Proper care of a budgie. How to care for a budgie

Maybe not just a dog or a cat. Many animal lovers get budgies. But in order for a bird to live comfortably next to a person, you need to know how to properly care for it.

What do budgies do?

This species of parrot arrived in our country from Australia. They adapt well to life at home and are easy to care for. Their sizes are quite modest. The body grows to a length of about 20 centimeters, and the wingspan does not exceed ten centimeters. The tail has a stepped shape. Budgerigars have fairly strong and tenacious legs, with the help of which they quickly run across flat surfaces and climb trees well.

In their usual natural conditions, budgies have green plumage, but there are birds with feathers of a different color. Birds with yellow, blue and other plumage colors are artificially bred.

Wavys are considered quite sociable birds; they love to take water treatments and have excellent eyesight and hearing. They are easy to train, as they are naturally able to imitate the singing of other birds, reproduce sounds or individual words. Budgerigars live on average about 15 years.

Regardless of whether you are buying a wavy for a company or planning to breed birds for sale, it is best to buy young ones. It is best to place the bird cage in the living room. In a large room, the parrot will be in full view of the owners and will have the opportunity to familiarize itself with the situation. It is not recommended to place a bird cage in the kitchen. There, harmful fumes from household chemicals and drafts can harm his health, since this room is often ventilated.

Also, do not place the cage in such a way that objects or shelves hang over it. Parrots don't tolerate this well. Under natural conditions, they try to climb higher out of the instinct of self-preservation. In summer, on sunny, windless days, the cage with the parrot can be placed on the balcony, after making sure that he cannot open it. But do not leave the wavy unattended. An unexpected walk can become very stressful for the bird, and then the cage will need to be moved to an apartment.

What to feed your budgie

Grain feed about 2 small spoons per day. The feeder should always be filled with grain mixture.
Sprouted grain is necessary for better absorption of nutrients. Before the first moult, a small spoonful of the sprouted mixture is given twice a week, then this type of food is given less frequently. For soaking, you can take grains such as chickpeas, lentils, wheat, oats, millet, rapeseed and others. But it is better to avoid hemp and flax seeds in sprouted mixtures.

Mineral food is needed for normal development of bone tissue and feathers. This mixture consists of shell rock, crushed chalk, eggshells and charcoal. This mixture is sold in specialized departments and pet stores. It is placed in a separate container in the cage.
To enrich the bird's body with mineral components and to sharpen its beak, budgies need a mineral stone or sepia.
Three times a week the bird should be given porridge cooked in water. It is placed in a separate feeder. Buckwheat, oatmeal or lentil porridge is suitable for budgies.
Be sure to give your parrot fresh vegetables or fruits, as well as herbs. They are an indispensable source of vitamins for birds. Please note that birds are not allowed to give basil, cilantro, St. John's wort, parsley, wormwood, celery and some other herbs.
It is useful to let parrots chew branches of fruit trees. They must first be cut into pieces and washed thoroughly under running water.
It is necessary to give parrots water. The drinking bowl must be constantly filled with clean water.

Budgerigar Cage

Parrots of this breed are among the very active birds. Therefore, their home must be spacious, wide and high. The cage must be made of very high quality durable materials. It is better to make a cage in the form of a rectangle or square with a flat roof. But experts advise not to buy round cages. The birds do not feel protected in them. Optimal cell sizes:

For one wavy 40x25x30 cm.
For a couple of birds 60x30x40 cm.
For two pairs of birds 60x50x60 cm.

Since parrots chew on everything, it is better to buy cages made of durable steel that does not rust or oxidize. For accessories and cage filling, choose items made from good, hypoallergenic materials that do not emit toxic substances. Inside the cage you need to place rings, a perch, a feeder and drinker, a bath and various toys. At the same time, there should be a lot of free space inside the cage so that the wavy birds can spread their wings and fly from place to place.

Feeders and drinkers must be selected in a size that suits the dimensions. They will need to be taken out of the cage and washed every day. Rings and perches are preferably made of hard wood with a diameter of about 20 mm. Synthetic ones cause paw diseases. Perches made of volcanic pumice are also good; they are useful for sharpening bird claws.

Suitable toys include bells and other small musical things, rope ladders, swings and ropes. You need to be careful when handling mirrors. In some parrots this may cause sexual behavior or aggression.
For convenience, the cage should have a retractable tray, which must be filled with special ones. It will absorb all the wavy excrement.

