Basic Care of Budgies/Parakeets
by Julien Mercier
Budgies (parakeets) are easy to care for, tame easily and can even learn to say a few words! With some basic care your budgie will be a happy and lively companion for several years. Here is some basic information to help keep your bird healthy.
The first days home: Your bird has just been through a lot of stress today. It's been separated from its flock, most likely had its wing feathers clipped, placed in a new cage and taken to an unfamiliar home. After making sure your bird has food and water, it is important to give it some quiet time to let it recover from its ordeal. Avoid spooking the bird and attempt to tame it. First, your bird needs a few days to get used to its new cage and its human family. Whenever possible, approach the cage slowly while talking to the bird with a soft voice. For the first two weeks, avoid physical contact with the bird and put your hands in the cage only to change water and food. Try to talk to the bird a few times a day, it will learn to recognize you.
Cage and equipment: The cage should be as large as you can afford. A cage of 18"x18"x18" is a good size for a single budgie. It should have a few perches or swings. A few toys (2 or 3) should be provided. Budgies enjoy climbing ladders, playing with small plactic balls, bells or ropes. Clean cage and perches regularly. The cage should be placed ideally in a spot free of draft (avoid putting the cage in front of a window), where the bird can see his family. Dining rooms or family rooms are usually good locations. Most birds enjoy music but should not be too close to load speakers.
Food and water: Feed a good parakeet seed mix. Change food and water daily. Good hygiene and nutrition will go a long way in keeping your bird healthy. A vitamin supplement, either in the form of a vitamin-enriched seed mix or as a soluble formulation added to drinking water, is a good idea as seed are deficient is some nutrients. A cuttlebone should be provided as a source of calcium. Although green vegetables such as broccoli or spinach are good for birds, many budgies will take weeks to accept them, if ever. Give a millet spray as a treat.
Night time: Cover the cage in the evening to allow your bird to sleep. Budgies should have 10-12 hours of sleep. Birds lacking sleep tend to be cranky. A night light is a good idea to prevent night fright, which can be caused by unfamiliar noises at night.
Taming: If you want to tame your bird, keep it alone without other birds and do not provide a mirror. It's important to have the wing feather clipped so the untame bird is easier to handle. Young budgies are a lot easier to tame than adult ones. After having the bird home for about a week, you can start offering millet spray as a treat. First, hold the sprays through the bars of the cage. When the bird is used to eat it that way, start putting your hand holding the millet inside the cage. Do a couple of sessions a day. Never chase or grab the bird. You have to let it build its confidence. After a few weeks your bird should be able to eat the millet while sitting on your hand inside the cage. At this point, you can start trying to take the bird out of the cage on your hand. At first, keep it short and replace the bird in the cage within a minute or two. Gradually increase the amount of time. Remember, birds have a short attention span and a few short sessions work better than a long one. With time, your bird will lose completely its fear of your hands and will want to come out of its cage to be with you. Birds can be moody, so it's better to leave it alone if it does not want to come out of its cage. Don't force the bird. Once your bird is tame, keep handling it regularly so it does not lose its tameness.