Budgies As Pets

I always had a budgie or two with my cockatiels while I was growing up, and once I moved out I built an aviary where they started to breed like flies.

Now I have scaled down again. I recently lost one and have one left. They are really cute pets, but I think I am going to go back eventually to just my cockatiels and my bare-eyed cockatoo.

Nevertheless, the budgies I had and the one I still have is really sweet and tame.

They enjoy being taken out if you can pry them away from their mirror, and they sit quite contently on my daughter’s shoulder.

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Budgies As Pets Pros

There are a lot of pros to having budgies as pets and here are just some of them:

• They don’t eat much and that makes them very cost-effective pets.
• They aren’t as loud as a cockatiel or parrot, so they won’t irritate you or the neighbors.
• They are easy to train if you get them young.
• Budgies are very easy to look after. It is a matter of giving the cage a good clean out once a week, blowing out the seed daily, and giving them fresh water daily. You will need to blow out the husks each day from the seed, as the budgie will eat the inside of the seed and leave the husk behind.
• They don’t need a big cage.
• Providing you teach your child how to handle the bird gently, they are great for kids as they don’t bite too hard.
• They can be trained to talk.
• Budgies come in a multitude of different and pretty colors. Some people buy a budgie to match the color of their lounge.

Budgies As Pets Cons

Here are some of the cons of owning a budgie:

• They don’t have as long a lifespan as some of the bigger parrots. Most budgies live for under ten years.
• They need to be handled gently as they are more fragile than the bigger members of the parrot family.
• They can’t be mixed with other birds in an aviary, as they are quite aggressive towards other species. They can, however, be successfully placed in the same enclosure as cockatiels, who are placid by nature.

What do I need to buy for my Budgie?

Firstly you will need a cage. Budgies don’t need a big cage unless you have a few budgies. The bars for a budgie cage are closer together than the bigger parrots.

You will need budgie seed, which is their staple diet, as well as some treats like these Nutri Berries. Other than that you can supplement with some fresh fruit or veggies daily.

This cage is just big enough for one budgie. You can click on the link to view it.

I love this cage pictured below and have one just like it. You do need a bit more space though.

If you like to go away and take your pet with you, you will love this little budgie transporter.

Make sure to offer your budgie fresh fruit and veggies in addition to the budgie food, and a cuttlefish or calcium block placed in the cage will also benefit the health of your bird.

The perches in the cage are quite narrow compared to the larger parrot species, but your budgie will need some perches in his cage. If you have one budgie some toys or a mirror are a good idea to keep him entertained.

Remember that the cage should be cleaned out at least once a week, and the water needs to be changed daily.

Finally, if you do have budgies as pets, please leave a comment and let us know why you love them so much.