Parrots care and maintenance. Budgerigar

Caring for a parrot daily is not an easy task, as it seems at first glance. He needs a cage, toys, good nutrition, conditions for swimming, and walks. And this is far from full list what a potential bird owner must be prepared for. Only then will communication with your pet bring joy. Otherwise, purchasing a bird will end in disappointment. This article will tell you what a pet needs, from A to Z.

The parrot will definitely become your friend, because the bird is sociable and easily gets used to its owner. There are a number of advantages to keeping birds:

no unpleasant odor;
high life expectancy (from 10 to 70 years);
good health;
communication with a parrot is interesting;
amenable to training.

But before you go to the pet store, keep in mind that parrot feathers can cause allergies. The bird makes a lot of noise - rustling, screaming, knocking with its beak.

My main hobby is creating chaos. Parrots scatter food and defecate anywhere. At risk are household furniture and electrical appliances.

Where to buy and how much they cost

If the above doesn’t scare you, let’s go in search of a pet. Reliable options are a specialized nursery or a reputable breeder. But the prices are high. We do not recommend buying second hand. You can get a sick bird on the cheap. A pet store or bird market usually sells untrained parrots that take a long time to get used to their owner.

Prices depend on the breed of parrot. Wavy is offered from hand for 700-900 rubles. In nurseries, the figure reaches 9000. For macaws and Amazons, the cost ranges from 70 (market) to 150 thousand (nursery). Lovebirds are sold, respectively, for 600 or 7,000 rubles. For a cockatiel they ask from 25 to 35 thousand rubles. A talking gray goes for 100 thousand, and a cockatoo costs 130.

We recommend buying a chick that is between 4 and 6 weeks old. He is already able to eat on his own. Lovebirds, cockatiels and budgies cause the least trouble. Large birds (macaws, cockatoos, Amazons, Grays) require more space, ideally an aviary.

Microclimate is important

Immediately after purchasing a pet you will need: a cage, a feeder, a drinking bowl, a perch, and a bath. To locate your home, choose a bright, sunny room. Maintain a temperature of 25-27 degrees and humidity within 65-70%. Parrots are tropical birds, and dry air damages their feathers and skin. Use a humidifier.

The all-metal cage is selected according to the size of the parrot, for example, for a budgerigar - 45x45x60 cm. For each subsequent bird, 30% of the area is added. Large birds require an aviary so that they can move freely inside. Strong metal rods are used, located at a distance of 1-1.5 cm.

Do not place plastic or painted products in the cage. The bird will break the first with its powerful beak, the second will poison its body. Birds will get hurt on sharp edges. Tableware for parrots made of glass (porcelain) or stainless steel is welcome.

Furnishings in your pet's home

The parrot's housing equipment includes 2-5 perches, which are installed on different heights. And the cage itself is placed at human eye level. The aviary is placed against the wall. The set of toys consists of a swing, a pendant with and without bells, and a mirror.

Place tree branches of varying thicknesses in the cage. For macaws, cockatoos or Amazons, this is a diameter of at least 2-4 cm. For lovebirds and cockatiels, 1-1.5 cm. Place the simulator on the floor or higher, carefully securing it between the rods.

Parrots love to bathe, so having a “bath” is a must. Sizes are individual for each breed. The bird should fit there and easily moisten the feathers on its body and wings with water. A plexiglass dome will help prevent water splashing.

Basic nutrition and treats

High-quality care for parrots includes adequate nutrition. In nature, birds obtain food on their own. They collect plant seeds and find nuts and fruits from fruit trees. At home, the basic diet is the same, but local food is added.

A common product for parrots is dry grain mixtures (sesame, oats, canary and hemp seeds, millet). The rest comes as an addition. Therefore, two feeders are required. You can pamper your pet with sunflowers (do not fry them) or sprouted grains. The vitamin E they contain is beneficial for claws and beaks.

Budgerigars do not have much respect for fruits and vegetables, but large breeds, like macaws or cockatoos, eat with pleasure tropical fruits– bananas, oranges, kiwi. And also watermelons, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, which make up a quarter of the daily diet.

Attention to prohibited products

To the above products we will add cucumbers, beets, cabbage, tomatoes and melons. Before feeding the parrot into the feeder, vegetables and fruits must be washed and cut into small pieces (you can grate them).

