The budgerigar belongs to the species of parrots and is the only representative of the budgerigars. When purchasing a budgerigar, for a start, you should decide on the purpose of his stay in the house. He may simply act as a beloved pet that will become an excellent friend, or the purpose of acquiring it may be to further breed these birds.
It is on this criterion that the care behind the budgie.
Rules for caring for a budgerigar, how to choose a feathered friend
Most people who are going to buy a budgerigar have absolutely no idea what to look for before buying and how to keep their pet in the future. In order for the feathered friend to grow up healthy and cheerful, you should dwell on this issue in more detail.
How to choose a budgerigar?
Costs with maximum seriousness take this issue. It is best to purchase your budgie from a specialized breeder rather than from the poultry market. This will provide an opportunity to inspect the place where budgerigars live. Moreover, in such a place, the risk of acquiring a sick bird is much less than in the market.
The bird you like should be visually inspected. A healthy individual is active with clear eyes, the plumage is shiny and does not bristle in different directions. Each foot should have 4 toes. Two of them are in the front of the foot, two are in the back. A sick budgerigar, as a rule, sits motionless, he is not interested in what is happening around him, the plumage is ruffled, and the area around the cloaca can be smeared with liquid feces.
Optimal age for the purchase of poultry, a period of 2 to 4 months is considered. It was during this period that budgies quickly get used to the person and the place in which the bird will live, which will greatly simplify the process of further maintenance.
Age determination
In order to avoid deception on the part of the seller about the age of the bird, you should be able to independently determine how old the budgerigar is. For this, there are certain signs:
It is worth noting that these criteria are not suitable for variegated birds, whose entire color is always white or yellow. In such individuals, the eyes are always black, and the beak is light.
Determining the sex of the budgerigar
Parrots can be distinguished by gender by the color of the wax. While the birds are still young, both sexes have a light purple wax. At 4 months, the area above the beak in males becomes blue, and in females this part of the beak becomes beige. But after puberty, and this is the age of 9 months, in females the wax begins to darken up to brown.
Budgerigar care and maintenance, choice of home for budgerigars
For prosperous keeping the budgerigar at home, he needs not only the availability of high-quality food, but also the correct placement of the cage.
How to choose the location of the cage?
The best place for the cage is in the bright part of the room. It is not recommended to install a cage on the windowsill, since budgies are susceptible to drafts. Nevertheless, for budgerigars, daylight is vital: in the summer season at least 12 hours, in the winter from 10 hours. That is why in cold seasons, when the daylight hours are rather short, the owners should additionally illuminate the cage. In order for a pet to quickly get used to its owner, it is necessary to put the cage at the level of a person's height.
Cell selection
To correctly select a cage, you need to pay attention to the following criteria:
Equipment for the cage
To make the parrots feel comfortable in their home, it is necessary to put at least two perches of different diameters, drinkers, feeders and various toys.
All perches should be positioned in such a way that the parrot can fly from one to another without any problems.
Drinking bowls must be made of glass or porcelain. In such drinkers, the water stays fresh much longer. Drinkers should be washed in hot water every day. For cleaning, you can use baking soda, which you then need to thoroughly rinse and wipe the drinking bowl with a dry cloth.
There should be a minimum two... One will contain dry food, the second will contain fruits and vegetables.
Especially on hot summer days, you should put a bath in the cage. Bath water should not be too cold or hot. Once the bird has refreshed in the bath, it should be removed from the cage.
If only one parrot lives in the cage, then a small mirror must be placed in the upper part of the cage. It will help your budgie not feel lonely.
Budgerigar: care, maintenance and diet
The diet of these birds includes a large number of various fruits, vegetables and dressings.
Cereals the mixtures are composed of oats, flax and millet. It is best to purchase such a mixture in a sealed package, on the surface of which there is a transparent area. This will help to visually assess the quality of the purchased product.
Parrots get their vitamins mainly from fruits, vegetables and various berries. They love to nibble on carrots, cabbage leaves and cucumbers. For fruits, apples, oranges and peaches are ideal. The berries that are included in the diet of the budgerigar are represented by blackberries and raspberries. However, parrots will not refuse strawberries either.
In order for parrots to grow active and shine with health, they should be given mineral feeding... You can use chalk or sand as organic food. These substances are filled with calcium, which is necessary for the body of birds.
The first days after purchase, the bird should be kept separate from other birds, if any.
