How to look after our "maybe" class budgie.

hi everyone. Since that budgie was in our class today, and was really hungry, I have decided to do a post on how to look after pet budgie's, just in case we keep it! I am also going to start a poll on what we can name budge, and I will also put some cool names on=]!!!.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR BUDGIE:

Fruits:
Apples

Apricots
Bananas
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants (any)
Fejoas

Grapes
Grapefruit

Jackfruit
Kiwi Fruit

Lychees
Nectarines
Mandarins

Melons
Oranges
Peaches
Plums
Pears

Rambutans
Raspberries
Starfruit

Strawberries
Tomatoes

Vegetables:
Asparagus

Beets
Broccoli
Cabbages
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Lettuce
Onions
Parsnip
Potatoes
Radishes
Rutabagas
Spinach
Zucchinis

Cereals:
Corn
Maize
Rice
Rye
Wheat

So we have alot of food options that we could feed him or her!

Budgerigar Diet Information:

Budgies in the wild eat both ripe and unripe seeds. The reason for the consumption of unripe seeds is that they carry more assimilable lysine. You can, in part, duplicate this situation at home with your pet budgie by giving him/her grass seeds from your gardens. Wild budgerigars feed upon grass seeds; mainly on the ripening seeds of the Australian Spinifex and the Mitchell grass which they supplement on a daily basis with Eucalyptus leaves, buds and bark. They sometimes also feed on a few other plants depending on where they are.The reason for this is that wild budgies are nomadic and don't always come across the same vegetation every day. Territorial birds diets are fixed by what is available in their territory but the budgie has to adapt and this is part of what has made it such a popular pet. Anywhere in the world it's possible to find a diet budgies can exist on.

Information:

No matter what we do for our pet bird, the inside of the bird cage can never even come close to a pet bird’s natural environment. No matter what kind of pet bird you have, in the wild it would never have seen anything like the kind of bird toy you usually find in most pet stores these days.

Smooth blocks and balls in unfamiliar geometric shapes made in carpenters workshops from woods that don't exist in the wild bird’s natural habitat can’t be ideal for any cage bird. To top it off they’re then dipped in unnatural (and sometimes toxic) chemical dyes. How can they be healthy items for inclusion in a bird cage?

Do your bird a favor. No matter what kind of pet bird you have - try to get hold of some of the tree branches or leaves it would normally come across in nature. Just watching your bird enjoy itself will reward you.

Housing:

Budgies can be housed indoors in a large wire cage with a plastic base or outdoors in a purpose-built aviary. The cage should have some horizontal bars on it to allow climbing – this means many round cages are unsuitable. Bars should be no wider than 12mm apart to prevent escape. Kept outdoors, your aviary should allow room for the birds to fly around properly. Budgies kept indoors will need to be let out of their cage daily to exercise – make sure you keep all doors and windows closed when you do this. Covering the cage with a cloth at night will encourage your Budgie to settle down for sleep.

You should provide a bath for your bird, either fixed to the outside of the cage or a shallow bowl placed inside the cage – although some birds may prefer to be sprayed with tepid water instead.

The cage should also contain plenty of toys to keep your Budgie amused, particularly if it is kept on its own.

Exercise & Entertainment:
Budgies are intelligent and inquisitive birds that enjoy playing and climbing. Toys are essential to stimulate them mentally and physically – especially important for birds kept on their own. Budgies can also be taught to mimic sounds and talk. If they hear the same words repeatedly from the same person they may pick them up and begin mimicking the words or phrases. A solitary bird will need more attention and affection than a pair or group and should be handled every day.

Handling:
With patience, Budgies can become quite tame although it is essential they are trained from an early age, and by one person only. The first step is to get the bird used to being stroked inside its cage – use a stick or perch, not your hands. Start by gently stroking its chest a couple of times a day, then encourage it to jump onto the stick. Next, repeat the whole process through the door of the cage rather than the bars. Finally, repeat again, using your hands this time instead of the stick. This is a gradual process that may take several weeks but usually works in the end.

To pick up your Budgie, ensure your palm covers its back and wings while your middle and index finger surround the bird’s neck. Be gentle – Budgies will bite if they feel stressed. If catching an aviary bird use a padded rim net and never try to catch it in mid flight - always wait until it is perched safely.

Breeding:
Budgies can be mated from about a year old and will produce a clutch of 4-6 eggs in about 18-21 days. As with all pets, breeding Budgies requires much commitment of time and effort. It is recommended that you therefore seek expert advice and do appropriate research before considering keeping a breeding pair and only if you’re certain you can find good homes for the babies.

Thanks everyone! I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and you have learnt more about budgie's. I will post a seperate post on name suggestions so you can say what you think!



Thanks
Bye
:-)
REFERENCES:
http://www.petsworld.co.uk/budgies.htm