Baby Budgies Part 2

Well...as you can see...the baby budgies are no longer babies but toddlers lol

As you can tell from the pictures of the baby budgies below, they were taken a few days apart but they are really growing fast. We are feeding them freshly cut cereals which they devour and also fresh grass stalks. We have 5 budgie babies and it is the pairs first batch. We expected one or two baby budgies but now we have a small army. lol

My daughter loves to hold them so I told her I would put her picture on my budgie blog.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Baby Budgies

Baby Budgies

Well...I haven't written anything for a while because I have been busy with work and my Harlequin budgies just had 6 baby budgies. LOL

They are a beautiful pair and I wanted to show you the mother, father and baby budgies but the father was too busy so today you only get to see the mother and baby budgies.


All the baby budgies are totally healthy but I don't want to disturb their feeding and the mother gets irritated so I let them in peace. I suppose if a giant hand came into the roof of my house and tried to grab my newborn child...then I would be a little irritated and stinky too!

The only one that looks a little worn out from the whole feeding regime is the father but you can see in his eyes that he is really proud.

The oldest is about 10 days old because the female has been laying like a battery hen. It is their first batch and we thought they may not be able to handle it but budgie couple really surprised up.

Now we have to increase our cage to a full size aviary. LOL But we don't mind as there are many people here that dsaid they would love to have a harlequin baby budgie.

Dirty Blue Widgets

Dirty Blue Widgets probably means nothing to my readers and I know it probably looks strange as a title on a budgie site. But dirty blue widgets is the theme for one of my other pages where I am currently promotin SEO tutorials. If you don't know what this is then simply ignore this post. But if you would like to learn more then click on the title above to go to the dirty blue widgets website.

Exotic Bird Cages

Exotic Bird Cages have suddenly come back into fashion.

In my opinion they look great and my favorite are those made from wicker.

The only problem that I have with Exotic Bird Cages is that budgies have a tendency to eat things and crap all over the place, so despite the beauty of such objects, I prefer the more practical and easier to maintain metal cages.

Here are some tips on buying a bird cage:

How big should it be?

The cage should be big enough for the number of birds you are holding.
(i.e. 1/2 m2 per pair of budgies)
But remember that if your birds don't get regular free flight (you don't let them fly around outside the cage for a while every day) then I would at least double the recommended size.
Birds can also become claustrophobic and this will lead to either aggression or depression.

Should the cage be round, rectangular or square?

There are different opinions on this theme but I have used all three and found that the shape itself isn't really important but the amount of room inside.

How big should the bar spacing be?

About 1/2-1 centimeter is needed between the bars to prevent the budgies from sticking body parts out and damaging or killing themselves. Budgies are playful creatures which like a challenge and see such things as a game.

Is it user friendly?

If you have kept budgies for a long time then you know that a practically designed cage can save many headaches. I prefer those with 4 - 4 doors. One main bigger door on the front and a few smaller ones on the sides and back. Make sure also that the doors are secure and that they close tightly. Budgies can and will open loose or badly fitted doors for fun. This makes it easy to get into the cage from any side and is necessary for changing toys, water, food etc.
Also try to get one where the floor slides out without having to open the doors. This makes for easier paper changing.

What kind of perches are the best?

Avoid thin perches at all cost as these are not good for the birds feed. I try to keep away from plastic perches and only use wooden ones. These can be cleaned by hand and afterward be put in the dishwasher for extra disinfection without damage. But a budgies favorite is a branch that you find in the park. Just strip off the leaves but leave the twigs on and they enjoy picking and sitting on it. But make sure it isn't poisonous. I use oak, birch and horse chestnut personally.

Can I build my own cage?

If your budget is too tight to buy a cage and believe me we are all feeling the pinch at the moment then it is possible to build your own cage. Please be sure that all wood is sanded and oiled but not varnished. Budgies pick off the varnish which can be fatal when ingested. Also try to use a strong gridded material for the bars. If you must use chicken wire be sure to NOT leave any loose ends to injure the birds. Or better still place a lat of timber over the areas where the ends meet.

My Little Budgie Boys...

Well... It's been ages since I wrote an entry so today I figured I would post some new pictures of my budgies. I have been up to my eyes in personal work and didn't get a chance to show you them till now!
I am not an expert photographer by any means but I find my budgies still look fantastic ...maybe you could tell me what you think.

Nigel.

P.S. These are 3 of my 6 current birds...and sadly I lost 3 to illness during the summer through buying a female from a different seller...lesson learned!

Budgies can learn to speak

Budgies can learn to speak.

There are budgies that can speak correct words and sentences, but all budgies speak through their gestures and tones. Every budgie is different and has its own character. One notices that if one has two birds or more to compare.

How do I understand my budgie?

The bird slumps on its perch and has floppy wings...

Exhaustion if the condition passes but if it persists it is likely an illness and you should seek the advice of a veterinarian.

Yawning...

Tiredness because oxygen level in the air is too little

Budgie plucks at its feathers...

Body care

Frequent scratching...

possible parasite invasion

Budgie pulls aggressively at its wings...

In adult animals especially: The bird has trained too little in free flight and needs to exercise its muscles by itself...think how stiff you are in the office sometimes and you lean back and stretch.

