Is it possible to leave a budgie alone for several days?

Is it possible to leave budgies alone at home?

Read in this article
The joyful chirping of a budgie always pleases the inhabitants of the apartment, so it is especially important to provide the bird with quality care.
Having fresh water and food in the cage every day is the key to the well-being and longevity of a family member. There are often cases when the owner needs to leave for several days, and then the question of how long a budgerigar can live without food becomes especially relevant. Leaving a pet unattended is not always safe, so it is best to first arrange with someone you know to feed the bird.

Content Features

The process of caring for two birds is significantly different from caring for one individual.

The main features include:

• 
  a spacious cage is purchased, equipped with the necessary elements, which include toys, perches, drinkers and feeders;

• It is advisable to buy rectangular cages, since cubic, round or cylindrical products create difficulties for the birds’ orientation;
• approximately 1.5 cm is left between the rods;
• Be sure to buy 2 mineral stones, which act as a source of minerals for pets;
• To feed budgies, specialized grain feeds are selected, and it is also advisable to add fruits and vegetables;
• It is allowed to periodically delight the birds with boiled eggs or cottage cheese.

Parrots should always have access to clean, fresh water.

Useful facts

At first glance, budgies seem to drink and eat very little. Despite this feature, parrots tolerate harsh changes in diet very acutely. Wavy cats have a fairly fast metabolism, which is why the absorption of food and water occurs in just a couple of hours. It is not possible to feed a parrot several days in advance.

Some bird owners leave and leave as much food in the feeder as possible and put a second drinker in the cage. This measure is not always able to protect the budgie from hunger. Sometimes a bird is able to empty the feeder at one time, and starve for the remaining days. Do not forget that overeating can cause digestive problems the next day.

If the lovebird is left alone

Once upon a time there lived a pair of parrots. They lived together, did not grieve, cooed to each other. The female laid eggs, the male guarded them. There were no chicks, but the birds were not upset because of this. We continued to enjoy our life together. Trouble came, one of them died. The owner began to worry about the remaining bird. How will she cope with the separation?

There is something else to worry about. If lovebirds are separated, nothing bad will happen. As they lived, so they will live. It is advisable to find out the cause of death of a deceased parrot. If he died due to illness, then it is worth sounding the alarm and taking the “widower” or “widow” to an ornithologist.

We recommend reading: How to determine the sex of lovebirds

Lack of food

It will be easier to eliminate adverse consequences when caring for a bird if you first find out how many days a budgerigar can live without food. A pet can go without food longer than in the case of water, but you should not allow a long absence of food in the cage. Without dry food, a budgie will live for 3-4 days, however, its absence can have a negative impact on the pet’s well-being.

With prolonged fasting (up to 4 days), a budgerigar at home may develop the following negative symptoms:

In the worst case scenario, lack of food is fatal in some cases. It is best not to conduct such experiments on a budgie and always keep an eye on the bird.

Which parrots can be kept in pairs?

Now in pet stores and pet markets you can easily buy not only cats, dogs, fish and hamsters, but also birds. If you are still thinking about which pet is best for you, check out our material. If your soul calls you in the direction of ornithology, then my new material will be useful to you.

So, parrots vary in size:

• small species (budgies, lovebirds, songbirds);
• medium (cockatiels, rosellas, ring-necked parrots);
• large (macaws, cockatoos and others).

The latter, as a rule, are true companion birds, but they are much more difficult to care for than smaller species.

If you decide to get a parakeet for the first time, choose a budgie or a cockatiel. They are relatively inexpensive, unpretentious, quite smart, small in size and easy to maintain. They sing quite quietly and are easy to train.

Often, “new” parrot owners ask themselves the question, “Can their new pet live alone or does it need a mate?” I will try to answer this question today.

The most important thing on which everything depends is your lifestyle. If you leave your parrot alone for a long time or are not ready to give it a lot of attention, it is better to immediately buy a pair. The two birds will be busy with each other and will not get bored, requiring a lot of your attention.

When purchasing a pair for your pet, consider the following features.

