Parrot cage care. How to care for a budgerigar in the hot season? The bird will live long if

09.10.2019

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. At the time of buying Special attention should be given to the age of the pet. Proper care, feeding and keeping 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 gender 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 in such a way that it has the opportunity to spend as much time as possible outside the cage, fly, move, and 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 litter from the perches, 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 care and maintenance budgerigars to cleaning in 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 choose a pair and understand how to properly care for budgerigar, if he will live with the "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 carry 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 in case of violations of the temperature regime, a large percentage of unfertilized eggs is observed.

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.

Decided to make a feathered friend? It is worth carefully preparing for his arrival. Buy the necessary equipment, an equipped cage and food at a pet store or bird market. Now you can safely go after the parrot. After the baby is settled in new house make sure that the pet is kept in quarantine for 10 days. If you are already a happy owner of feathered creatures, add a new friend to them. Do not forget to come up with a sonorous name for the parrot, which he will get used to in two weeks.

animal house in without fail should be equipped with perches, a drinking bowl, a bath and a feeder. It will not be superfluous to have river sand, small wood and eggshells, they are needed for proper digestion.
Position the cage so that you have eye contact with the animal. Avoid places with drafts, feathered relatives often get sick. However, do not put your home next to a heater or radiator. Optimum temperature content ranges from 18 to 22°C. The parrot cage should be well lit, but not naturally, but artificially.
Do daily cleaning, removing grain debris and bird droppings, washing the drinker and changing the bedding.
Once a month, do a general cleaning of the house. Dampen a regular rag in a solution of chamomile flowers or St. John's wort, then carefully wipe all contaminated areas.
It is important to carry out sanitation every season. Wet a kitchen sponge in a solution of water and soda (the ratio is 1 liter per 100 g), then thoroughly treat the cage.
Do not turn on the music at maximum volume in the room where the cage with the pet is located. At first, try to talk to the parrot in a low voice so as not to frighten him. No need to climb into the house with your hands, let the pet get comfortable and get used to the new owners.
Give your pet the opportunity to fly by closing all windows first. Limit the parrot's outing to one room, so it will be easier to maintain control. Curtain windows, birds tend to crash into glazed objects.

Basically, birds eat grain food, which is sold in absolutely every pet store. The rest of the foods that your pet will eat are considered a treat. Consider parrot food in transparent packaging. So you will detect possible mold in advance and protect your pet from possible poisoning.

Supplement to the daily diet
Read the “Ingredients” column on the food packaging, then pamper the parrot with something that is not in its daily diet. It is allowed to feed the bird with sunflower seeds, as well as sprouted grains. The latter contain a lot of vitamin E, which has a beneficial effect on the feathers, claws and beak of the pet.

Parrots love spinach, clover, lettuce, dandelions, and common fresh grass. If you plan to feed your bird with "street" food, collect plants away from the road and construction site.

An excellent option for delicacy is an herbal dry mix consisting of oven-dried plants.

With regards to vegetables and fruits, birds do not like them very much.

If you want to pamper your pet, boil one egg and chop it finely, add a little grated carrot and crushed white crackers.

Drink
It is desirable for birds to pour natural water from bottles. There are no harmful impurities in such a drink, which has a positive effect on the digestion of the parrot.

The drinker should be changed daily, each time pouring fresh water. You may well add a few drops of lemon juice, it is very useful.

Feathered friends have a number of common diseases that need to be considered in more detail.

Diarrhea
Symptoms of the disease are considered to be the following: a change in the consistency and color of the litter, the constant presence of a pet on the floor of the cage.

If you do not have the opportunity to visit the veterinarian, then wash the baby anus, then drink infusion of chamomile flowers.

Poisoning
In 98% of cases, this disease is accompanied by lethal outcome. Do not smoke in the room where the parrot lives, exclude the use of air fresheners, deodorants, hair sprays and other similar types of products in this room. If repairs are brewing, take the house to another place where paint, whitewashing, etc. will not be used.
It is not uncommon for parrots to be poisoned with poor-quality food.

parrot disease
The most dangerous disease of all, which is transferred to children with weakened immune systems. Symptoms: eye inflammation and tearing, runny nose, diarrhea, excessively slow and labored breathing.

It is impossible to cure on your own, hurry to the veterinarian and limit the communication of children with the pet.

Cold
A common ailment in birds, parrots are no exception. Symptoms include labored and rare breathing, red eyes, regular sneezing, and a runny nose.

Use as a treatment infrared lamp, which can be purchased at a pet store (price about 300 rubles) or on the construction market (price 60 rubles). Direct the heat so that it covers the entire cell.

Many poultry farmers use a conventional incandescent lamp instead of infrared.

If you become a baby caring parent he won't hurt at all. Take care of your pet, watch the diet and avoid dangerous situations.

To the surprise of many, parrots are also toilet trained. To this end, you need to agree with the family that from now on you will act together. Choose a certain command and pronounce it with one intonation. Give preference to a voiced phrase or word that cannot be confused with another exclamation. Of course, you can say “Fly to the toilet!”, But it’s better to choose a more relevant technique.

A mentor for a pet should be one family member who will explain to the parrot what, where and how. When the baby decides to defecate, his behavior will become atypical, you need to remember these movements. Perhaps the bird will step back or squat, watch and draw a conclusion.

At the first sign of emptying, take a parrot and hold it over the intended toilet, often saying the command. Now the main task is to create the necessary associations between the tray and the desire of the pet. Consider the fact that if you made a newspaper or a plate a toilet, the parrot will shit on all such items in the house.

you kept a parrot in right place and did he do his job safely? Praise, give a treat. The next time, pick up your pet again, hold it until it is emptied, stroke and snuggle again. Repeat such simple manipulations as often as possible, then everything will work out! Do not get upset or scold the parrot if the situation gets out of hand. Remember, he is still small and does not really understand what the owner wants.

Parrots are relatively easy to train if their owner has perseverance and patience.

Do not make sudden movements when approaching the pet's home, always call him by his name, and not "My good!" or "Hey, you!".

Hand feeding
After two weeks of living in a new house, the bird will get used to you and you can teach it to eat food from your hand. Take your favorite treat and stick it into the cage through the bars, repeat the maneuver until the parrot starts taking food from you.

After that, go to the second stage: stick your hand into the cage, showing the baby that it's time to move to your side. He must muster up the courage and sit on the brush. As practice shows, the training of food from the hand and the transition to it are quite easy. When the bird moves to you, slowly take it out of the house. Over time, the pet can be trained to fly to the call by name and land on an elongated limb.

Phrase memorization
Feathered friends have excellent hearing, remember the timbre of the voice and try to repeat it. Parrots easily pronounce phrases with a cute chirping voice, imitate other animals and hum musical compositions. Parrots are better disposed towards a female mentor than a male.

Training should be done in early age(2-3 months). For this period, place the pet in a hotel room, and be the only mentor for him. Every day, 30-50 times, say the same phrase that the baby must repeat. With a successful result, do not skimp on goodies and praise.

You should always start by learning elementary short words, which contain the letters O, A, I, R, P, K, T. After the pet has mastered them, move on to other vowels and consonants. Gradually increase the number of letters in the word, lengthen phrases or phrases. If the bird has learned a lesson, communicate with it regularly so that everything is remembered.

Keeping a parrot at home is not difficult if the health of the animal is approached wisely. Monitor the nutrition of your pet, change the water in the drinking bowl in a timely manner, and carry out seasonal and monthly sanitation. Learn interesting and funny phrases that you will later listen to with emotion. Parrots are one of the most touching creatures on the planet, but they are also defenseless against chemicals and open windows. Love and protect your pet! He might even say “Thank you!”.

Video: budgerigar care

In this section, you will find answers to all questions regarding the care of parrots: choosing a cage, proper diet birds, bathing, how to build a parrot nest and house, living safely with other pets, and the needs of a parrot according to its species. So that keeping a parrot at home does not become burdensome, it is better to study maximum amount information about the type of bird and care for it, even before purchase.

A suitable size cage, access to sunlight, good nutrition, daily walks with games and your attention will provide the bird with a decent life with the opportunity to show all its talents and become your true friend. By initially accustoming the parrot to the correct constant rituals: cleaning / feeding, etc., you will ensure that the bird adequately responds to what is happening in your house, which will undoubtedly have an impact on the balance of the parrot and strengthen confidence in you.

