The life span of a budgerigar at home. How to care for budgerigars

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Budgerigars are bright and beautiful birds that attract the attention of many lovers of feathered pets. Before deciding to start them at home, you need to familiarize yourself with all the features of their breeding, as well as find out the life span of a budgerigar in a cage.

Description of the bird

Adult budgerigars have the following physical indicators: weight from 40 to 45 g, body length 17-20 cm, tail no more than 10 cm long. Most of this species of bird has a green or yellow-green color. Less often you can see budgerigars of blue, white, acid yellow. This coloration is characteristic of species bred by selection. On the wings, back and nape of birds there are characteristic wavy lines. They are often located, thinner on the head, gradually descending to the wings, more pronounced and wider. It is thanks to these stripes that the look was called wavy.

Before the first molt, the tail of young individuals is several times shorter than that of adult birds. The wings of parrots reach a length of 10 cm, they are well developed and quite strong. Budgerigars use their wings exclusively for flying, they do not use them while climbing. The neck of the birds is very mobile, turns 180°.

There are four fingers on the paws: two of them are directed forward, the others are turned in the opposite direction. The surface of the paws is dark, gray-blue. The eyes are deep blue with a yellow or white iris. Parrots have a large viewing angle, among other things, birds see the world around them in color, which is not typical for all representatives of the fauna.

The life of a budgerigar at home is 10-15 years, subject to the recommendations of the content.

Differences between male and female

You can determine the sex and age of a budgerigar as early as 3 weeks of age.

The male is distinguished from the female by the color of the cere (this is a growth at the base of the beak). If it is pale purple, it is a young male. A rich blue cere indicates that he is in his puberty. A light blue tint means that you have a young female in front of you, and a light or dark brown tint means an adult female.

Feathers on the female's forehead are fluorescent and glow under ultraviolet light. According to ornithologists, this spot is intended to attract individuals of the opposite sex.

Light mode

Since vision for budgerigars is one of the priority organs of perception of the surrounding world,light mode is of particular importance. It implies both the change of day and night, and the provision of a certain illumination in the room. It is vision that enables birds to navigate in space and choose the right food.

It is extremely important to provide daylight to the place where the birds live. How many hours a day do you need? It all depends on the time of year: in the warm season, 14-16 hours of daylight, in winter - 11-13 hours.

Lack of lighting makes them depressed, in rare cases, anomalies in behavior are possible, birds peck out feathers from their relatives or from themselves. In addition, non-compliance with the light regime leads to he alth problems, lack of vitamin D, female budgerigars produce unfertilized eggs, in turn, males completely lose interest in them. The lack of light is not the best way reflected in the endocrine glands, which are concentrated in the eye socket.

No less important for birds is the night period when they are at rest. Lack of sleep and rest leads to a decrease in immunity, parrots become irritable, the period of stress is prolonged, as a result, pets get sick.

Humidity

How long birds live is also affected by indoor humidity. A person needs to provide it at a level as close as possible to the natural habitat of budgerigars. In their homeland, Australia, rain is an infrequent occurrence, however, air humidity fluctuates between 55-70%.

If in placekeeping birds, the air will be dry, skin diseases will appear in pets, feathers will become brittle and begin to fall out, the molting period will be delayed. Moreover, the condition of parrots worsens, the risk of viral and respiratory diseases increases, the immune system weakens, the mucous membrane of the nose, eyes and mouth dries up. To avoid such consequences, it is imperative to install a bath of water in a bird cage. Budgerigars are very fond of water treatments.

How to choose and arrange a cage

The right choice and arrangement of the house affects how long budgerigars live in a cage.

For a feathered one, you can buy a cage of any shape and size. The most preferred is rectangular with a top in the form of a dome. The lower part should be made of wood or metal, and the side walls should be barred with strong thin rods. Birds often gnaw on wire, so it is better to refuse a copper cage, which can cause oxide poisoning. If the pallet is made of soft woods, the parrot will easily peck holes in it and you will need to purchase a new cage. In order to satisfy the feathered reflex, it is recommended to install thick branches of trees in the cage.

