Watching budgerigars frolic is a pleasure. To ensure comfortable living conditions and protect pets from diseases, bird owners must know how to care for a parrot. In addition to proper arrangement of the cell and a balanced diet, for the full development of the wavy, communication with family members is also necessary.

The first days in a new place, the budgerigar adapts to its unfamiliar habitat and living conditions. It is very important that he was cozy and comfortable. New, proper nutrition, the gradual establishment of contact with the pet - the owner must take care of all these nuances in advance.

Choosing the right cage size

Medium-sized cells are considered the best option. Too large and spacious structures slow down the taming of parrots, and small structures limit their ability to move. It is preferable to choose rectangular-shaped products, since in round ones the pet cannot retire if desired, which will make him feel uncomfortable. The recommended size for keeping one bird is 35x35 cm, for two - 65x55 cm.

What should be the bottom of the structure

For ease of cleaning, the bottom should be retractable. Some breeders prefer to use fillers, while others strongly do not recommend doing this and limit themselves to laying paper with its subsequent daily change. Newspapers should not be used as bedding, as they contain substances dangerous to the parrot. Some cages are equipped with a slatted bottom instead of a solid one. For a parrot, this option is not suitable, as it can injure the paws.

What should be equipped with a pet's home

A parrot in a cage must have a drinker with clean water and a feeder with grains, which must be blown every day from peeled skins. For comfortable movement of the parrot, two wooden perches are installed on different levels. At the very top, under the dome of the cage, a swing is attached. Of the wavy toys, bells, multi-colored bright beads and all kinds of rattles are very respected. These items will not let the baby get bored in the absence of the owners. If you put a mirror, then the parrot will spend a lot of time talking and communicating with his new friend. On the one hand, this will not allow him to get bored, on the other hand, he can move away from the person.

Be sure to have a drinking bowl with clean water and a feeder with grains in the cage.

In order for the pet to have the opportunity to monitor their own hygiene, it is necessary to place a container with sand in the cage, as well as a bath for bathing. Change the water daily and check the condition of the sand.

How to care for a budgerigar at home: choosing the right place for the cage

When everything necessary for the comfort of the bird has been bought, it remains to decide where to place the cage with the parrot. The air temperature in the room must be constant within the range of +18 to +25°C. Sharp temperature changes and drafts negatively affect the pet's health, so they should be avoided. The room should have fresh air and proper lighting. The optimal length of daylight hours is 16 hours. Adequate lighting is the key to a playful mood and good health pet. When daylight hours decrease in winter, it is necessary to turn on artificial lighting in the room early in the morning and in the evening.

You should not place a parrot:

  • in the kitchen and hallway. The temperature in these rooms is constantly changing. A sharp drop occurs due to the opening front door or windows in the kitchen to get rid of cooking odors. In addition, while cooking on non-stick cookware, substances dangerous to the parrot are released;
  • near heaters and batteries. It is known that parrots do not like the cold, but also too high temperatures undesirable for them;
  • in noisy places. Wavy people are shy and very sensitive by nature, and stress caused by harsh sounds and too loud music can adversely affect their nervous system;
  • too low to the floor or high. The cage should be placed at eye level. Too low an arrangement threatens the pet with constant drafts. And according to professional breeders, by placing the cage high, the parrot develops an understanding that it is more important than its owners.

Feathered friends need care, attention to their health and mood. If the owner notices changes in behavior or a decrease in the bird's appetite, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian, which could have caused such changes and urgently take measures to improve the well-being of the parrot. Waves are extremely fragile creatures, so delay in their treatment can end tragically.

To keep your parrot healthy, do not feed illegal foods.

Many owners have noticed that their parrot willingly eats chicken. But do not go on about the birds. Even small portions of such food cause irreparable harm to the pet's body. IN early age some organs, such as the liver or kidneys, may fail. Due to improper feeding, serious diseases develop, from which the wavy can die.

One of the most important points in proper bird care is the availability of fresh water. Water should be at room temperature and never from the tap. The water bowl should be rinsed daily to prevent the development of bacteria on its surface.

Excessive curiosity and activity of wavy people sometimes cause dangerous situations. When the parrot is in a cage, nothing threatens him. It is a completely different matter when a pet is released to fly around an apartment or house. Things familiar to humans and interior items are fraught with great danger for a parrot. But do not panic in advance and doom the feathered one to an eternal seat in a locked cage. The main thing is to eliminate all dangers and prepare the home for wavy flights.

Eliminate all dangers and prepare your home for wavy flights in advance

Here is a list of some situations that can cause a parrot to get injured:

  • through open windows and doors, a bird, attracted by sounds from the street, can fly out. If mosquito nets are installed on the windows, then the parrot will not fly out, however, once it gets into the narrow space between the window and the net, it will not be able to get out without outside help. If the weather permits, it is better to open the window wide open to ventilate the room;
  • a collision with a mirror or doors with glass elements is also a common cause of injury to the wings, legs and head;
  • unsuitable houseplants. When a parrot appears in the house, then all the plants in the house must be checked for compatibility with pets and, if necessary, attributed poisonous species to work or give to neighbors;
  • it is forbidden to smoke in a room where there is a cage with a pet, it is also forbidden to leave an ashtray with cigarette butts and unextinguished cigarette butts. The consequences of such irresponsible behavior can be a burn of paws or wings. The bird can also be poisoned by tobacco poison;
  • accumulation of computer cords, curtain ties and even blind cords are dangerous for a parrot due to the possibility of entanglement and suffocation;
  • death due to drowning can occur due to open washing machines, aquariums, bathrooms;
  • if the bin is in an open space, then the bird can climb there in search of goodies. Firstly, he cannot eat the remnants of the food located there, and secondly, due to an oversight of the owners, the bird can be thrown out into the street;
  • during cooking, pots of boiling water and fire are dangerous. If the bird flies freely around the apartment, then while working in the kitchen, it is better for the hostess to close the parrot in the cage or lock the door to the kitchen;
  • if there are children in the family, then teach them to close all felt-tip pens, markers, and also put colored crayons in a closed container;
  • Care must be taken when opening and closing doors and drawers. Feathered can sit on the door of any locker. Without noticing it, the owner risks damaging the legs of the parrot;
  • it is not allowed to use deodorants in the form of sprays, aerosols for hair styling near the parrot. Respiratory system feathery may not withstand exposure to harsh chemicals.