How to tame a budgerigar to your hands

It is much easier to tame a budgie if it lives alone in a cage. Due to lack of communication, the bird will make contact faster. To do this, she needs to be surrounded with attention and care, and let into the room for communication more often. If a parrot is calm by nature, it will be more difficult for him to make contact, since he is not used to trusting others.

You can start taming parrots after the bird has adapted to its new home and is no longer afraid of people approaching its cage. In order for the wavy to sit calmly in the owner’s arms, you need to let him know that this will only be a joy to him. For example, reward your bird for correct behavior with a treat. At first, you can extend your hand with pieces of vegetables or fruits directly into your pet’s cage. This must be done at least twice a day, because regularity of training is important here. Soon the bird will begin to make attempts to move onto the hand and eat the treat.

Diseases of budgies

If the bird feels unwell, it will be noticeable from the first days. In this case, she becomes indifferent, stops cleaning her feathers, and refuses to eat. Heavy breathing appears, there may be discharge from the beak, and the tail droops. Parrots often drink. Sometimes growths form on the beak and paws. If such signs appear, you must immediately begin treatment for your pet.

The main help lies in treatment methods such as heating. You need to install a lamp next to the cage and use it to maintain a temperature of about 27 degrees. This will strengthen the budgerigar's immunity.

If the parrot does not have enough vitamins or has liver disease, then treatment is carried out with a 10% glucose solution. It is also useful to give the bird honey in the amount of a few drops.

For diarrhea and poisoning, the bird is given adsorbents, for example, enterosgel or activated carbon. However, it is better not to treat the bird on your own, but to contact a veterinary clinic at the first sign of discomfort.

How to determine the gender of a budgie

In chicks, the sex of the bird can be determined by the shade of the wax. This can be done in the third or fourth week of the parrot’s life. The cere in males is uniformly colored lilac, pink or violet. In some cases, along the contour of the nostrils, males have subtle circles of a light blue hue. In females, the cere is also colored pink, violet or lilac, but they will always have a clear white rim around the nostrils.

In adult birds, sex determination is quite simple. The cere of females darkens as they mature and becomes brown or beige. Sometimes there may be a bluish tint, but then there will be a white rim around the nostrils. In addition, females may have keratin growths and tubercles on the cere due to hormonal changes.

In males, as they grow older, the cere becomes a rich blue hue. If a bird begins to develop some kind of disease, the cere turns brown, begins to peel off and peel off.

How to determine the age of a budgie

When purchasing a bird at a pet store, you must first examine the wavy area of feathers on the head. In a young bird, this area with waves starts from the beak itself and spreads to the entire head. The wavy will remain like this until the first molt, that is, up to 3-4 months.

Then you need to examine the bird's eyes. Until the age of six months, they do not have an iris and the bird’s eyes are completely black. If there is a wide light rim around the eyes, then the bird is more than 1 year old.

Another way to determine age is to pay attention to the color of the wax. Before reaching sexual maturity, its color may be pink, purple or lilac. But if the bird has already reached the age of six months, the color of the cere becomes bright and saturated.

Look at the bird's legs, or rather, pay attention to the scales. In young parrots, they fit very tightly to the surface of the paw and form a continuous surface. Over time, individual scales stand out more and more, and the surface of the paws becomes looser.

You can tell a lot by a parrot's tail. Up to two months, the parrot's tail is short. But in some cases, a bird loses its tail feathers due to illness or injury.

How to teach a budgie to talk

If you decide to start teaching your budgerigar human speech, then you should take into account the fact that for the bird our speech is just another song. The parrot will not communicate using speech, it will just imitate new sounds. For the owner of the bird, it is necessary to help the wavy learn a new song for him. To do this, you need to follow seven simple steps:

First, try to get to know your parrot and establish an emotional connection with him. Otherwise, learning will turn into real stress for him and he will not want to listen to you.
First, teach the wavy one word. It is best to choose the name of the parrot itself for this. If it is difficult to master one word for a bird, then you can start by repeating individual sounds.
Say the name while looking directly at the parrot. Then he will understand that you are addressing him. Speak not quickly, but rather emotionally. It is necessary that the bird is interested in the word and wants to repeat it. The intonation should be the same all the time so as not to confuse the parrot.
It will take the parrot a few seconds to respond. At first he will respond simply with sounds, but gradually the word will be heard more clearly. In a couple of months you will be able to teach him to say his name.
Classes should take place daily and should not last more than 20 minutes. It is advisable to conduct them at the same time of day, but depending on the mood and well-being of the pet, the lesson can be rescheduled.
Be sure to praise the wavy and treat him with treats.
Don't be lazy about doing your classes. Only a systematic approach will ensure your success.

