How to care for a parrot cage. Budgerigars: proper care. Cell selection and placement. How to equip the "home" of a budgerigar? Budgerigar food

09.10.2019

When a parrot becomes one of the important family members, more positive, light and joy appear in life. How to prepare for the appearance of a decorative bird in the house, if you have not cared for parrots before?

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.

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How to care for a parrot at home?

What should be the care at home? As in the case of caring for a puppy or kitten, you need to prepare in a complex way. This concept includes devices for sleeping, eating, bathing, entertainment and procedures for the care and prevention of bird diseases.

b"> Buying a cage: what to look for?

The cage is the parrot's personal space, so it shouldn't be too small or too big. bird species for home content most often small in size, so experts recommend determining the size of the cage at the rate of 35 by 35 cm per individual or 65 by 55 for two. Such a recommendation should not be followed in relation to medium and large individuals, for example, for cockatoos or famous macaws. Their cell sizes are calculated according to their own parameters and living habits.

Separately, we note that despite the relatively small size, Rosella also requires a large cage. Optimal for a pair of individuals will be a cage with a volume of 1.5 square meters. meters.

The shape of the cage should resemble a rectangle so that the bird can find a secluded corner for sleeping. Cells of oval, cylindrical and similar shapes are not suitable for such purposes. They act faster decorative element rooms, but should not serve as a permanent place for the life of a parrot.

You can set up beautiful but temporary cages in the center of the room or on a special table for receiving guests to whom songbirds will serenades. If you have a budgerigar at home, then you should not do this. He is closer to communicating with his family than with strangers.

For normal life, parrots need perches on which they will rest, that is, fall, move around the cage and play. The best material for their manufacture is fruit trees. For example, the Corella parrot, the care and maintenance of which also seems quite simple, quickly renders them unusable. Almost every year they peck at the surface of thin partitions, which clean their beaks. If they choose a denser wood for their perches, it will last longer, but the benefit to the bird will be much less.

The optimal temperature for keeping parrots

The temperature of the parrot has great importance because it's too cold and warm air may result in deterioration of his health. In general, poultry are highly affected by climatic conditions, That's why Special attention should be given to drafts and sudden changes in temperature in the room.

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The optimal temperature limits for keeping a parrot are determined within 18-25 degrees Celsius. For tropical and rare species these frames can shift a little, but you should not overdo it. For Amazons, experts recommend maintaining the temperature of the content at 20 degrees.

Please note that in summer period you should not take out the cage with the parrot on the balcony. This idea may sound good to many, but in just one night a bird can get pneumonia. If you have a loggia, it will not be superfluous to take the cage there for a couple of hours on a pleasant summer day and open the windows, but no more.

Parrot nutrition: complex mixtures and prohibited foods

Parrots of common species are quite undemanding to food, they prefer grain mixtures of cereals and other crops. It is recommended to buy such ready-made mixtures in pet stores, but cases of purchasing them in a supermarket and similar stores are not ruled out.

The standard composition of the mixture for parrots looks something like this: oats, flax and weed seeds, millet, sunflower, hemp and the like. For each type of parrot, manufacturers offer their own options for additives, which can be wheat, corn, pieces of dried exotic fruits, etc.

From fresh products, domestic birds of the Rosella and Carlella species, for example, prefer cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, plums, cherries, apples, pears and cherry plums. This list is endless, the main thing is to try new things little by little. natural products, and your bird will delight with a healthy look and vociferous singing.

Almost all species are not recommended for parrots, including lovebirds, dill and parsley, cilantro, and sugary foods. The latter means that any candied fruits, cookies and chocolate should be completely excluded from the diet.

Parrot health: bathing, hygiene procedures and more

In addition to organizing a place in a cage and feeding a bird, you need to seriously approach the issue of the health of the latter. For a long life without diseases, she will need some hygiene procedures, regular bathing and occasional use of nutritional supplements.

