Today, in almost every second family live pets, which every day delight with their presence. In order for the pet to live comfortably, he needs to create all the necessary conditions. For many people, their favorite pets are domestic parrots, the budgerigar of which is especially popular. This variety is characterized by high mobility and playfulness, beautiful color and unique singing. They adapt well in any family, because they are not too demanding in care. However, so that they grow up healthy and delight you with their decorativeness, it is necessary to take into account some features of their content. This will be discussed further.
general information
Budgerigars, reviews of which you can read further, were brought to Europe from Australia when an active colonial policy was pursued. The birds immediately struck with their decorativeness, so their popularity grew rapidly, and after a short period of time they appeared in many European families. Birds adapt well in almost all climatic conditions and maintain high reproductive ability even in captivity. However, people love them not for that. With proper care and training, parrots can be taught to pronounce not only words, but even small phrases.
As for the appearance, it is amazing. It is simply impossible to take your eyes off their long and bright tail. The wingspan can reach 21 centimeters. Moreover, they participate not only during flights, but also when walking, as well as sitting. At the moment of fluttering through the air, budgies are somewhat distant like swallows, so from far away they are very easy to confuse. The flight speed can be very high, especially when hunting for insects.
These representatives of the feathered family have well-developed claws with tenacious claws that can be of different shades, so they easily capture pieces of food of any consistency. In addition, they move well not only on a flat surface, but also able to move even along tree branches.
Budgerigars, the reviews of the owners about them in most cases are positive, have a strong beak, which in its form is more characteristic of predators. It allows birds to crush seeds and young shoots without any special problems, as well as grind large food. The tongue is small in length, but very thick and, like the beak, has a keratinized coating, which is why it is directly involved in the grinding of consumed food.
The head most often has a yellow plumage, which changes its color as it moves along the back to the tail. In the sun, birds can transfuse in various shades. Similarly, a budgie attracts a female during the mating season.
Wild Habitats
What you need to know about this? As already mentioned at the beginning of the article, Australia is the historical homeland of this breed of parrot, therefore their main concentration is located in this country. As a rule, the greatest number of them is located in the southwestern part of the continent, where not too dense forests grow. Nests prefer to twist in forest-steppes with not too rainy climate.
Birds breed well without reference to the season of the year. They prefer to live in packs than individually. The main type of food is plant seeds, however, birds enjoy the fruits and fruits of various plants with pleasure. There are no special problems with survival in the wild, because budgies, reviews about the breed confirm that caring for it does not require special efforts, can quickly overcome vast distances. An adult individual can fly several tens of kilometers in one day without any problems.
It is worth noting that today the export of representatives of these birds from Australia is prohibited, since their population has declined sharply in recent decades, so there is a huge threat that in the future it may even be on the verge of extinction.
How to distinguish a female from a male?
Even a novice poultry breeder who has never been involved in breeding budgerigars before will be able to determine the sex on his own. This can be done on the site of thickened skin located in the area of the beak.
It is as follows:
- in young males it is purple, and in their beautiful companions it is light blue;
- in older males, the waxworm acquires a lilac or blue hue, while in a female, it becomes light brown or beige.
In addition, the female budgerigar is slightly smaller in size, so you can also pay attention to this.
Life span
Many people are interested in the question of how long budgerigars live in captivity. With proper care and proper feeding, the maximum age can reach 20 years. This is almost three times more than when living in the wild, because many predators prey on birds there and they just become food for them. In addition, it sometimes becomes difficult for birds to get food for themselves due to natural disasters, dry summers and other adverse factors.
Possible color options
So, what are the budgies in color? To date, the following options can be found on sale:
- cobalt;
- olive green;
- yellow;
- light green or natural;
- dark green;
- blue;
- gray-green;
- gray
- purple.
In addition, it is very rare, but there is a special kind - albino. The color of their plumage can be absolutely anything, but the pupils have a red color. This variety was first bred in Belgium, from where it was later introduced into the territory of England and France. It is worth noting that the plumage can determine where budgies exist at home or in the wild. In the former, the cover casts with a characteristic luster, while in the latter it resembles the curly stems of plants.
Gastronomic preferences
People who first got this variety of birds for themselves are wondering if budgies can give ordinary seeds and fruits, or if they should buy exclusively special mixtures. It is very difficult to give a definite answer, because for good health, birds need a varied and complete diet rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
The best option, of course, will be purchased mixtures, since they are balanced and are made together with veterinarians. As a rule, they include sunflower seeds, oats, millet, Falaris reed and meadow greens. When choosing a product, make sure that there are no synthetic additives and dyes in it, and also that the expiration date has not yet expired. In addition to mixtures, it will be nice to include fresh sprouted oat shoots in the diet, the remains of which must be immediately removed after feeding.
For good health, birds also require the following products:
- young twigs of fruitful trees;
- carrot;
- pumpkin;
- cottage cheese;
- boiled and chopped chicken eggs;
- peaches;
- rye;
- apples
- bananas
- beet;
- wheat;
- Strawberry;
- flax seeds;
- dandelions;
- plums
- boiled rice and buckwheat;
- pears
- corn.
