Help us with our budgie FAQs

[Dave]

I'm putting together a list of budgie FAQs, and I want you guys to help me. I could obviously do it myself, but if you help me it'll be much quicker.

So please, if you could, just post some quick questions and answers here! It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. :D

[ETAHoffman]

Question: How many budgies do I need in order to breed them? Can I breed only one pair?

Answer: Budgies are colony birds. The magic number seems to be six. They don't all have to be breeding....just to be able to see and hear each other.

[ETAHoffman]

Question: Is there a special breeding season for budgies?

Answer: If the conditions are right, budgies will breed any time of the year. It is best, however, to breed them during fall or spring. Especially if you breed outdoors. Remember, the temperature in the nest box is approximately 10 degrees warmer than it is outside the box.

[ETAHoffman]

Question: If I build an ouside aviary, what is the best kind of wire or screening to use?

Answer: NEVER use regular screen material like you find on windows. The budgies claws will get caught in it and they can be injured. Hardware cloth seems to be the most economical material but be careful of the size. For inside use, half inch is good but outside, you need to use quarter inch. Believe it or not, mice can go through half inch. (I've seen it happen.) Also, if you use button quail to help keep seed waste down, baby button quail can go through half inch hardware cloth too.

[Bea]

Q: How old is my budgie?
A: A good indicator of age is the bars on your budgies head. If they go right down to the cere (fleshy bit above beak) and the eyes are 100% black then you have a young budgie probably under about 4 months old. If the bars have receded back and your budgie has a very white forehead then this means your budgie has had it's first moult and is over about 5-6 months old. A budgie that has had it's first moult will also have white iris rings.

Q: What should i feed my budgie?
A: Despite common belief an all seed diet is not adequete for a budgie. If fed only on seed you may be damaging it's liver and risking illness. A good diet for a budgie is a mix of budgie pellets/crumbles and a good quality seed mix (with as many different seeds as possible). Budgies also require fresh vegetables (spinach, brocolli, corn, carrot, etc) every one to two days as well as constant access to a source of calcium (cuttlebone) and a mineral/iodine block. Some things to avoid with budgies is apple seeds, chocolate, alcohol, avocado, salt and sugar. Wash all vegetables before giving them to your budgie as most have been around pesticides.

Q: How big should my budgies cage be?
A: The minimum cage size for a single budgie is 18"x18"x18". Avoid round cages as these don't provide very much usable space. If you can get a cage with a flat roof as you'll find that you can make better use of the space for hanging toys, perches, etc. Avoid tall cages, they may look large but budgies are not helicopters and cannot fly upwards (they are also likely to just stay at the top of the cage), try to find a cage that is longer than it is tall and place the perches sensibly to allow your budgie to fly back and forward along the length of the cage. The bar space should be no more than 1/2".

Q: Should i get a male or a female budgie?
A: If you are looking for a tame pet then a young male budgie (6-12 weeks old). They seem to be the least tempremental and also seem to make good talkers if worked with from a young age. Having said this, female budgies can and often do make equally good pets.

Q: Should i get one or two budgies?
A: It is often best to start with just one and tame it before adding another. However if you know that you will be away from the home often and your budgie will be on it's own then it may be better to start with two, they are more likely to bond to each other but they should both be happier. It is possible to tame two budgies at once it just might take longer. It is important to remember that if you're adding a new budgie it MUST be quarantined in a separate cage and room for at least 30 days before being introduced to your current budgie, this is to monitor the new budgie for any signs of illness that may be passed onto your current budgie.

[Bea]

Q: Should i feed my budgie grit?
A: Many sources will say that you should however recent research indicates that it can cause more harm than good. Grit was fed to aid the budgie with grinding down seed in the crop, however budgies dehull their seeds before eating them making grit unnecessary, feeding it can cause grit to stay in the crop causing your budgie to get ill.

Q: How much does my budgie need to eat each day?
A: A budgie needs 2 teaspoons of seed per day, it's a great idea to measure your budgies seed as giving only the amount it requires ensures that it's eating ALL the different types of seed rather than picking out just it's favourite. This ensures a healthier diet. In addition fresh veggies should also be offered daily.

[Dave]

Wow thanks for all those questions guys! I'll add them right away.

Keep 'em coming! :D

[Dave]

I've separated the FAQ into three categories so far: General, Health, and Breeding. If you can think of any more categories (along with questions to go in them since we don't want empty categories), post them and I'll be happy to make it up.

[Amy]

Question: What equiment do I need to breed?

Answer: You will need a Nestbox, mineral block/cuttlebone, male and female bird over 1 year old, warm room, experience and spare cages. But don't expect it to always work, some budgies will not breed even in the right conditions.

[Dave]

Thanks for the submission. :)

[Mistyoriline]

this was smart to do too

[Bobbys girl]

Q: How do I stop my budgie from biting

A: First of all, never react to the bites, no matter how much it hurts. Budgies will see you react and know that biting will get them what they want. When they bite you press back on their beak gently, just enough to put them off balance. That way they will have to concerntrate on keeping their balance and forget about biting.

[Dave]

Thanks for the addition. I'll add it to the FAQ soon. :)

[Amy]

Mine never got added. Oh well!

[Dave]

Mine never got added. Oh well!
What was yours?