First of all, let's talk about hygiene procedures. Parrots are quite clean birds, so keeping their cage clean is a must. It is recommended to choose a cage with a removable bottom and without metal parts that can injure the paws.

At the bottom of the cage, you need to lay frequent sheets of paper, as the parrot can peck at them. If they had traces of ink, paint or any hazardous substances, it may lead to poisoning. If you do not like the paper version from an aesthetic point of view, then you can buy special fillers in the form of hay for the substrate. It's comfortable and a budget option creating a cozy atmosphere in the cage.

Also, the issue of cleanliness concerns the periodic cleaning of the beak and feathers of your pet. To clean the beak, it is enough to periodically give spikelets of wheat or oats, from which he will choose grains. This procedure will allow you to easily remove any contamination from the external and inside beak and bring real pleasure to the parrot.

Feather cleaning occurs during bathing and plucking. The second procedure is carried out by the birds themselves as needed, but the regularity of taking a bath is controlled by the owners. The Alexandrian parrot, for example, in its natural conditions loves to swim in the rain. If you periodically spray warm water in the cage on hot days, he will be immensely grateful to you.

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So, understanding how to care for a parrot is quite simple. It will not be difficult to prepare for the appearance of a bird in the house in advance if you gradually buy everything you need and read the basic information about the content of your chosen species.

So, you have decided to purchase a budgerigar.

Before you go to the store or the market for him, determine for yourself the purpose of acquiring a bird: do you need it as a companion or will it be used for breeding.

Further care for the budgerigar depends on this.

Budgerigars: proper care. How to choose a feathered pet?

Rules for choosing a budgerigar

It is important to take the choice of a bird seriously and buy it better from an experienced breeder, where you can personally assess the conditions in which the birds are kept and observe their behavior. The risk of buying a sick bird here is much less than in the poultry market.

The selected bird must be examined. Healthy parrots are active, their plumage is close to the body and looks shiny, their eyes are clean and clear, without clouding. The paws should have 4 toes (2 pointing forward and 2 back) with claws, the scales should fit evenly against each other. A sick bird is inactive and indifferent to what is happening, sits ruffled, its plumage is dull and disheveled, and around the cloaca it can be stained with liquid feces.

Sick parrot sits ruffled

You should buy young parrots aged from 1.5 to 3-4 months. During this period, they most quickly get used to a person and a new place of residence. Older birds are more difficult to endure a change of scenery, and are less tamed.

How to determine the age of a parrot?

In order not to be deceived by the seller when buying a budgerigar and not to buy an old bird instead of a young one, you should learn to determine its age yourself by the following signs:

1. There is a black “smear” on the beaks of chicks up to 2 months old, which disappears as they grow older;

2. Parrots under 3 months old have a characteristic “wavy” pattern on their heads from beak to back;

3. At the age of 3.5-4 months, the first "juvenile" molt occurs. After its completion, the parrot will have a yellow or white “cap” on its head with the remnants of barely noticeable “waves”;

4. Chicks have completely black eyes. By 5-10 months, the iris of the eyes brightens. Adult birds have a white rim around the pupil;

5. Throat spots in young age birds have a semicircular shape with blurred contours. In parrots older than 6 months, the spots are clear in the form of an oval;

6. The cere of young birds is pale lilac or pinkish. After 4 months of life, the upper beak of males becomes bright blue, and females become beige or light blue. By 8-9 months, the cere of females becomes brown;

7. Tail feathers in young animals are shorter than in adults.

The above criteria for determining age are not suitable for variegated birds, albinos (all white) and lutinos (all yellow). Their beak is always light, their eyes remain black (in albinos they can be dark red) for life. Therefore, it is better to buy birds of this color from trusted breeders who will not hide true age and the health of their parrots.

How to determine the sex of a budgerigar?

Females and males can be distinguished by the color of the cere (the upper beak where the nostrils are located). At a young age, it has a pale lilac or mauve color in both sexes, only in females there are light rings around the nostrils. By the 4th month of life, the mandible in males turns blue and becomes brighter. In females, the cere acquires a pale blue or beige hue, and after puberty (8-9 months) it becomes brown.

