Parakeets are cute, delightful birds that make for fantastic pets. In fact, after cats and dogs, parakeets are the third-most kept pets.
The Australian native bird costs little to maintain and is typically happy in a home environment. She will even try to imitate your words over time. If you’ve brought home your first budgie, you will want to ensure she stays healthy and happy.
Below are areas of interest when it comes to taking care of budgies. Everything from behavior to the environment, diet, and health are crucial aspects of a pet’s life and requires monitoring.
Behavior
Parakeets are very active and playful; they can be vocal, but most are quieter than parrots. You can keep a single budgie if you spend substantial time bonding and interacting with her.
If not, consider buying another budgie. Budgies love friends and will warmly welcome one. However, these birds will become less tame and poorly mimic speech. Hand-fed baby budgies and the ones often handled are easiest to hand-tame as they grow.
Parakeets are intelligent and emotional creatures. Providing love and support is one of the most effective ways of gaining your budgie’s trust.
Setting Up a Home
Get your parakeet a big cage because birds need space to stretch their wings and play. Buy a cage that is wider than tall and has a square top. Parakeets fly horizontally, not vertically.
Avoid circular and fancy-topped cages, as parakeets cannot stretch their wings and fly appropriately in one. Your bird must be free to spread her wings and fly.
Try to find a model that allows light to go through. Most budgies fear the dark because the movements and noises they cannot see frighten them. Only keep a budgie in the dark during the night when she is sleeping.
Do not crowd the cage with other budgies, toys, or perches. Test a few cages and find the one you can clean easily. Can your hand fit in the cage? Keep in mind budgies poop every ten to fifteen minutes.
Food and Water
Feeding your bird is essential to her health and well-being. Get your parakeet three containers for seed, water, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
The containers should always be free from contaminants that could harm your budgie; place them far from the perches.
Change your budgie’s water daily to prevent bacterial build-up, and blow away empty seed husks from her container. Also, remove leftover food within a few hours. Keep all three containers in a place that you can easily access.
Monitoring Your Budgie’s Health
A parakeet owner is responsible for monitoring her bird’s health. You can take your budgie to the vet at least once a year for a check-up.
If you see a change in behavior from your budgie or discover something unusual, visit the vet as soon as possible.
Look for abnormal breathing, obesity, egg binding, chronic egg laying, mucus on the feather, discharge from the eyes or the beak, loss of weight, and abnormal behavior.
Creating a Nice Environment for Your Parakeet to Sleep
A good night’s sleep is essential for any animal, including parakeets. When your bird goes to sleep, throw a blanket or light towel atop the cage.
The towel or blanket will help eliminate noise and keep out cold drafts. If your parakeet is afraid of the dark, which most budgies are, you can install a small night light. Never let your budgie panic, as she could begin flying around the cage and get injured.
You don’t want your bird to suffocate inside the cage so ensure the ventilation is sufficient and that the budgie doesn’t chew the fabric or get her claws stuck in it.
Strive to Win Your Parakeet’s Trust
It is much easier to take care of a budgie while she trusts you. So gaining a budgie’s trust is practical; it takes some time, but with persistence and patience, you will see the fruits.
For the first few days after buying a parakeet, put your hand in her cage without moving it. Do it for 3-5 days so the bird gets used to you.
Once the budgie seems comfortable with your hand in the cage, touch the bird’s chest with your finger and push it slightly to encourage her to climb on your finger. Repeat this for a few days.
You can also win your bird’s trust by feeding her. Dip any finger in water and touch some grains so that they stick. Direct your finger to the budgie’s beak; if she eats, she’s grown fond of you, but if she doesn’t eat, some more work needs to be done.
Final Thoughts
Parakeets have been popular options for years. They can be found in almost all pet stores, although native to Australia.
Despite their small size, parakeets are fascinating pets. They are charming and playful with outstanding personalities, intelligence, wonderful coloring, and sociability.
Parakeets are affordable and easy to take care of. In this article, we talk about aspects that are crucial in maintaining the well-being of your budgie.
If you are a new or prospective owner, you are in the right place to gain valuable knowledge to help keep your bird healthy and happy.