At first it may seem that it is impossible to create a safe environment for such a fragile creature as a budgerigar. But it is enough just to teach all household members to be a little careful with the parrot and nothing will threaten him.

Caring for a parrot at home should not end with just cleaning the cage and feeding. Wavy people need to communicate with a person. The better the contact between the owner and the pet is established, the faster the parrot will begin to imitate words and even whole phrases.

Many inexperienced parrot breeders think that when acquiring such a pet at home, you can completely forget about its maintenance, systematically adding food and cleaning the cage from time to time. But this is far from the case, or rather, not at all!

If your choice fell on this bird, then it is extremely important to know how to properly care for a budgerigar at home, because the health of the bird, and, consequently, its duration and quality of life, directly depends on this knowledge.

When a new long-awaited tenant appears in the house, you should be fully equipped, first of all, this concerns the inevitable period of getting used to the new environment, which takes about four weeks for the parrot.

You must understand that you are not taking a toy into the house, but a full-fledged neighbor who needs comfortable home conditions, proper nutrition, walks and communication. After all, the quality of care directly depends on how long the wavy fidget will please you and your family.

For those who have a budgerigar at home, the tips from this article will be especially useful. Start with what size cage you need and where is the best place to place it.

At the same time, the budgerigar will thank you for your care, because it is one of the most talented birds. This is the most suitable pet for a city apartment. In captivity, he can live up to 15 years, although not all birds have the same abilities.

The length of the body usually does not exceed 20 cm, while the weight of the parrot is only 40-45 grams. Despite being roughly the size of a sparrow, the parrot appears longer due to its tail. It is always interesting with this bird: for both children and adults, because she loves to play with toys, and may try to imitate human speech or the singing of other birds.

Therefore, so often budgerigars, the care and maintenance of which is not difficult at all, become real pets. For the elderly, this bird can brighten up lonely everyday life, and children, communicating with parrots, learn to take care of our smaller brothers.

Before purchasing a pet, the future owner must be fully aware that feathers, food husks and droppings will henceforth become an integral part of his life.

What precedes the purchase

If a bird starts up for children, then adults should be prepared that care and concern will fall on their shoulders. However, almost everyone likes budgerigars, photos of which can be found on any site about animals.

Before you buy a bird, take care of its home. We are talking, first of all, about the cage, and the larger it is, the more comfortable your parrot will feel. Before settling your pet in it, treat it with boiling water and let it dry. If the cage comes with plastic perches, you can throw them away and replace them with wooden ones.

Who and how much to take?

Often the future owner cannot decide what gender the parrot needs. But if you approach the issue deeper, then there are no differences in caring for a particular floor. There is an opinion that the girl learns speech worse and the chance that she will speak much less.

But in fact, it all depends on the nature of the bird and the efforts of its owner. Problems with speech arise in a wavy person who has no one to communicate with, and instead of an interlocutor, a mirror hangs that can absorb all his attention. The parrot cannot always understand that this is just a reflection and takes it for another feathered one.

Take parrots better in pairs, then he will not have problems associated with loneliness. From a lack of attention, the wavy can get sick. Moreover, if you plan to get offspring in the future, then you should take individuals of different sexes, but do not forget that the couple will take place only in case of mutual sympathy.

Be sure to consider the size of the cage so that the parrots, especially if there are more than three of them, have room to turn around in the new home.

Distinguishing a male from a female

How to teach a budgerigar to speak is one of the main questions that future owners ask themselves. This question is inextricably linked with the sexual characteristics of the bird. This can be established by the color of her wax. However, only a specialist can do this with certainty. Young birds have a very similar color of the cere, which is most often light purple.

It becomes possible to distinguish the sex only by the uniformity of color. Females have circles white color around the nostrils. Upon reaching 4 months of age, the cere of males acquires a certain blue. But in females, on the contrary, this place becomes beige or light blue.

How to choose a healthy bird

So, you have seen what budgerigars are, a photo of these wonderful birds really makes you want to get yourself such a pet. It remains to answer the question - where to go shopping? It is best to purchase it not from a reseller, but from those who are directly involved in their reproduction.

To choose a healthy bird, pay attention to the following signs:

  • the bird must be active and cheerful;
  • her plumage should be solid, without bald spots;
  • the parrot should breathe through the nose, not through the beak;
  • there should be no growths on the bird's feet;
  • the plumage of the bird in the area of ​​​​the cloaca should not be contaminated with droppings;
  • make sure that healthy budgerigars are also sitting nearby, care and maintenance of birds in this case is carried out correctly.

Adaptation or the first days in a new house

Caring for wavy at home begins with a rather difficult period of adaptation.

There are a number of mistakes that new owners often make:

  1. They are constantly near the parrot, talking loudly.
  2. They try to immediately make tactile contact and feed from their hands, stroke.
  3. Move the cell from place to place.
  4. Released to fly on the first day.
  5. Trying to cure diarrhea.

Too much attention

When a bird is brought to a new home, it is already in a stressful state, because it was taken from its native cage, and then taken or carried to an unfamiliar place.

To digest this amount of information, the wavy needs peace and time to get used to the environment, and people standing nearby and speaking loudly do not contribute to this.