Left - female (cere Brown), on the right - male (cere of blue color)

Budgerigars: proper care. Cell selection and placement. How to equip the "home" of a budgerigar?

Where to put a "home" for a parrot in an apartment?

The necessary criteria for the safe living of parrots at home are high-quality food, a bright location in the cage, and cleanliness in the cage.

It is best to place the cage in a bright place in the room. It is not recommended to put on the windowsill, as budgerigars are afraid of drafts. However, these birds need a long daylight hours - at least 12-14 hours in summer and 10-12 hours in winter. Therefore, in the autumn-winter season, additional lighting is required. In order for a feathered pet to quickly get used to the owner, the cage must be at the level of human growth.

How to choose a cell?

A bird cage is selected according to the following criteria:

Shape - the best is rectangular with a flat top. They make it easier for birds to move around. In addition, it is easier to hang toys, a mirror, a swing to a flat “ceiling”;

Size - depends on the planned location of the cage in the apartment, the number of birds and their size. The size of the cage is selected so that the bird can freely spread its wings, fly from perch to perch. The minimum parameters of the cell are 25x40x40cm;

The location of the twigs - horizontally located twigs are more convenient for moving birds along the walls of the cage. Climbing over them, the parrot will not slip;

Bird safety - parrots like to walk on the bottom of the cage, so it should be solid, not twigs. Otherwise, the bird's fingers or claws can get stuck between the twigs, and the bird, trying to free itself, can easily break its paw;

It is necessary to clean the cage every day, and general cleaning is carried out monthly. For disinfection after washing, the cage is wiped with a decoction of wormwood or chamomile.

Cell equipment

In order for the parrots to feel comfortable in their home, perches of various diameters (at least 2 pieces), feeders, drinkers, baths, toys and a mirror should be installed in the cage.

Equipped cage for budgerigars

The perches are placed so that the bird can easily fly from one to another and not pollute the feeder and drinker with its droppings.

It is better to choose glass or porcelain drinkers (the water in them stays fresh and clean longer). They need to be washed daily hot water with baking soda and wipe dry.

Feeders made of porcelain or plastic in a cage need at least two: one for grain feed, the second for soft.

Baths with clean warm water put in a cage periodically, especially in hot summer days. After the bird has taken water procedures”, the bath is being cleaned.

If the parrot lives alone in a cage, then you need to hang a small mirror from the ceiling so that the bird does not feel lonely.

On a note! After purchase, all accessories and the cage itself must be disinfected by dousing with boiling water and wiped dry.

Budgerigars: proper care. Feeding, diet

The diet of budgerigars is quite diverse and includes grain mixtures, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mineral supplements.

Grain mixtures include peeled oats, canary seed, flax and millet of varying degrees of maturity. It is better to purchase such food in sealed packaging with a transparent "window" in order to visually assess the quality. In cardboard boxes, the grain may be moldy due to improper storage.

As a source of vitamins, minerals and vegetable fiber on the menu budgerigars vegetables, fruits, berries and seasonal greens should be present. Birds are happy to gnaw on such juicy root crops as carrots, beets, cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage. Favorite fruits for them are apples, peaches, pineapples, pears, citrus fruits. From berries, feathered pets will gladly eat raspberries, strawberries, strawberries.

In the spring-summer season, you can give parrots leaves of dandelion, clover, plantain, spinach, horse sorrel, and in winter grow oats and millet for greens.

Important! You can not feed persimmons, mangoes, all kinds of nuts, celery root, dill, meat and dairy products, potatoes, cheese, chocolate to parrots.

For full development birds also need mineral supplements. For example, offer organic sand, chalk or sepia (the skeletal part of a cuttlefish). These substances enrich the body of parrots with calcium and other trace elements. In addition, gnawing on chalk, parrots naturally grind down a constantly growing beak.