Budgerigars

They are very sociable and do not like to be in complete silence for a long time. Not a single person can replace their fellow tribesman. When you go to work or visit, your budgie will start to get bored, even in a very cozy and spacious cage. So knowing this, just buy a pair at once. While still in the store, look for a couple who communicate closely. The main thing is not to confuse the birds, otherwise they may become sad.

It is better to purchase birds of the opposite sex - two females or two males may not divide the territory and will start fighting. By the way, the plumage must be the same, otherwise this can also become a reason for conflicts.

Important! Before purchasing, find out the exact age of the parrots. The best option would be a difference of 2-3 years in favor of the male. A female that is too old will not stand on ceremony with a young suitor, she will peck him and, perhaps, even beat him.

When purchasing a pair, make sure you have a new, spacious cage suitable for two birds.

Lovebirds

These birds received their name for their loyalty and extraordinary tenderness towards each other. The homeland of birds is sunny Madagascar. It is believed that in the wild they choose a mate and remain faithful to each other until the death of one of the partners.

At home, lovebirds can live in flocks, pairs or alone. If you want one parrot to live with you, then try to take a bird that was born in captivity. It is much easier for them to adapt to single life. However, remember that it is from you that the pet will require the communication it lacks.

Many owners decide to give a male to a female if she shows signs of melancholy or aggression. If a feathered pet is sad and plucks its feathers, this is a sure sign that it lacks company.

Do not keep same-sex birds together; they will constantly share space. If you want to have a pair, first buy a young male and tame him as much as possible, and after a while choose a female for him.

It is important! The female needs to be placed in the male's cage. Birds have a matriarchy, and if you do the opposite (put a male with a female), she may cripple him.

Despite the name, lovebirds get along just fine without the company of their fellow tribesmen.

Rosella

These birds do not tolerate being around other parrots well. They are far from having the most flexible character, which is expressed in absolute intolerance towards others - Rosella simply will not tolerate any competition. It can show aggression towards its relatives, especially if they are smaller in size.

On the other hand, if you buy parrots of about the same age and from the same nest, most likely they will get along.

Corella (Nymph)

Nymphs are very social birds. If you spend a lot of time with your pet, exercising him, playing with him and letting him fly, he will feel good and see you as his best friend. Cockatiels become so accustomed to human society that they sometimes become frightened not only of their relatives, but also of their own reflection.

Additional recommendations

You need to pour fresh food into your bird’s feeder several times a day, preferably at the same time. In this case, the animal’s digestive tract will work without interruption. In addition to grain feed, it is worth including sprouted grains in the poultry diet. It can be wheat, barley, oats, sunflower seeds, sesame. Vegetables and fruits are also rich in vitamins. A mineral mixture consisting of shell rock promotes the formation of a healthy skeleton. Branches of fruit trees, ready-made cereals, greens - all these components will provide your budgie with useful minerals and vitamins.

Every day you need to rinse and pour fresh water into the drinking bowl. It is recommended to thoroughly wash the mucus from the drinking bowl each time to prevent germs from growing in it. It is best to let running water sit for a day in a cool place, and drain only the top part. If there is a filter in the house, then such water is considered to be of the highest quality for your pet.

Do not forget that a budgie requires the same careful care and love as other pets in the family. Taking good care of your bird will prolong its life.

Source

Adaptation period before moving into one cell

Having selected a pair for your pet, do not rush to place it with him - the new parrot needs to go through quarantine and an adaptation period. During quarantine, birds should be kept in different rooms for a month, so that if a newly arrived bird becomes ill, it does not infect the old resident.

When you notice that your pets are communicating peacefully through the bars, you can let them out for short walks together. Do not decide in which cage the couple will live; give the parrots the opportunity to make their own choice.

What to do with a parrot during vacation?

Of course, the option of taking your feathered friend with you is possible, but in order to take your parrot abroad, you will need to go to the veterinarian and get all the necessary certificates stating that your pet is not sick. Also, as an option, you might consider giving it away during your vacation:

Giving your feathered friend to your friends for a while is a good option, but they will need to be fully instructed. It is necessary to explain to those who will look after your pet how to care for it, how to feed it, how much to feed it, when to let it fly around the room and many other points. There are cases where when the owner of the parrot arrived, his pet was not expecting him at all.