Fresh greens, such as spinach or lettuce, are beneficial for parrots of all breeds. Give the birds berry crops - strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, currants, sea buckthorn. Pears and apples, pomegranates and grapes, plums and cherries will not be damaged.

You should not feed parrots with persimmons, avocados, mangoes and papaya. Eliminate plants with a pungent taste - onions, garlic, eggplants, radishes and radishes, celery, dill, cilantro. To “warm up” the beak, place tree branches in the bird’s cage - linden, birch, rowan, alder, chestnut, maple. Acacia, oak, poplar and conifers are not suitable for this purpose.

About nuts and water

You should not overuse nuts; their excess causes obesity in pets. For a budgerigar, half a peeled walnut in Week.

For large macaws and Amazons, the norm is up to 3 pieces per day. Give up to 6 hazelnuts or pine nuts. Medium breeds of parrots (corella, rosella) - half a walnut every 3 days. It is advisable to alternate types of nuts.

Prohibited: bitter almonds, apricot kernels, cashews, peanuts.

There should always be something to drink in a parrot's cage. Sometimes it is worth adding lemon juice to water, Apple vinegar(a few drops) or honey. The fluid needs to be changed every day.

For mineral supplements(limestone, small pebbles, grains of sand) and sepia, separate dishes are installed. This is necessary for natural grinding of the beak and claws. Otherwise, you will have to trim off the keratinized parts using nail scissors. Be careful not to touch the blood vessels and do not forget to sand the cut areas with a nail file.

Getting to know each other, walking, flying around the house

We told you how to care for a parrot and what to feed it. Now let's get to know the pet. This is very important point in the relationship between bird and owner.

Once you place your parrot in a cage, pay attention to it. But at first, do not be intrusive, because for now you are a foreign creature to the bird. Speak kindly, do not make sudden movements, or make noise.

In addition to daily care of the parrot, the bird requires active movement for a full life. Walking around the room should begin after the bird has become acquainted and accustomed to its owner.

First remove electrical wires and objects from the room that the parrot can damage with its beak or claws. Remove food and chemicals. Then open the door and keep an eye on your pet. You can lure the bird into the cage using treats. During molting, it is better to avoid such walks.

We chat and wait for offspring

If you want your parrot to start talking, buy a male that is 4-5 months old. Keep your bird separate from others and interact with him often. Repeat the same words over and over again. Over time, your pet will pronounce them. Grays are considered the best among talkers. But budgerigars, macaws and amazons are also easy to train.

To obtain offspring from parrots, the established pair is housed together. They prepare a plywood nest with a round entrance. The size depends on the size of the individuals. The inside of the house is covered with grass and sawdust. There is no need to disturb the birds - ensure silence.

Eggs appear after 30-40 days. Hatching lasts a month. During this period, the male feeds the female and protects her. For the first few days, the mother feeds the hatched parrot chicks with crop milk. A week later, the father brings food for the whole family.

We don't get sick

Caring for your pet includes disease control. The most common is diarrhea. Its signs are obvious - a change in the color of the droppings and consistency. You should rinse the parrot's anus and give it a chamomile infusion.

Avoid poisoning your parrot with tobacco smoke, deodorants and similar chemicals. Inhalation of these fumes is 98% fatal to birds. It is impossible to cure.

The so-called parrot disease manifests itself in difficulty breathing, runny nose and diarrhea. Dangerous for children living in the house. Treatment must be under the supervision of a veterinarian. If there is no loose stool, then it may well be a cold. To treat the parrot, it is heated through the cage with an infrared lamp.

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Of all the birds, budgerigars are most often kept in apartments. These cheerful birds have won the hearts of many people with their liveliness and talkativeness. It’s great to have a bright, active little ball at home whose chirping lifts your spirits. Where did the budgie come from? What are the features of keeping it at home? How can we ensure that this amazing bird is always healthy and pleases the eyes and ears for as long as possible?

Life of budgies in nature

The name of this bird in Latin is Melopsittacus undulatus. Melos – “sing”, psittacus – “parrot”, undulatus – “wavy”. The parrot received its definition for the characteristic pattern on its wings - it resembles waves. In English, “budgie” is Budgerigar. The abbreviation Budgies can be seen on food packages.

Survival

Wavys were not always pets. These are free birds whose homeland is Australia. They live in colonies and move in flocks, so on the plains you can often see huge, dazzling green “clouds” quickly flying from place to place. Collectivity allows parrots to survive because they easily alert each other to danger. And it is more difficult for a predator to catch a specific individual when a colored carousel is constantly flashing before his eyes.

It is no coincidence that budgerigars have a bright grassy color. This allows them to see each other from afar, and males use their richness to conquer females. The wings, on the contrary, are faded gray. This allows them to camouflage themselves from predators while feeding. After all, budgerigars look for the bulk of their food on the ground.

"Curious! All wild budgies are green in color. Other colors (blue, white, yellow, lilac) are the result of many years of selection of domesticated birds.”

But the protective coloring of the back does not always save budgies, and many of them still die from the paws birds of prey, animals or snakes. Dry weather is also destructive for wavy birds, so in unfavorable seasons the birds often die. To minimize losses, the flock is forced to constantly wander from place to place, following the clouds. Where it is more likely to rain.

Reproduction

Despite many risks, budgerigars maintain their population. In this they are helped by a short breeding cycle and litters that are quite large for such small birds. Once in a favorable environment with a sufficient amount of food and water, the wavy birds immediately begin to engage in procreation.

Already 10 days after mating, the female lays from 1 to 6 eggs, from which chicks hatch within 20 days. The mother feeds them for up to 2 months, after which the chicks leave the nest and begin to feed on their own. At 3 months they are already able to mate and give birth to their offspring.

Nutrition

Wild budgies are not sophisticated eaters. They happily eat the seeds of land plants and grass. Occasionally they feast on young shoots and berries. Small insects are included in the diet of wavy fish only during times of hunger. Sometimes flocks of budgies attack wheat fields cultivated by humans.

Keeping at home

The domestication of budgerigars began in the mid-19th century, when they began to be captured en masse in Australia and exported to Europe. It was considered fashionable to own such an outlandish bird, so the demand was very high. Australian authorities feared that the population might disappear and ordered ornithologists to start breeding parrots in captivity. And since these birds willingly give birth to favorable conditions, soon wavy animals ceased to be a rarity.

A modern person, when getting a budgerigar, must definitely get acquainted with information about their content. This will improve the quality of life of the bird in captivity so that it is always cheerful and active. At home, a parrot can live up to 15 years, or even more, with proper care.

Convenient cage for birds

How bigger cage, the more comfortable the budgie is. Its minimum dimensions for one bird should be 40*30*30 (length, width, height). If you keep a pair, then 60*45*60. The cage must have:

wooden perches (2 or more, located at different heights so that the birds can flutter from one to another);
2 feeders (one for grain and cereals, the other for wet food);
drinking bowl with clean water;
toys (mirrors, ladders, bells).

There is no need to completely fill the cage with toys and rocking chairs. The budgie should have enough space to move freely. And it is better if the cage is not round, but rectangular or square, because parrots need corners where they feel safe.

"Curious! Wavy birds have one peculiarity: when they are awake, they do not sit in one place, but constantly run around the perch. This is due to the instinct of self-preservation: in captivity, budgerigars are forced to move in order to avoid being captured by predators.”

It is important to choose the right place for the cage. It is optimal that the place is well lit, because the length daylight hours The activity of the wavy depends. But you should not place the cage near the window, because the birds catch cold easily. It would be good if it was a separate bedside table approximately in the middle of the room. The cage can also be hung from the ceiling.

What to feed

The cage is installed, the birds are settled. What to feed them? The diet of domestic budgies is no different from the diet of wild ones: seeds, fruits, twigs. To ensure that the bird receives a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, you should buy ready-made feed ( daily norm indicated on the package), which includes oats, millet, flaxseed, meadow grass, sunflower seeds. Additionally, a piece of mineral stone can be fixed in the cage, which the wavy fish will peck, replenishing calcium reserves in the body.

In addition to food, you can feed budgies with various treats:

fruits (apples, pears, kiwis, peaches) and vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, beets);
greens (lettuce, dandelion leaves, chickweed, dill);
twigs (willow, birch, maple, alder);
boiled eggs (white), low-fat cottage cheese;
porridge with water (buckwheat, millet, rice, pearl barley);
unsalted crackers, crackers.

Everything else should not be given to parrots. Human food can harm the bird's digestion and make it sick.

