Click on a question to go to the answer.
Before you Buy
Is a budgie the right pet for
me?
Are budgies the same as parakeets?
How do I tell the sex of a
baby budgie?
Which bird makes a better pet,
male or female?
How long do they live?
How can I tell how old a baby
is?
Should I buy from a pet store
or a breeder?
Should I buy a hand fed budgie?
What will I need to buy before
I bring my budgie home?
When you get your new budgie home
I've had my bird for a day
and I haven't seen it eat or move. Is it sick?
I've had my bird for a week
and I haven't seen it drink. Is it sick?
I've had my bird for a week
and it just sits in the same place in the cage and doesn't move.
Is it sick?
When I put my hand in the cage
my bird flutters all over the place and won't come near me. What
do I do?
I can't get my bird to eat
anything but seed. What do I do?
How do I tame my budgie?
My budgie won't let me pat
its head. What do I do?
My budgie bites when I hold
it. What do I do?
How do I get my budgie to talk?
What's the best thing to put
on the bottom of the cage?
How often do I change the
water?
How often do I clean the cage?
Should I have its wings clipped?
Feeding your budgie.
Do I feed my budgie grit?
What can I feed my bird besides seed?
Should I feed my bird only pellets?
What things should I avoid feeding my bird?
What kind of vitamins should I feed?
Does my bird need Mineral Block or cuttlebone?
How much millet should I give my budgie?
The seed mix that I buy has vitamins and pellets
in it. Is that enough?
Cage, Toys and perches
How big should the cage be for my budgie?
I have a round, tall cage. Is that OK?
What's the best toy for my budgie?
Should I give my budgie a mirror?
What kinds of toys should I avoid?
My budgie is afraid of its new toy. Should
I remove it?
Should I keep the same toys in the cage all the time?
Should I put sandpaper perch covers on all the perches?
What kinds of perches are best?
Health Concerns
My budgie has been all fluffed up, is sleeping a
lot and not playing. Is it sick?
I think my budgie is sick. What can I do to
help it?
My male budgie is vomiting on everything. What
should I do?
My budgie's eye (or leg, or foot or any other
part) is swollen . What should I do?
My budgie is bleeding. What should I do?
My budgie can't use its wing, leg, foot, etc.
What should I do?
My budgie has a big ugly growth on its beak.
What should I do?-
Should I use a mite protector?
My budgie is on the bottom of its cage and can't
perch at all. What should I do?
My budgie hen has a swollen rear end. Is it
an egg?
My budgie is vomiting, but not on things.
What should I do?
My budgie has diarrhea. What do I do?
My Budgie Hen's poops are HUGE. Is she sick?
There are feathers all over the place. What's
wrong?
What are safe plants to have around my budgie?
How do I clip my budgie's wings?
How do I trim my budgie's nails?
How do I trim my budgie's beak?
How do I find and avian vet?
My budgie is sick and I can't afford to get it to
the vet. What do I do?
Breeding Budgies
I want to breed budgies. Should I?
Can you make a lot of money selling baby budgies?
My budgie is laying eggs on the bottom of the cage.
What do I do?
My budgie laid an egg. Will it hatch?
How big a nest box should I get?
What kind of nesting material do I need?
How long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
My budgie laid and egg but won't sit on it.
What's up with that?
My budgie is laying eggs but they aren't fertile.
Should I remove them?
How do I tell if an egg is fertile?
If I touch an egg will the mother reject it?
How long does it take for the babies to be fully
weaned?
How do I find homes for the babies?
Do I have to feed the parents anything special during
breeding?
My budgies won't mate. What do I do?
My budgies have mated but there are no eggs.
What's going on?
Before you Buy:
Q - Is a budgie the right
pet for me?
A - If you:
Also, if you are the parent of a child who wants a budgie, please
keep in mind that you will have the responsibility of vet care and maintenance.
So, you really have to want the bird, too. That, actually, goes for
all pets.
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Q - Are
budgies the same as parakeets?
A - Yes and no. Budgies are a type of
parakeet, but there are many other types of parakeets (grass parakeets,
for example). However, pet shops often refer to budgies as Parakeets
when they sell them, and many people refer to them as parakeets rather
than budgies.
Q - How do I tell the
sex of a baby budgie?
A - It's very difficult to tell the sex of a baby budgie.