The only reason to open a cage is to replenish food and feed. Although, as practice shows, even if the owners behave correctly, the budgerigar on the first day looks like a statue that moves little, does not eat or drink anything.

close contact

Tactile contact for a parrot is unusual, and comparison with such pets as cats or dogs does not fit here. In addition, for a bird you are absolutely new person which still needs some getting used to.

Any close communication should take place precisely at the initiative of the wavy, otherwise, at the sight of your hand, the feathered one will try to run away and hide in a corner. Of course, there are individuals who like to be scratched on the tummy or stroked on the neck, but remember that for this the parrot must be tame and make contact first.

When the wavy calmly begins to eat from the feeder, this is the first sign of successful adaptation to a new environment. After that, approaching the cage to pour food or change the water, talk softly and quietly to the parrot, and the bird will eventually begin to respond to you calmly, without trying to hide in a corner or fly away. When you are sure that all of the above steps have been successful, offer the parrot a treat through the bars of the cage, but in no case stick your whole palm in there, it can greatly frighten the wavy and nullify the successful stages of acquaintance.

It is worth offering food from the palm of your hand after the bird begins to confidently and safely take treats through the twigs. At the first stage, the palm with food should be offered in the morning, when the wavy is still hungry. Keep it down, most likely the bird will not eat right away, but will simply remain on the perch to observe. Repeating this ritual every morning, without much perseverance, you will see the result.

At first, the budgerigar will gently grab a couple of grains, then do it more confidently and without moving away from the hand. The final stage will be the confident eating of food, sitting in the palm of your hand. It is after this stage that the bird will calmly sit on your hand and will be ready for the first walk.

Moving the cage, first walk

The cage should stand in the same place, for one simple reason - getting used to the atmosphere in the room. After all, it is precisely while inside it that the parrot carefully studies the surrounding objects, which has great value for the first flight through the new room. The more often you move the parrot's house, the less comfortable it will feel.

Do not forget to equip the cage with the necessary equipment in advance so that the wavy does not have to be disturbed to hang a new perch or bell.

As already mentioned, for the first flight, it is necessary for the parrot to get acquainted with the situation, remember the location of objects, which will eventually become familiar to him. But having brought home a bird, the newly-made owner naively worries that she needs to stretch her wings and makes an unfortunate mistake, which quite often ends in tears.

A budgerigar, being under stress, and even in a new room, can crash into a window or mirror. Only after the successful completion of the adaptation period, which is about four weeks, is it worth letting the parrot out of the cage for a walk.

Stomach problems in the early days

Liquid droppings for a budgerigar on the first or second day after arriving at a new place is usually the norm and a manifestation of stress. The best thing you can do during this period is to leave the bird alone. No need to try to get her drunk with drugs or clean the cloaca, you will only worsen the situation and exacerbate stress.

After a couple of days, the problem will be solved by itself without your intervention. But if this did not happen, the bird looks sickly, does not eat or drink anything, then there is a serious reason to show it to a specialist and find out the cause of the ailment.

Good home - quality life

It turns out that you should not take care of a budgerigar from the moment you acquire a feathered pet, but much earlier - when it becomes necessary to purchase a future home for a bird, as well as to equip it.

Budgerigars need to develop their wings and muscles of the whole body, so experienced ornithologists do not recommend keeping feathered friends in cramped cages. The most suitable home for a wavy is considered to be a cage that will be longer in width than in height.

For example, for keeping one parrot, a cage with dimensions of 0.5x0.6x0.8 m will be the most ideal. If you want to breed these bright birds at home, then you will have to buy a large cage.

Many of us tend to fill the parrot cage with all sorts of toys, believing that they really like it. However, this is not entirely correct.

Parrots like to spread their wings from time to time, and excessive congestion of his house with various perches and other interior items will only prevent the pet from feeling cozy and comfortable.

When choosing a future home for your feathered friend, pay attention not to intricate branched cells, but to more simple models, which can be cleaned without problems, because cleaning is an important component of the proper care of the budgerigar.

As for the placement of the future wavy home. It is necessary to place the cage in a warm room where there are no sudden temperature changes. Try not to put the home of a feathered friend near the door or on the windowsill. A well-lit room will only stimulate good mood your home flier.

Cell dimensions

The future parrot house should be as comfortable as possible, and therefore spacious. Birds of this species are distinguished by increased activity and playful disposition, so they just need space for entertainment and warming up their wings.

If you really want to take care of the well-being of your feathered pet, then try to find a cage model in which the parrot can fly from one place to another.

Qualified ornithologists say that a cage with dimensions of 0.5 m (D) x 0.6 m (H) x 0.8 m (W) will be an excellent home for budgerigars.

I would like to make a few important points:

  1. When purchasing a cage, pay attention to models whose width is greater than the height. Budgerigars are inherent in horizontal flights, therefore, in fact, the height of the product should not play a decisive role in choosing a cage. For the same reason, it is recommended to buy flat-roofed parrot dwellings.
  2. A feathered pet should feel comfortable and expanse in his house, so try not to clutter up his cage with all sorts of entertaining toys.
  3. When choosing a cage, you should take into account the fact that it is you who will need to clean it from time to time, so try to choose the exact model that you can clean without difficulty.
  4. Do you want to get a pair of parrots at once? Not a problem - the same cage will fit for two birds. But if you plan to house three or more parrots in it, then purchase a cage in advance, the size of which will be much larger than that indicated above.

Arrangement of the cell

You can properly care for parrots only when you have fully equipped his house.

Surely you have noticed more than once that parrots love to litter, but at the same time they always try to stay clean themselves.

Therefore, many qualified specialists recommend placing a special bathing suit in the bird's cage, which will be as accessible as possible for the pet and easily filled with water outside the wavy house.

Equip the budgerigar's cage with perches. Whenever possible, try to give your preference to natural materials. And if the perches are different in texture, your pet will constantly train its paws.

