Budgies make wonderful and lovely pets for new owners. They must be among the most popular choices for a pet in Australia. You can walk in any pet store and ask for a budgie; chances are, they have at least one of these small parakeets for you to bring home!
If you intend to adopt one, check out below as we discuss budgie food, cage setting-up, and budgie toys. Caring for pets means paying attention to their safety, so there will be budgie safety precautions as well.
These pieces of information are what you need to keep your budgie happy and healthy!
Contents
How to Create a Home for Budgies
Before bringing a budgie home, you need to set up a space for it to stay.
Step 1: Purchase/build the right cage size.
The first thing you should know is, budgies are small birds, and their size can vary from 5 – 11 inches. Therefore, for a single budgie, a cage of 12x18x18 inches should suffice.
But you can make or purchase one a little bigger (around 19 x 24 x 30 inches) for it to open its wings and jump around without bumping. Also, the bar spacing for budgerigar habitats should be no more than half an inch apart.
If you have the option of having two doors instead of one, go for the first to access when cleaning or feeding your budgie!
Step 2: Install a bath for them to have fun and stay clean
Prepare a small plastic bathtub, preferably of the same size as your pet, with a hook for easy installation. Make sure you place it where you change the water easily from the outside.
Instead of purchasing a new bathtub, you can always use a plastic container as one. This is to save some budget and avoid using too much plastic.
Step 3: Put in the cage fun toys for your budgie.
Budgies need plenty of toys to keep them occupied, so be sure to include at least three or four different types of toys in your budgie’s cage.
You can prepare common toys for birds like small and soft balls, wooden ladders, colorful bells that ring when the bird pecks at them. And, make sure that all toys are non-toxic and can’t be chewed apart easily.
A word of advice:
- Do not build or purchase a circular cage for budgie
- Do not fill the bath with too much water to avoid spilling.
- Do not stuff the cage with too many toys or perches.
What can Budgies Eat?
Budgies can eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables. You can prepare apples, carrots, grapes, lettuce, mango, oranges, peanut butter, strawberries, and watermelon for your pet. It’s important to provide various foods for your budgie to get the nutrients they need.
You can give the budgie bird seed as well. Just make sure that the food you give it is fresh and not rotten, since such food can make budgies sick.
Make sure to keep an eye on what your budgie is eating and remove any uneaten food from their cage afterward. This will help keep their environment clean and healthy!
Provide a water dish for your budgies and change the water daily.
You can also give them a bath once or twice a week. Just simple water and dish soap mixture will do the trick! Be sure to rinse off all the soap residue when you’re done cleaning. This will help keep their feathers clean and healthy.
How do Budgies Sleep?
Like most birds, budgies sleep with one eye open to watch for danger. They usually sleep on perches in their cages, but they can also sleep while perched on a person’s finger.
Budgies typically nap for short periods throughout the day; still, they usually sleep at night.
Budgies normally eat right before they go to bed to digest their food and get ready for a good night’s sleep.
A budgie’s body temperature drops when it falls asleep, and its heart rate slows down. This causes the budgie to relax and snooze soundly.
How to Treat your new Budgie Pet?
For a budgie to get used to your company and settle in, there are some things you want to follow:
- Keep the new bird from loud voices and other birds and pets you have. Make sure to gradually introduce the new member to your family.
- Name the new budgie and call the pet by its name often. Make sure to use a soft voice to develop its affection over the word.
- If possible, reduce your kids’ interaction with the new bird. Since kids can be over excited and end up scaring or tiring the budgie.
- Feed them food with your finger at first, and pet them lightly.
- Install and secure a mirror at a safe distance from your budgie cage to keep it simulated.
A word of advice:
- Do not kiss your budgies to avoid hurting them. Since our saliva is harmful to budgies, it can make them sick.
- Do not rush in handling the new bird too much, give it time to get used to the new home.
Other Things that a New Budgie Owner Should Know
How Long do Budgies Live in Captivity?
When taken good care of, budgies can live an average of 20-25 years in captivity. That means you can keep them as a good company for a long time.
What Birds can Live with Budgies?
If you intend to have several birds as pets after your budgie has settle in, here’re some good suggestions:
- Cockatiels are among the most popular budgie cage mates because they can tolerate budgies.
- Budgies can also live with other small birds such as canaries, and parakeets without any problems. However, there is some disagreement on whether it’s okay to keep them together or not.
- Goldfinches are another popular budgie cage mate. They make a great addition to any tank, and because they’re omnivorous, they won’t bother the budgies when it comes to food.
If you want to introduce a new bird into an existing budgie flock, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
- Budgies like familiarity, so if you’re introducing a new bird, try to have him around for at least a week before putting him in the budgie cage. This will give him and your budgies time to get used to each other.
- Introduce one budgie at a time, so if anything happens, you can catch it early on before it becomes an even bigger issue.
Do Budgies Talk?
Budgies can mimic the sounds they hear, so when people say their budgie talks, they’re actually repeating what they’ve heard. Budgies can utter many words when taught right, building an extensive vocabulary.
They are extremely intelligent, and therefore can be taught to talk. These pets will often learn to say important words and phrases to their owners, such as their name or a favorite song. Some budgies even know how to count!
Budgies are very social birds and love interacting with their humans. They can be taught to do tricks and often respond when called by name. So even if they can’t hold a conversation, budgies still have a lot to say!
Conclusion
The care of a budgie is not as difficult as many people might think. When you have all of the necessary information and supplies on hand, it should be easy to keep your pet happy and healthy.
Diet is one of the most important things for budgie care, as they need a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Budgies also need plenty of exercise, toys, perches, and suitable cage.