Some people say that if the baby has light rings around the nares
it's a girl, but that's not 100% true. Usually the boy's cere
is a light lavender and the girl's cere is pink, white, or even light blue.
The differences are subtle, though, so the untrained eye will have a tough
time making the determination.
You can also try to tell from the birds' behavior. Males tend to be more gregarious and flit around looking for playmates while hens tend to be more sedentary and a little grumpier. Of course, there are exceptions and this method isn't fool proof either.
Adult birds are easier. Unless the bird is albino, lutino,
recessive pied or a few other, rarer, varieties, the adult cock with have
a bright blue cere and the hen will have a pink, white (often with light
blue tint) or brown cere. The hen's cere will also have a rougher
appearance than the cock's. In albinos, lutinos and the other exceptions
the male's cere retains the lavender color of it's babyhood
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.
Q - Which bird makes a better
pet, male or female?
A - Both. The boys tend to be chattier and the girls are a
little nippier, but they both make great pets.
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Q - How long do they live?
A - They can live as long as 20 years, although this is the exception.
It's not unusual for a healthy bird to live 10 or 12 years. Unfortunately,
budgies that are breed for the pet store trade aren't as hearty as breeder
birds because of inbreeding, indiscriminate breeding and lack of proper
diet in the parents. These birds often die before 5 years of age.
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Q - How can I tell how old
a baby is?
A - If you can't determine the hatch date, you can sometimes get
an idea of the babies age by looking at it's forehead. If there are
bars on it's head going all the way down to the cere,
the baby is less than 3 months old. They go through their first molt
at 3 months of age and after that the baby bars are gone
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Q - Should I buy from a pet
store or a breeder?
A - If you can buy a budgie from a reputable breeder, that's best.
If you can't find a breeder, make sure that the pet shop you purchase your
bird from is clean, that the birds are all active and that their food and
water is fresh and clean. Also, if it looks like way too many birds
are crammed into a cage, don't buy from them. Go back to the store
a couple of times before buying, just to make sure that the conditions
are always right.
It's best to avoid the large pet chains when buying a bird.
They get their birds from bird mills where the breeding is indiscriminate,
so the birds tend to be less healthy than birds from local breeders.
Small pet shops often get birds locally. Ask the pet shop where they
get their birds. If, indeed, they ship them in from somewhere, avoid
them.
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Q - Should I buy a hand fed
budgie?
A - If you can find a hand fed bird then yes,
buy it. Hand fed babies are already tame, so they warm up to you
very quickly. They are more expensive, though, so be prepared to
pay top dollar.
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Q - What will I need to buy
before I bring my budgie home?
A - You will need a large enough cage (19wX18hX14d for one
bird with bar spacing no larger than 1/2 inch), perches, toys, and good
quality food (check below for food choices). You should also check
in your area for a good avian vet, so you know where to go when the bird
gets sick. Also, you need to make sure that you have the financial
and physical resources to get the bird to a vet. In other words,
if you live with your parents you need to include them in this decision
and get them to agree to drive you and the bird to a vet and pay the bill,
if necessary. Also, you should get a good book on budgies and read
it cover to cover before you bring one home. You need to know how
to care for it before you buy it.
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When you get your new budgie home.
Q - I've had my bird for a
day and I haven't seen it eat or move. Is it sick?
A - It's probably just afraid. Many new budgies take a long
time to get comfortable. Just leave it alone and let it get acclimated.
It can take weeks for it to become comfortable, but it should eat in a
day or so.
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Q - I've had my bird for a
week and I haven't seen it drink. Is it sick?
A - This is normal. You might never
see your bird drink. Budgies came here originally from the Australian
Outback, which has a harsh, arid climate. There isn't much water
there, so Budgies evolved to get by on little water. They don't drink
a lot, so you may never see your budgie drink.
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Q - I've had my bird for a
week and it just sits in the same place in the cage and doesn't move.
Is it sick?
A - A lot of birds take a long time to adjust.
It can take weeks for a bird to start moving around in its cage while you're
in the room. Be patient. If the bird isn't fluffed, its poops don't
look runny and it's breathing doesn't look labored, it's probably OK.
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Q - When I put my hand in
the cage my bird flutters all over the place and won't come near me.
What do I do?
A - The bird still doesn't trust you. The best thing to do
is to spend a lot of time by the cage talking gently to your bird.