Many experienced ornithologists place the simplest wooden branches in the homes of their pets, which, by the way, look very harmonious and natural.

At the same time, it is necessary to make sure that the poles are securely fixed, so that traumatic situations for the pet itself can be avoided.

Currently, there are a lot of all kinds of educational toys that are very attractive to wavy. All kinds of abacus, bells, mirrors, beads, etc.

But, as mentioned a little higher, it is highly undesirable to overload the cage of a feathered pet, a couple of toys will be quite enough. If you so want to diversify the life of your flyer, then from time to time change the toys in his house.

Swimming place

Surely, following the budgerigar, you noticed that they are very fond of littering (especially boys), while they themselves try to take care of themselves and stay clean. For this reason, experienced ornithologists advise installing a small bathing suit in the parrot's home, which can be hung on the bars of the cage.

The main requirement when choosing a container for bathing a feathered pet is the fact that it should be as accessible as possible for the parrot and easily filled with water from outside the cage.

To your feathered friend could fully care for his feathers and at the same time did not splash water on the bottom of his dwelling, it is not recommended to fill the bathing container to the top.

The dimensions of the bathing suit should correspond to the size of the pet, then your feathered pet will be able to completely immerse himself in the water.

Perches for "gatherings" of a parrot

Not bad if in the cage of a feathered pet there are several perches at once, having different thickness and texture. Many experienced ornithologists recommend using natural twigs as poles. Firstly, they look very harmonious in the home of a parrot, and secondly, the natural material is not harmful to the bird, while plastic products can exude a toxic odor.

If you still decide to mount a pole made of natural material in the cage of a home flyer, then make sure that it is a safe material. For example, a tree such as eucalyptus can harm the health of a parrot, oak contains tannin, which is harmful to birds of this species, and trees from the pink family contain a toxic carcinogenic glycoside.

Concrete perches are too hard for parrot legs, so try not to use them in your feathered pet's home.

When installing a perch in a pet's cage, it is necessary to check the reliability of its fastening in order to prevent all kinds of traumatic situations.

Pleasant trifles

We currently exist great amount entertaining toys for feathered pets. All kinds of ladders, bells or balls will lure your feathered to the games, taking his leisure time with exciting entertainment.

And yet, do not get carried away with arranging the home of the wavy. Three toys will be enough for a medium-sized cage, otherwise you will simply “litter” his space for flights, thereby restricting his movements.

Where to place the cell?

In order to provide your parrot with full care, you need to take care of the placement of his home. Experienced ornithologists recommend placing the cage in a room with stable warm temperature. Also, the room should be well lit and ventilated.

It is highly undesirable to put a wavy dwelling at a sunny window or in a passage zone, since overheating, drafts and extra fright can kill a bird.

Providing Proper Parrot Care

Caring for a parrot at home is not just about feeding the bird and cleaning it from time to time.

Proper nutrition is the key to your pet's health

Many of us are used to thinking that parrots can be fed with everything that is on the human table. However, this is not quite true. There is a special diet for wavy, which consists mainly of seeds, vegetables and fruits.

I would like to note that seeds should be systematically replaced with grain feed, since a seed diet can lead to bird obesity.

  • the diet of a feathered pet should not contain caffeine, alcoholic beverages and chocolate, since these products are toxic to birds;
  • make sure that there is always a parrot in the drinker pure water, carrying out daily substitutions;
  • add calcium-based mineral blocks to the feathered menu;
  • in the warm season, fruits and vegetables must be present in the parrot's diet, while in cold weather, vegetables and certain types of fruits (apples, pears, etc.), which are distinguished by long-term storage, can be preferred.

Cleaning is the key to health and comfort

The bird house should be cleaned at least once a week. Otherwise, your feathered pet is threatened infectious diseases and worms.

It is necessary to wash the pernat cage with a gentle agent. Most experienced bird watchers use liquid dishwashing detergent that is free of phosphates and other harmful contaminants. Wash the parrot house only with proven products that you completely trust.

In the warm season, use a spray bottle to spray the bird, so that your pet will not be so hot at home.

Good sleep is the key to health

Like any Living being, birds vitally need a complete night sleep, during which the feathered friend restores his strength to please you with his radiant mood.

As soon as the time for sleep comes, you should throw light matter on the bird's cage, making sure that full ventilation is maintained in the bird's house. If the cover is too dense and completely envelops the bird's dwelling, then it may suffocate.

You should also take care that the parrot does not catch on the fabric, so check the quality of the fabric in advance.

You can use the cape not only at bedtime. For example, it is necessary to pacify a feathered pet or calm it down for a while while other residents of the house are sleeping.

If, while the parrot is under the covers, he will rush around the cage, this means that he is afraid of the dark. In this situation, a night light will save, which will provide the bird with a sense of calm.

Monitor your pet's health

Caring for a parrot at home means regular check-ups at the veterinarian. If you notice strange behavior behind your feathered friend (abnormal breathing, discharge from the nose and eyes, the appearance of mucous discharge on feathers, weight loss, etc.), immediately seek help from a qualified specialist.

Only a veterinarian can correctly diagnose the disease, and tell you how to care for a bird in a particular case.

If you do not observe "abnormal" symptoms, then experienced ornithologists recommend visiting a veterinarian at least once a year.

Surround your pets with care and attention and they will definitely please you with their good mood!

Light and temperature conditions

High-quality care involves setting the optimal illumination and temperature. Why is it important? Budgerigars are sensitive to the light factor, breeders know how many diseases can occur due to improper light conditions. These are hormonal disruptions, and beriberi, and shifts in behavior. In addition, if there are errors in lighting, they live in constant stress.

For the wavy has great importance a period of darkness, if he sleeps at night, then he will be less likely to overtake diseases. Experts recommend covering the cage with a cloth at night, so the bird will avoid chronic sleep deprivation.

