Click to Skip Ahead
Choosing to adopt a bird is not a decision you should make overnight. There are a lot of things that go into bird ownership that many first-time bird owners don’t realize. They’re not like dogs where all you’ll need is a food and water bowl and toys to keep them happy.
If you’re considering adopting a budgie or a parakeet, there are some key supplies you’ll need to keep your new feathered friend happy and healthy. Keep reading to find our supply recommendations to ensure you and your home are ready to welcome a new pet.
The 9 Essential Budgie & Parakeet Supplies
Food & Feeding
1. Food
Budgies can be prone to obesity and nutrient deficiencies, so a well-balanced and varied diet is essential to ensure your pet stays healthy.
Budgies in the wild eat a diet that consists of a wide variety of sides that change as different plants come in and out of season. The commercial seed mixes you’ll find at pet stores will usually consist of several different types of seeds, but they’re often very high in fat and carbohydrates and low in vitamins and protein. These poor-quality seed diets can make your bird ill, especially considering that most birds will take to just one or two seeds they particularly like and turn their beak up at all the others.
Since seed diets are nutritionally incomplete, commercial seeds should only make up a small portion of your bird’s diet. If your bird has only been fed seeds until you’ve adopted him, you’ll need to start replacing them slowly to ensure that your pet is getting the highest quality diet.
Budgies and parakeets need a diet consisting mainly of pellets specifically formulated for birds. These pellets come in many different sizes and shapes and have been developed to meet your pet’s nutritional needs. Converting mature birds to pellets after a lifetime of a seeded diet can prove to be difficult, but it is necessary. Make the transition slowly and aim to have pellets make up around 75%-80% of your bird’s diet.
We love ZuPreem’s Natural pellets as they’re full of wholesome and natural foods that your bird requires to ensure his nutritional needs are met. These pellets are formulated with additional nutrients, so you don’t need to add any extra vitamin or mineral supplements to your bird’s diet.
The other 20%–25% portion of their diet should consist of fruits and veggies. Keep these in a separate bowl from your bird’s pellets and only allow fruits and veggies to be in their cage for a few hours to prevent spoilage.
Use fruit as an occasional treat as they’re high in sugar which can affect your bird’s stool and mood. The best fruits and veggies to offer your budgie and parakeet include:
2. Bowls
Your bird will need at least two, potentially three, bowls. You’ll need one for pellets, one for water, and one for treats. The most commonly used bird bowls will clip onto the side of their cage, which will keep your bird from feeding on the bottom of their cage.
Wider bowls will be easier for your bird to access than deeper ones. Many bowls have built-in perches, which allow for easy meal times as it gives them a place to stand while they eat or drink.
We love the Sure-Lock feeder from Caitec. The bowl is made from a heavy-duty polymer material that can withstand even the most destructive of birds. Its space-saving oval shape makes feeding time easy for your bird and gives them more room in their cage to spread their wings. These bowls can be used for both water and pellets.
Housing
3. Cage
The best birdcage is the biggest one you can find that will fit in your space. Budgies are very active birds and need a cage that provides plenty of room to move around and play. A cage that’s roughly one-and-a-half times the width of your bird’s wingspan should give him the space he needs. If you have more than one bird, you’ll need to double the size of the cage to give them enough room.
Another factor to consider is the space between bars. Cages with inappropriate bar spacing can cause injury to your bird. It’s generally recommended that the bars have ½-inch to 5/8-inch spacing for budgies and parakeets.
Once you have an idea of the size of the cage, you need to consider the material it’s made of. The cage should be made with a metal that’s non-toxic and simple to clean.
We love this wrought iron cage from Prevue Pet Products. This flight cage is huge at 31L x 20.5W x 53H inches with ½ inch cage bar spacing. It has an integrated storage shelf for all your bird’s food, toys, and supplies. The cage is easy to access with two large hinged doors on the front and six smaller side access ones throughout the rest of the cage.
4. Perches
Birds use their perches for a variety of reasons – climbing, playing, standing, cleaning their beaks, chewing, and even sleeping. In the wild, birds use branches and twigs in all different shapes, sizes, and textures as perches. Birds in captivity will need the same kind of variety in their cage. If their perches are all the same size, they can get sore feet as they’ll always be putting the same amount of pressure on the same spots of their feet.
Perches come in a variety of material and size options.
Wood branches are the best perches because they’re easy to find in a variety of diameters. You can even use real wood branches from nature, but you’ll need to ensure they’re from non-toxic trees and have been washed and disinfected.
Since most of us don’t have the time or means to go out and find, wash, and disinfect our own branches, rope perches are a fantastic alternative. The best ropes are made of hemp or untreated cotton and are braided in nature. You can find bird ropes in a wide variety of lengths and diameters.
We love the JW Pet rope perch as it comes in three sizes (14-, 21-, or 32-inch). It’s the perfect size for parakeets and budgies and attaches easily to all wire cages.
