet or coffee table, for example.

The cage should not be placed in the kitchen or in a dark hallway.

Keeping parrots in these premises has a negative impact on their health and life expectancy. So, in the kitchen, the feathered companion will be surrounded by various pungent odors, to which the bird’s delicate nostrils are sensitive. Again, people talk loudly here, the hood is noisy or the refrigerator is humming. People don't notice these noises. And the bird reacts to them anxiously. There are often drafts in the hallway.

And budgerigars will not be able to orient themselves in time: the biological processes in their bodies are subject to the daylight hours. In conditions of constant darkness, they even stop eating.

Correct lighting

Caring for budgies at home is a complicated matter.

Take, for example, lighting for these birds. In the absence of daylight, so that miniature organisms do not experience disruptions in their work, it is necessary to take care of its additional sources. And ordinary lamps will not work. In its light, everything will appear black and white to the birds.

Ornithologists advise purchasing a full-spectrum fluorescent lamp.

By the way, it is easy to find among products for budgies in pet stores.

They can and should be included during bird breeding periods. And also for young individuals whose bodies are just beginning to develop.

Under the influence of special light, vitamin D3 is produced - an important component of bone tissue.

Its deficiency can even lead to pathologies of the endocrine system, behavioral disturbances, and metabolic problems.

High-quality ultraviolet lamps are equipped with a timer that controls the lighting on and off. Service life is no more than a year. Because the phosphorus in the lamp tends to disintegrate. And the lamp ceases to be effective.
Thus, caring for a budgie is impossible without organizing proper lighting in the cage.

Balanced diet

Caring for budgies also involves regular feeding.

The basis of the diet is grain feed.

There is a great variety of bird food on the shelves of pet stores. But not everyone will benefit. Those who have kept these ornamental birds for many years and know everything about budgerigars unanimously declare: they eat mainly millet.

Oats and other ingredients that are useful, from the manufacturer’s point of view, remain at the bottom of the feeder. Where to go for pure millet? It is sold by parrot sellers. But it is better to purchase food from a trusted person. Because unscrupulous sellers do not follow the rules for storing food, which causes poisoning of parrots.

When choosing food for your budgie at a pet store, look at the packaging. It shouldn't be cardboard.

In it, the food becomes damp, and is also saturated with foreign odors if the boxes are stored next to goods that have a strong aroma. It’s good if the packaging is equipped with a zipper, which will allow you to “seal” the package of food after filling.

Do not get carried away with foods enriched with vitamins and iodine.

They should be given to birds as food only if the body has a deficiency of some microelements or problems with the endocrine gland. Of course, after one pack of food no pathological changes will occur in the body. But next time, be careful - do not overdo it in caring for your budgie.

Chalk is what a budgie needs at any time of the year.

It is available in any pet store. But the chalk pieces should be changed periodically. After all, the parrot will constantly clean its beak on it or grind its claws. As a result, a dirty coating forms on the chalk. As mentioned above, the main danger for parrots is food poisoning. And constant contact with a piece of dirty chalk is exactly what threatens you.

It also doesn’t hurt to add mineral supplements to your diet once a week. To ensure that your budgie gets a dose of nutrients, mix the food with millet.
There are also a variety of “spikelets”, which contain various seeds soaked in egg yolk. As practice shows, birds do not eat the “spikelet”, but simply gnaw it off. As a result, all the useful things and goodies lie at the bottom of the cage, and the budgie frolics with the piece of wood on which it was all attached.

Proper care of a budgie involves having several feeders. One is for dry food and mineral supplements. And in the second they put succulent food: vegetables and fruits according to the season. You can also purchase several holders for seasonal gifts of nature, because a budgie can throw everything from the feeders to the bottom of the cage.

Caring for a parrot also means feeding it seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables.

To avoid having to spend money on vitamins for poultry, ensure the daily availability of juicy fruits and pieces of berries or vegetables.

In small doses, grapes, quince, and apricot will be beneficial. In winter, please your bird with steamed dried apricots or a slice of kiwi. Naturally, most of the treat will pass by the beak, but what is absorbed will benefit the body.

By the way, caring for a budgie at home in the summer involves regularly cleaning the cage. Indeed, in the hot season, the processes of rotting of the same fruits that you give to the bird are accelerated. Don’t be too lazy to once again clean the bottom of the bird’s house from debris.

Water treatments

How to care for a budgie during hot weather?

Provide him with access to saving moisture! True, not all parrots strive to plunge into specially equipped swimsuits. Some “conservatives” prefer saucers with water. Or green leaves soaked in water at room temperature. It could be cabbage, lard, parsley - anything. Even tree leaves will do.

When pouring water into a saucer, cup or bathing suit, make sure that its level does not exceed 2 cm. If the depth is greater, the bird may choke or get scared.

In special cases, bird fright ends in death. To avoid tragedies, we recommend playing it safe.


There is a separate point about budgies that do not like to swim. To gradually accustom your panties to the water, place a mirror at the very bottom of the bathing device. The bird will become interested and gradually begin to enter the water.

If your child asks for a small colored parrot, think in advance about how to care for it, what food is needed and how much time it will take you. Even if parrots do not take up as much time as dogs or other pets, you still need to monitor their health.

The most important issue when caring for such a pet is the choice of cage. The cage for a budgie should be spacious and made of ordinary metal rods. At night, if the bird bothers you, you can cover the cage with any fabric. The parrot will calm down and understand that it is time to sleep.

Pet parrots

Domestic budgies are very beautiful and interesting. Children love to talk to the bird and watch the game. The colors of their plumage are so varied that each color is surprising. Each budgerigar is unique; a photo of any bird attracts attention, as they are truly interesting and curious creatures.

Parrots, like all living beings, need careful care. It is important to know what kind of cage you need and how often it needs to be cleaned. We will analyze all this in our article.

How long do small parrots live?

The natural habitat for this species of parrot is Australia. There parrots feel great among the wild thickets. But they have also taken root well in cities. How long do budgies live in urban environments? In the wild, these birds live only 8-10 years. But thanks to man, their lives can be longer.

A budgerigar lives at home for about 15 years, only sometimes living up to 17. These birds are afraid of drafts and can get sick. Like humans, they are also susceptible to bacteriological and viral diseases, so they may die earlier without proper care.

When choosing a bird, pay attention not to the more beautiful pet, but to the healthier one. A bird that is too calm - does not chirp, does not play - may be sick with something. It is best to buy a parrot in a good pet store or directly from a breeder with extensive breeding experience, and not on a spontaneous market. That is, where birds are cared for.

Budgerigar. Care and maintenance

How to care for your wavy friends so that they live long and delight their owners with their cheerful disposition and chirping? Let's talk in more detail about keeping a budgie.

It is very important to keep the cage clean at all times and change the water frequently. It is advisable to let the parrot out of its cage every day so that it can spread its wings and fly. Without movement, they become numb, especially if the cage is too small for him. A bird sitting in a cage for a long time not only quickly loses interest in playing with people, but also becomes obese, because birds also need to move to lose calories.

Food for budgies should be of high quality, from a good, proven brand. But in addition to food, you also need to give a lot of vegetables and fruits. During the egg-laying period, the female needs boiled chicken eggs.

Birds need mineral food such as ground egg shells. You also need greens, in particular parsley.

There should always be a feeder in the cage with regular food, and next to it you need the same one for sprouted grain. Food should be varied. You can’t give just one millet. Nuts, fruits, corn and seeds are suitable. Everything should be in moderation in the diet. Pet budgies eat frequently and defecate frequently. They do this 40 to 50 times a day. This is considered normal stool.

Every day you need to change the water in the drinking bowl. If the water is not fresh, the bird will get sick. It is necessary to clean the bottom of the cage three times a week, but when there are two or more parrots, then, accordingly, you need to clean more often.

It is important to monitor the condition of the beak and claws. The bird should have a piece of chalk or sepia to sharpen its beak. After all, the beak also grows, like human nails, and over time the long beak prevents the bird from eating.

Which cage is suitable?

The fact is that parrots need a lot of space in the house. Keeping them in a cage all the time is not an option. The bird will be bored and needs to stretch its wings. The cage itself should be large and spacious, especially if there are two parrots in it.

The length of the parrot's house should be at least 60 cm, and preferably 80 cm. Height - at least 50 cm. Additionally, you need to attach a drinking bowl and a small bath for the parrots. If the rods are painted, then you cannot put food between them.

Wooden cages are not suitable, as the budgie will definitely chew the wooden rods.

There are various shaped cages available for sale. But they are more suitable for carrying birds, but not for living. The best ones are ordinary, unpainted rectangular cells. In such dwellings it is more convenient for birds to climb stairs and play. The parrot itself is not so important what his house looks like, he needs comfort. Sometimes he is sad and needs a “personal” home corner. Another advantage of a rectangular cage is that it is easy to care for. It is easy to attach all sorts of toys for your pet to straight rods - these are bells, rocking chairs and more.

Additionally, you need to say a few words about the choice of perches. You should not buy perches covered with sandpaper, which have recently appeared in pet stores. Your budgie's feet may bleed.

The diameter of these crossbars should be different. One is placed a little higher, the other, as it were, on the lower floor, this location is convenient for the bird.

Does your feathered friend need a mirror?

When people buy one parrot, breeders recommend attaching a mirror to its cage so that it does not feel so lonely and sad. But there is another opinion. Many people believe that this way the pet will not learn to speak. Although this point of view has not yet been proven.

Baby parrots

How do budgies reproduce? If you decide to buy a pair and try to hatch a few chicks, keep in mind that the pair you choose may not produce chicks. Parrots form a lifelong bond. And if he or she did not like the pair, mating will not occur.

They are most fertile between the ages of 2 and 8 years. The female breeds about 6-9 cubs at a time. Offspring hatch more often in the summer, when there is more than 12 hours of daylight and there is enough warmth for them. After all, a parrot is a heat-loving creature. The female incubates the eggs for exactly 18 days. He tries to turn them over all the time, since an egg that does not receive enough heat will die.

In the summer, parrots need to be given more fruits and vegetables and sprouted grains so that they can safely raise their offspring. If you want to get offspring in winter, you will have to additionally heat and light the nest.

It is convenient for a female to hatch chicks in a cardboard nest. To equip it, just cut a small hole in the side of the box, 5-7 cm in diameter. This is a hole for the female. And in order for the male to fly up to the nesting site and feed the female, he needs to build a small perch next to the hole.

What are budgies like when they first hatched? The chicks hatch so helpless and weak that the female has to feed them in a lying position. They are unfeathered and their eyes are completely closed. The weight of newly hatched chicks is only a little more than one gram. Their mother is with them all the time; there is no need to climb into the nest and scare the female. The chicks will leave the nest on the 23rd or 24th day, when they have already gained the bulk of their weight and their plumage appears.

Signs of illness in a parrot

When your parrot is not feeling well, you can notice some changes in his behavior. Of course, the bird, although it speaks, cannot say that something hurts. But an attentive owner should notice the following signs:

1. The bird lowers its tail and looks weak. She is not interested in anything from things or toys.
2. Refusal to eat.
3. Parrots stop preening their feathers when they feel unwell.
4. Growths are sometimes found on the beak.

If the parrot is just a little lethargic, you need to place a lamp near it and warm it up. At a comfortable temperature, which is 27-28 °C, he will heal on his own. But when the situation is serious, this can be seen by growths and, perhaps, there will be strange discharge from the beak. Then you need to immediately call the veterinarian and make an appointment.