Budgerigars: proper care. First days at home

After buying and delivering a budgerigar home, it should be kept separate from other birds (if you have them) for the first 2-3 weeks.

At first, the bird will experience stress due to the change of scenery and transportation. Therefore, you should protect your pet from frightening factors: loud sounds next to him, the obsessive attention of children and other animals (if any). Communicate with the bird in a calm, gentle voice, do not try to force it into your hands - this is how you will establish with it trusting relationship. This process takes time, patience and perseverance. After the bird gets used to you and fearlessly sits on your outstretched hand, you can start learning colloquial words.

Budgerigars: proper care. Diseases of budgerigars

With improper care and non-compliance with sanitary conditions, budgerigars are exposed to diseases such as scabies, inflammation of the goiter, and poisoning. Possible injuries to the paws, damage by downy eaters.

Budgerigar infected with knemidokoptosis (mange)

Upon detection the following signs, you should show the bird to the veterinarian:

Refusal of food;

Faded, disheveled plumage;

Lethargy and apathy;

Discharge from the nose;

Growths on the beak and legs.

The health of a feathered pet is in your hands!

If you decide to get a parrot, then you need to know how to care for a parrot at home, how to provide him with a long and happy life, what things are necessary, and which ones you can refuse, how to take a bird in the absence of the owner. All this will be described in detail in the article.

House for a parrot

First of all, you need to think about the cage for your pet, because that's where he will be most time. It is believed that the more the better, but not everyone can afford big house for the pet, because recent times people more often began to live in apartments where there is not always enough space.

In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality and price of the cell. If the rods or plastic tray are bad, then your bird will bite off a piece, make a hole and fly out safely, then it will not be so easy to catch it.

You should not expect that the bird will fly around the rooms for a significant part of the day, most likely it will ruin things, walls and furniture, so do not buy a small cage, thinking that the pet will only sleep in it.

There must be room for the bird to stretch its wings, so the smallest diameter or length with width equals the wingspan with some distance (one third of the wingspan).

We figured out the comfort for the pet, now let's think about the convenience for the owners. If the cage fits in a bath, then this is ideal, then you can wash it entirely, and not take it apart every time.

Another important criterion for choosing a cage is the depth of the pan, the deeper it is, the less dirt will be around. Even better, if the pallet has a retractable tray that allows for quick cleaning.

An important factor is how well the rods are soldered, how they are covered, the number of doors and their size, holes to attach feeders and bathers.

The best amount is two feeders and one swimsuit. Owners of medium and big birds to be sure, you will need constipation and small locks, because parrots are very smart, and it will not be difficult for them to open a regular door.

If you want to place birds in one cage, or your future feathered friend is not yet tame, then an additional partition is needed. You can clean up the cage without disturbing the bird, or reconcile the fighters by dividing them.

If the pet never sits on the bottom, install a special grate between the tray and the cage, then it will become much easier to get out. big parrots need to "walk". A huge number of enclosures and play centers are for sale, they will need a lot of space and money, but you can buy anything to make your pet happy.

perches

Everyone imagines how the spine hurts after sleeping on a bed that is too hard or soft, crooked or with protruding bed springs. Of course, no one wants to spend another night in such a bed.

So your pet will definitely appreciate the comfortable perch for him. Do not leave the bird without a "native bed".

Almost every cage already has perches, but they do not necessarily fit the parrot. Their thickness is chosen depending on the size of the bird's paws. It should wrap around the perch by two-thirds. This contributes to the grinding of claws, you do not have to cut them yourself to a disgruntled and trying to escape parrot. The result of such a haircut will only be scratched hands and bird stress, but you saved money ...

Plastic perches are the most convenient because they are easier to clean. This product should also be slotted or rubberized so that the pet does not slip off it.

Pet stores often began to sell perches made from tree twigs. It will be much more comfortable for the parrot to sit on this one, and not on the usual one.

You can make perches yourself. Find somewhere a bush or a small tree, cut off a couple of branches of suitable length and thickness, fix them in a cage, that's all!