"Attention! All herbs and twigs collected on the street should first be doused with boiling water or washed with soda, and only then given to the bird. And make sure that the parrot does not eat house plants: they can be poisonous.”

There should always be water in a budgie's cage. It should be changed every 1-2 days. For drinking wavy, settled or filtered tap water is best suited. Boiled water does not contain the minerals the bird needs. The water should be clean, cool and fresh, without gas. As a treat, you can sometimes give your budgie natural freshly squeezed juices, slightly diluted with water.

Lifestyle

The budgerigar's day begins at dawn. The cage should be covered at night, because as soon as light enters it in the morning, the bird will chirp and run around. One side of the cage must be left open so that the wavy does not suffocate.

During the day, the parrot is usually cheerful: he runs around the cage, jumps from perch to perch, plays with a bell, and communicates with himself in the mirror. If this is a couple, then they are passionate about each other: they preen their feathers, kiss, and flirt.

In the wild, budgerigars fly a lot, so they need to be released at home more often. The bird must regularly stretch its wings and maintain its physical fitness. This will allow her to stay healthy longer. When releasing a bird, you need to ensure its safety: close the windows, turn off the gas on the stove, warn your family to watch where they land.

"By the way! At home, budgerigars often die precisely because of accidents, and not from old age or disease.”

If you have time, you can play with the wavy. These birds quickly become interested in a variety of games, and any object can become a toy for them: a pencil, a hair band, a spoon, etc.

Hand Taming

You can have absolutely any budgie. And if someone’s bird is wild or aggressive, then the owners themselves are to blame. You need to do taming from the very beginning young age– from 3-4 months. By this time, they are already completely independent birds that can live without their mother.

Having brought the bird home, you need to give it a couple of days to master it. Let the apartment be quiet all this time, and when you pass by the cage, stop and talk to the wavy in a calm tone.
On the third day, you can open the cage, step aside and watch the parrot. If the bird becomes interested and starts to come out, it means it is used to it. If she's sitting in a corner for now, give her a couple more days.
As soon as the wavy leaves the cage, quietly approach it and hand it a treat (seed, apple). Did the parrot take food from your hands? Amazing! No? Then wait some more. Let him get comfortable and fly around the apartment.
Gradually you can offer the bird your palm so that it sits on it. If you do everything calmly and measuredly, without sudden movements, then after 1-2 weeks the parrot will begin to fly to your sofa or computer desk.

It should only be done after he gets used to you. Choose one word that contains the sound “r” and also sibilants (for example, “good”) and say it to the wavy every day, sitting next to the cage. The bird should respond to communication: move its beak and look at you. If she's sleeping or preening her feathers, try another time.

Breeding

Alone budgerigar It's still boring, even if people are constantly playing with it. And if you are rarely at home, then your pet definitely needs a friend. Some owners don't get a second budgie because they don't want to deal with the chicks. But you can have two same-sex birds! If you deliberately get a couple of wavy birds in order to, pay attention to the bird’s wax. This is a small growth above the beak. To put it simply, “nose.” If the wax is brown, this is a female, and if it is blue or light blue, this is a male.

Budgerigars are monogamous. But breeders recommend immediately buying two birds raised in the same flock, so that they definitely do not abandon each other. Although domestic wavy birds rarely behave obstinately towards a new friend or girlfriend, so the risks of being left without bird offspring are small.

Nest house

In captivity, budgerigars reproduce quite actively. But in addition to warmth, light, food and water, one more condition is needed - a house. The female will not allow the male to approach her until she has built a nest in a place hidden from prying eyes. Nesting houses for wavy birds are sold in pet stores and resemble birdhouses: a wooden or plastic box with a hole.

A female budgerigar can lay up to 6 eggs. All this time she will sit in the house and come out only occasionally - to feed. Although some particularly caring males fly into the house and feed the hen. You cannot get the eggs out, otherwise the female may refuse to hatch. You need to check the offspring through the removed top cover of the house. If the eggs sit for more than 3 weeks, they are empty.

A small bird cannot always cope with warming a large number of eggs, so it is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature. If the room is cool, you need to warm the house from the outside with a lamp. And no drafts.

A nursing female and grown chicks should be fed with water-based porridges: millet, wheat, barley. When the babies turn 1.5 months old, they will begin to crawl out of the house. As soon as the last chick leaves the nest, the house must be removed. Otherwise, the parents can immediately move on to the next litter. The female needs to gain strength for at least six months.