A change in environment can create stress for the bird. Therefore, the main rule of caring for a pet is to protect it from external irritating factors. Such factors include loud noises. In no case should you raise your voice to the parrot. When talking with him, you should make your voice as gentle as possible. No need to try to forcefully pick up your pet. This will only aggravate the situation, and the adaptation process will drag on for a long time. But, as soon as this barrier is overcome, you can start teaching your bird to talk.
Caring for a parrot is not easy and sometimes takes a lot of time. But believe me, your emotions from the bird are priceless. Care tips - read this article
Parrot care- this is a very responsible matter, because as Saint-Exupery said: "We are responsible for those whom we have tamed." Indeed, a captive parrot is like a small child that needs attention, needs to be cared for and needs a lot of communication with. If you want your pet to live a long and happy life, you need to take care and create the most comfortable conditions for your foreign family member.
Those emotions, the positive that you will experience thanks to this bird is actually priceless, and the time and effort that you spend on caring for the bird fades before them.
So, here are some tips on how to properly care for your parrot.
Parrot care includes:
1. The correct choice of cells.
2. The choice of the perch and other necessary elements of the "interior" of the cage.
3. Climatic conditions.
4. Lighting.
5. Location.
6. Correctly selected and varied feed.
7. Always have a fresh drink.
8. Regular and frequent communication.
All of these points are very important and require special attention.
Point 1. Correct choice of cage
The cage for your parrot should be:
1. Medium in size. The very large cages make it difficult to tame the parrots, and the small ones crowd them.
2. Rectangular shape. Round cages do not leave the parrot any space for solitude and they feel uncomfortable.
3. An area of 35 by 35 cm - for one parrot, 65 by 55 - for two.
4. With a retractable bottom to make it easier to clean the cage.
5. No fillers. For the winter time, you need to place a bath with sand for bathing your parrot and for his personal hygiene.
6. Without grill at the bottom. The grill can injure the bird's legs.
Item 2. Choosing a perch and other necessary elements of the "interior" of the cage
The parrot perch should be:
1. The diameter is 2 times that of a pencil. This is necessary for the correct grinding of the claws.
2. For the first time (about 3-4 months), it is better to use plastic perches, since the ticks are stored better in wooden perches.
3. After 5-6 months, the material of the perch should be changed from plastic to wood.
4. From pear, cherry or other fruit trees.
5. It is better to place 2 perches so that the parrot has a place to have fun.
Clause 3. Climatic conditions
1. Room temperature from +18 to + 25 °.
2. It is very important that there are no sudden changes in temperature.
3. The room should be free of drafts, but with fresh air.
Item 4. Lighting
1. Duration of daylight hours on average 15-16 hours. That is, the room in which the parrot will live should be well lit.
2. On short autumn and winter days, it is necessary to turn on the light in the room, it is better to do this in the morning and in the evening.
Clause 5. Location
2. The cage of your pet should be at eye level, so it will be more convenient for you to communicate and follow the parrot. Remember that by placing the cage high, you give your parrot the right to be superior to you.
3. Do not place your parrot cage in a very noisy place. If you are a lover of loud and heavy music, then it is better to place the parrot away from speakers and other musical equipment.
Item 6. Proper and varied nutrition
Remember that proper and varied nutrition will guarantee your bird longevity. Conversely, the wrong one leads to diseases of parrots, such as diarrhea. Therefore, it is very important to pay special attention to what the parrot eats and drinks. The parrot needs to be fed:
1. Cereals and cereals: oats, millet, canary seed. Do not forget to get rid of the husk in the feeder 1-3 times a day. It is also recommended to sprout millet and oats in a jar, and then leave it in a cage so that the parrot can eat at any time.
The cereal ration of the bird is well diversified by ears of wheat and oats. Not only is it good for digestion, but it is also a good exercise for the beak.
Parrots also feed on the seeds of corn and wild grasses, but everything must first be soaked in water to soften the seeds. You can sometimes delight a parrot with sunflower seed and nuts, but no more than 2 pieces per day.
2. Greens: nettle, dandelion, plantain, thistle, lettuce, beet tops, St. John's wort, woodlice, knotweed,
3. Live food: moths, larvae, bugs.
4. Fruits and berries, but without seeds, as well as vegetables (except for garlic and onions).
5. Protein food: finely chopped boiled, but cooled egg, low-fat cottage cheese, white, stale bread, after soaking it in tea, water or milk.