How much sleep should a parrot sleep? The time varies depending on the seasons and varies from 10 to 14 hours. In winter, the bird sleeps longer, in summer time a bit less.

You can not disturb the bird during lunchtime sleep.

And what about the temperature?

Basic Rules:

  1. Although parrots live in a hot climate, they do not tolerate high temperatures well.
  2. The ideal temperature for wavy is from 22 to 25 degrees.
  3. Birds are afraid of sudden changes in temperature and drafts.
  4. In the hot season, the bird should have a drinking bowl with clean water and a bathing place.

Important: heat stroke can lead to death of a pet.

Major diseases

Wavy pets have been living at home for a long time, but poor-quality care and maintenance can cause various diseases in them. How many cases in the practice of veterinarians that the birds could not be saved due to the poor attitude of the owners.

So, wavy diseases.

What can the owner face?


Wavy individuals in natural environment not limited in movement, they fly a lot and climb branches. At home, their activity is limited to the open spaces of the cell, which weakens the immune system. How long a pet will live depends on a number of factors. Diseases of parrots occur if poor-quality care, nutrition is organized, the conditions of temperature and light conditions are not met. It is worth paying attention to the requirements for keeping birds, then the pet will delight in longevity.

Breeding

In their natural habitat, reproduction in budgerigars occurs all year round. To properly organize the process in captivity, you should select a female and a male. Young individuals should not be allowed to breed, the most optimal period in which the reproduction of wavy can begin is the age of one year.

Budgerigars are very demanding in terms of choosing a partner, if the female does not like the male, then there is a high probability that breeding will not work. But if the couple has developed, then the birds touchingly look after each other, their affection lasts a lifetime.

How many pairs of parrots can be kept together? If space allows, then how much will fit for a comfortable stay. But during the nesting period, it is advisable for a couple to be seated in different houses. The cell in this case may be small.

Reproduction is best done in the warm season, it is not recommended to breed birds in early spring.

Domestic wavy birds bring warmth to the house, they can relieve stress and fatigue, and watching a pet is a pleasure. But it is important to think over the care of the bird, otherwise the pet will be pursued by diseases. You should not take home a bird for entertainment, experts classify parrots as highly sensitive creatures, so owners must take responsibility for the life of a small bird.

At the end of our publication, I would like to give you some useful recommendations:

  1. Parrots need to trim their nails and wings from time to time. However, doing it yourself is highly undesirable. And to avoid negative consequences, it is better to entrust this procedure to qualified specialists.
  2. If your pet suddenly bit your finger, then you should not react too violently to it (even if it hurts a lot, although in most cases the pain is tolerable), because with such actions you can scare the bird. A stressful situations parrots endure very difficult, and sometimes even die.
  3. Communicate with the parrot in a gentle, affectionate and calm voice so that he understands that you will not harm him.

Show attention and care to your feathered pets, and they will definitely give you positive emotions and good mood!

Pets are different - someone walks around the house like plush cats, and someone prefers feathered friends. Like all other animals, parrots require special care. Unfortunately, not all breeds can boast long life, but a person is able to extend it a little and make the pet's life comfortable.

Cell selection

The cell is the first thing you will have to face. Shops offer a huge selection of all kinds of cages, you need to be able to for your pet. If your parrot is the average size of a budgerigar, you won't need large cages.

In such a cage, one parrot will feel good, an option for two individuals will also be acceptable, although ideally the dimensions should be larger.

You only need to buy metal cages, as plastic and wooden ones will quickly deteriorate. The cage must be in a vertical orientation, as parrots need a place where they can stretch their wings, albeit not for long. As for the shape, the best option would be where the cage has at least a few corners where a parrot can hide. In this case, the roof can be of the most diverse form.

Cages for hamsters are absolutely not suitable. If you still decide to use such cages, then you should look at the high multi-level dwellings, where you can carefully pull out or remove the crate and shelves in order to.

It is also worth remembering that honey is poisonous to birds, so its use is in no case allowed. Figuring out the composition of the metal in a finished cage is hard enough, but this information will be helpful if you decide to make your own cage.

Housing preparation

The cage is bought, what's next? Next, you need to purchase all the necessary accessories and items. For example, you need to take care of a comfortable drinking bowl. Another important thing is perches and at least some toys. Let's look at these points in more detail.

What should be the feeder and drinker for parrots?

The best option for the feeder will be metal bowls that can be fixed at a height.

Such bowls will resist bird's beaks, and there will always be access to them. They can be open, but with high sides so that food does not fall out. The feeder, if a special door is provided in the cage, can also be attached outside the cage.

In contrast to the bowl, the drinker should not be open, otherwise it will be inconvenient for the birds to drink the water and it will quickly become dirty. In stores, you can easily find a good drinker - they are a vertical container, from where water enters a special hollow, from where parrots can drink water.

Perches are a necessary attribute of a parrot's house, these cute birds spend most of their time on them, and they sleep on them. Metal rods or thin pipes can be used as poles, but this is not the best option, although it is more durable. - this is a slippery material, it is inconvenient for birds to hold on to it. It is better to buy wooden perches, you can make them yourself, taking a stick of a suitable diameter. The diameter of the pole should be the size of the foot so that it can be almost completely wrapped around.

As entertainment for a parrot, you can put inside the cage, various twigs, perches and even small bridges.

Parrot feeding

Of course, like any creature in this world, parrots need food. You can find it in any pet store in the form of ready-made dry grain mixtures. They form the basis of the diet and there is enough assortment to satisfy the needs of any bird. However, there is no limit to perfection, if you want your favorite bird to live with you long and happy, show off its colorful feathers and be always cheerful, then you can’t do it.

