Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Choosing a budgie
• Part 2 of 3: Preparing the cage
• Part 3 of 3: Daily grooming for your budgie
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Parakeets are lively and attractive companions with their bright plumage and cheerful chirps. The common budgerigar belongs to the Melopsittacus undulatus family and is a small, seed-eating long-tailed parrot. While birds are fairly easy to keep, parakeets need a clean environment, a good diet, social interaction, and mental stimulation.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Choosing a budgie

1. Decide whether you are going for a classic budgerigar, or if you want to choose one of the 100 separate parakeet species. Immerse yourself in the Great Alexander Parakeet, Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Black-tailed Parakeet, or other species available here. Budgerigars are native to Australia. Other parakeet species come from South America, Africa and parts of Asia, but they can be kept well as pets if you provide the right environment and materials.
2. Choose a breeder with a good reputation. As with purchasing any other type of pet, you want to make sure you are buying from a reputable breeder. Look for online reviews for additional feedback. Ask the breeder if you can see his other birds and check that they are kept in clean, ventilated conditions, that they have enough space, and that they look calm and well-groomed.
   • Make sure the birds are not sitting on the perches with too many animals and check that they are getting clean, good quality food, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Also check if there is sepia or a mineral block in the cage. These are indispensable in the diet of birds.
3. Choose a lively budgie with bright eyes. Check that there are no crusts around the wax skin (the fleece on the beak) and that the vent is clean. The vent refers to the place in a bird through which all secretions are released, and a dirty vent is a sign of digestive problems. Avoid birds that appear listless and stay on the bottom of the cage.
   • Make sure the birds appear happy, full of life and in optimal health. You may need to visit at different times throughout the day as parakeets take naps and can sometimes look groggy during the day.
4. Consider keeping the parakeets in pairs. Parakeets are social birds and like to be kept in pairs or groups. If you are purchasing a single bird, you will have to spend time with the bird every day to meet its need for companionship.
   • If you do decide to have several birds, make sure you only place parakeets together, and do not include other bird species.
5. Take your new budgie to the vet, even if your budgie looks healthy. It often happens that they don't show symptoms until they are very sick, so get your new budgie checked by a vet as soon as possible after purchase. The vet will likely test for parrot disease; this is a dangerous bacteria that can also be passed on to you and your family. The vet should also test for internal and external parasites, fungi, Macrorhabdus ornithogaster and certain other types of bacteria.

Part 2 of 3: Preparing the cage

1. Buy a spacious cage. The size of the cage should be at least 45 x 60 x 60 cm, but buy the largest cage possible. Give priority to area over height as parakeets prefer to fly horizontally rather than up.
2. Choose a stainless steel cage or some other type of non-galvanized cage. Unfortunately, many other metals like zinc, copper or lead can be toxic to parakeets, and you should never use a rusted cage or one with peeling paint.
3. Choose a cage with horizontal bars. Parakeets love to climb, so it is best to choose a cage with horizontal bars, which allow them to grab onto and swing upwards. The bars should be no more than 1.5 cm apart. Otherwise you run the risk of the bird getting stuck between the bars.
4. Layer the bottom of the cage for good hygiene. Put a layer of paper towels or copy paper on the bottom of the cage; both are a better choice than newsprint. If there is too much poo on it, discard the old paper and replace it with clean paper.
5. Place a food bowl and a water bowl. It is best to attach them both to the bars, and not put them on the bottom, to prevent the trays from being knocked over or soiled by the birds themselves.
   • If you keep several parakeets together, provide a separate food bowl for each bird so that the dominant bird cannot scare the rest away from the food.
6. Place sticks in the cage. The best choice for sticks is wood from fruit trees. Preferably choose a branch with a diameter that is large enough for the bird to just grab around with its legs. The toes should not overlap. This will probably be about 1 cm in diameter. Fruit tree woods such as apple, plum, pear or cherry are safe for the budgie to nibble on, and it has a natural, abrasive effect that helps keep his nails short.
   • The wooden sticks that you can attach to the bars and that come with most cages are not really suitable for birds. The diameter of the sticks is too narrow for the bird to grip comfortably, and they do not keep the nails short.
7. Provide toys in the cage. Parakeets have a lively, inquisitive mind and need a lot of mental stimulation. Place a number of different toys in the cage so that he has something to play with. Budgie favorite toys have mirrors, bells, or steps for climbing up and down.
   • Toys are necessary to keep the bird healthy and busy. Boredom can lead to screeching.
8. Find a place for the cage in a room where you spend a lot of time. This ensures that the bird has a lot of company. Parakeets feel safe when they can retreat, so it's a good idea to place the cage against a wall (that's better than allowing the bird to feel exposed on all sides). Avoid placing the cage next to a window or door, where they are at risk of direct sunlight or drafts; they are very sensitive to temperature and draft.
   • Bird cages should never be in the kitchen. The smoke from some cooking oils - and even the finish on some frying pans - are toxic to parakeets and can make the bird very sick.
9. Change the cage completely. Just replacing the paper on the bottom of the cage is not enough. Clean the bars regularly with soap and water, especially after securing food to the bars.