It is impossible not to love budgies. If these charming birds appear in an apartment one day, then people keep them all the time. Cheerful chirping, perky disposition and friendliness perfectly brighten up loneliness and lift your spirits. You just need to feed the wavy birds correctly and ensure their safety.

The most popular and widespread species among parrots are. Before you bring this beautiful bird into your home, you need to familiarize yourself with the conditions and rules of keeping it. Budgie very active and curious. Therefore, in order to avoid damage or even death of the bird, it is necessary to follow some recommendations.

Budgerigars

Preparing to buy a bird

Before you bring a parrot into your home, you first need to purchase a cage, equipment for it, and food. The equipment consists of a feeder, a drinking bowl, a place for taking water procedures, perches, and you can hang a special mirror for the cages. As a supplement to the main food, you can add eggshells and river sand. If pet stores in your city do not have a wide range of products, you can order everything you need from the online store zoopapa.com with home delivery.

Cage with a parrot

The cage should not be placed in direct sunlight, but it should be well lit. You need to be wary of drafts, since the bird can catch a cold and get sick, but you shouldn’t overheat it either. It is necessary to clean the cage every day - change the water, rinse the drinking bowl, remove droppings and other dirt. It is advisable to carry out more thorough cleaning every month: wipe the feathered pet’s home with a solution of chamomile or wormwood.

Bird care

The parrot should be fed with special mixtures, which can be easily found in any pet store. You can also add millet, wheat, and oats to the main diet. From time to time you need to treat the bird with spinach, dandelions, clover, fruits and berries (although parrots do not really like them). Proper nutrition- the key to health and long life.

Parrot food

To avoid injury, do not leave your parrot unattended if its cage door is open. Care must be taken when handling indoor plants, which may be poisonous to him. If there is an aquarium in the house, then you need to make sure that the bird does not fall into it, the same goes for water containers and bathrooms. Mirrors can pose a threat; a bird colliding with it can be seriously injured, and this also applies to glass doors.

The friendship between a cat and a parrot is an exception

There is still a threat if there are other animals in the house, for example,

When a person wants to start pet, then he simply goes to the market and chooses the one he likes. But before you make such a purchase, you should decide in advance on the animal or bird. We need to collect as much information as possible about him. If you have to choose a parrot, then you should find out everything about its contents. After all, once the bird is home, it won’t be so easy to give up on it. Therefore, you need to find out in advance how to care for a parrot. The life and health of the bird will depend on the owner.

First stay in a new place

The question “How to care for a parrot?” quite popular in our country. A lot of people have them in their home. After all, proper care for a parrot is the key to a long and healthy life for the bird.

The main components of keeping a pet are certain items. For example, perches and a feeding trough, a bathing area and a drinking bowl. It is also important to know the diet of parrots.

When a purchased bird is brought into its home, it should not be placed with other birds. She needs to be alone for a few weeks (two or three). It is worth maintaining a close relationship with your parrot at all times. Have nice conversations in a pleasant voice. So that the bird gets used to its new owner and sees him as its patron. If you know how to properly care for a parrot, your beloved pet will always be happy.

Choosing a place to live

The main detail in keeping birds at home is the presence of a cage. It is sold in pet stores or markets. The cage in the room should be placed in a place where there is a lot of daylight, but there is no direct sunlight. sun rays(this is very harmful for parrots). It is also impossible for it to be in drafts. Before caring for your parrot, you should buy and install the cage correctly. His house should be at eye level. This approach will help bring the pet and owner closer together. Also, heating devices should not be installed near the cage.

At first, parrots may have indigestion or poor appetite. There is no need to worry about this. This behavior is associated with a change of environment and getting used to it. Also, at first there is no need to create conditions that will act as an irritant. For example, you should not listen to loud music, let other pets get close to the bird, or intrusively try to pet it. We need to wait a bit until a period will pass adaptation. It is not only important to know how to care for a parrot, but also to communicate with it correctly. The voice should be gentle and quiet, you can call by name. Especially when cleaning the cage or changing the water.

Symptoms of diseases

In the first days of your budgie's stay in a new place, you do not need to immediately start raising it. First you need to establish close contact with the bird. It should take a little time. Also, for several weeks after purchasing a parrot, you need to carefully monitor it. general behavior. Some actions may indicate that the bird is sick and needs specialist help. Then caring for the parrot will require more careful care.