The minimum size of a cage for one individual should be at least 35 by 35 cm, and for a pair of birds - 65 by 55 cm. The height of the dwelling is not so important, since parrots only climb in it. The bars should be spaced far enough apart so that the bird cannot stick its head between them and injure itself. At the same time, too frequent rods alsoundesirable, they make it difficult for parrots to see the room.

It is not enough just to choose a cage, it needs to be properly arranged. Several perches are placed in it away from the drinker and food bowl, while the pet's tail should not touch the wall bars.

Also, the cage is equipped with a hanging swing or a free-swinging ladder. Such devices contribute to the development of the muscles of the feathered legs. Three feeders are placed in the cage: for water, mineral supplements and basic food.

Feeding the bird

Proper nutrition directly affects the life of the budgerigar. In order not to undermine the he alth of the bird, it is important to take the issue of feeding it seriously. The basis of the diet is millet (yellow, white, red), oats, seeds of wild plants and sunflower. A day later, soft food is included in the pet's diet: finely chopped boiled egg, grated nettle, grated carrots or beets, homemade cheese. If the female is incubating eggs, a soft mixture should be given daily. From time to time, parrots are treated to a peeled apple.

Sprouted grains are especially useful for birds in winter, they make up for the deficiency of vitamins and minerals. In summer, it is recommended to give lettuce, parsley, dandelion leaves. If possible, willow branches, previously scalded with boiling water, should be placed in the cage.

Hazards at Home

The owner can extend the life of the budgerigar if he prepares in advance for the dangers,waiting for a pet at home. These could be:

1. Open doors and windows through which a bird can fly away and never return.
2. Mirrors and open windows. During the flight, the parrot can hit and be seriously injured.
3. Exposed electrical wiring. The bird can damage the insulation of the wires and be electrocuted.
4. Poisonous potted plants. Deadly for budgerigars: lily, dieffenbachia, monstera, narcissus, ivy.
5. Curtains in the form of threads or cord from blinds. Entangled in them, the pet may die.
6. Smoldering cigarette butt. The bird can get burned or try tobacco and get poisoned.
7. Open ventilation grills, washing machines or dishwashers.
8. Free access to water in which a parrot can drown in vain.
9. Household chemicals that can be lethal if ingested or inhaled by birds.
10. Other pets.
11. Newspapers placed in a cage can cause lead poisoning in a pet.

Reproduction

Poultry is capable of breeding from the age of four months, but the optimal age for reproduction occurs 12-18 months after birth. Parrots are picky, therefore, if it is planned to breed birds, the female is offered to choose from several males. If a parrot begins to feed the female from its beak, clean its feathers, bring treats, it means that replenishment is expected in the bird family.

To encourage birds to breed, they equip a separate house in a cage for hatching chicks. Most often, budgerigars breed in the warm season, however, offspring can be expected in winter. The average clutch ranges from 6 to 10 eggs, the female lays eggs every day or every other day, and only after that she begins to incubate. How long do budgerigars incubate eggs? This period lasts up to 20 days, after which the first chick is born, the rest hatch in the order in which they were demolished.

Diseases

Often, owners are faced with diseases when keeping birds. Pathology is manifested by the appearance of a growth on the beak of a budgerigar, plucking of feathers, refusal to eat, and a decrease in activity.

What could be the cause:

1. Poisoning. At the first signs of poisoning, the bird is given a tablet of crushed activated carbon with water or a decoction of flaxseed.
2. Tumor. This type of parrot is prone to tumor diseases that develop rapidly and are treated very poorly.
3. Iodine deficiency.
4. Fractures of wings and legs. Occurs with strong impacts or falls from a height.
5. Concussion. As a rule, the bird receives it when it hits a mirror or glass. When concussed, the bird exhibits strange behavior, it staggers, actively shakes its head, and eats poorly.
6. Colds. Heat-loving birds react strongly to drafts and viral infections. When infected, they exhibit similarhuman symptoms. After suffering the flu, a pet can get a serious heart complication.

You should not try to cure a pet parrot on your own. If you experience the first symptoms of one of the listed diseases, you should seek qualified help.