1. Dill, parsley, basil.
2. Fruits not of the first freshness and with seeds.
3. Food for people: salty, fatty, meat and spicy.
Clause 7. Availability of always fresh drink
Drink should be:
1. Always fresh.
2. The water should be at room temperature.
Clause 8. Regular and frequent communication
Do not forget that your bird is a living creature that requires attention and care. Parrots are very sociable birds, therefore, they should not be left alone for a long time.
If you work late, it is best to turn on the radio of the parrot. So he will think that he is not alone.
Try to communicate as often as possible, so your parrot will learn to speak faster and thus please you and your family.
Along with dogs, cats and fish, budgerigars are very popular for home keeping. These colorful and funny birds will be a worthy decoration for your home. You can find out how to take care of them by reading this article.
General information about budgies
These birds are native to Australia, where they are distributed everywhere except the coast and the northeastern forests of the mainland. Live in semi-desert and steppe regions, within which they constantly migrate. The only exception is the period when they build their nests. The population of these parrots in the wild is influenced by climatic conditions and the availability of food. Hunger and drought often reduce it. Birds come to the aid of agricultural land and artificial reservoirs created by man. They become for them a constant source of food and water.
They keep in flocks from 20 to several hundred individuals. Under natural conditions, seeds serve as food for wavy various plants and, extremely rarely, insects. Nesting of these parrots occurs during the Australian rains. They build their nests in the hollows of trees, mostly eucalyptus. Sometimes they can use stumps and trunks of fallen trees for these purposes.
Into the nest female lays 5 to 12 oval white eggs, which incubate for 16-21 days. The male at this time becomes the breadwinner. Completely naked and blind cubs hatch from eggs, which receive their sight by the tenth day of life. After a month, having fledged, they begin to leave the nest.
How to choose a parrot?
To the choice of a bird need to be serious enough... It depends on this how long the parrot will delight you with its company and how healthy it will be.
When buying a feathered friend, consider:
- the age of the animal. It is ideal to take a chick at the age of 5-6 weeks, since it will adapt more quickly to a new home.
- appearance. A healthy parrot has a clean, smooth, shiny feather cover. The feet should be smooth and flawless, and the beak should be dry and clean.
- activity within the cell. A healthy chick is very energetic and mobile. If he sits, huddled in a corner and buried in the feathers with his beak, then the state of his health is in doubt.
Male or female?
Determining the sex of budgerigars is not particularly difficult. Voskovitsa (area above the beak) in males it is blue, and in females it is gray or light brown. This feature allows you to almost accurately determine the sex differences in these birds.
The younger the individual, the paler its wax and plumage.
You should know that these animals are very attached to the owner... Therefore, if you do not have enough time to communicate with your pet, buy him a pair. Some people contain several wavy lines at the same time.
Cell selection
When choosing a cage, it should be borne in mind that its the area should allow the bird to fly from place to place... The budgerigar will feel comfortable in a house, the dimensions of which will be at least 60 cm (H) by 80 cm (W). At the same time, there should not be too many toys and other equipment. The structure of the dwelling should be convenient for cleaning, since this will have to be done quite often. Keeping parrots outside the cage is strongly discouraged!
The cage must be install bathing container, which corresponds to the size of the bird. The parrot must have easy access to it. It is better to choose one that will be fixed to the rods of the cage and filled with water from the outside.
As for the perches, then priority is given to natural wood except for eucalyptus, pink and oak. They should be well secured, otherwise there is a risk of injury.
The parrot will be happy with special toys(bells, ladders, balls), but in order to avoid excessive cluttering of the free space of the cage, there should not be more than two or three of them.
Light mode
It is the key to the health and comfort of birds. Optimal daylight hours, which the parrot needs - 12 hours in the summer and 14 hours in the winter. In summer, sunbathing will be useful, and in winter the lighting should be as close to the solar spectrum as possible. Darkness is a prerequisite for healthy sleep, prevention of stress reactions and stimulation of the immune system. If you cover the cage with a lightweight cloth at night, the parrot will get used to falling asleep immediately after dark.
Air humidity
It is also an important condition and should be 60–70%. Dry air is not the best way for a pet. Therefore, during the heating season it is necessary to use humidifiers.