Sometimes parrots also need live food. They can be fed sprouts of different grains, for example, sprouts of wheat or oats. Just grow them yourself and inspect before giving to your pet. Seeds and nuts can sometimes be given as treats, but only in small quantities. The fact is that they are too fatty for small parrots, so they can be harmful in large doses.

For some, it may be a discovery that parrots love to eat juicy apples, pears and even fruits such as oranges and lemons.

They will not refuse strawberries, currants, raspberries and gooseberries. Sometimes they can be given bananas, melon and watermelon. From vegetables, cucumbers, beets and corn can be distinguished. In general, parrots can have a very rich assortment, since the vegetables and fruits listed here are only a small part of the list of allowed products.

You can give greens, fruits and vegetables in a dry form. If necessary, the bird can even be tamed for mashed potatoes.

Caring for a parrot and its housing

The dirt in the cage is not only a bad smell, but also a source various diseases that may occur in a beloved pet.

For this reason, good hygiene must be maintained in the parrot's habitat. Here are some tips to help you in this matter:

Cover the cage tray with paper, it is better to use special kind. It should be changed daily, so there will be no smell or pathogenic bacteria. Yes, and the collection of waste is greatly simplified - just folded the paper and threw away the contents.

Before each meal, the drinker and feeder should be cleaned. You can do this with a sponge and a small brush, which can be found in the household departments. The same brush will help clean the inside of the drinker.

Instead of paper, you can put special hygienic sand on the pallet, in which parrots can even swim. It will keep it clean and fresh. It needs to be changed at least once a week.

After buying a feathered friend, do not think that he will immediately flatter your hands and fearlessly communicate with you. It takes not only time and getting used to, but also training. How this process goes:

1) On the day of purchase, the parrot from the carrier must move to the cage. He must do it on his own. If you help him, then the pet may have a persistent dislike for your hands, remember this;

2) After the resettlement, the parrot does not need to be disturbed, because he is experiencing.

For the first week, try to disturb him as little as possible.

Do not be afraid if he sits still and does not react to anything - this is one of the defensive reactions;

3) After a week, you can start taming. The feeder is removed for a while so that the parrot has time to get hungry. As soon as this moment comes, a small amount of food is taken into the palm and the parrot is lured. This procedure must be repeated every day until the parrot gets used to the hand.

4) After getting used to the hand, the bird can already be released to be ventilated around the house, but this should be done no earlier than after a month of living in a cage.

Do not let the children play with them after the parrot appears in the house, let them just look from afar. Giving peace to the parrot in the first week of relocation is very important.

As you can see, caring for a pet may not be as easy, but not as difficult as it might seem. At first, some points may be incomprehensible to you and seem excessive, but you will quickly get used to them, but the benefits for your pet will be enormous. Some types of parrots have the ability to train and talk, so if you wish, you can teach your pet some phrases or actions. Do not forget that a person is responsible for those whom he has tamed!

Video about the domestic parrot of the Corella breed

Birds have always been loved by the people, and in Lately turns them on more people. And all because their content is much cheaper than the content of, say, dogs or cats. What does it take to keep a parrot healthy and happy? We will talk about this today.

Choosing and arranging a parrot's home

As often happens: a person drives past a store or market, sees a beautiful wavy chick and buys it, and with it what the seller advises: a cage, a drinking bowl, feeders and food. The most enterprising sellers offer many more things that are completely unnecessary or inconvenient. As a rule, they offer something that is not very much in demand. And, seeing that you are not at all in the subject, it is not so difficult to do this. Keeping budgerigars at home is not difficult if you properly arrange his life.

Another thing is if you approach the purchase of a budgerigar wisely, because keeping budgerigars at home is not such an easy task. What does it mean?

First you learn what a parrot needs for a quality life, then you buy it all, prepare a place for a future tenant at home, and only then go for a wavy friend. This is the right thing to do, because it is absolutely impossible to run a pet into an unwashed cage, as this is fraught with all sorts of diseases. Do you need it? We think not.

In order not to buy all the equipment twice, you should immediately buy everything you need and, most importantly, convenient for parrots, and for you, of course, too.

If the parrot is alone

So, first pay attention to future housing. Do not think that you will have one small bird, so you can take a small cell. It is not right. Firstly, parroting is contagious and, as a rule, those who buy one bird, then take a pair for it, or even more than one. Secondly, the feathered one needs not only to sit in indoors, but also to fly, and for this you need open spaces.

Pay attention to square and rectangular cages, round ones are inconvenient for keeping parrots, and other birds too. For one new “family member”, a cell 50 (W) x 40 (D) x 40 (H) cm is enough. Since these birds fly more horizontally, there is no need for a high dwelling, it’s better to take the model with more width.

About cells:

The most convenient models have high sides and a retractable tray.

But, unfortunately, manufacturers do not really care about our convenience and today (2016) there are cages either with high sides (Hagen) or with retractable pallets (many other companies). Hagen are convenient in terms of the fact that food and feathers fly out less, but cleaning the pan is completely inconvenient, since you have to completely remove the entire upper part, and not everyone can do it. For example, a child can no longer cope with cleaning.

Cages with large doors are more convenient to clean, as the hand easily reaches any wall.

To keep the bird's legs healthy, use only wooden perches, preferably unhewn branches from the forest, and not purchased even sticks. The fact is that by grabbing uneven perches, the birds get a paw massage, which is certainly very useful.

It is advisable to equip a house for a small feathered one before the arrival of a new tenant, since he will already have a lot of stress, and if you also equip everything with him, then you can completely achieve heart attack at the little feather.

Location

It is very important not only to buy the right cage, but also to place it in the right place. If possible, do not put it in the kitchen, where food is prepared, as the fumes are absolutely not good for the birds. Yes, and you are unlikely to want to pull fluff and feathers, or maybe worse, from your plates.