5. Cage Liners
Cage liners are exactly what they sound like they are—a liner that lives at the bottom of your bird’s cage. The sole purpose of liners is to keep their cage bottom fresh, clean, and simple to tidy up.
There are many different types of lining materials to choose from. Most bird aficionados will recommend using paper of pretty much any kind. Newspaper, paper bags, or paper towels are some of the most cost-effective options. Aside from paper being affordable and something almost all of us always have in our home, another advantage is that it lays flat, allowing you to keep an eye on your bird’s droppings to ensure they’re healthy.
Other bird parents prefer to use wood shavings. It’s important if going this route that you don’t choose a type of wood that will be toxic to your bird if they come into contact with it. The scent of some wood will act as an irritant on your bird’s already very sensitive respiratory system. If you choose to use wood chips, untreated pine shavings seem to be the best pick.
Sand or gravel sheets are another common cage liner. Unlike wood shavings, sand sheets will lie flat and allow for super easy clean-up.
We love Prevue Pet Products T3 Antimicrobial Paper Liner. This product comes in several different sizes so finding one that fits your bird’s cage shouldn’t be a problem. It’s an all-natural liner that’s microorganism resistant and safe to use around your bird. The liner is easy to change out and makes keeping your bird’s cage clean a breeze.
Toys & Treats
6. Toys
Budgies and parakeets are smart animals that can become bored very easily in captivity. Boredom can lead to undesirable and harmful behaviors like feather plucking and aggression, so providing toys for your birds is an absolute must to keep them busy and enriched.
Our best advice for buying bird toys is to get a lot of them. Variety is the spice of life and having plenty of toys to switch in and out from week to week will keep your bird engaged and boredom-free.
There are countless toy types to choose from, and the reality is you’ll need to find your bird’s favorites through trial and error. Swings, ladders, foraging toys, noisemakers, and climbing toys are just a few examples.
We love the Planet Pleasures Pineapple foraging toy as it’s not only fun for your bird to play with but it encourages their natural behaviors. It’s made with materials that your pet might find in their natural habitat. These materials are fibrous, which can help condition their beak and prevent it from overgrowing. There are little hiding spots between the spikes that add stimulation and encourage forging.
7. Treats
Commercial treats, while not necessary, are another great supply you might consider buying before bringing your new bird home. Budgies tend to prefer treats that are bright in color, interesting in texture, and with flavors they’re not getting daily. Seed sticks and dried fruits are great options as they tend to be a favorite of budgies and parakeets.
We love Kaytee’s Fiesta Tropical Treats as they’re full of real tropical fruits like papaya, pineapple, and coconut as well as seeds and apples that most birds love. These treats are easy to sprinkle on top of your bird’s daily pellets and are small to encourage natural behaviors like foraging.
Care Items
8. First Aid Supplies
It’s always a good idea to be prepared for when the unexpected happens. There are several things you should have on hand at all times in case you need to administer first aid when you cannot get your bird to the vet.
General first aid supplies that can come in handy in case of bird injuries include:
You should also consider adding hemostatic products to your kit. These items, like cornstarch, paper towels, or commercial hemostatic products, can control any bleeding that might occur.
We recommend adding Miracle Care’s Kwik Stop Styptic Powder to your first aid kit. This product features benzocaine which can help stop minor cuts from bleeding and relieve some of the pain and itching that might come with these types of cuts. The main ingredient in this powder is ferric subsulfate, which gets to work as soon as it’s applied to stop the bleeding.
Important Notes: Never place any hemostatic product into large wounds or those that are near the chest or belly. Do not apply any ointments or creams to your bird unless you have been advised to do so by your vet.
9. Cuttlebone
Budgies and parakeets use their beaks as a third foot. They use it to hold their food and to get around their cages. It’s no surprise, then, that all of this use can eventually wear down their beaks over time. Evolution has made it so your bird’s beak will never stop growing; if it did, birds in the wild would eventually wear their beaks out entirely.
Since your bird’s beak won’t stop growing, you’ll need to provide them with something that allows them to wear it down to keep it in peak condition.
A cuttlebone provides natural calcium and minerals that your bird will need to keep its beak trim and sharp. It’s an essential dietary supplement that can also help with the formation of bones and blood clotting.
We recommend Caitec’s Cuttlefish Bone Bird Toy. It comes in at a very affordable price and will easily attach to almost any birdcage. This product’s unique texture not only encourages your bird to keep his beak trim but will also provide enrichment and prevent boredom.
Summary
Though it may seem like a lot of supplies to buy, the nine above essentials will make life easier for both you and your new bird. Don’t forget to research budgie and parakeet care before going through with your adoption to have a clear understanding of your role as a bird parent.
See also:
Featured Image Credit: Nagy Rezkalla, Shutterstock