Not everyone can cope and give him the right care and attention. After all, it takes time for a pet to get used to it, and for animals and birds this is a lot of stress. It is necessary that those who have entrusted their feathered friend with you try to feed him, wash the container under water and clean the cage. Cockatoos, macaws and cockatiels experience separation especially hard.

How to care for two birds

Two birds means double responsibility. You need to prepare for increased cleaning and feeding. A pair of parrots will often be busy with themselves, but this does not allow the owner to ignore the birds at this moment.

It is worth keeping an eye on the communication and interaction of birds, because... Sometimes disputes may arise over trifles that cannot be predicted in advance. Breeders, for example, recommend making a separate place or corner for each bird so that they can put toys there or sit alone.

Parrots are very jealous creatures, so you should always duplicate toys so that each bird can play with the same rattle

Sooner or later, a pair of parrots will want to have offspring. To create comfortable conditions for this, the owner needs to arrange a place for nesting. A good option would be either a homemade house or a purchased one, the main thing is to ensure tightness, a small entrance and the ability to clean.

Often breeders begin to interfere in the process of creating and maintaining offspring, but ornithologists strongly recommend limiting your curiosity to a fleeting inspection of the nest and regular cleaning.

It is better to clean the cage without the birds themselves, so as not to cause irritation and the feeling of being spilled onto their personal territory. This may lead to the female refusing to lay eggs in the nest house.

Often parrots show by their behavior that they are sad without a mate, but by following a number of simple rules you can radically change the life of your beloved bird for the better.

Parrot alone at home

If your vacation lasts a short period of time, for example 4 days, then it is possible to leave your budgies alone at home, as many bird owners have done. In order to leave your parrot alone for a couple of days, you need to follow a couple of rules. It would be nice if your feathered friend had a cage mate, it would be much more fun for him.

A parrot may get sick while on vacation, so it is better to have someone check the pet. Lovebirds tolerate separation from a person best.

How to choose a mate for a budgie

If you did not purchase budgerigars as a pair at once, then you need to know the features of selecting a companion for birds:

1. It is advisable to choose birds with similar colors, especially if you plan to breed them in the future.
2. The male must be 2–4 years older than the female, otherwise she will dominate him. It is also desirable that the male be larger than the female, otherwise the lady can easily peck him during the mating season.
3. The morals of birds must match. A timid male will be easily humiliated by a lively female.

Check out the most popular types of budgie colors.

Hotels for birds

It happens that there is simply no one to leave your pet with; don’t be upset, as there are hotels for pets. For a nominal sum, hotel employees feed, care for and walk your pet.

People who run a business like a pet hotel charge a certain fee for the night your pet spends in their hotel. If you are interested in such an option as a hotel for pets, then to do this you need to type the phrase “hotel for animals” into Google, and you will instantly get the results you need, in the right city. It's quite simple.

How much does it cost to get a budgie?

And how quickly do you get tired of cleaning the cage?

In October 2021, we adopted a budgie named Snowball.

I have never kept birds at home, so before purchasing, I studied many sites and forums for parrot lovers, and also asked friends and acquaintances. As a result, Snowball turned out to be an extremely problem-free bird - in 4 years I have never regretted that we took him.

In the article I will tell you how we chose our chick and organized a comfortable stay for him, I will calculate how much money and time we spend on caring for the parrot, and I will share tips that helped us form the right expectations and prepare for possible problems.

Our expenses on a parrot for 4 years - 16,440 RUR

Choice of talking wavy

If you're wondering how to choose a talking budgie, here are our top tips.