You can also place your hand in the cage and leave it there, without moving
it, until way after the bird calms down. That will help let the bird
know that nothing bad will happen just because your hand is in the cage
and will get the bird used to your hand..
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Q - I can't get my bird to
eat anything but seed. What do I do?
A- You need to be patient and keep trying. It's a good idea
to feed very little seed when you are trying to give them new foods.
They only need about a tablespoon of food a day, each, and they will choose
seed over everything else if you have it available at all times.
Try feeding them a teaspoon of seed in the morning and leaving pellets
out all day. Also, leave out fresh foods, but make sure they are
replaced after 2 hours or so. You can then give them each a teaspoon
of seed at night.
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Q - How do I tame my budgie?
A - Again, you need to be patient. You need to spend time
with it every day, talking to to and letting it get used to you.
You can place your hand in its cage, letting it get used to your hand.
Eventually, you can hold a treat in your hand (millet, or some other goody).
Eventually your budgie will eat from your hand. When it does that,
you can start teaching it "Step Up" and "Step Down."
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Q - My budgie won't let me
pat its head. What do I do?
A - In general, budgies don't like to have their heads petted.
So, don't do it.
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Q - My
budgie bites when I hold it. What do I do?
A- In the wild, budgies are preyed upon by other creatures.
When you hold your bird it feels vulnerable, so it fights back. There
is a taming method called "cupping" in which you hold your bird, but unless
you are doing that, it's best not to try to hold it. If you decide
to use the "cupping" method, you should make sure that you are doing it
properly. You can see the description of the method here.
If you just want to cuddle your budgie, then you will constantly
be disappointed. They don't like being held, so, unless you have
to restrain your bird to medicate it or clip it's nails (or wings), don't
hold it.
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Q - How do I get my budgie
to talk?
A - First, remember, that not all budgies will talk. With
that in mind, you can try to get your budgie to talk by repeating one word
or phrase several times when you talk to him/her. So, if you want
the bird to say "Pretty Bird," repeat that phrase over and over while you
are interacting with the bird. If your bird is a talker you will
eventually hear him or her repeat the phrase. I can take time, though,
so, as always, be patient.
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Q - What's the best thing
to put on the bottom of the cage?
A - Newspaper. Actually, I find it best to use sections of
newspaper that have only print and no or few pictures. You want to
be able to see the bird's poop well, and that's easiest on a plain surface.
Corn cob "bedding," which is sold to be put on the bottom of the cage,
hides poop and makes it harder to monitor your bird's health. Sandpaper
cage floor covers abrade their feet and the birds might ingest the grit,
which they don't need.
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Q - How often do I change
the water?
A - At least every day - more if the water becomes fouled with poop
or food. The water dish should be washed on hot water at least every
day.
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Q - How
often do I clean the cage?
A - You should change the paper on the bottom of the cage every
day (if you have a large cage and few birds you can get away with doing
it every other day). Poop should be scraped off perches and toys
every day. The whole cage should be completely washed every two weeks
or so. Of course, the food and water dishes should be washed every
day.
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Q -Should
I have its wings clipped?
A - Probably. A bird with unclipped wings is more likely
to hurt itself by flying into something, get lost in the house and
escaping to the outside than a clipped bird. You can have an unclipped
bird, but you have to be very, very careful to ensure that there are no
escape routes for it and that it can't hurt itself.. Also, the people
you live with have to be very, very careful.
In general, to clip or not to clip is up to you, but if you don't clip you have to be prepared to bird proof its flying area completely.
Clipping, by the way, makes taming easier.
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Feeding your budgie.
Q - Do I feed my budgie grit?
A - No. Budgies hull their seeds, so
they don't need grit. In fact, they can gorge on it and that can
cause a crop impaction..
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Q - What can I feed my bird
beside seed?
A - You can and should feed your bird many things beside seed.
Seed should be a small part of a bird's diet. There are commercial
pellets available that offer pretty balanced nutrition for your bird.
They should be a large part of your bird's diet, unless you are inclined
to prepare balanced meals for your bird(s) and take the time to feed them
fresh mashes and vegetable preparations every day. You should offer
them fresh dark greens every day in addition to pellets, seeds and/or mashes
(made with various dried beans and a variety of vegetables). You
can also prepare "birdie bread" as a treat which is can be a corn bread
that includes pellets and/or other vegetables.