Part 3 of 3: Daily grooming for your budgie

1. Offer mainly granules or chunks (pellets) as food. While seeds are very common for wild parakeets, they are also a source of bacterial infections and can easily affect your bird's health and shorten its lifespan. Bacteria can multiply quickly and attack your bird in a short time. Consider having your parakeet's diet consist of 60-70% pellets or kibble. Birds adapt with varying degrees of success, and may initially reject it, possibly very persistent. However, about 90% of parakeets will convert within two weeks if you follow the following plan:
   • Give birds seeds no more than an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.
   • The rest of the time they will have to snack on the grains.
   • In general, the 10% of parakeets that do not adapt within two weeks will still adapt after a brief return to a seed diet.
2. Supplement your parakeet's diet with seed mixes, fresh fruits and vegetables. As with the seeds, provide a varied mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables such as cabbage, beets, peas, carrots, parsley, cooked yams, apple pieces, tangerine, orange, other citrus fruits, and so on. If you vary what you offer the bird - never give the same fresh food two days in a row - you may avoid overfeeding.
   • Try attaching pieces of apple or carrot to the bars so that your bird can peck at them. For larger fruits and vegetables, you can also chop them in the food processor, so that you can put it in the food bowl.
   • Most fresh vegetables and fruits are safe for parakeets EXCEPT avocados, aubergines, apple seeds, rhubarb, tomato and potato leaves. You should also never give your budgie caffeine, chocolate, or alcohol.
3. Change the food and water daily. Before attempting to train the bird to sit on your finger, let the bird get used to you and the environment by doing nothing but maintain its food, water, and cage.
4. Offer treats. Spray whiskers are a favorite snack, but do not overfeed (about 1.5 cm per day); it is just as fat as junk food. Avoid sweets or excessive oats; both are fattening.
   • Spray whiskers are also one of the best ways to teach the budgie to sit on your finger.
5. Spend time with your budgie. Parakeets need company, so expect to spend at least 90 minutes a day - although not necessarily all at once - talking to or interacting with your bird.You can also clicker train parakeets, which is a great way to mentally challenge and encourage your bird to connect with you.
   • Without regular and adequate attention, parakeets will lose interest in interacting with humans. A couple will tend to draw towards each other (despite gender) and ignore people, but through interaction you can be seen as part of the swarm.
   • One way to engage with your bird is to sing along, bathe it, and if it looks like it is dropping a toy very quickly, pick it up. There is a chance he will try to play with you.
   • Sometimes parakeets get lonely. A good way to make them happy again is to talk to them.
   • To get them to sit on your finger, just push their stomach a little bit and say "get out." By saying this over and over, they will begin to say it themselves, and they will "walk away" every time they say it. This will usually be the case when they come to a step or ledge.
6. Give your budgie time outside of the cage. Although the bird can fly in the cage, it is a good idea to let the bird out once a day to fly freely. Obviously, be on the lookout for dangers and close windows and doors, blow out candles, and so on. Clicker training can also come in handy here. You can command your bird to return to the cage when it is time.
   • Many things that you wouldn't immediately think about can be dangerous for parakeets. Before letting your bird out of the cage, remember not only to close windows, but also to store potentially dangerous shiny objects like knives in the kitchen, turn off all fans, keep them away from the floor when children or animals are walking around there, and so on The safer you can make the environment for him, the better.
7. Provide good sleeping conditions. Parakeets will sleep for about ten hours a day, mostly at night, but they can also nap during the day. When your budgie is sleeping, try not to make too much noise, although you can turn on music or the television quietly.
   • At night, parakeets like to be safely covered, so drape a cloth or pillowcase over the cage.
8. Provide a good temperature in the house. Parakeets are sensitive to large temperature fluctuations. They do well in normal home temperatures, but always make sure their cage has a shaded area for them to retreat to, and try not to let the indoor temperature rise above 27 ° C. Do not place the cage in direct sunlight.
9. Be careful. Parakeets take a lot of work, but you will find them warm and fun company. Most parakeets will talk and how much they learn is entirely up to you. Be prepared to do some daily grooming and maintenance, and give them attention and playtime, or consider another hobby.