• The easiest thing is not to buy a talking parrot, but to teach it to speak on its own. Therefore, the question should rather be how to choose a budgerigar so that it speaks.
• You need to start training your parrot as early as possible; green males, according to statistics, learn human speech skills easier and faster. White birds, on the contrary, are least likely to have such abilities.
• There is an opinion that you need to choose the weakest chick in the brood, go out and tame it. It is such a bird that will recognize its owner as its leader and will begin to obey him.
• The most optimal age when a bird is able to start talking is about 7-8 months. It is better to start learning with words with hissing sounds.

Thus, to the question of how to choose a budgerigar to speak, the answer is this: you need to choose a young male parrot, while all the signs of an active, healthy bird should not raise even a shadow of doubt.

What you need to know about parrots

It was our daughter who initiated the purchase of a parrot in our family. But in 2016, she was only six years old, and I understood that caring for the bird would fall mainly on me. Before deciding to get a parrot, I carefully studied this issue.

Budgerigars are native to Australia. In Russia they are often kept as pets because it is quite easy. The air temperature and humidity in the apartment are comfortable for the bird; there is no need to buy any special equipment. These parrots are small in size - 17-23 cm in length, and they weigh about 50 g. This allows them to be kept in small cages.

There are different breeds of budgies. The so-called exhibition ones are larger than usual and have more magnificent plumage. And traditional wavy patterns come in all the colors of the rainbow. Breeders select birds for crossing in order to obtain an unusual, rare color in the chicks. Collectors collect interesting birds and even display them at exhibitions.

But keeping a parrot is not always easy. According to reviews from friends, birds often gnaw wallpaper and book spines, poop on the chandelier and curtains, and interfere with sleep in the morning.

You also need to understand that there will definitely be more cleaning. You will have to wash not only the cage, but also the area around it. The parrot scatters husks and molts two or three times a year. Rubbish flies around the cage - you need to vacuum it every day.

Parrots are noisy birds. They chirp loudly, especially in response to sudden sounds. If you like silence, you definitely shouldn’t get a bird. But we have two small children, so we are used to the noise.

Parrots are also social birds. They need their owner's attention. Without communication, they become sad and quickly run wild, stop sitting on your hand and peck. You won’t be able to get a parakeet and forget about it: you will have to devote time to the parrot.

Get to know the Textbook T⁠—⁠J

Character, abilities, training

According to reviews from owners, budgies are very nimble, active and talkative. If you have such a parrot at home, everyone will hear its chirping. Especially in the morning at dawn and in the evening. Therefore, if you like to sleep in the morning, cover the cage with your pet with a thick cloth, leaving a small gap for breathing. They love to shout down TV, loud music, and people talking.

However, it is precisely for this noisy activity that owners love budgies. In addition, birds can be taught to reproduce human speech and various sounds.

Wavys are extremely open to communication, they easily get along with their owner, become his companion and devoted friend, having felt care and attention from the person.

It is not very difficult to teach them to speak. The main thing is that your pet trusts you. Males and birds under five months of age are considered more “talkative” and capable of learning.

The very first thing that owners usually teach a budgie is to say its name. The main thing in learning is regularity, consistency and patience. 10-20 minutes daily is enough to practice. Reward your pet with a treat for every successful action. It won't be long before your parrot speaks the same language as you. Sometimes it will be very funny, like in this video:

How to choose a parrot chick

If you are not afraid of noise and are willing to spend time on additional cleaning and communication with your pet, you can get a parrot. I'll tell you how to choose it.

Age. To make it easier to tame a parrot, it is better to have a chick. The ideal age is 40-54 days. By this time, the chicks have already left the nest, are able to feed themselves and easily adapt to their new home.

But determining the age of a bird is not so easy: at 2-3 months, parrots change their plumage and acquire an adult appearance. If you take a chick after the first molt, you will have to rely on the honesty of the seller.

It is recommended to get a male first. They are usually less aggressive than females and are easier to tame and teach to speak. If you want to take a couple of birds at once, you can choose a female and a male or two males. Two girls may not get along in the same cage.

When choosing a bird, it is important to assess its general condition. The chick should be active, not shy, with neat plumage.

Alone or in pairs - which is better?

The budgerigar is a flocking bird that cannot develop adequately without its relatives nearby.