Parrot diseases

What does a budgerigar owner need to know about the diseases of these birds? Firstly, health and well-being depend on the conditions of its detention. High-quality food and frequent inspection of the beak and undertail should also be part of the practice. This way you will react to the disease in time.

A bird can become infected with salmonellosis and die in a short time from dehydration, since with diarrhea all the water quickly leaves the parrot’s small body. Infection occurs from drinking contaminated water or dirty food. Or the parrot came into contact with other birds, for example at an exhibition.

Another common disease is psittacosis. If overheated or after a stressful situation of moving to another house with new owners, the bird may get sick. The parrot loses its appetite and has a runny nose. A characteristic feature is swelling of the connective tissue and discharge. Previously, entire flocks died en masse from this disease, which is caused by chlamydobacteria. But today, with the help of antibiotics, the disease can be easily cured.

The bird can also become ill with knemidocoptic mange or become infected with mites. In general, there are a lot of diseases. It is necessary to constantly monitor its health so that the parrot does not die prematurely.

Varieties

There are three main subspecies of budgerigars. These are wavy single-colored, variegated and tufted wavy species. Each group has many varieties of colors. The main natural color is light green. Stripes on the head and back in the form of waves play the role of camouflage in the green thicket. Blue, white, gray and other tones and shades are developed through selection.

Those who breed birds know that plain parrots with light shades of yellow or pure white colors have more faded, poorly defined wave patterns. And on blue and dark green feathers this pattern is very visible.

Multicolored parrots, in turn, are divided into three more subspecies: harlequins, pied budgies and penguin parrots.

Ordinary light green parrots breed best in captivity. And those that were bred selectively do not adapt well, they are weak, and it is difficult to breed with them.

How to teach to speak?

If you want to teach a parrot to speak, then you need to buy a boy, and one, without a pair. He will then be bored, and he will quickly get used to the person and will try to “find a common language” with his owner.

How to teach a budgerigar to pronounce the first “words” and then phrases, or rather, teach them to parody people? Parrots, in fact, do not speak, but imitate human sounds without being completely aware of them. Moreover, most of these birds are better able to portray the voices of children and women. In order for a bird to begin to learn to imitate, you need to constantly talk to it.

Budgerigars cannot remember many words. There are about 10-20 phrases in total. Their larger relatives speak more and better. However, wavy birds are easier and cheaper to keep than grays or cockatoos, and they adapt better to ordinary city rooms.

First, you will have to constantly repeat one word; their name will be pronounced more often. Then a phrase in which this word is present. And even later, if you come across a talented parrot, you can learn some kind of children's poem or joke with him. But it should be noted that all this takes a lot of time, and the owner must be patient and not yell at the parrot if he doesn’t succeed.

How to tame?

After you bring the purchased parrot to your home, let it get comfortable. Try not to disturb him at all for several days. Approach only to change food. Under no circumstances should you pick it up right away. The parrot is in shock and needs to get used to you first. Over time, talk to him more often. You can open the cage after a few days to let him play in your room and get interested in something. Don't scold him if he breaks something, and don't play loud music.

Your task is to maintain an atmosphere of trust. You cannot grab the bird with your hands, you cannot scold it. Otherwise, she will be afraid of you and, possibly, be hostile. In general, parrots are very friendly and make good contact with humans. But if you scare the bird or cause violence by putting it in a cage with your hands, you will forever lose the favor of your little pet.

Conclusion

What can you say to summarize the information? Domestic budgies need a good and clean house, quality food and a friendly attitude towards them. Keeping one parrot is not so problematic. It is necessary to monitor its health and beak condition. Long beaks can be trimmed, but this should be done by a veterinarian, not the owner.

Your pet needs food that is varied and good enough. Feed the bird with mineral food, pieces of fruit, and be sure to give herbs. If all the rules of care are followed, your parrot will live a very long time.

The budgerigar adapts very well at home. These birds are interested in people, they learn quickly and can bring a lot of joy to the home. However, do not forget that by bringing a parrot into your home, you are responsible for its health.