So, what behavior can tell an owner that his pet is unwell? Firstly, if he doesn't eat well. Secondly, he drinks fluids very often. Thirdly, he moves little around the cage, mostly sits in one corner. Fourth, he looks sleepy. Fifthly, it is in a sitting position with its wings lowered and ruffled.

If such symptoms are noticeable, it is better to consult a veterinarian for advice. After all, how to care for a parrot will depend on its future life. Animals and birds are not things; they cannot simply be thrown away the first time you don’t want to keep or care for them.

Cleaning the cage

Cleaning a parrot's home is an essential part of caring for them. Some things need to be done every day, while others need to be done once every thirty and ninety days. Now in this article, existing cleaning options will be discussed.

Every day it is worth removing litter and food debris. They can be on the floor of the cage, under the bedding, or on the sides. The tray must be pulled out and wet cleaning done under it. It is better to replace the litter daily. It is important to wash the drinking bowl and feeder well, using soda or detergent. Then the dishes need to be wiped with a dry cloth.

Once a month, after regular cleaning, the parrot's house is disinfected. You need to soak a sponge in an infusion of chamomile or wormwood and wash the cage well. Then wipe it dry.

Once every three months, you must first wash the bird’s home, then wipe it with a soda solution (3 teaspoons of soda per 1 liter of water), and then with chamomile (wormwood) infusion. After all procedures, wipe with a soft cloth. Caring for budgies is not very difficult. The main thing is to know what actions need to be performed. Then healthy and happy birds will live in the house.

Food for budgies

The diet of budgerigars does not contain refined wheat cereal, but millet. There are also oats in the grain mixture. These two grains complement each other. Thanks to them, budgies receive useful amino acids. In addition, birds can be given sunflower seeds small quantity. Also green types of herbs: dandelion and clover, spinach and alfalfa, lettuce and sprouts of young plants. Some other budgies eat fruits and berries. They are useful, but not all birds want to eat them. In addition to all these ingredients, you need to place a container with river sand and crushed eggshells in the cage.

Precautionary measures

Care budgerigar caring for a boy is no different from caring for a female bird. All birds require attention and special conditions for living at home.

Drinking for budgerigars should be fresh every day. You can add a few drops to the water lemon juice. He will add to the bird useful substances for the body. Also important for budgies is the ability to fly. All sources in the room must first be closed. fresh air. Otherwise, the birds feel it and fly towards it. It is better to curtain all windows and the balcony so that the parrot does not break against the glass. You can place a tree branch in the cage, on which the bird will sharpen its beak. The suitable temperature for staying is about 20 degrees Celsius.

Cockatiel care

If a person takes a cockatiel parrot into his care, then he must understand that these birds require special attention. Birds are very proud, it is more difficult to establish close contact with them. You need to communicate with cockatiel parrots very affectionately, without raising your voice.

Birds love to bathe, so having a bath in the cage is necessary. Spraying can be used. Caring for a cockatiel parrot involves proper food, free flight and regular cleaning of their home. It is recommended that birds have their wings trimmed (the procedure must be carried out by a specialist).

Corella parrots need to be fed with a grain mixture, dandelion and plantain leaves, birch and willow branches, cottage cheese, vegetables, fruits, and bread.

Caring for lovebirds

Different types of birds differ slightly in maintenance and care. Lovebirds have a very cheerful character. They are responsive and freedom-loving. Birds love to fly, so in a cage the birds only eat, drink water and sleep. Caring for lovebirds involves feeding them properly, choosing a strong iron cage and creating room for flight. Birds often suffer from obesity due to lack of exercise.

The cage must be constantly cleaned, this must be done in the same way as in the homes of other parrots. The water for bathing should be warm; you should not be forced to undergo bathing procedures. Food for lovebirds is no different from food for budgies.

If you have information about proper care for birds, then communicating with them will be a pleasure for a person!

The budgerigar belongs to the parrot species and is the only representative of the wavy birds. When purchasing a budgie, first, you should decide the purpose of its stay in the house. It may simply act as a favorite pet that will become an excellent friend, or the purpose of acquiring it may be to further breed these birds.

It is on this criterion that will depend care behind the budgie.