Of course, the bird will greet its owner more joyfully and learn to speak faster, but this is all the result of sadness and sadness in moments of human absence.

Despite the seemingly external satisfaction from life and a cheerful mood, a lonely parrot will not receive what is inherent in it by nature. Even if you spend 24/7 with your pet, this is not enough, because... Bird communication is not just about actual presence or voice. This is also communication with body language, gestures, plumage, coloring.

In animals of the same species, even if there are only two of them, a certain hierarchical behavior is established: one of the parrots becomes a role model. In addition, in pairs, parrots can engage in procedures laid down by genes. This is something that cannot only be taught, but also unlearned.

As the owners of several birds say, monitoring and caring for a pair is much easier than for a single bird, because... in a group, parrots can occupy themselves and will not constantly call their owner across the entire apartment.

How many parrots do you have?

12

Where to buy a budgie

Parrot chicks are sold in pet stores, on sites like Avito, and from breeders. I'll tell you about each option in more detail.

a budgerigar chick is standing in a pet store in 2021

But it is possible that the owners are adopting the bird for other reasons, for example because of a move or an allergy developed in one of the family members. It would be wise to talk with the former owners, ask them in detail about the reasons for the sale, and see in what conditions the birds were kept. If the cage is clean, the parrot looks well-groomed and friendly, and the owner inspires your trust, you can take the bird.

From a breeder is the most reliable way to purchase a parrot. Good breeders raise birds with love and skill. You can be sure of the chick's age and state of health. Plus, you will receive advice on the content from a person who definitely understands this. The poultry is guaranteed to grow up in calm conditions and will be easy to tame.

It is better to look for a breeder based on recommendations. Since there are no parrot lovers among our friends, I looked for him in a local group on VKontakte and on a forum for parrot lovers. There, experienced bird owners discuss the features of keeping them, and beginners can ask questions and get practical advice. You can also read reviews from real people and study the breeder’s page. Thanks to the forum, I learned where it is better to buy a chick, how to facilitate its adaptation to a new place and organize a comfortable cage for it.

On the forum I found the contacts of the breeder Valery. He said that his chicks had recently hatched, but they needed to grow up. In correspondence, I asked questions that interested me, and the seller’s answers seemed competent to me. We chose a parrot for ourselves - subjective trust was enough.

The flock of birds was making such a loud noise that we couldn't hear each other. Valery clapped his hands - and they immediately fell silent. The breeder gave us some tips on keeping a parrot. For example, he did not recommend covering the cage with a cloth at night, as is often done. The fabric blocks the free movement of air in the cage, making the parrot uncomfortable. Birds quickly get used to their owners' routine and do not make noise in silence and darkness. Snowball sleeps at night and never wakes us up.

How to distinguish from a photo

Parrot sellers insist on keeping track of the differences between a boy and a girl using photographs. After viewing a certain number of photos, you can catch certain patterns in the behavior, reaction and color of the birds.

Do you have a parrot?

Not really

Cheek spots

If you look closely at the pets' cheeks, you can discern a faint color. Females have light purple tones, while males have dark purple tones. Depending on the color of the plumage, these spots are visible a little better or worse, so this method cannot boast of accuracy.

How to distinguish a female from a male by wax

To find out whether a budgie is a girl or a boy, find the wax itself. In a parrot, this is a soft, smooth place that protrudes slightly just above the beak. The two holes are the nostrils through which the pet breathes. The beak is usually yellow, but the cere of females and males is different.

Chicks

Determining the sex of chicks is quite difficult, because... The color scheme of the skin above the beak can change during the day, which means you need to conduct several studies over 3-4 days or take photographs for clarity. It is possible to reliably determine the sex of a chick only after the 3rd week of its life.

Female:

• main shades: bluish, light purple, all varieties of pink;
• the skin over the beak has an uneven color, there are light circles around the nostrils;
• if the beak is still purple, and this is possible with both females and males, then the female's cere will have blue tones;
• the pink tint of the cere can be a sign of both a boy and a girl, but in this case it is worth focusing on the uniform distribution of color and the type of peri-nostril circles.

