Size, arrangement, where to put it
Budgerigars are successfully kept at home – beautiful birds with a peaceful and curious character. They get along well with people and do not feel much discomfort in captivity, but for this it is necessary to create appropriate conditions for their life.
When purchasing a parrot for your home, you should immediately buy a cage for it, where it will spend a significant part of its time. The choice of this accessory should be taken with full responsibility, since the health and lifespan of your feathered friend depend on the conditions of detention.
In the article we will tell you what a cage for a budgie should be like, the optimal design, dimensions, material, what a budgie needs in a cage, mandatory items and additional accessories for organizing the space, where it is best to place the cage with a parrot, whether it needs to be covered with a cloth at night .
Criteria for choosing a cage for a budgie
Many owners choose a parrot cage based on its attractiveness, but this approach is wrong. A home for a feathered pet should be comfortable and safe. These are the main selection criteria.
Size and shape
To make it comfortable for a parrot to be in captivity, you need to choose a spacious cage with enough space for flying and stretching. The bird must be able to stretch its wings freely to flap them. When the bird sits on a perch, the tail should not rest against the bars.
Optimal cage sizes for budgies:
Cage for permanent residence of one bird – 50x45x60 cm.
For two parrots – 85x40x75 cm.
Cage for transporting poultry (transport) – 40x30x40 cm.
Quarantine cage – 70x55x65 cm.
Cage-aviary for free flights – 205x75x160 cm.
The second selection criterion is the shape of the cell. Designs of different shapes are available for sale: rectangular, round, square. They can have a flat or convex roof.
Round-shaped structures look attractive, but in such houses parrots get lost in space and feel unprotected. Options with curved shapes and unusual roofs are also not recommended, as these structures may have dangerous bends that can injure the bird.
According to breeders, the most successful option is a spacious rectangular cage with a flat roof.
Material of manufacture
An important criterion when choosing a cage for a feathered friend is also the material from which the structure is made.
Types of cells from different materials and their features:
Wooden structures are environmentally friendly and safe for birds. However, it is recommended to choose such cages only for temporary residence. This is due to the fact that wood absorbs moisture, and soon pathogenic bacteria that are dangerous to the health of the bird will form and multiply on the surfaces of the structure. In addition, parrots often gnaw wooden houses.
Metal cages are the most practical models to use and can be combined with high-quality plastic. It is recommended to buy designs from trusted manufacturers who guarantee the safety of the product. Metal cages should be treated and powder coated or coated with non-toxic paint.
Cages with copper and galvanized rods are not recommended for parrots, as these materials oxidize over time and release toxins that are dangerous to animals, causing not only serious health problems for the bird, but premature death.
So, a parrot cage should be spacious, safe and of high quality. The design should have doors that open to the side, from bottom to top or from top to bottom. The most convenient and safe option is to open to the side. The size of the door is based on the size of the bird.
How to set up a cage for a budgie
The cage for a budgie needs to be properly equipped. Let’s consider what other accessories will be needed to create comfortable conditions in the house for a feathered friend.
Perches
A parrot’s cage must have perches on which the bird likes to sit. There are different types of perches available in stores. The most popular are plastic products, but veterinarians still recommend choosing perches made of natural wood or volcanic hard pumice. These materials are considered the safest. In addition, they are suitable for sharpening bird claws and beaks.
Feeders and drinkers
To supply food and drinking water, the cage must be equipped with special drinkers and feeders .
Types of feeders and their features:
Mounted for indoor placement. The husks from the grains do not spill outside the house.
External hinged. Convenient to change food.
Floor internal. Installed on the bottom of the cage. They can roll over.
Bunkers. From a bunker with a supply of food, grains flow into the feeder under gravity as the parrot eats the food.
Types of water drinkers:
Open. They often get food and feathers, so the water will have to be changed every 2-3 hours.
Closed. Made from high quality plastic or glass. Considered more hygienic.
Automatic. In such drinking bowls the water remains fresh and clean for a long time.
Bathing suit
Provided the temperature in the house is warm and there are no drafts, parrots can take water treatments every day. You can put a special bathing suit with warm water in the cage. Some swimsuit models are designed to be attached to the wall of the structure.
The most practical to use are bathing suits with a protective dome that prevents water from splashing around the cage.
Twigs
The twigs of some plants contain substances that are beneficial for parrots. They can be laid out along the bottom of the cage or mounted on the wall, inserted between the rods.
What branches can be given to parrots:
fruit trees – apricot, apple, plum, rowan;
shrubs – viburnum, currant, sea buckthorn, raspberry, elderberry;
walnut and hazel;
aspen;
linden;
willows;
alders
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.