The temperature regime must be monitored pretty strict. The optimum temperature in the room where the budgerigar is kept should vary within + 23-25 degrees. In hot weather, in order to avoid overheating, it is necessary to provide access to fresh water. It is recommended to use a special lamp to heat the parrot in cold weather. It is better not to use heaters, as they dry out the air too much.
In order for the budgerigar to feel comfortable, it is necessary to provide proper care for its housing. It is imperative to clean the cage in the morning and evening. Do not use synthetic detergents for this. It is enough just to rinse it with running water, and then scald it with boiling water and wipe it with a dry clean cloth. Periodically, the dwelling where the parrot lives can be wiped with a decoction of chamomile or wormwood.
The feeder and drinker must also be cleaned daily. The feeder should be of an open type, since having climbed into a closed feeder, a parrot may become its hostage. Having experienced severe stress, the animal may die.
What does the budgie eat?
Feeding the bird is also an important part of caring for it. The diet that a parrot receives should be varied and balanced. But its main component should be millet, since these are granivorous birds. So that the budgerigar does not have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, it should be fed with grain in a certain percentage composition: 50% yellow, 25% white and 15% red millet. In addition, it should include 10% of shelled oats. Your best bet is to buy budgerigar specialty cereal mixes from pet stores.
- Greens;
- Vegetables;
- Berries and fruits;
- Minerals.
To enrich the body with vitamin E, you should periodically give your pet sprouted grain.
Greens: in the warm season, the parrot should receive lettuce, dandelion, plantain, and clover leaves. You can also give radish and carrot tops. Before putting greens in the cage, wash them well with warm water. In winter, sprouted oats are suitable as green food, which can be grown independently in a box on the windowsill.
Care must be taken to ensure that the parrot does not eat the leaves and flowers of indoor plants, since they can be toxic to him.
Vegetables The budgerigar should be consumed all year long. They are sources of beneficial nutrients and are rich in vitamins. Birds are very fond of carrots, which are rich in carotene. You can also give them cucumbers and tomatoes, bell peppers, fresh zucchini and beets, radishes. They eat well different types of cabbage: cauliflower, white cabbage, broccoli. Before giving to animals, vegetables must be scalded with boiling water.
Berries and fruits that feed the parrot must be fresh and clean. Suitable for these purposes: apples, grapes, bananas, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, cherries. In the summertime, you can pamper your pet with a melon or watermelon. It is better to refrain from feeding with exotic fruits.
From time to time you can give your pet boiled cereals: wheat, barley, buckwheat and others.
Minerals... To replenish the reserves of minerals and calcium, the budgerigar must necessarily receive chalk and sepia (a derivative of the cuttlefish skeleton), which can be purchased at any pet store.
The drinker should always have clean drinking water so that the pet can drink when he wants.
Reproduction and breeding of budgies
If you take care of your pets correctly, they will easily please you with their offspring.
These birds reach sexual maturity by four months. m, but they become ready for reproduction no earlier than one year. It is advisable to let the pet choose its own mating partner.
The room temperature should be + 20-24 degrees... In a cage where mating and breeding of birds is supposed to be put a special plywood house with a folding roof. This is necessary in order to keep under control everything that happens in it. Not very large sawdust should be placed on the bottom of it. The couple must be provided with sufficient food and water.
Soon after mutual courtship, the female lays eggs with two days (their total number can reach eight pieces) and begins to incubate them for 2-3 weeks. All this time, the male regurgitates food and feeds her. The hatched cubs are absolutely bald and blind. After their appearance, periodically you should carefully look into the house. It is advisable that the young mother does not notice your manipulations. She feeds the chicks with a secret that stands out from her special glands.
After 35–40 days, the grown and fledgling chicks begin to leave the house. Despite the fact that the parents still feed them, it is necessary to pour grain for them on the floor in the cage. It is better to plant grown-up parrots in a separate cage so that adults do not accidentally injure them.
What are parrots sick with?
In natural conditions, budgerigars are extremely rarely susceptible to disease. But in a home environment, birds can have health problems. Here is some of them:
Providing your pet comfortable maintenance and care, you can enjoy his company for a long 12 - 15 years.
Of the tropical birds that many hobbyists keep at home, the most famous parrots... They delight with the beauty of plumage, easily endure captivity and give a lot of pleasure with their cheerful disposition, if you carefully follow them look after... Parrots are common in all parts of the world except Europe, and are found both in the lowlands and high in the mountains. They live not only in the tropical zone, sometimes they penetrate into temperate latitudes. One of the species - the pygmy parrot - penetrated the farthest to the north, but now it is completely exterminated.