If you want to get a more detailed “speech” of the parrot, then you need to tie certain words to the situation, for example, greeting or feeding time. It is best to create a connection with a meeting or departure, while saying words of greeting or farewell. It is necessary to create a real situation so that the bird has the necessary association with the real event.

Also take into account that the bird does not really understand the meaning of the word it says. Therefore, instead of the usual “hello” or “bye,” you can come up with something more interesting, but simple, so that the bird can easily repeat the word.

How long do budgies live at home?

On average, the lifespan of budgerigars at home does not exceed five years, but in some cases, under very favorable conditions, the lifespan of budgerigars can reach fifteen or even twenty years.

Lifespan is primarily influenced by genetics. If improperly bred, parrots develop genetic diseases that significantly shorten their lifespan. Due to inexperience or other reasons, breeders do not try to take into account all the nuances of the birds’ pedigree, which, of course, negatively affects the health of their pets.

It is very important to feed the bird correctly and in a balanced manner so that it lives as long as possible. Budgerigars have a tendency to develop various types of tumors due to poor nutrition. They may become obese or have indigestion. Remember that obesity reduces the life of a bird by 2/3.

It is also necessary to create favorable living conditions for the bird. The cage should be spacious and well lit. It is necessary to constantly maintain an optimal temperature and bring the daylight hours closer to the natural living conditions of the budgerigar. It is imperative to regularly clean the cage, change food and water for the bird. All food expiration dates must be in order.

To maintain optimal health, the bird must be regularly released from the cage to fly for a while. This will allow your pet to maintain normal physical activity.

In addition to good physical shape, a budgie needs communication and attention for longevity. This will prevent your pet from getting bored and wasting away. It is important not to expose your pet to stressful situations and avoid injury. If this happens or the bird gets sick for some other reason, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.

How much do budgies cost?

Before purchasing a wavy, you should consider all financial costs. The price for one bird varies greatly and depends on where exactly you will buy it. For example, in specialized stores the price of one individual can vary from 700 to 1000 rubles.

You can also buy budgies on the Internet, taking advantage of offers on message boards from people who independently breed them. In this case, you can save a significant amount on your purchase. But there is a high probability that the bird sold to you will be sick or old. Therefore, this option is only acceptable if you are able to assess the health and age of the bird without outside help.

In addition to buying the bird itself, you will also have to buy a cage, food and all the necessary accessories. In general, the costs will be about 3,500 rubles, or even more. This amount includes poultry feed, all necessary accessories, and a cage.

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 not a complete list of 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.

Pet's home environment

The parrot's housing equipment includes 2-5 perches, which are installed at 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, such as macaws or cockatoos, happily eat tropical fruits - bananas, oranges, kiwis. 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 per week is enough.

For large macaws and Amazons, the norm is up to 3 pieces per day. Give up to 6 hazelnuts or pine nuts. For 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, apple cider vinegar (a few drops) or honey to the water. The fluid needs to be changed every day.

Separate dishes are installed for mineral additives (limestone, small pebbles, grains of sand) and sepia. This is necessary for natural grinding of the beak and claws. Otherwise, you will have to trim off the keratinized parts using nail scissors. Proceed carefully so as 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 a very important moment in the relationship between the bird and the 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.

Please express your opinion about the article you read in the comments.

Life in captivity for a parrot is unusual conditions in which it resembles a helpless child. That is why it is very important to communicate with “pet” parrots, it is necessary to care for them and devote as much time to them as possible. Only if you follow these steps will your pet live a long and joyful life with you.

For a parrot in captivity, conditions should be created that are as comfortable as possible for it, so that it does not experience severe stress in new conditions from an unusual environment. Before you get a parrot, you need to remember that caring for it takes a lot of time. Do not feel sorry for him, the parrot will give you many positive moments and positive emotions. The most common are budgies, and if we are talking about positive emotions, then many people get gray parrots, which are the most “talking” and to which we will devote a separate part of the recommendations.

