Budgerigars are unpretentious and hardy enough. Their widespread popularity is due to their affordability and ease of care. Before purchasing a parrot, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of this breed in order to ensure a healthy and long life for them.
Where to buy a budgerigar?
There are several places where you can buy a budgerigar. These are numerous pet shops, nurseries, markets. The first and second methods are considered more reliable, but there are also disadvantages: prices can be higher than on the market, there is less choice. Option two - the market: prices are lower, there is more choice. They can also tell you in more detail about the features of these parrots and their care. Most of the sellers personally raise the birds, but this, in turn, does not give any guarantees.
If you plan to breed parrots over time, then it is best to buy them not at the poultry market or in the store, but from the breeder. This will make it possible to evaluate the chick's parents, as well as find out the color of the bird's relatives, in order to imagine what color the chicks can turn out to be.
How to choose a parrot?
Before you buy a parrot, you need to know a thing or two about this bird. It should be borne in mind that these are schooling birds, and even at home it is better to keep them in pairs. But if you still want one, then it is better to buy a young male, who will be more flexible and tame.
In any case, it is better to acquire a young bird - this contributes to the quick adaptation of the parrot to new conditions.
First, you need to take a close look at the appearance and behavior of the feathered. A healthy parrot has tight-fitting wings, lively and shiny eyes, a clean and neat beak. It is necessary to pay attention to the wax: this area of thickened skin at the base of the beak should be smooth and clean.
The nails of a healthy pet are usually sharp and straight. Movements should be smooth and confident, and the parrot itself should be active and inquisitive.
In no case should you buy a bird if its state of health is in doubt. Sluggish and ruffled birds with a stratified wax and beak should not be taken: they are either sick or old.
Helpful tips for caring for your parrot
When purchasing a bird, you need to learn as much as possible about its habits and diet. The main living conditions of a parrot in a cage are good food, cleanliness, a bright place, absence of stuffiness and cold. These are the very conditions that determine the long and successful life of the budgerigar.
The cleanliness of the place is the key to the health of the bird. Dirt and dampness in the cage lead to various diseases, therefore, the bird's house should be cleaned as often as possible. If two parrots live in the cage, then in the summer you need to clean it every other day, in the winter - 2-3 times a week.
The bright part of the room is best suited for keeping birds. However, the cage should not be placed very close to the window so that the parrot does not go through.
The main food for a parrot is grain food. You can give oats or millet. Also a good supplement to the diet - ears of oats and wheat, in addition, this is a kind of gymnastics for the bird, preventing the regrowth of the beak. In the parrot's menu, you can add flaxseeds swollen in water, corn or wild grass seeds. As a treat, you can give some nuts or a few sunflower seeds.
You need to feed the bird only with fresh food, remove the remnants of uneaten food in time to avoid the spread of microbes. You should change the water daily, do not forget to rinse the drinker.
Letting the parrot go for a walk is a necessary procedure to maintain good physical shape. Do not leave it unattended: if the windows and doors are open, the bird can fly out.