What kind of parrot can you have at home?
There are parrots about the size of a sparrow, but there are also large ones - about the size of a crow or even a capercaillie.
Of the whole squad of parrots the greatest ability to perceive human speech is possessed by large species: gray, Amazonian parrots, cockatoo and macaw. All these birds can be conventionally combined into a group of "talking parrots".
Small species of parrots(for example, wavy) for the most part delight the amateur with another feature - they easily breed in captivity. Among small species, sometimes individual specimens learn to speak a few words.
Parrots have highly developed sense organs. These are the most "capable" representatives of birds: they are quick-witted, cautious and cunning, have a good memory and therefore are easy to learn. If mistreated, they can be very angry, they remember the offense inflicted on them for a long time. That is why you should be very careful about keeping birds and know how to properly care for a parrot at home.
Houses often give birth to budgerigars, lovebirds, gray, cockatoo, cockatiel (nymph), rosella, Amazonian, Alexandrian and Senegalese parrots.
What cage can you keep your parrot in at home?
At home parrots necessary contain in rectangular or round cells... For large species, the cage should be of sufficient size so that the bird can freely spread its wings or, clinging to the top of the cage with its claws, hang upside down without touching the perches. When small parrots (for example, wavy) are kept alone, the cage should be 60x40x30 cm in size, if the cage is round, then the diameter and height, respectively, 30x40 cm.
All cages should be made of iron (preferably nickel-plated) wire, with a retractable tin tray, into which washed river sand mixed with ash is poured. Under no circumstances should cages made of copper wire be used.
The cage is placed at the level of human height in the bright part of the room, not close to the window. In it, perches made of hard wood of such a thickness are strengthened so that the parrot's fingers do not converge a little when he grabs it, they hang a metal or porcelain feeder and a porcelain or glass drinking bowl. The sand is changed at least once a week, and the cage is disinfected and poured with boiling water every month. Perches are periodically cleaned. Until the disinfected cage is completely dry, the parrot is kept in another.
What can you feed a domestic parrot, except for specials. feed?
The food should be varied and, if possible, close to what the parrots eat in the wild. Moldy, rotten or musty food should never be given: parrots will get sick and die . except special feed, usually bought in a store, pet parrots need vitamin food, grains.
The main food of large parrots is grain feed - corn, wheat, millet, oats, hemp, nuts, sunflower. Small species are given millet, canary seed, oats, hemp and small sunflower. Oilseeds - hemp, nuts and sunflower - are given to all parrots, without exception, in limited quantities. If this rule is not followed, what can you feed your pet parrots, the bird gets sick. There is a metabolic disorder, he grows fat and begins to pluck himself or his fellows. This disease is very difficult to cure and only in the initial stage.
In addition to grains, domestic parrots should be given vitamin and soft food at least twice a week. Vitamin foods include vegetables, especially carrots, and fruits, and soft foods - cereals: rice, oatmeal or millet with milk - as well as cottage cheese, hard-boiled and chopped chicken eggs and soaked in water and squeezed white bread. Bitter almonds, parsley and meat products are not recommended for parrots.
The cage should always contain mineral food (chalk and charcoal) and tree branches: linden, willow, aspen or poplar. To give parrots food you need it once a day - in the morning, always at the same time and without fail from a clean feeder. The water should always be clean and fresh, at room temperature. You need to give so much food so that by the evening it is eaten without a trace and so that the parrot does not feel hunger.
It is especially necessary to dwell on the maintenance and feeding of loris - a group of parrots that differ in the way they are fed. Lorises in the wild feed on fruits and nectar, which they lick off tropical flowers with a tongue ending in a tassel. For most loris species, nectar is the main food source, making it difficult to care for them in captivity.
When properly fed, lorises tolerate captivity well, and when given certain conditions, some of them sometimes breed. They should be fed with various cereals, sweet fruits, compote and honey. Gradually, lorises need to be accustomed to grain feed, although this is not possible with all species and not even with all specimens of the same species. At the same time, they do this: first they give well-boiled grain, then more and more hard and finally raw. When giving the loris any food for the first time, you need to be careful: feed it little by little until the bird gets used to it. Keeping lorises in captivity is a difficult but very interesting task.