To ensure your parrot has a good life in your home, follow these simple tips. In fact, caring for animals is not that difficult.

Choose a good, high-quality and spacious cage, which you will subsequently equip with perches and other “interior” items.
Create maximum comfortable climatic conditions and proper lighting in the room where the cage will be located.
Carefully consider the question of which part of the apartment to place the parrot’s cage.
Feed your parrot a variety of high-quality food. Make sure your bird always has fresh water.
Do not leave your pet alone for a long time; caring means communicating with him.

Each of these points is important and requires careful consideration.

Advice: “Cage size, lighting and nutrition are the main conditions for pet parrots.”

Required cell characteristics

The size of the cage is very important. You should choose a medium-sized cage, because in a small cage the pet feels cramped, and a large cage will interfere with the taming of the bird. A cage with an area of 35 by 35 cm will be enough for one parrot; an area of 65 by 55 cm will be suitable for two birds.

The shape is also important; a rectangular cage would be optimal, in which the parrot will have places where he can retire. The cage must have a retractable bottom, this will allow you to regularly care for the animal and carry out high-quality cleaning. The bottom should not be covered with a grill, because it can injure the parrot’s legs. In winter, a sand bath should be placed in the cage for the bird to bathe.

Special attention should be paid to the choice of perch. Its diameter should be twice as thick as the diameter of a pencil. A correctly selected diameter is necessary for optimal grinding of the parrot's claws.

In the first 3-4 months, it is necessary to use plastic perches, since wooden ones may contain mites in their material. After about six months, the plastic perches should be replaced with wooden ones. Perches made of cherry or pear wood are suitable. One perch for a bird will not be enough; it is better to install two in the cage.

Lighting

Your parrot should be placed in a room with 15-16 hours of light per day; this is exactly the amount of daylight the pet needs.
In autumn and winter, when daylight hours begin to decrease, additional morning and evening lighting of the room is necessary.

Location

Due to sudden temperature changes, drafts, and the presence of heating and air conditioning appliances, you should not place your pet’s cage in the hallway, hallway, or kitchen. If you want your pet to live a long time, you should absolutely not smoke in the presence of your parrot.
For comfortable maintenance of the cage, it is necessary to place it at eye level. This way, you don’t have to make extra efforts to admire and watch the parrot. The main thing is not to install the cage higher than you, otherwise your superiority will be lost in the eyes of your pet.
The feathered pet is very picky and cannot tolerate loud sounds. Noise leads parrots to nervous disorders; install the cage in a place where there are no speakers, televisions, musical equipment and other noisy devices.

Proper and varied nutrition

In order for your pet to please you for a long time, you need to provide him with a balanced and proper diet. A varied diet enriched with vitamins guarantees your pet’s health and protection from infectious diseases. Feeding pet parrots should be taken very seriously. It is necessary to include in the diet

Cereals and cereals: millet, oats that can be sprouted, canary seed, oat and wheat ears, corn, sunflower and wild grass seeds, nuts in small quantities. The seeds must be softened, and the husks and peelings removed from the feeder several times a day. Ears and nuts improve beak function.
Various types of vegetation suitable for birds: beet tops, dandelion shoots, nettle leaves, lettuce, plantain.
Various insects such as beetles, caterpillars and others.
All vegetables, with the exception of spicy ones, preferably berries, fresh fruits.
Protein products: finely chopped egg, low-fat cottage cheese, dried white bread, soaked in milk or tea immediately before feeding.

Advice: “Parrots in general are not gourmets or picky eaters, but they do require a varied diet.”

Never give parrots:

Fragrant herbs, which we usually season dishes with.
Expired food or stone fruits.
Food from your own table, since it is too fatty, heavy food for the bird. It is also unacceptable to give him meat and any salty or fried foods.

How to care for a Gray

Grays are considered one of the most talkative parrots. Central Africa, where this genus of birds comes from, is the true homeland of this parrot. A distinctive feature of this type is the ability to imitate both the words and the timbre of a certain person’s voice.

Advice: “If you want a sociable parrot, the Gray is the perfect option for you.”

When thinking about keeping a gray parrot, you need to know that this species of bird is a large parrot and when choosing a cage, you need to take into account some features.

The size of the cage for a Gray is important; the larger it is, the better and better quality your Gray will feel in it. These types of parrots love to walk on their feet. To do this, it is necessary to equip the cage with horizontal bars. Toys are also a desirable attribute in a cage with a Gray Gray, especially if he does not have a mate, this will make it easier to care for and the pet will not get bored.