Male:

• Lilac, violet and pink shades dominate
• The color, unlike females, is evenly distributed and uniform
• Circles around the nostrils are the exception rather than the rule. But it is extremely difficult to confuse them with girls' ones, because... they have a pronounced blue color
• If the male's beak is purple, his cere will have a deeper pink hue.
• If the offspring has a pink skin tone over the beak, then the boy can be differentiated by uniform coloring and the absence of even a hint of circles

In general, it is quite possible to determine the sex of a budgerigar chick. The task becomes much easier when the bird reaches 3-4 months of life.

Adult birds

It is possible to distinguish between an adult boy and a girl from the age of 3 months.

Attention is paid to the uniformity and color of the color of the wax

In males it is an even light pink color with bright white circles around the nostrils, similar to bleaching. Sometimes the cere turns blue. This is especially noticeable during puberty, when its shade can vary from light to purple-blue tones.

At the same time, this place is white or light brown. During puberty, it also changes color to dark or brownish pink. In addition, the cere becomes significantly thicker.

Sometimes at the base of the beak you can notice an admixture of blue tones, but against their background the white peri-nostril circles will still be noticeable.

If the sex of the parrot is known for sure, but discoloration or an unnatural shade of the wax is observed, then you should immediately take the bird to the veterinarian. This is a sign of acute hormonal imbalances that requires immediate treatment.

How to organize a comfortable cage

Before purchasing a parrot, you need to prepare everything you need: a cage, comfortable perches, feeders and drinkers. If desired, you can buy swings, ladders and toys, but this is not included in the mandatory minimum and not all birds like it. For example, Snowball doesn’t like it when something unfamiliar appears in his cage.

The parrot spends most of its time in a cage, and this is the only correct option for keeping it in an apartment. If the bird is not allowed out of the cage at all, its wing muscles will gradually weaken and it will forget how to fly. Activity is necessary for health: a parrot needs to fly as often as possible, preferably every day. But only under supervision: parrots are small, they can easily fall behind a closet or get tangled in wires. Also, a bird moving freely around the apartment can simply be accidentally stepped on or sat on.

Material and shape. It is important to pay attention to the material from which the cage is made. Copper or galvanized cages are dangerous for birds: these metals oxidize from moisture and become covered with toxic oxides. Wooden ones are convenient, but short-lived. And the plastic rods are not strong enough - the parrot can easily chew them through. It is better to choose a nickel-plated metal cage. It is durable, does not rust, is safe for birds, and is easy to clean. The pallet may be plastic.

It is better to choose a rectangular cage. Round birds are difficult to navigate: it is important for parrots to have a secluded corner where they can hide. It will not be possible to organize this in a round cage. In addition, it is inconvenient to attach ladders and swings in shaped cages.

It is important that the cage door closes securely and that its design is safe for the bird. You should not buy cages with guillotine doors: they can crush the parrot. It is convenient when the cage opens not only from the side, but also from the top.

After purchasing, you need to wash the cage with soap or tea soda. Soda is preferable because it does not have a distinct odor, the residue of which may bother the bird. Add a little water to the soda to form a paste, thoroughly wipe the cell with this mixture, and then rinse with water. You need to do the same with all the perches and feeders. Perches, food and water are placed in a clean cage. When you bring your parrot home, everything should be ready.

The location for the cage must be chosen in advance. And you shouldn’t rearrange it later: this is additional stress for the bird. It's better to install it correctly right away:

Accessories. Usually the cages are equipped with perches and feeders. It is important that the perches are made of wood: this is a natural and familiar material for birds. It does not damage the paws, the parrot easily grips the rough surface and does not slip.

If the cage is equipped with plastic perches, they need to be replaced with branches of any fruit trees. They can even be collected on the street, but it is better outside the city so that they are not covered with dust and fumes. It is also important to make sure that the trees have not been treated with chemicals against pests: the bird may be poisoned. The collected branches must be washed with soap, doused with boiling water and dried.

is there a universal feeder?