Keeping birds at home in the bedroom is also not the best solution, but if there are no options, then put the cage with the bird away from the bed and prepare a special dark breathable blanket to cover the bird at night. This is necessary so that, firstly, he does not chirp if the light is on in the room, and, secondly, so that he does not get scared at night if you pass by.

Budgerigars are afraid of drafts, so make sure that the bird's house is not in the aisle.

When you open the windows, take the parrot to another room or at least cover it from the wind.

Given the fact that parrots live in nature in a warm area with high humidity, then similar conditions must be maintained at home. Yes, a baby can live at fairly low temperatures, but this is a mockery of living beings.

It is optimal to maintain a temperature of about 23 degrees, plus or minus, of course. But try to do everything possible so that there are no strong temperature drops.

Humidity in the room where the wavy is kept should be maintained at 55-70 percent. This is important for the good plumage of the bird, as well as for general well-being. The temperature and humidity of the air during the breeding season are especially important.

Caring for budgies at home

Try to provide "pusu" with a constant daily routine. That is, do not wait until the sun rises or sets, but regulate the daylight hours for the bird with artificial lighting and dark curtains.

Your baby will live much longer if each day of light is the same in time, and does not depend on the clouds on the street or the clock change.

Of course, many will say that in nature, no one turns on the light for birds. Here I disagree with you. That is in nature, but we have artificially bred birds, with relatively weak immunity.

Do not move the cage with the bird far away from you, you must hear the bird, because in the dark there are sometimes commotions. This is when the bird is frightened of something and starts to rush around the cage. If the light is not turned on in time, then the wavy can be injured or even worse, break.

Pet health

Monitor your bird's health. If you see that something in his behavior has changed, the bird is fluffed up or sitting on the floor of the cage, then this should alert you. To increase the chances of salvation, you need to contact a veterinarian specializing in birds (popularly they are called ornithologists, although this is not entirely correct, ornithologists do something completely different).

Some diseases in chicks and adults can be cured if timely action is taken. Do not put off a visit to the doctor if your pet is dear to you.

Proper feeding- the path to the health of the budgerigar. Do not look that visually the feeder is full, maybe there is just a husk. Change food every day. You also need to change the water daily.

Gotta fly!

In order for the bird to develop correctly, let it go for walks around the room. But do not rush to release the parrot in the first days of your stay in the house. The budgerigar should get used to the environment and you.

Watch the condition of the beak and claws. If you see that they have become very long, then you should either cut them yourself by finding the instructions, or consult a doctor or other specialist.

If a parrot lives in the house, then it is worth collecting a small first aid kit for emergency assistance, since the metabolism of birds is very fast and you just can not have time to run to the pharmacy. In case of illness, you need to act quickly.

Friendship with other tenants in the house

This question is often asked by owners of wavy birds. Can he be friends with a cat or a dog? Maybe. But most often such friendship ends sadly for a wavy friend, because even if a furry friend is ready to be friends, he can inadvertently crush the baby or simply scare the birdie, which can lead to death.

Sometimes four-legged friends do not pay attention to the bird, but sooner or later, the instinct will wake up and then the parrot may not be lucky ...

Small children can also be a threat to the bird. The kid can accidentally hurt him or unexpectedly frighten him. After all, a bird can pinch a child by the hand, and he is unlikely to be able to cope with his emotions. How it will all end is unknown!

Room cleaning

Most of the sores appear due to the improper maintenance of budgerigars at home. As we said above, you need to clean the cage of a domestic parrot daily if you do not want to get some insects in the form of ticks or an intestinal infection due to the dirty food eaten.

Necessarily!

Once a week, remove all internal equipment: perches, toys, feeders, drinkers and thoroughly rinse everything under running water.

It is advisable to use special detergents that are suitable specifically for cages and are not capable of harming the health of the pet. In any case, thoroughly rinse all equipment before returning everything to the cage.

The bars of the cage should also be washed with a damp cloth, and if possible, then poured over with boiling water or steamed. Of course, few people do this, but such processing would be ideal.

Care at home can turn into hard labor if you do not love your parrot. In this case, it is better not to torment the feathered one, but find him loving hands. But it is better, of course, to weigh all the pros and cons in advance. If you are accustomed to sterility in the house, then it is better not to think about the bird, as a light flap of the wing, and you can forget about cleanliness!

Bathing a parrot

In principle, the wavy friend itself does not require any additional care other than feeding. But for its high-quality plumage, it is necessary to give it the opportunity to swim. Some parrots like to swim in swimsuits, you can’t lure others with a roll, give a deep plate to the bottom of the cage. And someone will never dip their paws in the water. Such individuals will have to be sprayed from a spray bottle.

There are birds that like to bathe in wet leaves.

Beneficial bathing:

To make home bathing beneficial, add a little pharmacy chamomile to the water. Drinking water must be poured, since any parrot not only bathes, but also drinks water from a bathing suit.

Caring for budgerigars at home is, of course, not only feeding and cleaning, it is also communication.


If you take one feathered one, then do not forget to devote more time to it. Very often people take an absolutely tame chick, and after a while it completely gets out of hand. The thing is that even a bird needs time. But if it so happened that you can’t devote much time to a feathered one, then at least buy him a “soul mate”, or rather a few birds, because parrots are flocking birds.

Read in this article

Of all the birds in apartments, budgerigars are most often kept. These funny birds have won the hearts of many people with their liveliness and talkativeness. After all, it's great when a bright active lump lives at home, from the chirping of which the mood rises. Where did the budgerigar come from? What are the features of its content at home? How to make sure that this amazing bird is always healthy and pleases the eye and ear for as long as possible?

The life of budgerigars in nature

The name of this bird in Latin sounds like Melopsittacus undulatus. Melos - "sing", psittacus - "parrot", undulatus - "wavy". The parrot received its definition for the characteristic pattern on the wings - it resembles waves. In English, "budgerigar" will be Budgerigar. The abbreviated word Budgies can be seen on food packages.

