Budgies - being able to behave normally
Keeping your budgies active and happy
Do my budgies need to be able to fly?
Flying is important normal behaviour for budgies and helps to prevent obesity. To be able to fly around, budgies should be kept in an aviary or have an indoor flight. If your budgies are tame and you want to let them fly free in your house you will need to make sure the room they are going to fly in is safe. Please visit the “Can I let my budgies out to fly free in the house?” section under Budgie - Environment for more information.
Do my budgies need bathing water?
Having the opportunity to bathe every day is important and allows budgies to keep their feathers in good condition. Enclosed water baths (available from pet shops) are available for budgies housed indoors where splashing could be a problem. Many budgies also enjoy being sprayed with lukewarm water from a fine mist dispenser. Bathing is especially important for budgies housed indoors where central heating creates a dry environment.
Do my budgies need toys?
As well as having plenty of space, budgies need toys and objects to keep them occupied and prevent boredom. This is called ‘environmental enrichment’. Many budgies like rope ladders and swinging perches. You should make sure that any toys you give your budgies are zinc-free, otherwise your birds are at risk from zinc poisoning.
Should I give my budgies several different toys at the same time?
You should offer different toys in different weeks so your budgies stay stimulated and don’t get bored. When a particular toy isn’t being used one week this also gives you a good opportunity to clean it.
What type of perch is most suitable for budgies?
It’s important to choose the right type of budgie perch. Those with a smooth, tube-like surface (such as the wooden dowelling sold with many bird cages) are unsuitable and can lead to poor foot health. Perches covered with sandpaper are also unsuitable and can cause abrasions of the feet.
The best perches are natural branches of approximately 1cm diameter. The uneven surface of a natural branch promotes good circulation in the feet, and stripping the bark is important natural behaviour for budgies. Branches of fruit trees, such as apple, are good but make sure they are not treated with chemicals. Willow, birch, poplar and alder are also suitable choices. Baking them in an oven for an hour will kill any parasites under the bark. Although natural branches can't be cleaned as easily as dowel-type perches, they can be regularly replaced.
There are 3 links on this page which are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. In order to view them you will need the free
Acrobat Reader
software installed on your computer.
Share this page via your mobile phone:
