Advice on Budgies

Budgies live in flocks in the wild and so also like a bit of budgie company when living as pets. It's best to keep males and females apart though, so that they don't breed.

Food and Water

Budgies eat a mixture of seeds, which can be bought already mixed. Remember to give your budgie:

• water and make sure that your budgie can always get to it
• grit as this helps the budgie digest food
• treats like apple and carrot every once in a while

Accommodation

You can keep budgies in cages or aviaries but they need a large enough enclosure to move around and spread their wings. Your budgie's cage needs to be:

• away from draughts and direct sunlight but somewhere light and airy
• away from the kitchen as birds are affected by fumes like gas
• lined on the bottom with sand sheets, wood shavings or bird-sand
• big enough for it to move around in
• fitted with a perch that's a comfortable size for the bird to grip

Many people keep budgies in an aviary so that they have more room to fly. If your budgies are in an aviary check that they have:

• shelter
• an inside area where they can roost at night
• a dry area to keep food

Exercise

Budgies need to fly around regularly. You could let your budgie fly around a secure room or in an aviary but before doing this you need to check that:

• windows are closed and any holes like chimneys are covered
• there are no other pets, like cats, in the room
• there is nothing that your budgie could damage in the room either with its beak or droppings
• you will be able to catch it again!

If you've let your budgie fly around and can't catch it again you could try:

• putting fresh food into the cage and leaving the door open, it may go in on its own
• waiting until the budgie lands and throwing a lightweight duster over it, then picking it up gently

Handling

You can encourage budgies to become more tame and sometimes even land on your finger. Remember to be patient and calm when training. To pick your budgie up:

• wait until it has landed on the floor or a solid surface (make sure that one hand is covering the door if you're taking it from an enclosure)
• put your hand gently over the bird
• close your hand around it until its wings are closed and its head is sticking out between your first and second fingers
• make sure that you are calm and gentle and never squeeze when holding it

Cleaning

Budgies will preen (clean their feathers) themselves, but you need to:

• clean your budgie's cage regularly

Health

Your budgie may need:

• to have its claws clipped, it's a good idea to get a vet to do this
• a rough bark perch in its enclosure to help keep claws short
• a cuttlefish bone to keep its beak in good condition