You can also feed them egg (hard boiled and chopped with the shell still on or scrambled ), many vegetables (No Avocado - ever), pasta, fruits, and even a little cooked chicken or very lean cooked hamburger.
For a discussion on converting to a pelleted diet, click
here.
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Q - Should I feed my bird
only pellets?
A - No. Most vets agree that pellets should be a large part
of your bird's diet but they should also get some seed and greens, at least.
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Q - What things should I
avoid feeding my bird?
A - Never give them avocado, anything with caffeine or alcohol and
potatoes (the skins are toxic to birds). Avoid fatty foods and foods
with refined sugar (no cookies and no chips). You should also avoid
salty foods. Stick to veggies (except avocado) and you should
be OK.
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Q - What kind of vitamins
should I feed?
A - If you feed your bird a balanced diet you don't need to
feed them vitamins. However, if you think your bird needs them you
should feed vitamins that can be sprinkled on their food, not put in their
water. Vitamins can cause water to grow bacteria faster than it would
without them.
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Q - Does my bird need Mineral
Block or cuttlebone?
A - It's a good idea to provide them a mineral block
(if you can find one with Iodine - that's best) and/or cuddle bone for
extra calcium. Hens in breeding condition need the calcium, so in
that case it's essential.
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Q - How much millet should
I give my budgie?
A - I had a vet that called millet "snickers bars for budgies."
It's a fine treat, but should be given sparingly. About a 2 inch
length of spray every now and again is just fine.
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Q - The seed mix that I buy
has vitamins and pellets in it. Is that enough?
A - No. Budgies will pick and choose the seed that they like.
If they don't like the pellets in that mix, they won't eat them.
The vitamins in those mixes are usually in a pellet, so if your budgie
doesn't like the vitamin pellet, your budgie won't get the vitamins.
Feeding a mix like that is no better than feeding seed alone.
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Cages, Toys and perches
Q -
How big should the cage be for my budgie?
A - The rule here is "There's no such thing as too big." For
one budgie you need a cage that is at least 19" wide by 18" high by 14"
deep. The bar spacing should be no bigger than 1/2". Generally,
cages should be wider than they are tall. Budgies like to stay near
the top of their cage, so if the cage is very tall but not very wide it's
almost the same as giving them too small a cage.
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Q - I have a round, tall
cage. Is that OK?
A - No. Round cages are disorienting for these little guys.
Also, see round cages usually have a fairly small diameter. See what
I said in the question above about cage width vs. cage height.
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Q - What's the best toy for
my budgie?
A - What ever safe toy he likes best. Avoid toys that have
spaces in which they can get their heads caught and toys made with cotton
twine (they can ingest strands of the cotton and become ill). Interlocking
rings are great, as are toys made with bird safe beads, rawhide and sisal.
Experiment.
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Q - Should I give my budgie
a mirror?
A - Most people say "No." Often a bird will bond with the bird in
the mirror and not with you.
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Q - What kinds of toys should
I avoid?
A - Any toys that has an space in which they can get their heads
caught, toys made with cotton twine, toys made of hard - breakable plastic
(they can chew these and create sharp edges), and any toy in which they
can catch a toe or entangle their leg. In other words, don't assume
that all toys are safe. Look at them carefully to determine if they
can pose a hazard.
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Q - My budgie is afraid of
its new toy. Should I remove it?
A - No. Budgies tend to be wary of new things. He or
she will investigate the new toy in time. Be patient.
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Q - Should I keep the same
toys in the cage all the time?
A - No. You should keep a number of toys and rotate them.
That will help prevent your bird from getting bored.
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Q - Should I put sandpaper
perch covers on all the perches?
A - No, Never! These sandpaper perch covers abrade budgie's
feet and can lead to infection. There are other ways to help keep
their nails short.
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Q - What kinds of perches
are best?
A - You can, and should, use a variety of perches. There are
perches made of concrete that can help keep their nails short. There
are lava perches that help with that, too, and contain minerals that they
can extract by chewing on them. Also, you can make perches out of
tree branches of various sizes.
They need to have many different sizes and shapes of perches to help exercise their feet. If they have just 1/2 wooden perches, or worse, plastic ones their feet tend to stay in the same position all the time, and that isn't good for their feet.
