# Overall help



## BudgieElla (Jan 31, 2018)

Hello! So I am getting my budgie soon, and I wanted to be sure that all of my care is proper. So here are some key points.
I will try to get a male budgie, but gender does not matter to me.
Color also does not matter to me.
I will be getting an American budgie from an exotic pet store that breeds budgies responsibly in store.
The budgies are hand-tamed and SUPER friendly!

*Caging and Accessories:*
Ok so, I just got my new flight cage for my budgie I will be getting soon. It came with two clear plastic cups, and four large dowel perches.

First of all: The cups
A lot of people say that these cups are a breeding ground for bacteria, and you should get stainless steel bowls instead. I do plan on doing this, but I am not sure what size to get and if they will fit in the cage food doors. Also, how many should I get and how much do they usually cost (not that it matters). Is it okay to use plastic bowls until I can get my hands on stainless steel bowls?

Next: The perches
I know that dowel perches are not very good for their feet, and I plan on buying lots of natural perches of varying sizes and such, but is it okay to have a dowel perch still in there? Of course the bird will have other perch options, but I was just wondering if I could do one dowel perch and a mixture, or just all natural perches.

The toys:
I plan on getting a variety of many different toys, such as bells, swings, kabobs (and many chew toys), foragers, and more. I will definitely not get anything with mirrors.

The cage:
So the current cage that I have is the Prevue Hendryx Flight Cage:
http://https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SK7HOUO/ref=asc_df_B00SK7HOUO5389448/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00SK7HOUO&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167143718841&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10122588595011734440&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016837&hvtargid=pla-283538515563
It looks pretty small in the picture but in real life it is quite large. I am like 5 foot 3 and the cage is up to my upper stomach. The cage has guillotine style doors inside of two large door-like doors. I will secure the guillos with carabiners or some sort of clips so the budgie can't hurt himself if he ever tries to escape.
*Next: Diet*
So I am having trouble finding out how much and what to feed your budgie. So, I am thinking the bird will have a teaspoon or two pellets in the cage 24/7, and I will give him a teaspoon of seeds each day. I will of course give him fresh fruits and vegetables a few times a week or everyday, and egg or some sort of protein. I will have a cuttlebone or mineral block in the cage at all times. The bird will also have treats when training (as much as possible)
*Next: Training
*
So for training, I will get a playstand or T-stand when doing out of the cage training. I might get a clicker (I still have to brush-up on that). I will always use positive reinforcement.
*Health:*
For my avian vet, I will be going to a specialty bird/parrot store that also does check-ups and more.
I will not get my bird's wings clipped. The bird will already have its wings clipped from the store, but I won't clip them in the future.
I will try to make a budgie first aid kit, and I will always have styptic powder on hand!
I will order a travel cage quite soon, or buy one from a shop.
I feel like I am missing a lot of things, so please tell me. I'm kind of in a rush for some reason XD so I probably missed a bunch...
I'm sorry for taking up some of your time!
:rainbow::albino::green budgie::clearwing 2::blue pied::clearwing 1::budge:icturesplease:
/\ Could you show me your cage setups?

TYSM

Ella


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Hi,
Any cup is a breeding ground for bacteria if you don't clean it daily, I think the issue is more with the shape. With a square or rectangular container it is more difficult to get into the corners and clean, the stainless steel ones are round and easy to clean and disinfect, if you choose to use them they do not fit into the space in cages that have an area made for the plastic cup. Take a look at this link https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+11295+33399&pcatid=33399, these hang on the cage there are other that have a bracket that screws on.

I have a variety of perches in my cages and a one is dowel, just make sure the others are not of the same diameter as the dowel. I wanted something to span a wide area and a dowel was the only thing that worked.

When you bring the bird home it is important that you feed whatever it has been fed at the store and gradually change it if it has not been on a healthy diet, don't try to force it to eat what you want it to eat by withholding food, a bird will not eat what it does not recognize as food and you could do damage to its health. Go easy on the fruit, it has too much sugar, stick with more veggies.

You need to find an avian vet, the shop may do a limited amount but they are not vets and do not have the training or resources that an avian vet has.

Check out all the Stickies on the site and you will find a treasure of information, that should help to answer many of your questions.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*All of your questions have been asked and answered in the Budgie Articles and Stickies. 
Please take the time to review the information available throughout the forum.

It sounds as though you are doing well in making advance preparations before bringing home your budgie. :thumbup:

I can't see the cage from the link you posted.
Please post a picture of the cage and include the dimensions Length, Width and Height

Food cups:
I use the stainless steel 10 oz cups with brackets for both food and water. The number you will need depends on how many different varieties of foods you keep in the cage at any given time.
10 oz Stainless Steel Food/Water Dishes

Diet:
http://www.talkbudgies.com/diet-nutrition/338818-safe-foods-budgies.html

http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-diet-nutrition/315033-healthy-diet-your-budgie.html

Each budgie should receive 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of a high quality seed mix per day.

http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-diet-nutrition/309849-quality-seed-mix.html

I keep the following in all of my bird's cages 24/7

Two kinds of pellets - each in a separate food dish.
Roudybush Minis
Zupreem Extra Small (Canary Size) Fruity Pellets

Dried Herb Salad
Herb Salad
Miracle Meal
Miracle Meal

You can feed egg food a couple of times a week and fresh vegetables daily.
Fruit is high in sugar content and should be used only as an occasional treat.
Using small amounts of fruit or millet work well as treats for training aids.

Perches:
If you choose to keep one wooden dowel in the cage in addition to other perches of varying diameters, that is fine.
I personally replaced all of the dowels with other perches

Essentials for a Great Cage

My birds' cages each have cuttlebone, mineral block and manu clay roses.
http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles...ttlebones-mineral-blocks-manu-clay-roses.html

Setting up a Birdie First Aid Kit is important and easy to do:
http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-budgie-disease-illness/335937-avian-first-aid.html

Make sure you have an Emergency Fund so you will always have the financial means to ensure your budgie gets the appropriate Avian Vet care in case of an illness or emergency:

Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense
http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-budgie-health/340410-avian-physical-examination.html

Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma. 
This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.
When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment. 
This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recovery than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.

Distinction between an Avian Vet and a Vet that "Will See Birds"

Please review the thread below for cage set-up ideas rather than asking members to repost cage set-ups here.

http://www.talkbudgies.com/housing-budgies/396065-share-your-budgies-cage-set-up.html

*


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## BudgieElla (Jan 31, 2018)

The cage is 26-inch long, 14-inch wide, 36-inch high with 1/2-inch wire spacing


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