Filler

Some parrot owners, not finding a suitable filler, try to replace it with something else. Paper napkins or paper absorb moisture well, but they also retain smell well, so they won't last long. Newspaper is not an option, it is also paper, but also with poisonous paint.

Sand from the beach, children's sandbox or just from the street can be very dirty. And the sawdust that remains after sawing the tree contains fine wood dust, which makes it difficult to breathe. It is better not to complicate things and buy a specialized filler.

The most popular bedding is sand containing crushed shells. If your pet swallows some litter, then nothing will happen. Minerals are very beneficial for health, and pieces of shells aid digestion.

In nature, many animals and birds swallow stones to ease and speed up the work of the stomach. Sometimes on sale you can see sheets that are similar to sandpaper. They are also covered with sand and shell fragments. The advantage is that this coating grinds down the claws of the bird.

And if the annoying nasty smell haunts you, then you can buy a spray. It contains oils that eliminate unpleasant odors, do not irritate the scent of birds and are not harmful to them. After cleaning the cage, freshen up the pet's house and the strong smells will disappear.

Feeding

Nowadays, pet stores have a huge assortment of various feeds. Bird owners often use mixtures of grain. You can pour a lot of food, leave it for a long time, while vegetables and fruits wither, dry out and deteriorate. It is very convenient to use mixtures when you need to leave for a couple of days, or you are too lazy to feed a parrot every morning and evening. Manufacturers are trying to create the most balanced feed.

In one mixture, there can be about ten different cereals, grains and unusual additions, such as lettuce seeds, carrots, chicory, dill, etc. For colorful birds, there are foods for the brightness of feathers. High-calorie treats are made for birds that will soon have offspring, for weak and sick pets.

Eggs, honey and vegetables are also added to the composition of the mixtures. Do not forget about fresh fruits and vegetables, this is the main diet of birds living in the wild.

Not everyone knows what NOT to give to a pet. It is strictly forbidden to feed birds with food from your table (sweet, fried, salty, fatty, etc.), dairy products, parsley, herbs, fruit seeds (apples, cherries, etc.), food that can clog in the goiter ( bread).

Sometimes you can treat your pet with special treats for birds in the form of sticks and cookies. But do not overfeed the bird with goodies, because it will refuse a balanced diet, and there will be problems with its health.

As an addition, useful vitamin supplements and mineral stones, which will provide the bird's body with the necessary substances.

When using shallow feeders, the contents will constantly spill out, so their depth is important. Also, there should always be a drinker in the cage. Table water - the best way to fill the parrot's drinker with it.

Toys

The question of how to care for a parrot at home should not be limited to feeding and caring for the bird's habitat. You need to play with the parrot. Otherwise, he may become depressed.

How to cheer up your pet while you are away? For the fun of pets, mirrors, bells, ladders and swings are sold. For bigger parrots there are puzzles to make smart bird even more savvy. Everyone will be happy: both the pet and the owner.

To some, it may seem that caring for parrots is a laborious task. But when a pet appears, taking care of it will give only happiness and joy!

And if your bird gets sad or starts to get depressed - contact ours, we will always tell you in detail how to care for your bird at home and answer all your questions.

Caring for a parrot is quite difficult and sometimes care 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 parrot in captivity is similar to small child, which needs to be paid attention to, which needs to be taken care of and with which you need to communicate a lot. If you want your pet to live a long and happy life, you need to take care and create the best comfortable conditions for your foreign family member.

Those emotions, the positive that you will experience thanks to this bird are in fact priceless, and the time and effort that you spend on caring for the bird pales in front of them.

So, here are some tips on how to properly care for a parrot.

Parrot care includes:

1. Right choice cells.

2. The choice of a perch and other necessary elements of the “interior” of the cage.

3. Climatic conditions.

4. Lighting.

5. Location.

6. Properly selected and varied food.

7. The presence of always fresh drink.

8. Regular and frequent communication.

All these points are very important and require special attention.