Two things to consider if you make perches out of branches (Natural perches) are:
1) Is the wood safe? You can see a partial list of unsafe plants (trees included) by clicking here. Maple, apple, citrus fruit trees and other fruit trees (except cherry) are safe, so, when in doubt, pick one of those. Make sure that the trees have NOT been sprayed with pesticides.
2) The wood has to be disinfected. You can do this in a number of ways. You can wash the wood thoroughly in a 10% bleach solution and hot water, then rinse it really well and let it try for several days. You can also put the wood in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes - to kill off any organisms.
Leave the bark on and cut the branches to fit the cage. Your
birds will love these perches.
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Health Concerns
Q - My budgie has been all
fluffed up, is sleeping a lot and not playing. Is it sick?
A - Yes. Your budgie is showing classic signs of illness and
must see an avian vet ASAP.
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Q - I think my budgie is
sick. What can I do to help it?
A - If your budgie is ill you must take it to an avian vet as soon
as you possibly can. In the meantime, separate it from any other
bird and keep it warm. You can put a heating pad under half of its
cage set to low to help it stay warm.
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Q - My male budgie is vomiting
on everything. What should I do?
A - Male budgies do this. It's courting behavior. Your
bird probably isn't ill. All you can do is clean up the mess and
wait for him to get over it. If you see him vomiting, but not on things
and not deliberately, then you should take him to the vet.
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Q - My budgie's eye
(or leg, or foot or any other part) is swollen . What should I do?
A - Swelling is a sign of significant injury or infection.
You need to take it to an avian vet right away.
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Q - My budgie is bleeding.
What should I do?
A - Budgies can't lose a lot of blood. They don't have that
much. You need to stop the bleeding. You can usually stop it
by putting the wound or broken blood
feather in cornstarch or flour. If the wound is on the head be
careful not to get any flour or cornstarch in the eyes or nares.
If the blood loss is great or the wound is nasty, you should get the bird
to a vet ASAP. If the blood loss is slight (a drop or two) you should
separate it from the other birds for a while and keep it calm. Call
your vet and describe the injury in any case.
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Q - My budgie can't use its
wing, leg, foot, etc. What should I do?
A - You should take your bird to an avian vet ASAP. Many things
can cause the loss of use of a limb. Some need immediate treatment.
Only an avian vet can tell you what is wrong and offer treatment options.
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Q - My budgie has a big ugly
growth on its beak. What should I do?
A - This could be scaly face mites, but it might not be. There
are a lot of over-the-counter treatments for scaly face mites, but none
are very effective and most can be toxic. You need to take you bird to
an avian vet to have the growth evaluated and treated. If it is scaly
face mites the vet will probably treat it with ivermectin, which will kill
the mites and clear up the problem faster than anything else.
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Q - Should I use a mite protector?
A - No. Mite protectors commotion pesticides which can be
harmful to your bird (they're like moth balls). Also, they're geared
toward feather mites, which your bird is unlikely to contract.
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Q - My budgie is on the bottom
of its cage and can't perch at all. What should I do?
A - Stop reading this and get that bird to the vet right now.
Your bird is gravely ill.
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Q - My budgie hen has a swollen
rear end. Is it an egg?
A - Hens in breeding condition often have swelling near or
around the vent.
That may or may not mean that your bird will lay. Also, hens are
prone to fatty tumors called Lipomas and they often appear in that area.
If it goes away, it was probably just that she was in breeding condition.
If not, you should have a vet evaluate the swelling.
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Q - My budgie is vomiting,
but not on things. What should I do?
A - Vomiting that is not feeding/ courting behavior is a sign of
illness. You bird has to see and avian vet ASAP.
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Q - My budgie has diarrhea.
What do I do?
A - First determine if it's actually diarrhea and not just watery
droppings. The budgie's dropping has three parts - the urate (white
thing in the middle), the feces (dark thing coiled around the urate) and
the urine (a tiny bit of fluid). If your bird has been drinking a
lot it will excrete more urine, which makes a messy dropping. If
the feces part is intact, and not liquid itself, it's probably watery droppings
instead of diarrhea. Now, you aren't necessarily out of the woods
with watery droppings. If it's very warm in their environment (they
drink more when they are warm) or they've been taking a bath (they
tend to drink a lot while bathing) that might be the cause. So, watch
their droppings and monitor their environment. If they have consistent
watery droppings and it isn't very warm, then you should make an appointment
with a vet. There are some physiological problems that will cause
the bird to ingest more water, and those things have to be checked.