To keep your pet from getting bored, you can use the idea of setting a timer for turning on and off the tape recorder or TV. While you are at work or away from home, the parrot will not be alone.

But there is a rule: the bird needs to be in peace and darkness for up to 10 hours a day.

Education

Caring for this parrot is not difficult. A feature that can become a problem is the tendency of some individuals to chew. But as they grow older, they begin to understand that the beak can be used as a tool to educate their owner. To prevent the manifestation of undesirable aspects of behavior, the owner needs to promptly stop or direct certain behavior in the desired direction.

In your absence, the parrot may begin to chew wires from the wiring, because they perceive everything that surrounds them as entertainment, which they need to play with and chew.

Feeding

At home, these parrots feast on fresh fruits, fruits and nuts. But living in our latitudes, we limit ourselves to ready-made mixtures of grains, seeds, vegetables and fruits.

Lack of calcium is considered a common occurrence in Grays. You can replenish this element in your diet using simple chicken egg shells, pre-ground and mixed with softened food.

You should not offer your gray parrot fruits with a high vitamin C index. Oranges, lemons, rose hips. When this vitamin enters the body, the iron element in the body increases, which can negatively affect the well-being and health of the Gray.

For a normal life and good health? How to properly care for this bird?

Budgerigars need fresh air, a clean cage, good quality food and light. At the same time, when choosing a place in an apartment to install a cage, it is worth considering that parrots are afraid of drafts and do not tolerate stuffiness well. The cage should be placed at human height, away from heating appliances, a computer and a TV. A parrot's daylight hours should be 15-16 hours, which means they need to turn on the lights at night. The optimal air temperature for budgerigars is 18-20C.

The bird's cage should always be clean. General cleaning is done once a month. During this cleaning process, the cage is thoroughly cleaned of all dirt and washed. To disinfect, the cage must be washed with soapy water, then rinsed well in clean water and rinsed with chamomile infusion. Normal cage cleaning is done once a week, unless there is some reason to do it more often. The feeder and drinker must be kept clean and washed daily using detergent.

Since all birds have a fairly fast metabolism, even a short period of fasting can lead to the death of the bird. Therefore, proper feeding plays a very important role in caring for them. Considering that both hunger and overeating are dangerous for parrots, you need to give them enough food so that they are full, but at the same time do not choose tidbits from what they receive, but eat everything. Over time, you will be able to get a fairly good idea of the amount of food your pet needs and stick to this norm.

The main food for parrots is a grain mixture. You can buy this mixture at any pet store. However, this is not enough to fully provide the bird’s body with everything necessary. It is also necessary to provide mineral feed and additional food in the form of cereals, boiled eggs, white bread, and cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese is given to parrots in dry form; a chicken egg is finely chopped and mixed with semolina or crushed breadcrumbs, fresh carrots are grated on a fine grater and also mixed with semolina.

Greens play an important role in the diet of parrots - they are a source of vitamins and minerals. Of all the available greens, parrots give particular preference to apples, lettuce, dandelion leaves and cabbage. However, under no circumstances should you give parsley to parrots - it is poison for them. It is necessary to constantly monitor the cleanliness of the water in the drinking bowl; it must be changed every day.

Like all birds, parrots are subject to molting. The first molt in budgerigars occurs at the age of 4-6 months. If the molting is too intense, it is necessary to feed the parrot with eggshells, canary seed, and give more greens - all this contributes to faster growth of plumage. Soda baths will also help in this case. To do this, dilute a teaspoon of soda in a liter of water and carefully immerse the bird in the water, being careful not to wet its head.

Budgerigars love to bathe, so you can put a bath in the cage, or sometimes give the birds the opportunity to dig in wet grass, previously placed in a spacious bowl.

Parrots are constantly pecking at something. To satisfy this need, branches of deciduous trees must be placed in the cage. In addition, solid food and twigs help the parrot wear down its rapidly growing beak. And to improve digestion, there must always be clean sand in the cage (sifted and changed daily).

It is necessary to select the correct size perches for the cage. If the parrot's perch is too thin or, conversely, too thick, this contributes to the rapid growth of too long nails, which will have to be shortened. To do this, it is better to purchase special tweezers in advance.