Point 1. The right choice of cells

The cage for your parrot should be:

1. Medium size. Very large cages make it difficult to tame parrots, while small cages crowd them.

2. Rectangular shape. Round cages do not leave the parrot a place for privacy and they feel uncomfortable.

3. An area of \u200b\u200b35 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. On the winter time you need to place a bath with sand for bathing your parrot and for his personal hygiene.

6. No grid at the bottom. The grille can injure the paws of the bird.

Point 2. Choosing a perch and other necessary elements of the “interior” of the cage

A perch for a parrot should be:

1. 2 times the diameter of a pencil. This is necessary for proper grinding of the claws.

2. For the first time (about 3-4 months) it is better to use plastic perches, because ticks are better preserved in wooden perches.

3. After 5-6 months, the material of the perch should be changed from plastic to wood.

4. With pears, cherries or other fruit trees.

5. It is better to place 2 perches so that the parrot has where to have fun.

Item 3. Climatic conditions

1. Room temperature from +18 to +25°.

2. It is very important not to sudden changes temperature.

3. The room should be without drafts, but with fresh air.

Item 4. Lighting

1. Daylight hours 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, do this better in the morning and in the evening.

Item 5. Location

2. Your pet's cage 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 more important than you.

3. Do not place the parrot's cage in a very noisy place. If you are a fan 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 guarantees longevity for your bird. And vice versa, not correct leads to diseases of parrots, for example, to 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 germinate millet and oats in a jar, and then leave it in a cage so that the parrot can feast on it at any time.

Well diversifies the cereal diet of the bird ears of wheat and oats. It is not only good for digestion, but also good exercise for the beak.

Parrots also feed on corn and wild grass seeds, but everything must first be soaked in water to soften the seeds. You can sometimes please a parrot with sunflower seeds and nuts, but no more than 2 things a day.

2. Greens: nettle, dandelion, plantain, thistle, lettuce, beet tops, St. John's wort, wood lice, knotweed,

3. Live food: moths, larvae, bugs.

4. Fruits and berries, but pitted, as well as vegetables (except 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. Fruit not the first freshness and with seeds.

3. Food for people: salty, fatty, meaty and spicy.

Item 7. Always have fresh drinks

Drink should be:

1. Always fresh.

2. Water should be at room temperature.

Item 8. Regular and frequent communication

Don't forget that your bird is creature that needs attention and care. Parrots are very sociable birds, so they should not be left alone for long periods of time.

If you work late, it is better to turn on the parrot radio. So he will think that he is not alone.

Try to communicate as often as possible, so your parrot will quickly learn to speak and thus please you and your family.

To get started, make sure that neither you nor your family are allergic to bird fluff, otherwise your joy from having a parrot will quickly turn into a problem of how to get rid of it. It is best to purchase a pet in a pet store or from trusted breeders. If it is possible to invite a veterinarian for an initial examination when buying, you should use it. When buying, special attention should be paid to the age of the pet. Proper care, feeding and maintenance at home should begin with the early "childhood" of the budgerigar. Young individuals quickly adapt to new conditions, learn more easily and in the future will be able to give offspring.

You choose a bird: where to start caring for a budgerigar

At the first examination, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the chick is quite active, which can be determined by the rapid, springy movements, quick reaction, desire to interact with outside world. He should have bright eyes, smooth plumage close to the body, light, without hoarseness, breathing and clean feathers in the anus.

It is also important to make sure that the bird is young enough, this can be determined by the wax (in young individuals it is always a delicate pale pink or bluish color), by the frontal feathers, decorated with contrasting colored stripes (by 6-7 months of age, these stripes lighten) , and in the eyes (in chicks they are evenly dark, in adults a gray, and later a white rim along the outer edge appears).

If the sex of the bird matters for the purchase, since there is an opinion that males are more talkative, then the “boy” chick has a lilac wax (in an adult it is deep blue), in a “girl” it is blue, white, beige, (in an adult it is brownish ) around the nostril openings characteristic white rings.

