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Caring For Your Budgie Quick Facts Common Name: Budgerigar Latin Name: Melopsittacus undulatus Native To: Australia Size: Most budgies reach an adult body size of around 7", by 5 months of age. Weight: Average weight of an adult budgie is 42 grams. Life Span: The average lifespan of a pet budgie is 14 years.  Housing Your BudgieBudgies spend a lot of time on the move, both climbing and flying. Their cage should be as large as possible, but owners should aim for their budgie to spend considerable time outside of the cage on a regular basis. Avoid placing cages close to windows, to avoid extreme temperature changes and draughts. Budgies spend a lot of time playing with toys, and practising normal behaviours such as destructing wooden toys, and this should be encouraged. A selection of toys should be offered weekly, with a few being placed in the cage for a week at a time, then rotated with other toys to keep the budgie interested.  Feeding Your BudgieWhile complete seed mixes will make up the majority of a pet budgie's diet, it is important for owners to remember that wild budgies will eat a very wide range of foods, including seeds, grains and fresh vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, apples (remove seeds), berries and banana will prove popular with most budgies, and provide essential nutrients to help prevent vitamin deficiencies. Millet Spray and packaged treats, particularly those with a honey base, will be highly enjoyed but should be fed sparingly to prevent your budgie from gaining too much weight. Avoid feeding lemon and other citrus fruits, potato, avocado and lettuce.  Dietary Supplements Cuttlefish bone should be readily available to your budgie and provides an important source of calcium, as well as preventing the beak from becoming too long. Bird grit should also be available at all times, as a digestive aid it helps to grind the budgie's food in the stomach.  Behaviour Budgies naturally live in flocks so greatly appreciate the company of one or more other birds when they are kept as pets. Handtame budgies are more than content with regular interaction with their human 'flock'. Daily access to a large room to fly, will drastically improve both the health and happiness of a pet budgie who, in the wild, would fly for several hours per day seeking food and companionship. Before letting your budgie out to exercise, it is important to ensure that doors and windows are closed to prevent escapes, and many will benefit from curtains also being closed to prevent injury if they fly into windows.  Habitat Maintenance Cages should be cleaned out as often as needed, at least once per week. Owners can choose between using bird sand or sand paper to line their budgie's cage, with most owners finding sand paper to be more convenient for cleaning. Food and water dishes should be rinsed daily. A pet safe disinfectant should also be used weekly, to prevent odours and build up of bacteria.  Grooming & Hygiene Pet budgies should be offered a shallow water bath daily, as they love to splash around and use the water to clean themselves. Regular baths will also reduce the buildup of dust in the bird's feathers, which can help owners with mild allergies.  Health, Nail & Beak Care & UV Light Signs of ill health include weight loss, diarrhoea, fluffed up feathers, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. A vet should be consulted immediately if a pet is showing symptoms of ill health. Budgies beaks do not tend to grow too long, however vets will trim any that do. Nails should be kept at a reasonable length using sanded perches and perch covers. Budgies in the wild are naturally exposed to high levels of sunlight and so have evolved to use UV light to make vitamin D for calcium regulation. On sunny days, budgies can be placed in a sheltered spot outside, in their cages and under supervision.  Handling & Enrichment Handtame budgies enjoy spending time with their owners, and will show affection. Aviary budgies will take longer to come round to their owners but can still be tamed with lots of attention. Budgies get a lot of enjoyment from a good selection of toys. It is important that toys are rotated regularly so your budgie has something new to play with. Some budgies prefer destructible toys, others like to look at themselves in the mirror. Owners should ensure their budgie doesn’t get bored. A budgie needs a loving home for life, with a family who is prepared to care for it well. However, if circumstances change and you are unable to keep your pet, staff at Pet Connection will take your budgie in for rehoming, as soon as we have space. If you have any further questions, please just ask! |