How to care for a parrot if you are not its first owner, if the bird is wild, sick, in adulthood, or is it a chick before the first molt? An infinite number of questions arise, since the cases are always unique, no matter how banal the appearance of a parrot in your house would seem. The fact is that living conditions and attitudes towards a bird affect its character and perception of the world around it. Parrots in this case, like people, have a versatility of characters, so caring for parrots at home requires tremendous patience from you and a willingness to study in detail the nature of the bird, its psychological and physical health.

Regardless of the type of parrots, there are clear requirements for observing all the rules for keeping birds. Experiments with nutrition and living conditions for a bird are extremely dangerous; you should not draw parallels with your lifestyle. What is acceptable to you may not always be acceptable to the bird. And also the concept that if a bird likes it, then it’s good / useful / right - it’s categorically not true!

Caring for parrots implies a great responsibility; when acquiring a bird, it is important to realize that now its life is in your hands and its well-being and longevity will depend only on you.

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Expert advice: how to care for a budgerigar

Budgerigars first appeared in Western Europe in 1840. This was facilitated by John Gould, an English scientist who, from 1838 to 1840, studied the flora and fauna of Australia. Together with parrots, the ornithologist brought about 800 different birds to the London Zoo, which attracted his attention during the expedition.

Budgerigars are one of the most popular pets. Cheerful, friendly, active birds feel great next to a person, they are not demanding on the conditions of detention, they easily learn to speak. They breed well in captivity, under favorable conditions they live about 15 - 20 years.

Cell

The bird cage should be spacious, clean and bright. This is often forgotten by future owners who do not know how to care for a budgerigar. As a result, the parrots are forced to live in cramped decorative structures with domed roofs that look impressive enough, but are completely non-functional.

For a comfortable keeping of the bird, a simple rectangular cage is suitable. The optimal dimensions (for one parrot): width - 25 cm, height - 40 cm, length - 40 cm. If you plan to keep several birds together, then the cage, respectively, should be larger.

It is not recommended to purchase cages, the distance between the bars in which exceeds 15 - 20 mm. Budgerigars are curious birds, so there is a danger that they may try to squeeze their head into a gap that is too wide. It is fraught with damage to the eyes and skin. If the bars of the cage are located too close to each other or have a large diameter (more than 2 mm), it becomes difficult to see the room and the process of communication with the owner is complicated.

The cage needs to be cleaned twice a week. If you have more than one parrot, but several, then you will have to clean more often, about once every two days. After washing, it is recommended to sprinkle the floor of the cage with clean scented sand (available at the pet store).

Cage location and lighting

Budgerigars are very fond of sunlight and do not tolerate drafts. Take this into account when you think about the location of the cage.

It is not recommended to put the cage on the refrigerator, near the TV or computer. In the autumn-winter period, when the length of the sunny day is gradually reduced, the parrots will need an additional source of light, so do not forget to purchase a special low-pressure fluorescent lamp.

Drinkers, trays, swings and perches

How to care for a budgerigar at home when you have already chosen a cage? Try to properly equip it so that the bird has everything it needs.

In a cage for a budgerigar, there must be a pallet, plastic or plywood. At a distance of 2 - 3 cm from the surface of the pallet, it is worth strengthening the grate so that the birds do not try to peck at the food that accidentally spilled out of the feeder and mixed with the droppings. But choose it carefully: the paws of a parrot who decided to walk along the floor of the cage should not get stuck between the cells of the lattice.
Feeders should be positioned in such a way that you can easily clean and fill them if necessary, without causing discomfort to the birds. It is better to buy a drinking bowl vacuum, made of glass or transparent plastic.
So that the parrot does not get bored in the cage, fasten perches, swings and ladders on the bars. Best wood, beech or oak. Plastic perches are too slippery, and it is not very useful for birds to chew on them.

Seasonal food and daily diet

How to care for a budgerigar? Videos and thematic forums will help you properly equip the cage and make up a daily diet. In addition, if you are not sure that you have chosen the right food for your pet, you can always seek the advice of an experienced veterinarian.