Tips

• If you are out a lot, make sure the bird has the company of another bird or it will get lonely, which just isn't fair to these very social animals. In the wild they live in large interactive swarms. You can turn on music while you're away, maybe even on a timer. Soft music helps to ease getting used to a new home.
• Fill the container with seeds so that only the bottom of the container is covered. That way you can control how much your budgie is eating and you will waste less food. This also helps keep the budgie from digging through the tray and making a mess.
• Have your bird's health checked by a veterinarian at the outset and at least annually, and have it inspected upon purchase. Keep the new bird separate at first so that the older bird doesn't get sick until you know the new bird is healthy.
• Never let your bird look outside. He could fly into the window and injure himself.
• There are many variations of "pellets" available for parakeets and they can taste different. You may have to alternate or try multiple varieties to see which ones your birds like. Some look like rabbit food, some look like seeds, some are powdery, some look like crumbs. Some also come in different sizes. You can always crush larger granules or chunks to different sizes, up to powder to see if a different size is better.
• You can make a rope railing in the windows and / or give them a play area, or build or buy things to climb on and play with outside of the cage. A jungle gym is also recommended and will give them a place to play while you go about your business in that room - but remember never to leave them unattended.
• You can trim the bird's wings, but do it just enough to keep it from flying away. Be careful with growing flight feathers, flight feathers that are still in the sheath and that have a blood vessel still running through. Cut the nails short if they are too sharp. Beaks can be trimmed with a nail file. Contact your specialist vet for details.
• Do not play loud music near the budgie or make sudden movements.
• Never let a budgie go outside.
• Never buy a new budgie to travel right away and let someone else take care of the bird. The bird will see that caretaker as its new owner.

Warnings

• The sap from evergreen trees is poisonous to many tropical birds, so if you have a Christmas wreath made of live pine green, please keep the bird well away from even the wreath's scent. The bird may be attracted to the shiny decoration, so be very careful.
• Do not feed any parrot chocolate, avocado, coffee, alcohol or salt. It's poison to them.
• Birds naturally hide their disease to keep them from appearing vulnerable to hunters. It is therefore important that you are very alert to see that your bird is behaving unusually or too lethargic. By the time a bird has symptoms, it is usually very sick and has probably been for a while. Then go to the vet as soon as possible. Birds have a high metabolism and their condition can deteriorate very quickly without proper care. Catching and treating problems early is essential.
• Take good precautions to keep your bird from escaping, which probably means cutting it down and reminding family members, putting insect screens on doors and windows, and thinking very strategically. If a budgie escapes, it will most likely die from exposure and confusion.
• If you shower your budgie, be sure to dry it with a towel afterwards. The standard rule of thumb is not to bathe or shower a bird after 7pm so they can dry up before going to sleep.
• Never leave a window open when your budgie is out of the cage; he could escape.
• Tropical birds spend much of their time under the forest canopy, so make sure your bird has a shady area to sit in when the sun is too hot. Avoid putting the cage in full sun on hot days.
• Always check that the tree in question is not poisonous to parakeets before giving your bird any plant or branch. Many species are poisonous!
• Don't worry if one of your birds is in a nest box, she's probably laying eggs. Don't bother her if you think this is going on as the disturbance will break her eggs.
• Seeds are often stored in silos after harvest, where rats eat and relieve themselves. Although they are washed, bacterial debris remains and cannot be eliminated by freezing or microwaving.
• Never let your bird near cats and dogs, even if they seem sweet. Cats and dogs will often kill them. That is their natural instinct.

Necessities

• Water
• Toys
• Enter
• Sepia
• Mineral block
• Cage
• Spray whiskers (essential for training your budgie to fly or sit on your finger)