How to equip a cage for a budgie

The content of the article

1 Cage for a parrot
2 What should be in the cage
3 Video: how to choose a cage for a budgie

When starting an animal or bird at home, a person should bring the living conditions of the pet as close as possible to the natural ones. This applies to the diet of pets, and most importantly - the conditions of their maintenance. The size, as well as the filling of the cell, play an important role in caring for the parrot. The kid will live in this space constantly, so it needs to be made convenient, comfortable and safe.

Cage for a parrot

Choose a sufficiently large cage so that birds (if there are several) can freely fly from one pole to another without touching the wings of the rods. The cage should be wider than tall. The optimal cell size for one parrot is 60-30-30 centimeters. If the cage is very small, the bird will fly a little, will gain excess weight, and may even become ill. At the same time, it is very important not to put the pet in a too spacious cage - a large space prevents the domestication of the bird.

It is best to choose a metal cage because it is stronger. Parrots peck all the time, and wood and plastic can not withstand such a pressure. In addition, the wooden cage is washed worse, over time, various bacteria can develop in the gaps of the wood, the cell often dries. It is allowed to use a plastic pallet, but only if the material is of high quality. Cheap plastic can cause allergies in birds. Choose a cage with a retractable tray for easy cleaning.

Pay attention to the cage door. They should open freely and close tightly. Choose serious valves so that the parrot cannot open them yourself. If a bird gets outside, it may be injured. In addition, the door itself must be wide so that you can take out your hand with a parrot through it. After all, you will have to pick up the bird, take it to the vet, etc.

A cage with a pet is best placed in a common room, such as a living room. This should be a fairly warm (but not hot) room without excess moisture. The cage should not be placed in direct sunlight, near electrical appliances and heaters. Also, the cage should not be located in a draft or near the bathroom, otherwise the bird will often catch a cold. At night, the cage is covered with a dense cloth so that the bird understands that the time for rest has come. And for the pet to feel good, the cage needs to be properly equipped.

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What should be in the cage

The budgerigar is an unpretentious bird, but the cage should have everything you need for a bird. It is very important to find the optimal balance - to establish everything you need, but not to force the cell into unnecessary objects, cluttering up free space. So, the list of necessary "furniture" for the cage with a parrot.

Perches
Most of the time the bird spends on poles, so you need to take care of them first. The pole may be bundled with the cage, but often it is made of plastic. A smooth surface can cause corns to form on the legs of the bird. On sale there are special poles with sandpaper, which are designed to grind claws. It is better not to install such poles; they damage the delicate skin of the legs of the bird. It is best to choose wooden poles, 1.5-2 cm in diameter. Crossbeams can be made from the tree of apple, birch, maple, alder or plum. But the wood of oak, chestnut, elm, walnut, bird cherry, poplar and lilac is not suitable for such purposes. There should be 2 poles, set them opposite each other. Even if the bird lives alone, this will allow the parrot to fly from one pole to another, stretching its wings.The distance should be such that the bird, when sitting on the perch, does not touch the cage's rods with its tail. The poles should be installed tightly, they should not swing or twist.

Feeder

The feeder is a container made of plastic or ceramic, which is mounted on the rods of the cage. Ideally, the bird should have three feeders. The first is for dry food, that is, grain. There should always be food in it, because budgies have a fast metabolism and cannot last long without food. A day a parrot needs about 1.5-2 teaspoons of grain. The second feeder is designed for the mineral composition that the bird needs to maintain health. Indeed, in nature, the nutrition of a parrot is much more diverse. At home, wavers are offered minerals so that they are not deficient in vitamins. The third feeder is for porridge, fresh vegetables and fruits. Some parrots love to eat only chopped vegetables. Others, on the contrary, prefer to peck only whole fruits and vegetables. For such gourmets, instead of a feeder, you can install a special holder for fruits. He pinches the fruit, and the bird bites it with pleasure. Do not use automatic feeders. Firstly, some birds are wary of the mechanism and an unfamiliar sound, and therefore do not eat from them even in severe hunger. And secondly, the automation may break, and the bird will be left without food until you arrive.

Drinking bowl
Putting a simple bowl of water in the cage is wrong. The fact is that the bird can overturn the cup, the water will spill and the parrot will be left without water. In addition, increased humidity for birds is highly undesirable. Automatic drinkers always supply clean water, they are fixed on the bars of the cage. If you have one parrot or a couple of them, one drinker is enough. But for three individuals and more, several drinkers are needed.

Mineral stone, chalk or pumice stone
One of these items must certainly be in a bird cage. A solid object is needed for a parrot to grind its beak and claws.

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Toys

If you just brought a parrot to a new home, you should not pile the cage. After the bird has mastered, 1-2 toys can be placed in its cage to distract the wavy. If the feathered one spends all his time in the cage, there should be enough toys. At the same time, if the cell is quite small, it is not worth it to force. Among the toys, one can note a swing - almost all parrots love to ride on it. You can suspend a spinning ball to the ceiling of the cage. Budgerigars pay special attention to a small mirror that allows them to observe their reflection. It will be interesting for the bird to play with a small ringing bell. When choosing a toy for a bird, note that there should not be any sharp objects on it that the parrot could hurt. No need to buy plastic toys - they are short-lived. In addition, plastic can be toxic.

Twigs
In the cage of a parrot there should always be tree branches. They serve as a toy for the parrot, the bird trains and grinds its beak about them. In addition, a parrot receives a certain portion of nutrients from fresh wood. Do not leave coniferous tree branches in the cage, they are harmful to bird health.

Paper
Paper is placed in the tray to absorb unpleasant odors and waste from the bird. In no case do not use newsprint - printing ink is quite aggressive, and can lead to skin diseases of the bird.

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Bathing
If the cage is large, you can install a special bathing suit in it if you wish. It is a plastic box, on the bottom of which a small amount of water is poured. The bathe is attached to the bars of the cage. The parrot climbs into the bathing room and indulges in water procedures with pleasure.Instead, you can install a cup of sand at the bottom of the cage, in which the bird will "flush" the wings.

Among the rules for the location of objects in the cage, it should be noted that the drinker and feeder should not be located next to each other. They must be installed at different ends of the cell - so you stimulate the parrot to motor activity. And you do not need to install feeders and drinking bowls under the poles so that litter does not get into food and water.

Budgerigars are one of the most intelligent, talkative, affectionate and tame birds. Caring for a budgie is quite simple. Provide your pet with all the necessary attributes for life, regularly devote his time to him, and he will answer you with love and splendid songs.

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