The Budgerigar : Housing the Budgie

Most experts regard the draught-proof box cage as the best type of budgie residence. Any averagely skilled home handyman can knock up a box cage in a matter of minutes. Either plywood or hardboard on a wood frame can be used for the sides. The cage is finished with a ready-purchased wire front of mesh. If the cage is to be painted, remember to use non-toxic paints with a plastic rather than lead...

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The Budgerigar : Why A Budgie?

As well as the typically ‘parrot’ ability to mimic and thus ‘talk back’ to its owner, the budgerigar is a hardy, cheerful, alert little bird with a great talent for acrobatics. It can master a series of tricks, many of which it discovers for its own amusement, as well as being able to reproduce itself in quantity under captive conditions. Budgerigars usually live to around eight years old. ...

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The Budgerigar

The first cage-bred budgerigars, were, as still are their wild cousins today, green birds with yellow facial markings, black decorations on the wings and the top of head, and a ‘necklace’ of spots beneath the bill.      Today, scientifically-inspired selective breeding has produced budgies in almost every color except pink. A $500 prize awaits the lucky breeder who can produce...

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Where to Put the Bird Cage?

A cage bird should have plenty of access to light and fresh air. However no bird cage should be suspended permanently in the broiling sunlight with any shade available to its occupant. Such thoughtless sitting can result in faints or even fatalities. Equally a bird should be kept in a drought free place. Draughts are especially dangerous to the canary and finch family, but adversely affect almost...

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Bringing the Bird Home

Most breeders and dealers have specially designed carrying cases in which buyers can ‘take away’ their purchases. Such containers are suitable for train journeys of up to four hours. For longer trips, a special travel cage of the type used for show specimens will be required. However there will usually be a breeder well within the easy take-home range of any would-be pet owner. (adsbygoogle...

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What to Look For When Buying A Pet Bird?

Whether a bird is purchased direct from a breeder or from a reputable dealer, it is important to seek out an alert lively-looking specimen with clean, tight-feathered plumage. A sick bird betrays its poor condition by squatting low on its peach, or hiding in the cage corner with ruffled unkempt feathers, and is a bad buy no matter how cheaply it is priced. This does not mean that it is necessary...

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Where Should I Buy A Pet Bird?

Without wishing to denigrate the many scrupulously honest pet dealers who operate in this country, I recommend the prospective pet-owner to buy his or her bird direct from the breeder. Seeing the quality of stock from which the proposed pet originates is a useful guide to the quality of the individual itself. This is obviously particularly important if the newcomer is intended to be part of...

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