In the first weeks, it is better not to use toys at all: this will make it easier to tame the bird.

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The parrot's first days at home

The most convenient way to bring a parrot home is in a small cardboard box, such as a shoe box. You cannot transport birds in a cage: they can get hurt on the bars when shaking on the road.

The breeder made holes for air in the box and carefully placed Snowball there. Birds don't like to be handled. If such a need arises, it is better to do it with gloves: this way the parrot will not be afraid of human hands.

We brought the chick home, opened the box and leaned it against the entrance to the cage. Snowball himself flew to a new house.

Moving is stressful for a parrot. It is better not to disturb the bird for the first day or two in a new place. We understood that our little daughter would hardly have the patience to stay away from her new pet all day, so we specially planned a visit.

At first, Snowball sat on a perch with a ruff and was silent. Gradually he began to drink, peck grains and chirp. While changing his food, I talked to the bird. Parrots are very sociable and listen to their owners with curiosity.

After a couple of weeks, Snowball became completely comfortable in the cage and remembered where his water and food were. We decided to let him fly around the room. Since we have a cat, Snowball only flies around the living room. We make sure to close the door and windows so that the bird does not fly out into the street or into the paws of the cat.

We don't always have time to let our parrot go for a walk, but we try to do it at least two or three times a week. Snowball loves to fly around the room, but returns to his cage without any problems. We never had to catch him. The walk usually takes about half an hour.

Communicating with a parrot is interesting. You can’t grab it with your hands, but you can offer to sit on your finger. To do this, you need to carefully run your finger over the parrot's chest. Since we took Snowball as a chick, he was easy to tame.

What to feed a parrot

The basis of the diet of budgies is grain mixtures. They can also be fed with fruits, vegetables and protein foods.

Special foods are sold in pet stores, their cost is from 80 to 450 R per kilogram. This amount will be enough for one bird for about two months.

Usually I sprinkle grain for three to four days at the rate of one tablespoon per day. Snowball eats the grains and leaves the husks. He knows how to throw it out of the feeder, but sometimes I empty the husks myself to reduce the amount of debris around the cage. Grain feed does not spoil, so it can be poured out for several days if we are leaving somewhere.

I pay for half a kilo of feed

When the Vitacraft food disappeared, I had to suddenly switch my parrot to a new one. This was a problem: Snowball didn't like other grain mixtures. A consultant at a pet store told me that they give the chicks a mix of three different foods: cheap, medium and expensive. This way, new owners will not have problems feeding the parrot, no matter what brand they choose. He advised not to buy rare food, but to take the common Rio brand. And in order to transfer a parrot to a new food, you need to gradually add it to the usual grain mixture, increasing the amount. The parrot will get used to it and will eat without problems.

Signs of a young wavy

Young individuals can get used to new owners and living conditions. Signs of a young wavy:

1. The young bird has black eyes
2. Chicks have a black beak, a 2-3 month old chick has a black smear on its beak
3. The juvenile has a short tail
4. After 1.5 months, the bird’s feathers should lie tightly together
5. At about a month of age, the chicks can already fly
6. The cere of a young individual has a light blue tint

Although it is difficult to determine the age of a budgerigar, it is worth paying special attention to all of the above recommendations and signs of a healthy and active bird

Cleaning the cage

Usually the cage has a retractable tray to make it easy to clean. It’s convenient to put paper in it: then you don’t have to wash the bottom of the droppings, you just need to change the paper for fresh one. I usually do this every other day.

I use the cheapest printer paper possible. Three sheets are enough to completely cover the bottom. Since Snowball sometimes chews paper, I put only clean sheets in the cage: paints and inks are harmful to the bird.

About once a month you need to do a general cleaning of the cage. Then I remove the top and wash the bottom and pan. It is convenient to wash the cage with a high-pressure shower. Plain water is enough; I don’t use cleaning products. I wipe the rods with a cloth as needed.