If the feces in the dropping is watery, then your bird really has
diarrhea and must be seen by an avian vet. Diarrhea can be caused
by a number of things and many of those are infectious and need to be treated.
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Q - My Budgie Hen's poops
are HUGE. Is she sick?
A - Probably not. Hens tend to have enormous poops when they
are about to lay or preparing to lay. Also, when they are sitting
on eggs their poops tend to rival the size of a small country.
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Q - There are feathers all
over the place. What's wrong?
Nothing. Your budgie is molting. Every few months the
bird replaces its feathers and the old ones fall out.
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Q - What are safe plants
to have around my budgie?
A - Click here
to
see a list of safe plants. Click here
to
see a list of unsafe plants.
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Q - How do I clip my budgie's
wings?
A - The best thing to do is have your vet or breeder show you how
to clip your bird's wings and explain everything to you. If you accidentally
clip a blood feather your
bird could actually bleed to death, so it's best to have someone show you
how to avoid this and/or handle it if it happens.
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Q - How do I trim my budgie's
nails?
A - First, try to make sure that the perches in the cage help to
reduce the need for nail clipping (See discussion of perches, above).
If, however, your bird's nails do need to be clipped, have a vet or your
breeder show you how to do it. The bird's toes extend into the nails
and if you cut the nails too short you can amputate the end of their toes.
Also, you need to know how to hold the foot without causing injury.
A vet or someone experienced (like a breeder) can show you how to do it
properly.
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Q - How do I trim my budgie's
beak?
A - You should never have to trim your bird's beak unless it has
a deformity. Beak overgrowth is a sign of liver disease, so if your
bird's beak is overgrown you need to take it to an avian vet to have it
evaluated. Generally, it's best to have the vet trim the beak, in
any case.
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Q - How do I find and avian
vet?
A - You can look at http://www.aav.org
and
see if any avian vets are listed near you. If you find none there,
you can look for breeders in your area and ask them who they use.
Some vets who aren't avian vets will look at birds, but using one of them
is a real crap shoot. Also remember that avian vets vary
in abilities, just like anyone else. If you find an avian vet and
don't feel comfortable with that one, look again.
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Q - My budgie is sick and
I can't afford to get it to the vet. What do I do?
A- You find a way to get it to the vet. It is very unlikely
that you will find any information on the Net that will help your bird.
Call the vet and see if you can work out a payment schedule. Many
vets will work with you on that.
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Breeding Budgies
Q - I want to breed budgies.
Should I?
A - Well, that all depends on why you want to breed them and how
prepared you are for the process and expenses of breeding.
If you want to breed them to make extra money, forget it. You won't make any money.
If you want to breed them because you want to experience the miracle of budgie birth, well, in a limited way, that' fine. Just remember that the miracle of budgie birth can bring huge vet bills and will probably bring a lot of budgies. What are you going to do with the babies? Can you find good homes for these birds?
You have to be prepared to rush an egg bound hen to the vet, if need be. You have to be prepared to hand feed the babies (every 2 hours for weeks) if something happens to the mother or she rejects them.
In other words, breeding budgies doesn't mean that you put two together and see what happens. There are a lot of things to consider, a lot of expenses that might be incurred and often a lot of time is needed, as well.
Some people breed budgies as a hobby. They breed them to try
to get certain mutations for and for showing. This, again, is fine.
Before you do this, though, you need to do a lot of research on genetics
and care. Also, one doesn't breed show quality birds from birds purchased
as pets. If you want to breed for show you need to purchase a number
of show quality birds, set them up in appropriate housing and learn how
to pair them to get the results that you want. In other words, you
need to spend time and money on this hobby.
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Q - Can you make a lot of
money selling baby budgies?
A - No. You can, however, lose a lot of money. If you
sell them to a pet shop you can get about $5.00 a piece for parent raised
birds. You can get more for handed birds, but hand feeding can mean
feeding the babies every 2 hours for weeks. You can't make enough
selling them to compensate for the time you spend caring for them - not
to mention the cost of the hand feeding formula.