Budgerigars are granivorous birds. Therefore, the basis of their diet is a grain mixture. However, not all bird nutrients can be obtained from seeds. cereal plants. In order to make up for the lack of vitamins and minerals, budgerigars are fed with mineral feed, low-fat cottage cheese, fruits and herbs.

In summer, birds eagerly eat plantain or dandelion seeds, grated carrots, apples, lettuce and cabbage. In winter (as well as during the nesting period), it is useful to feed parrots with boiled chicken eggs, crushed and mixed with semolina. In no case should parsley or dill be added to the feed (poisoning is possible).

The daily norm of the grain mixture for one parrot is 2 teaspoons. Feed should be changed daily so that debris and husks do not accumulate in the feeder.

Diseases of budgerigars

How to care for a budgerigar at home if he is sick? Is it possible to cure a bird on your own?

Unfortunately, budgerigar diseases are poorly understood. Not every breeder will be able to correctly diagnose the symptoms of certain diseases. Therefore, if you suddenly notice something strange in the behavior of your pet, be sure to consult with experienced veterinarians to avoid complications.

Intestinal blockage

Typical symptoms are poor appetite, diarrhea, decreased activity. The parrot looks lethargic, can sit on the perch for a long time, ruffled. The cause of the disease is an incorrectly composed diet, an abundance of fatty foods or low-quality grain.

The main method of treatment is a special diet. The food should be replaced with liquid rice gruel, and feeding with fruits and herbs should be stopped. Water the parrot only boiled water, with the addition of chamomile infusion (in a ratio of 1: 1). You can give the bird 3 - 4 drops of vaseline oil.

Avitaminosis

Typical symptoms are inflammation of the eyelids, eye purulent discharge, weakness, paralysis of the wings and legs. The cause of the disease is a lack of vitamins and minerals, an unbalanced diet. It is necessary to start feeding with herbs, chicken eggs, carrots and sprouted grains.

Uric acid diathesis

Due to the lack of vitamins and minerals, protein metabolism is disturbed, a dry yellow-gray crust grows around the beak. It is necessary to start feeding with fruits and herbs, replace the usual food with mineral.

mallophagosis

Infection of feathers by lice insects. The parrot behaves restlessly, does not sleep at night. Perhaps inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyeball, partial baldness, poor appetite.

The disease is treated by bathing in a decoction of dry chamomile. You can also use special sprays. The cage after processing the plumage of the parrot must be disinfected.

Growing claws and beak

This is not really a disease, but rather simply the result of the negligence of the owner. There must be wooden objects in the cage (perches, twigs, etc.), on which the bird could grind its beak and claws. If they are not there, you will have to remove the excess surgically. It is not recommended to try to trim the claws or beak yourself, as you can damage the blood vessels. It's best to contact your veterinarian.

A mobile, noisy, loud and cheerful decorative bird is a budgerigar. Such pets live in almost every third Russian family. Bird feathers usually have a greenish or blue wavy tint. For home content such exotic birds are ideal.

Description, characteristics, appearance

Bright overseas birds were brought to Europe from Australia. The number of birds spread quite quickly, they actively breed at home, and not only in the wild. Pets bred by people are perfectly adapted to life and the microclimate of apartments.

Chatty and noisy parrots can even pronounce short phrases. They imitate some sounds and words without understanding the meaning. The slender bird has a long tail. They participate in exhibitions of decorative birds and win first places.

The length of the bird's wing reaches 10.5 cm. They are used for sitting, flying, and walking support. In flight, decorative parrots look like swallows. In search of food in nature, parrots fly fast enough, especially if they are very hungry and need to find food.

The birds of this family have tenacious and developed paws with long fingers of a pinkish, reddish or gray-blue hue. They are able to capture dense parts of food, small food, walk on the ground or even move through trees. The eye color of wild parrots in the wild is almost white, yellowish, dark blue. They even distinguish the color palette.

Cheerful pets have a strong beak. It is covered by a dense stratum corneum. In shape, such a nose of a bird resembles those that birds of prey have.

With the help of a powerful beak, parrots quickly gnaw through seeds, shoots, and can crush large food. It is also a reliable way to protect against small predators and snakes.

The tongue of budgerigars is thick and short with a keratinized cover, which helps to grind down the surface of the beak, break fruits, and clean grains. AT natural landscape due to the shade of plumage, parrots remain almost invisible.