Based on the materials of the magazine "Family and School", 1967
Budget parrots, bright, cheerful and quick-witted, are able to brighten up the monotonous life of a lonely person and bring animation to the everyday life of a friendly family. It is not surprising that those who like to communicate with talkative parrots most often turn on “wavy” ones.
Description of the budgerigar
A stepped tail, which grows up to 10 cm, visually enlarges the bird, whose body usually reaches 17-23 cm, by about a third. An adult parrot weighs from 40 to 45 grams.
The dominant plumage of birds living in the wild is emerald green, but the neck and head (front) are colored bright yellow. Three neat black spots are visible on both sides of the throat.
Dark waves descend along the back of the head, back of the head and yellow back, whose lines thicken when passing to the back. The younger the bird, the more blurred the pattern.
Modern varieties of "wavy", bred by breeders, have a varied variegated color and even the absence of an obvious wavy pattern.
A strong curved beak, at the base of which there is a wax with nostrils, is covered with a stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is also present at the tip of the thick short tongue.
The color of the wax tree tells about the parrot's field: in the adult male it is bright blue, in the young it is purple; in an adult female it is brown or blue, in a young female it is blue.
The parrot's beak is different from that of other birds: it remains mobile due to the fact that the longer upper jaw is connected to the skull by a tendon. A dark beak is observed in chicks, and a pale yellow, with a greenish tint, in adult parrots.
The budgie's beak has several important functions:
- With its help, birds capture and carry objects.
- Used for crushing small branches, fruits, seeds and leaves.
- It is used for climbing trees, cage rods and aviary netting.
- Sometimes it serves as a weapon of defense.
The horny teeth inside the beak also help parrots to pluck / gnaw the fruits and peel off the husks from the grains. These teeth also serve as a file, sharpening the anterior beak area.
It is interesting! Feathers of males, located on the forehead, glow when exposed to ultraviolet rays. The more intense the fluorescent glow, the more attractive the female partner is.
The parrot's legs, which are made up of 4 long, bent toes, can be grayish blue or pink. Two toes are facing forward and two are facing back, which makes the birds excellent tree climbers and walk on horizontal surfaces. With its paw, the parrot grabs and picks up the desired object, including food, and holds it next to its beak.
Habitat, habitat in the wild
Australia is not only home to budgies (the most common parrots on the mainland), but also their main habitat.
Birds nest along the southwestern and eastern coasts (avoiding northern areas with dense forests), as well as on nearby islands, including about. Tasmania.
Looking for plots for nesting, parrots choose steppe and semi-desert areas with rare trees.
In the north of the mainland, breeding of offspring of "wavy" does not depend on the season (only the rainy period is excluded), in the south it usually falls on November-December.
Parrots live in flocks of 20 to several hundred birds. They fly from place to place in flocks, looking for food and water, sometimes stopping in the middle of green plains, where they eat grass seeds.
Birds easily cover great distances due to their high flight speed, similar to that of a swallow. Coming in for landing, the parrot bends its wings down like a quail.
The wild population of budgerigars has now declined significantly. Bird watchers believe these are the consequences of human intervention in Australia's landscape.
It is interesting! The aboriginal tribes, who gave the budgerigar the name “bedgerigas”, which translates as “fit for food”, may have been involved in the process of the decline of birds.
Budgerigar at home
To keep your parrots comfortable, set the cage on a raised (level with your height) in a well-lit area. Birds need long daylight hours: 10-12 hours in winter and 12-14 hours in summer. With the onset of late autumn, additional light sources must be used. Do not place the cage on a windowsill, as parrots catch colds easily.
Cell device
The minimum size of the cage for free fluttering of the bird is 25 * 40 * 40 cm. If the bird is not alone, the area of its housing is increased. It is better to take a rectangular cage, to the flat top of which it is easier to attach toys.
The bottom of the cage should be solid so that the claws do not get stuck between the rods.
A comfortable cage for "wavy" looks like this:
- at least 2 horizontal perches;
- glass / porcelain drinkers (they are washed daily with hot water and soda);
- two feeders: one for grains, the other for soft food.
- baths with warm water (they are usually placed in the summer, cleaning after water procedures);
- if the bird lives alone, a mirror is suspended from the “ceiling”.
Important! The purchased cage and accessories are immediately disinfected, for which they are doused with boiling water and wiped dry.