Acquaintance and domestication of wavy

Speaking in general about, then the most popular, affordable and easy-to-maintain breed will, of course, be the breed: budgerigars, whose homeland is the grassy plains of Australia. Cockatiels and lovebirds are also quite popular.

Corella is also an Australian, the smallest representative of the cockatoo family, and lovebirds are residents of Africa and Madagascar. Their small size makes it possible to keep these beauties in an ordinary apartment without any problems, in a fairly compact cage. By choosing more big bird(for example, Jaco), it is important to consider that she needs a large spacious cage or aviary.

Features of feeding budgerigars

The budgerigar needs not only careful care, but also proper feeding.

Not all berries can be given to a budgerigar

The main components of the diet are as follows:

greenery
cereals
fruits and vegetables
proteins.

The parrot needs a varied diet: grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds, tree bark, berries, greens

The basis of the diet is grain feed. There is now a wide range of foods on the market. different types birds, so you can easily find the right one for your pet. You can supplement it with cereals (buckwheat, rice, millet). It is necessary to give the pet fresh herbs:

dandelion leaves
salad
dill
spinach
plantain
wild cereals
dried nettle.

Also useful fruits and vegetables:

banana
orange
Apple
pear
zucchini or pumpkin mango pieces
grated carrot
beet
berries

As a protein food, a chopped egg, stale White bread. It must be remembered that the pet should always have a drinking bowl with fresh water, in which you can periodically add a few drops of lemon, orange or grapefruit juice.

Wavy content: cell selection criteria

When buying a cage, it is important to understand that it is a home for your parrot, so he must feel comfortable in it. The content of budgerigars should begin with the choice of future "apartments". Spacious and multi-tiered, with the ability to install perches, rings, toys, several feeders, a drinking bowl, a bathing tank - an ideal selection, partly compensating for captivity.

It is not worth placing the cage too close to the window, as drafts can cause the bird to get sick. It is desirable to build a mode of keeping a parrot so that it has the opportunity to spend as much time as possible outside the cage, fly, move, communicate. An insufficient number of flights will quickly affect the state of health, primarily on the respiratory function, which is directly related to the work of the wings.

How often should the cage be cleaned? The care and maintenance of budgerigars at home provides for a number of rules. You have to start with cleanliness. As you know, cleanliness is the key to health. That is why cleaning should be daily.

If for some reason (departure, employment, natural laziness) this does not work, then wood filler can be poured into the tray of the cage to the sand, as for a cat tray, so that it absorbs smell and moisture, but you should not abuse it.

It is necessary to clean the perches from litter, pour boiling water over the drinkers, remove the husks and leftover food from the feeders. Once a week it is necessary to change the sand and absorbent paper. You should also disinfect the cage with a 1-2% manganese solution.

Communication with a pet as an important component of care and maintenance

In addition to the considered nuances, it is important not to forget about communication. After all, when purchasing a parrot, you want to get a friend or home decoration, so you should not reduce the care and maintenance of budgerigars to cleaning the cage, but you need to devote time to the bird itself.

The first rule is not to impose yourself on the bird, to give it the opportunity to get comfortable, to understand that it has everything necessary for a comfortable existence (including peace).

Give the bird time to settle in, don't pick it up right away

After your pet gets used to you and the new environment a little, you need to. It makes sense to have clothes made of thick, easy-to-wash fabric for these occasions if you want to train your feathered friend to ride like a pirate on your shoulder, but do not want to be scratched by claws or marked.

The effectiveness of the process of learning to pronounce words and phrases and tame will depend on many factors. For example, on the breed, age, on whether the parrot is kept alone or in a pair (in this case, the birds are usually busy with each other). Jaco, for example, are considered the most capable and receptive to remembering human speech.

There is an opinion that the more often the same phrase or word is repeated, the faster bird remember it and reproduce it. This is not true, because sometimes a pet can remember a phrase that he heard once. Particularly talented ones can literally convey even entire dialogues and quotes from films, as well as imitate various sounds - car alarms, dog barking, mobile phone calls, and even maintain some illusion of a conversation with the owner, which amuses both owners and guests.

Budgerigars are more prone to reproducing human speech; it is almost impossible to teach cockatiels or lovebirds to speak. It makes no sense to turn the process into training, just talk to your winged counterpart every day, as if talking to a family member, then the need to answer you will come by itself.

Parrot Diseases and Precautions

Keeping a parrot at home is a responsible task also because you need to monitor the pet’s health and understand how to take care of it. To exclude the possibility of drafts, so as not to chill the gentle tropical creature, install additional protective nets on the vents and windows to prevent accidental flight outside the apartment.

A protective net in the apartment is required if you do not want the parrot to fly away

Closely observe the behavior of the "wavy" - lethargy, drowsiness, photophobia, refusal of food may indicate the onset of the disease. Some of the diseases, being infectious, can be transmitted to humans, we are talking about diseases such as:

salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is difficult to detect, often the bird is only a carrier, a reservoir of the disease.
Tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is characterized by a deterioration in the condition of the plumage, the appearance of ulcers and an increase in lymph nodes. In birds, it is practically not treated.
Arizonosis. With arizonosis, anorexia, weakness, tremor develop, but on time Taken measures give a positive outcome.
Chlamydia. Signs of chlamydia in parrots: diarrhea, cough, nasal discharge. It proceeds very quickly, often with a deadly ending.

Most of these diseases are transmitted by bacteria in the litter, therefore, if infection is suspected, it will not be superfluous to clean the cage in a protective mask and medical gloves.

Breeding at home

If your plans include an increase in the population of flying pets, then this will require the creation of a number of conditions for reproduction. Breeding parrots in an apartment is a simple matter, but troublesome.

The most difficult thing is to find a couple and understand how to properly care for a budgerigar if he lives with a “family”. Breeders who have several individuals and, accordingly, room for choice, do this by observing the parrots in a large aviary.

If they mutually care for plumage, treat, feed each other, “kiss”, then they have every chance to have offspring. Then, if necessary, artificially increase the daylight hours to 14-16 hours, equip the cage (preferably with two doors) with a “nest” - a house closed from prying eyes, where the female could calmly lay the clutch and hatch the chicks. Proper care and feeding of budgerigars during this period is especially important!

Feed during this period, along with the usual grain mixture and juicy additives, should be sprouted grain, soft, easily digestible food. The quality of the masonry can be checked after a week, using a flashlight or an ovoscope. If the female is stable on the eggs, and the male takes care of her, there is hope that the pair has taken place.

In the opposite case, when the partners quarrel, the mother often leaves the nest, leaving the masonry to the mercy of fate or intentionally breaking the shell (which happens with young inexperienced birds), it makes sense to replace one of the parents. Observing all the criteria for proper maintenance, it is quite possible to get beautiful, colorful, healthy offspring from your couple.

Air temperature and humidity, comfortable conditions for keeping a parrot

Decrease in temperature by little time, many parrots tolerate normally. Despite this, you should not allow the bird to stay in a cold room for a long time or expose it to noticeable changes in degrees.

The recommended temperature for the optimal keeping of parrots is from 18 to 20 C. Under these conditions, favorable atmosphere for full-fledged life, but during reproduction, it should be lowered by 2-3 units.

Do not allow indicators above the established norm, as this can lead to a deterioration in the bird's well-being, a decrease in appetite and a violation of reproductive function. It is known that violations temperature regime there is a high percentage of unfertilized eggs.

More low temperature positively affects the processes of reproduction and fertilization. The level of humidity in the air should also be given sufficient attention. For the room in which the bird is located, the humidity should be in the range of 70-80%. The temperature is kept at 15-20 C.

Control over the level of humidity is necessary when changing degrees. High humidity can cause hypothermia in a parrot.