Hectic irritation of the bowl...

Hunger or possibly too delicate stomach lining

Budgie plucks at your ear or eyebrows...

I love you!

What is my budgie trying to say to me?

A short violent cackling means anxiety if one annoys the budgie or he feels threatened. A delicate whimpering is a type begging. Soft, quiet twitter means that your budgie is either satisfied or maybe has too much imput and needs to chill out. If you listen then you will eventually hear the difference and if your bird is a little stressed and needs a "time out" then simply cover the cage with a light cloth cover for an hour till they have a little nap.

How does my budgie learn speak?

Budgies can be very gifted. It is best if you begin practicing speech with your budgie when the bird is very young. Is important however that your budgie is well acquainted with you and is already so tame that it comes on your hand or finger. Your budgie should trust your voice. The next thing that you need is patience, patience and even more patience. There are some budgies that learn a couple of words very quickly while others can take months or even years to learn one word if you are lucky. Remember that being a dummy isn't an exclusively human trait.

The best time is the late afternoon or the early evening. Start small, so that you do not overexert your small budgie. Do Not exceed 20-30 minutes a day. Recite small sentences or single words again and again to the budgie. Make sure you use small and easily pronounceable words that are not too difficult for the birds voice e.g. bobo, i love you, give ma a kiss, good boy etc. The best words are 1 or 2 syllable and the best phrases should be made up of 2 or maximum 3 words.

Some owners are of the opinion that budgies don't really communicate when they speak but purely mimic the sound of the owners words and voice. This is total B.S. and I can guarantee you that if your relationship is close enough with your budgie that the phrases they use match the circumstances too uncannily to be pure coincidence.

And sometimes you can try till the cows come home and not get a single word.... There are many budgies that simply do not learn to speak which is especially the case if the budgie lives together with one or several more birds. Of the seven budgies we own only one ever speaks and that is our original bird. In fact it is well known that holding a single bird is the best way to eventually have a speaking budgie. The downside is that you must treat it like a baby as they are very sociable creatures and if you don't have that kind of time to give it is a little cruel. When all is said and done amusing and interesting to play with members of their own species and to speak in the budgie language which is how nature intended it. Under no circumstances should you keep a budgie for the sole reason of having a speaking novelty for your friends. A budgie that has other budgies to speak with will happily twitter and chirp all day long in its own language.

As a side note here and being very close to my birds, I notice that even if kept in large groups those birds that don't learn to speak can very easily learn and respond to often complex whistling patterns....but that's another story....

So maybe sometimes, it's better as they song goes, to let your budgie "say it with a kiss"!

So you want a budgie, hah?

Whether it is for yourself or one of your children you seriously need to read the following checklist before making any decisions about buying a budgie.

1. Budgies can live up to 10 years old. Do you have enough time daily to give love to and care for a budgie continuously without forgetting or losing interest?

2. Budgies are soulful creatures and are most comfortable in a swarm. Just like people also need a little company. A person is no substitute for another budgie and neither is a plastic bird! So please don't keep a single budgie even for a short period of time. It is also possible to tame two birds or more so that they come on your hand, despite rumors to the contrary.

3. Budgies often make lots of noise. Putting a competitive sound in the same room (i.e. a radio, television) will only cause them to be louder and won't mask the sound. It may also cause aggression.

4. Budgies need lots of free-flight and I recommend once a day if possible. Can you manage that? There is also a danger that they will gnaw at the wallpaper and other objects or bomb some droppings on the floor. Make sure they have enough places to land.

5. Budgies need a lot of love and you need to spend some time every day talking to or playing with them. They should also have the possibility to play. (i.e. a birs playground) But as I already said...NO PLASTIC BIRDS...NO MIRRORS....It's bad for their mental health.

6. Do you have time or motivation to take the bird to the Vet if it gets sick and can you afford the costs?

7. Remember that with food, grit, toys cage etc. it can get quite expensive to keep a budgie.

8. Birds also make a lot of dirt and the cage and water must be cleaned daily. The feathers and dander can also build up in whatever room you are keeping the birds.

9. Children are particularly loved by these birds. Can you take over caring for the budgie if your child loses interest?

10. After the birds have a free flight they need to return to a large cage. This should have thick wooden perches for the birds to sit. Plastic perches only cause damage to their feet after a while. It is possible to make them from tree branches. Budgies love real branches.

11. The cage must be situated in a good sheltered place. Not in the kitchen, not in the bathroom and not in a hall or corridor. The birds shouldn't be in a draft as this can be deadly for them. They also shouldn't be up high on a cupboard of on the floor. A good height is at about a persons chest or eye level.

12. One should not smoke cigarettes in the same room as the budgies as they are hyper-sensitive to smoke and other toxins.

13. There shouldn't be any poisonous plants within reach of the birds.

14. Who will look after the budgie while you are on holidays?

15. Are there other pets in the house which would endanger the bird? (i.e. a cat)

16. Also make sure that no-one in the household is allergic to our feathered friends. This is quite a common ailment and one of the most aggressive reaction allergies.

Please only buy a bird if you can responsibly answer "YES" to the preceding statements. If you have any other doubts or questions please feel free to contact me or ask the staff at your local pet store.