Moving to a new place of residence for a parrot will become stressful, so keep it calm for 2-3 weeks: exclude loud sounds, increased attention of children and pets. Talk to the bird kindly, but do not pick it up: it will decide for itself when it can trust you.
Before going to bed, cover the cage with a cloth, leaving the front wall open: this way the parrot will calm down faster and will not chirp while everyone is sleeping.
The sun promotes the production of vitamin D in the body, so when warmth comes, take the cage with your pet to an open balcony, slightly shading it from the sheer rays of the sun.
The budgerigar molts twice a year... At this time, the bird does not fly. Try to disturb her less and feed her with vitamins.
Despite the fact that wavy people drink little, access to water must be constant. It should not be boiled, but it should be passed through a filter, occasionally adding lemon juice (a few drops). You can buy proven bottled water.
To make it easier to care for the claws, the perches in the cage are made of wood: if they are plastic, the claws will not naturally grind off.
The cage is cleaned daily, and a spring cleaning is arranged once a month. A clean cell can be wiped with chamomile / wormwood decoction.
Budgerigar feeding
It corresponds to the energy consumption of the bird. You can take ready-made mixtures consisting of oats, millet, canary grass, meadow grasses and sunflower seeds. Make sure that the factory product is fresh, without dyes and chemical additives.
Sometimes give sprouted food: oats (tablespoon) are brewed with boiling water, filtering after half an hour. Such food quickly deteriorates, so the leftovers (after 1-2 hours) are thrown away.
If you are interested in the longevity of your bird, don't keep it on cereal mixes only. The diet should include:
- apple, pumpkin, plum, pear, mango, kiwi, strawberry, peach, grated beet / carrot;
- lettuce leaves, dandelion, dill and spinach (in winter, grated dry nettle is added to the feed);
- washed twigs of willow and fruit trees;
- chopped cottage cheese and boiled eggs, flavored with grated carrots or beets;
- honey crackers and parrot sticks (be careful) to prevent the bird gaining excess weight.
Fresh food is given every day... When pouring in the grain mixture, remove the scales from yesterday's portion. Vitamin supplements are needed only for molting, severe stress, illness and feeding chicks.
The list of prohibited foods includes:
- raw potatoes and rhubarb;
- chocolate and alcohol;
- milk.
It is interesting! The budgerigar can be poisoned by indoor plants, including delphinium, diphenbachia, snowdrop, oleander, milkweed, azalea, daffodil, amaralis bulbs, lily of the valley, and asparagus berries.
For normal digestion, the parrot needs sand, which is bought at the pet store and poured into the bottom of the cage.
How long do budgerigars live
Rare specimens in nature last up to 8 years: usually the life of parrots is half as long. Birds die of hunger, in the teeth of predators and natural disasters.
It is natural that, against the background of their wild counterparts, domestic budgerigars look like mafusailas, living up to 10-15 and even up to 20 years.
Parrot diseases, prevention
The most common diseases of "wavy" are:
Remember that females rush even in the absence of a male.... A trapped egg can paralyze the bird's leg and cause death. Put some petroleum jelly into the cloaca, put a warm cloth on the bottom of the cage, and a heating pad under the bottom. If the egg doesn't come out, go to the branch cabinet.
Important! Ticks are destroyed with ointments (novertin or aversectin), brushing the beak, wax, paws and cloaca with a brush. Vegetable oil is also good.
Birds with a cold are treated by irradiating several times a day with a table (not quartz!) 40-60 W lamp. They are given vitamins, chamomile broth is placed on the bottom of the cell.
Reproduction of parrots
Budgerigars fully mature for reproduction at 1-1.5 years. Couples are provided with long daylight hours, temperature conditions, a special diet and vitamins.
For mating, which takes place in summer and autumn, birds need a nest box:
- With internal dimensions - height no more than 15 cm, bottom 25 * 15 cm.
- Convertible to keep brood healthy and crate clean.
- With wood chips at the bottom.
- With a depression where the eggs are located.
- With a perch, along which the female and her chicks go down / go up.
Especially for chicks, food (with calcium powder necessary for the growth of the skeleton) is poured not into the feeder, but at the bottom of the nest.
As soon as they start eating on their own, separate the children from the mother, otherwise she will bite them. Remove shells and dead chicks... To prevent the female from being exhausted by frequent labor, do not allow her to give birth more than twice in a row. Just remove the nest box.