Rules for caring for a budgie, how to choose a feathered friend

Most people who are planning to buy a budgie have absolutely no idea what to look for before purchasing and how to keep their pet in the future. In order for your feathered friend to grow up healthy and cheerful, you should dwell on this issue in more detail.

How to choose a budgie?

Costs at maximum seriousness take this issue into account. It is best to purchase a budgie from a specialized breeder rather than from the bird market. This will give you the opportunity to explore the place where budgerigars live. Moreover, in such a place, the risk of purchasing a sick bird is much less than at the market.

The bird you like should be visually inspected. A healthy individual is active with clear eyes, the plumage is shiny and does not bristle. different sides. Each paw should have 4 toes. Two of them are in the front of the paw, two are behind. A sick budgie will usually sit motionless, uninterested in what is going on around it, the plumage will be ruffled, and the area around the cloaca may be smeared with liquid feces.

Optimal age To purchase a bird, a period of 2 to 4 months is considered. It is during this period that budgerigars quickly get used to the person and the place in which the bird will live, which will greatly simplify the process of further maintenance.

Age determination

To avoid deception on the part of the seller about the age of the bird, you should be able to independently determine how old the budgie is. For this there are certain signs:

It is worth noting that these criteria will not apply to variegated birds, whose entire color is always white or yellow. Such individuals always have black eyes and a light beak.

Determining the sex of a budgerigar

You can distinguish parrots by gender by the color of the wax. While the birds are still young, both sexes have a light purple cere. At 4 months, the area above the beak in males acquires Blue colour, and in females this part of the beak becomes beige. But after puberty, which is 9 months of age, in females the cere begins to darken to a brown color.

Budgerigar care and maintenance, choosing a home for budgies

For prosperous Keeping a budgerigar at home requires not only the availability of high-quality food, but also the correct placement of the cage.

How to choose a cell location?

The best place to place the cage is in the bright part of the room. It is not recommended to install a cage on a windowsill, since budgies are susceptible to drafts. However, for budgerigars, the presence of daylight is vital: in summer time year at least 12 hours, in winter period from 10 hours. That is why in cold seasons, when daylight hours are quite short, owners should additionally illuminate the cage. To pet got used to its owner faster, it is necessary to place the cage at the height of a person.

Cell selection

To choose a cage wisely, you need to pay attention to the following criteria:

Equipment for the cage

In order for parrots to feel comfortable in their home, it is necessary to provide at least two perches of different diameters, drinkers, feeders and various toys.

All perches should be positioned in such a way that the parrot can fly from one to another without any problems.

Drinking bowls must be made of glass or porcelain. In such drinking bowls, the water remains fresh much longer. Every day, drinking bowls must be washed hot water. For cleaning, you can use soda, which you then need to rinse thoroughly and wipe the drinker with a dry cloth.

There should be a minimum two. One will contain dry food, the second will contain fruits and vegetables.

Especially in hot weather summer days a bath should be placed in the cage. The water in the bath should not be too cold or hot. As soon as the bird has freshened up in the bath, it should be removed from the cage.

If there is only one parrot living in a cage, then it is necessary to place a small mirror at the top of the cage. It will help your budgie not feel lonely.

Budgerigar: care, maintenance and diet

The diet of these birds includes a large number of various fruits, vegetables and top dressing.

Cereals the mixtures consist of oats, flax and millet. It is best to purchase this mixture in a sealed package with a transparent area on the surface. This will help you visually assess the quality of the purchased product.

Parrots get vitamins mainly from fruits, vegetables and various berries. They love to chew carrots, cabbage leaves and cucumbers. As for fruits, apples, oranges and peaches are ideal. The berries included in the budgerigar's diet are represented by blackberries and raspberries. However, parrots won’t refuse strawberries either.

In order for parrots to grow active and shine with health, they should be given minerals as food. feeding. Chalk or sand can be used as organic fertilizer. These substances are filled with calcium, which is necessary for the body of birds.

The first days after acquisition, the bird should be kept separately from other birds, if any.

A change of environment can create stressful situation for poultry. Therefore, the main rule of caring for a pet is to protect it from external irritating factors. These factors include loud noises. Under no circumstances should you raise your voice at a parrot. When talking to him, you should make your voice as gentle as possible. There is no need to try to forcefully pick up your pet. This will only worsen the situation, and the adaptation process will drag on long time. But, as soon as this barrier is overcome, you can begin to teach your bird to talk.