You can sell them for more to individuals, but it's hard to find people to buy them. Budgies are easy to breed and there are really more budgies up for sale than there are homes - especially good homes - for them.
Breeding can lead to medical emergencies in the Mom and the babies.
One vet trip can eat up any profit you make.
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Q -My
budgie is laying eggs on the bottom of the cage. What do I do?
A - If you are trying to breed it's unlikely that caring for a clutch
on the bottom of the cage will be successful. It's unlikely, but
not unheard of. You can leave the eggs there and let her tend her
clutch on the bottom of the cage.
You can also try introducing a nest box. Sometimes a hen will go to the box and continue laying. Introduce the box and if she goes to it remove the eggs on the bottom of the cage and keep them safe. Once she's laid a an egg in the box, put the eggs from the cage floor in there. She should care for all of them.
In any case, do not remove the eggs unless they are broken.
She will replace any lost egg. You don't want her to lay too many.
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Q - My budgie laid an egg.
Will it hatch?
A - Only an egg that has been fertilized by a male can hatch.
If your bird doesn't have a mate, it will not hatch. Even if your
bird has a mate, it might not be fertile. You need to candle the
egg (see below) at the appropriate time in its development to see if it's
fertile.
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Q - How big a nest box should
I get?
A - The nest box should be 8" high by 8" long by 6" wide.
There should be a 2" diameter hole in the front.
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Q - What kind of nesting
material do I need?
A - None, except for the nest box. In the wild budgies lay
in holes in trees or borrows that they dig at the roots of trees.
They don't build nests. You can put newspaper in the box to allow
them to chew a hole, but that's all you need.
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Q - How long does it take
for the eggs to hatch?
A - A viable egg will hatch 18 to 21 days after the beginning of
incubation. Your hen might not start sitting on the eggs until she's
laid 2 or three, so the first or second egg can take longer to hatch.
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Q - My budgie laid and egg
but won't sit on it. What's up with that?
A - Often a hen won't start sitting on her eggs until she's laid
2 or three. She decides when it's time.
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Q - My budgie is laying eggs
but they aren't fertile. Should I remove them?
A - No. Let her sit on them until she realizes that they won't
hatch. If you remove them she will replace them, and you don't want
her to lay too many. That's bad for health.
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Q - How do I tell if an egg
is fertile?
A - If your hen has a mate then you need to candle the eggs to see
if they are fertile. Wait until she sits tight on the eggs for at
least three days. Take a maglite and hold it right next to the egg
(you can hold the egg while doing this, but it's better to disturb them
as little as possible. If you pick up the egg, was your hands well
before you do so) so the light shines through. As the egg develops
veins grow around the yolk, so, if you see any red color (the blood in
the veins), the egg is fertile. If it looks white, or you can only
see white and the yellow of the yolk, the egg is not fertile.
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Q - If I touch an egg will
the mother reject it?
A - No. That is a myth. You can also touch the babies
without fear of parental rejection.
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Q - How long does it take
for the babies to be fully weaned?
A - I've seen some wean at 5 1/2 weeks and others took as long as
7 weeks. Watch them carefully to see if they are eating on their
own.
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Q - How do I find homes for
the babies?
A- Good question. I have no idea. That's why I have
17 birds. You should look for homes BEFORE you start breeding.
Often people sell them to local pet shops, so check out your area for pet
shops to see if there are any that care well for their birds. If
you do breed, however, you have to be prepared to keep those birds that
you can't place well.
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Q - Do I have to feed the
parents anything special during breeding?
A - The hen needs a lot of calcium while she is laying. Good
quality pellets provide the appropriate amount of calcium for maintenance,
but she needs more while she is producing eggs. You can give her
mineral block and cuddle bone, but if she doesn't use them you might have
to get a liquid calcium supplement from your vet. You should also
make sure that she's on a very good diet. If she only eats seed she
shouldn't be breeding.
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Q - My budgies won't mate.
What do I do?
A - You can encourage breeding by giving them a nest box and a good
deal of light during the day, but you can't make them mate.
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Q - My budgies have mated
but there are no eggs. What's going on?
A - Mating doesn't necessarily lead to eggs. A hen needs
to be stimulated to lay by many things, like the amount of light she gets,
the presence of a nest box and, often, other birds around her. Even
with all the stimuli she might not lay.
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