Also, for a variety of nutrition, you can sometimes pamper your pets with honey crackers or cereal sticks. However, one should be very careful here, since too much sweet can be unhealthy. As for fruits and vegetables, they are given only fresh. Vitamin complexes are prescribed exclusively during hatching offspring or during illness.
Domestic parrots, the budgerigar is one of the most popular, they can eat almost everything that they are given, but this does not mean that everything will be useful. Any alcohol, very sweet confectionery, any kind of potato, chocolate, milk and dairy products are contraindicated for birds. In addition, it is recommended to remove home plants from the cage, because parrots have a very sensitive digestive system and they are often etched by them.
Reproductive ability
Let's dwell on this in more detail. The maintenance of budgies, as well as their breeding, does not require much effort, for which many poultry farmers love this breed. If the birds are provided with proper care and good nutrition, they will not only live up to 15 years, but also regularly give offspring regardless of the season of the year. The main thing is that the female should choose a suitable male. As a rule, she draws attention to the color of the partner, as well as the ability of feathers to change their color in direct sunlight.
In their homeland, birds give birth twice a year, but at home they should be given longer breaks due to limited physical activity. In the wild, parrots make their own nests on sheer cliffs and trees. In captivity, they will have to build a small house with thatched flooring. One female lays an average of 4 eggs at a time. In some cases, their number may even reach ten. Hatching lasts about three weeks. The male for this period completely takes care of the female, regularly bringing her food.
Babies are born blind and naked, and in just a few weeks they will already form fluff. Full plumage grows only in the second month of life. If you choose your first bird, then pay special attention to the feather cover. Many people ask why the budgerigar dies soon after purchase. The thing is that if the bird has any genetic pathologies, then they will make themselves felt only after the first molt.
Home improvement for wards
If you want the singing of budgies to always delight you with their beauty, then for them you will need to purchase a spacious cage, in which you must regularly clean. The best option is a house with a width of 30 cm, a length of 40 cm and a height of 35 centimeters. However, some poultry farmers argue that it is better to look at the cells more so that its inhabitants can freely fly on it. Inside, you should arrange wooden poles, about which birds will sharpen their claws.
Drinking should be constantly fresh, therefore water replacement needs to be carried out regularly. The same applies to feed mixtures. In any of the corners, it is recommended to put a small stone, necessary for birds to grind their beaks. And so that your pets are not bored, you can hang the ropes and the rocker, on which they will be moved.
To maximize the care of parrots at the bottom of the cage should make a sliding tray. You can let birds fly around the apartment for a short while, but you need to close all windows and windows, because the birds are very nimble, and you won’t have time to blink, as they fly out into the wild.
The most common diseases and their control
This species of birds rarely gets sick, but if this happened, then the treatment of budgies should be timely, because otherwise they could die. The most common disease is a cold. Among its main symptoms, sneezing and discharge from the nasal canals can be distinguished. In addition, the birds often suffer from various parasites, for example, ticks and lice, so it is periodically recommended to visually inspect and clean the plumage.
In the event of loss of appetite and a sharp loss of body weight, the probability of infection with worms is high. If you notice this, then carefully examine the parrot cesspool. If helminths are indeed detected, then it is worth taking the feathered pet to the vet for an appointment. You can also give anthelmintic drugs and chamomile decoction on your own.
General tips and tricks
Very often the budgerigar is talking, or to be more precise, it imitates the sounds of a human voice. But if the bird is constantly in a state of stress, it can completely shut up. Therefore, it is very important to provide her with comfortable conditions of detention. It is not recommended that you turn on the music or TV too loud so as not to expose your pets to loud noise. For a night's rest, it is better to cover the cage with a sheet or tablecloth, while leaving a small gap for normal air circulation.
In the summer, it is necessary to take the birds to fresh air at least briefly so that they receive a charge of vitamin D. For the molting period, which occurs twice a year, birds need to be fed with vitamin complexes, and a small amount of lime juice is added to the water. In this case, the drink should not be boiled so that all minerals and trace elements remain in it.
It is very important to maintain a certain microclimate when keeping budgies. It is forbidden to put a cage on window sills or any other places where there are drafts. The air temperature in the room should be between 20-22 degrees Celsius, and humidity at 60 percent. In addition, the light regime of the day should be observed so that the parrots have a healthy sleep and good rest.
What do the owners say about the breed?
Budgerigars, reviews of poultry farmers fully confirm this, they are amazing creatures that sing incredibly beautifully and delight the eye with their bright plumage. Many as their pets choose them, because they are well adapted for living in captivity, breed well and are unpretentious in care. If you provide them with good nutrition and regularly clean them in the cage, then they will practically not get sick. Therefore, if you are still considering whether to buy your first budgie or not, then drop all doubts and immediately go to the pet store, as you will not regret your choice.
Remember: the key to the long life of your pet is the comfortable conditions that the owner creates.