The head and crop of birds usually have a yellow tint. He moves to the back area. In the sun, the plumage of budgerigars fluoresces. So males quickly attract females for nesting. Birds notice the glow during the day, and people only at night.

I suggest that you familiarize yourself with another type of very beautiful and smart parrots in the article: how to keep and care for at home

Where do wild parrots live in nature

Australia is considered the birthplace of wavy pets. This is the main habitat of wild birds. They mainly live on the east and southwest coasts, where there are the least dense forests. Nesting is carried out by birds in semi-desert areas and steppe zones with rare trees and shrubs.

They breed in wild nature, regardless of the season. Parrots live in packs. On the plains they look for grass seeds, on the green plains they look for water and other food. Birds move quickly and can fly long distances. Today, the importation of wild parrots from Australia is prohibited, as the bird population is declining.

How to determine the sex of a poultry

Determining the gender of a future pet is not difficult. At the base of the beak there is a certain zone - the cere:

in young males it is purple, and in the female it is blue with a border around the nostril zone;
mature male birds have cere lilac or dark blue, and females - brown or beige-blue. She gets this shade during nesting.

How long will a budgerigar live

On average, a bird of this type lives 10-15 years. Rare specimens in the wild live up to 8 years, mostly half that. Under natural conditions, they are killed by predators, natural disasters, and hunger. At good care at home, a pet can live up to 20 years.

Colors of wavy parrots

The decorative bird beloved by many has a variety of plumage colors:

Cobalt birds first appeared in London at the parrot show in 1910.
Olive green bred in France.
Yellow parrots are crossed in Belgium.
Light green - natural natural color.
Dark green appeared in France.
Sky blue brought Belgian ornithologists.
Grey-green parrots live in Australia.
Gray individuals were brought from England and Australia.
Purple appeared in German breeders.
Bright yellow parrots (Lutinos).
Albinos with red eyes were bred in Germany in the 40s.

By plumage can be distinguished pet from wild. Highlighted curly parrots with plumage in the form of curly stems. Spangles have a waviness with a mirror reflection, Czechs are distinguished by a fluffy hat and larger sizes.

Chuby or crested birds have tufts on their heads different shapes. According to the degree of color, single-color and multi-color birds are distinguished. Among them are penguins, harlequins and birds with a chaotic arrangement of spots.

What do budgerigars eat

Basically, all feathered breeders buy special mixtures for feeding them. They include sunflower seeds, onion herbs, canary grass, millet, oats. The product should not contain any chemicals, dyes and expired.

Sometimes it is useful to give sprouted oats to the bird, only fresh each time. The remaining residues are immediately thrown out of the feeder. Ready-made mixtures are given without fail during hatching of chicks, molting, and if the bird is sick.

For good health of wavy birds, they are introduced into the diet:

With care give special cereal sticks for birds or honey crackers. Fruits and vegetables are given fresh and clean. Vitamins are administered only during the rearing of offspring, illness, severe stress or molts.

It is forbidden to give the bird alcohol and chocolate, sweet candies, rhubarb and potatoes, milk and kefir. Parrots are often poisoned by home ornamental plants. In order for them to digest normally, it is necessary to pour clean sand into the cage.

It is useful to give birds at home flax-seed, rice porridge, buckwheat, wheat or rye. They are boiled without adding salt. Fresh corn, grapes, banana, clover grass, dandelion, wood lice are suitable as top dressing.

How budgerigars breed

In captivity, birds of this family live 10-15 years. Before nesting in nature, the female chooses the male. She is usually attracted by the color features of the male representative, the ability of his feathers to fluoresce under the influence of sunlight.

In Australia, the female incubates the chicks twice during the year. Pets should have long rest periods before nesting. AT vivo wavy live in rock crevices or tree hollows.

For pets, they equip a house with straw bedding. At one time, the female on average lays 3-5 eggs. Sometimes 10-12 pcs. She incubates them for 20 days. The male at this time produces and brings food. Chicks are born blind and naked.

After a few weeks, their body is covered with dense fluff. A month later, feathers appear. Normal plumage is formed not earlier than 3 months of age. younger bird not worth buying. Genetic diseases will appear after the first molt.