Buying a budgie and putting it in a cage, having first poured food and water into it, is not exactly the kind of care that your new family man needs. By purchasing a budgie, you take responsibility for its health.

Many will immediately ask, so how to care for a budgie?

Fortunately, there is nothing complicated here, but failure to comply with these requirements can lead to the death of the bird. The first point is that the new family member needs to be allowed out of the cage to fly around the apartment, at least for 30-60 minutes a day. If you have purchased a chick, and having bought him a large cage, you think that this is enough, then it is better not to torture the animal and give it to someone who, without pity, will give his new curtains and cornices to be torn to pieces. Not only these objects can be damaged, but also everything that is at height. It is likely that the top of the wallpaper will be chewed off. You should not open the windows, rest assured, the parrot will feel the fresh air and will probably fly away, and do not hope that it will return. Perhaps your pet will fly in to strangers who will try to find the real owner, but most often parrots are victims of pigeons and simply die in an unusual environment for them. If you haven’t changed your mind about giving away the already purchased chick, then move on.

An important point that I would like to draw your attention to is the care and maintenance of a budgerigar. The cage where your feathered pet will live should contain: a drinking bowl, a feeding trough, a perch, a bathing area and, if possible, a swing with a mirror. Only lonely parrots who live alone need a mirror. Place river sand and crushed eggshells at the bottom of the cage; you can also put charcoal. All these components will provide the “feathered” with good digestion. The cage with the bird should be in a room where there are no drafts. Do not allow direct sunlight to hit the bird cage. Don't forget that the parrot loves to swim. When caring for budgies, bathing must be included. Just place a bath on the roof of the cage once a week; a regular plate of warm water will do. After bathing, it must be removed, otherwise there is a risk that the bird will drink dirty water.

If there are other pets in the house, try to make their introduction to the new family member as friendly as possible. It is unlikely that the cat Vaska, who will hang on the cage with all his limbs, will bring positive things to the life of a little bird.

Have you noticed that there are two types of budgies in the store? The first species is an ordinary budgie. The second is the Czech show parrot, which is twice the size of its relative. Caring for a Czech wavy parrot differs only in that it needs a large cage, otherwise the care is no different from an ordinary “wavy”.

Many people wonder about feeding budgies. The store has a very rich assortment of grain mixtures, at a variety of prices. What food is most suitable for poultry and is it worth overpaying for seeds and grains produced by well-known manufacturers?

In caring for and feeding budgies, trial and error will help you. The bird itself will choose which food is most pleasant to it. Of course, for this you will have to buy more than one grain mixture, but in the end you will understand what the parrot likes best. Don’t limit yourself to just the seeds from the pack; periodically add grass, a loaf of bread soaked in milk, and sunflower seeds into the cage. Be sure to insert chalk or a mineral stone through the bars of the cage - the parrot will receive all the necessary substances and sharpen its beak.

By the way, you must not forget about caring for your budgerigar’s beak. There is nothing complicated here, just give him pebbles, twigs and other hard objects so that the parrot can grind it down.

Most bird lovers are interested in the question: who is better to buy a female or a male?

Caring for a male budgie is practically no different from caring for a female. The only thing is, it is possible to teach a boy to talk, but if you bought a pair in advance, a female and a male, or put a mirror in the cage, then most likely you will not hear the phrase “Kesha is good” in the Russian-parrot language.

The color of the wax will help you determine the gender of your wavy friend. In other words, you need to determine what color the parrot's nostrils are. In boys, after 4 months the cere becomes blue, in girls it remains pink.

It happens that after buying a female and a male, you want new offspring, but for some reason they don’t appear.

As strange as it may sound, the “loves - doesn’t like” factor plays an important role in the care and reproduction of budgies. It happens that the birds live together in harmony, receive proper nutrition and care, but there are still no chicks. I don’t want to upset you, but they are unlikely to appear. Try to solve the problem by changing the pair. Place the female in another cage and buy a new one or swap with familiar males or females. If you notice that relatives scratch each other’s feathers, kiss and feed each other from the beak, then expect a quick replenishment (see).

Don't expect the female to lay eggs right on the perch or in the corner of the cage. She will need a house to breed chicks. She will lay eggs in it. You can make such a structure for breeding future parrots with your own hands; for example, take an ordinary birdhouse and do the same, only according to the size of your cage. That is, the breeding house should not occupy half of the free space, but it should not be the size of a matchbox.