A big surprise for me was the fact that parrots do not eat all the grains. They eat away the nucleoli, and the husk scatters around the cell. Two or three times a year, the parrot molts, so that feathers are added to the husk. You have to vacuum the area around the cage every day. There is no unpleasant odor from the parrot.

Parrot care

Apart from keeping the cage clean, parrots do not require any special care. But it is very important to communicate a lot with the bird. Therefore, breeders advise keeping parrots in pairs: this way they will not be bored.

Since Snowball lives alone and doesn’t like toys in a cage, we have to entertain him. It was a good idea to put the parrot's cage in the living room where we spend a lot of time. When we are nearby, Snowball is no longer lonely. We try to communicate with the parrot more often. For example, my daughter sometimes reads books aloud to him, and he sits on a perch and listens with curiosity.

Many parrots love to bathe. There are even special swimsuits that attach to the cage. It is important that the water in them is clean and warm: the parrot can drink during water procedures. Our Snowball is a conservative and is wary of innovations in a cage, so we did not organize a bath for him. Sometimes he washes the feathers right in the drinking bowl.

Parrot diseases. If the parrot's plumage has become dull and disheveled, he has stopped eating, sits ruffled and trembles, this is a reason to consult a doctor. Discharge from the eyes and wax are also signs of the disease.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the litter. Normally it is brownish-green in color. If it has changed, undigested grain or a lot of liquid appears in the litter, this is a reason to contact a veterinarian. It is better to choose a doctor who specializes in avian health.

Parrots can also pluck feathers from stress: for example, if the cage is not positioned correctly or the bird is disturbed by loud noises, small children or other pets. You need to remove stress factors, and everything will work out.

But don't confuse plucking with seasonal shedding. Two or three times a year, the bird sheds its feathers and grows new ones. This is the norm, although during this period the parrots do not look very pretty. At such times, you need to add more fruits and protein foods to your diet.

Determination of gender

To select a pair, you first need to know exactly what the sex of the existing bird is. If a parrot was purchased from a nursery, it must have a veterinary certificate containing basic information about the bird. If the purchase was made at the poultry market, then the gender is determined independently.

Typically males have dark beaks and feathers, as well as black eyes. Females are smaller in size. If it is impossible to determine the sex yourself, then it is advisable to take the bird to a veterinarian who uses endoscopy, which allows him to examine the internal organs and determine the sex.

Pros and cons of keeping a parrot

We never managed to teach Snowball to speak. My daughter didn’t have enough patience, and my husband and I didn’t have enough time. But it’s still interesting to communicate with him.

An unpleasant surprise was that the parrots peck painfully. That's why my daughter is afraid to put Snowball on her finger. I think she imagined that she would interact with the parrot like a Disney princess with the birds. It turned out that Snowball is not a toy, but a living creature with its own character. It was a useful lesson.

There is a lot of debris from the parrot, but it is not difficult to clean up. The bird spends most of its time in a cage. It is enough to run around it with a vacuum cleaner and throw out the garbage from the tray.

The parrot can be left alone for a couple of nights. It is enough to give him clean water and grains. If we are leaving for a long time, we ask our parents to look after the cat and parrot. True, then Snowball gets bored and runs wild. For the first time after our return, he refuses to leave the cage and sit in his arms. We try to pay more attention to the parrot, and he becomes tame again.

Can a male parrot be placed with a female?

Those who gave you the advice: “place a female parrot in a male’s cage, and not vice versa,” are experienced specialists who know all the correct subtleties of this process. What you described in the question really happens: the female parrot appropriates her cage so much that even a potential male, once on her territory, is automatically considered a threat/enemy to her. And in the process of “liquidation”, the female begins to defend herself using her beak/claws in attack. By putting this idea into action, you will subsequently receive: a female in rage and a crippled/dead male. It is better not to implement an idea like: “maybe try and she will accept it”, because as a result of the experiments carried out, there is a high probability of negative consequences, so that the idea of ​​“testing” and not risking the health/life of both parrots does not arise. Using the suggested tips, follow all the instructions of the mentioned specialist, give the birds love and the result of your efforts will manifest itself in a large and happy family of parrots.