Survival

Wavy have not always been 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 notify each other of danger. Yes, and it is more difficult for a predator to catch a specific individual when a colored carousel constantly flickers before his eyes.

Budgerigars have a bright grassy color for a reason. This allows you to see each other from afar, and males use their saturation to conquer females. The wings, on the contrary, are faded gray. This allows them to camouflage themselves from predators while feeding. After all, budgerigars are looking for the main part of the food on the ground.

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

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

reproduction

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

Already 10 days after mating, the female lays from 1 to 6 eggs, from which chicks hatch after 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 old, they are already able to mate and give birth to their offspring.

Nutrition

Wild budgerigars are not tempted to eat. They enjoy eating seeds. land plants and grass. Occasionally they feast on young shoots and berries. Small insects are included in the diet of wavy only in times of famine. Sometimes flocks of budgerigars attack the wheat fields cultivated by man.

Content at home

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

A modern person, having a budgerigar, must necessarily get acquainted with the 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 appropriate care.

Convenient bird cage

The larger the cage, the more comfortable the budgerigar. Its minimum dimensions for one bird should be 40 * 30 * 30 (length, width, height). If you are holding 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 grains and cereals, the other for wet food);
  • drinking bowl with clean water;
  • toys (mirrors, ladders, bells).

It is not necessary to completely fill the cage with toys and rocking chairs. The budgerigar 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! The wavy ones have one feature: 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 so as not to be captured by predators.

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

What to feed

The cage is set, the birds are inhabited. What to feed them? The diet of domestic budgerigars does not differ from the diet of wild parrots: seeds, fruits, twigs. In order for the bird to receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals, you should buy ready-made feed ( daily rate prescribed on the package), which include oats, millet, flaxseed, meadow grasses, sunflower seeds. Additionally, a piece of mineral stone can be fixed in the cage, which the wavy will peck, replenishing the calcium reserves in the body.

In addition to food, you can feed budgerigars with various delicacies:

  • fruits (apples, pears, kiwi, peaches) and vegetables (carrots, cucumber, beets);
  • greens (lettuce, dandelion leaves, wood lice, dill);
  • twigs (willow, birch, maple, alder);
  • boiled eggs (protein), fat-free cottage cheese;
  • porridge on the water (buckwheat, millet, rice, barley);
  • unsalted crackers, crackers.

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

"Attention! All grasses 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 houseplants: they can be poisonous.

There should always be water in the budgerigar's cage. It should be changed every 1-2 days. For drinking wavy, tap water, settled or filtered, is best suited. In boiled there are no minerals necessary for a bird. Water should be clean, cool and fresh, without gas. As a treat, you can sometimes give a budgerigar natural freshly squeezed juices, slightly diluted with water.

Lifestyle

Budgerigar 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. One side of the cage must be left open so that the wavy does not suffocate.

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

In the wild, budgerigars fly a lot, so they need to be released more often at home. The bird should stretch its wings regularly and maintain its physical form. 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 sit.

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

If you have time, you can play with the wavy. These birds are quickly addicted to the most different games, and any object can become a toy for them: a pencil, an elastic band for hair, a spoon, etc.

Hand taming

You can absolutely any budgerigar. And if someone has a wild or aggressive bird, then the owners themselves are to blame. It is necessary to engage in domestication from a very young age - from 3-4 months. By this time they are already quite independent birds that can live without a mother.

  1. Having brought the bird home, it is necessary to give it a couple of days for development. Let it be quiet in the apartment all this time, and you, passing by the cage, stop and talk to the wavy in a calm tone.
  2. On the third day, you can open the cage, step aside and watch the parrot. If the bird becomes interested and starts to go out, it means that she is used to it. If it's still sitting in a corner, give it a couple more days.
  3. As soon as the wavy has left the cage, quietly approach him and hold out a treat (seed, apple). Did the parrot take food from your hands? Amazing! No? Then wait some more. Let him get used to it, fly around the apartment.
  4. Gradually, you can put your hand on the bird 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 you on the sofa or at the computer desk.

It should only be after he gets used to you. Choose one word containing the sound "r" as well as hissing (for example, "good") and say its wavy daily, sitting next to the cage. The bird should respond to communication: touch with its beak and look at you. If she sleeps or cleans her feathers, try another time.

Breeding

One budgerigar is still bored, even if people constantly play with it. And if you are rarely at home, then your pet definitely needs a friend. Some owners don't get a second budgerigar because they don't want to take care of the chicks. But you can have two same-sex birds! If you intentionally start a couple of wavy ones in order to, pay attention to the bird's wax. This is a small growth above the beak. Simply put, "nose". If the wax is brown, you have a female in front of you, and if blue or blue - a male.

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

nesting house

In captivity, budgerigars breed quite actively. But in addition to heat, light, food and water, one more condition is needed - a house. The female will not let the male near her until she equips the nest in a place hidden from prying eyes. Nesting houses for wavy 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 get out only occasionally - for feeding. Although some particularly caring males fly into the house and feed the hen. You can’t get eggs, otherwise the female may refuse to hatch. You need to check the offspring through the removed top cover of the house. If the eggs lie for more than 3 weeks, they are empty.

The little bird can't always keep warm a large number eggs, so it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature. If the room is cool, you need to heat the house outside with a lamp. And no drafts.

A nursing female and grown chicks should be fed with cereals on the water: millet, wheat, barley. When the babies are 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, parents can immediately move on to the next brood. The female needs to gain strength for at least six months.

It is impossible not to love wavy parrots. If these charming birds once appear in the apartment, then people start them all the time. Cheerful chirping, perky disposition and friendliness perfectly brighten up loneliness and cheer up. You just need to properly feed the wavy and ensure their safety.