Arrangement of a cage for a budgerigar

A feathered pet should live in a spacious and clean cage. The norm for one parrot is 30 cm wide, 35 cm high and 40 cm long. It is better to take a large aviary or a cage twice as large so that the bird can fly a little inside.

Inside should be different perches made of wood, not plastic. This is important for grinding claws on the paws. Too thick or thin plastic perches can cause deformation of the fingers and claws of birds, calluses and corns.

Without fail, in the nest, the wavy must be fresh water, it is poured daily into a special fixed drinker. The grain mixture is poured into the feeder. Separately, there is a container for mineral dressings and soft food. On one side, a stone is attached to grind the beak. Parrots love toys - ropes, swings, bells. To make it quicker and easier to clean up after your pet, the cage is equipped with a deep pull-out tray.

Wash the feathered cage with soda and warm water. No cleaning agents are used. It is better to let a feathered friend out of the cage daily, fly around the room. It is pre-ventilated, but then the vents and windows are closed.

They are pulled with curtains so that the bird does not hit the glass. Remove and all houseplants so that the budgerigar does not get poisoned by them. Feathered pets are very fond of water procedures. They are regularly provided with a bathing suit with water, sprayed during the heat of the birds in a cage from a spray bottle.

How to choose a wavy pet

Experts recommend buying a pet for 3-4 months. An adult parrot will adapt for a long time and may even get sick. It is better to give preference to parrot breeders who keep pets in the right conditions. In the markets you can stumble upon an unhealthy bird.

A healthy bird has dense feathers that are clean and shiny. The paws have even scales. A sick individual is inactive, indifferent to others, often ruffled, with dull and disheveled feathers.

It is important to remember before buying that birds love to sing and can do this very early in the morning. They litter a lot - with paper scraps, feathers, droppings, husks from food. Every day they will have to clean and clean the cage so that they do not appear. bad smell faeces.

Fans of indoor flowers should rearrange their plants in another room. The bird can taste the ground, gnaw the leaves, and then pick up helminths.

Near the parrot and in this room where he lives, you can not smoke, spray perfume, air fresheners, paint your nails, cook food. tender respiratory system wavy from this can be seriously affected.

What causes budgerigars to get sick

Very often, decorative parrots get sick with a cold. They start sneezing and snoring. Their feathers are often affected by lice and ticks. This causes feather loss and itching. If the bird has lost its appetite and looks lethargic, it is quite possible that it has picked up worms. The budgerigar's cloaca should be checked periodically, especially during the breeding season.

Sick birds are treated with antihelminthics, chamomile decoction, vitamin preparations, tick sprays, and a lamp is sent to disinfect the cage.

How best to care for a budgerigar

Stress for a bird is moving to a new habitat. At this time, it is better not to turn on the TV loudly, remove other pets that will excite the feathered friend. At night, some breeders cover the cage with a thin sheet, making several slits for air to enter.

AT warm days you can expose the bird cage to the sun to produce vitamin D. Parrots usually molt twice a year. They feed her with vitamins and try not to disturb her. Ascorbic acid or lemon juice can occasionally be added to the water.

It doesn't need to be boiled. Regular filtered or bottled water will do. Once a month, a general cleaning is carried out in the house of a feathered pet, wiping it with water, a decoction of wormwood or chamomile.

Temperature and suitable lighting

In the room where the wavy friend lives, it is important to maintain a favorable temperature regime, microclimate and lighting. You can not put a cage with pets in a draft and direct sunshine, near hot batteries. Suitable temperature for poultry is 20-22 degrees. Humidity - 60%.

The light regime is also very important so that the bird can sleep and rest peacefully. A parrot is taken out to the balcony in spring and summer on cool days. In this case, you can throw a light tulle on the cage or make a zone with a shadow.

How to teach a parrot to speak

Little parrots with wavy plumage are distinguished by their memory, inquisitive and intellectual disposition. They are trained, playful and sociable, very observant. They know how to open and close the cage if it has a simple latch.

It is better for them to live in small flocks or in pairs, as the birds are very sociable.

They love all kinds of toys that can be rocked, taken in their beak. Such devices are sold at any pet store. To teach a pet to speak, it is better to buy a young active individual 3-5 months old, prone to loud chirping.