Handling Budgies? Safety Tips For Having a Great Time with a Bird

Introduction

Handling Budgies? Budgies in the wild aren’t exposed to as many dangers as the pet budgies are. They never get to encounter a fan or a flush. Moreover, they can easily fly away on sensing danger in the form of a predator. But this is not the case with our pet budgies. They are exposed to life-threatening dangers every day and are also unaware of it. Even if you educate them about the potentially harmful things, you can’t leave it all on them to take care of themselves. It is similar to leaving our six-month-old to take care of himself! You need to provide your budgie with a safe environment and also take some measures for his safety.

Safe Temperature

Your budgie is extremely sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Make sure to maintain his room’s temperature around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In case you wish to change the temperature, introduce him to it in a gradual manner. A sudden change will make it difficult for him to regulate his body temperature and he might fell ill. Don’t change temperatures frequently either.

Safe Air

Ensure that the air in his surroundings is clean and fresh all the time. Check for any germs or pollutants in the air. Never use air fresheners or scented candles around your pet bird. These are toxic to him and might fill his lungs with chemicals. He will start facing breathing problems soon if you are using any aerosol sprays or plug-in aromas around him.

Household Safety

Provide your budgie with a safe environment inside his cage. Examine all his items like cage-accessories, toys, utensils for any breakage resulting in the development of any sharp-ends. When you take your bird out of the cage, ensure that the room is bird-safe. An empty room with no places to hide or get hurt would be the best choice. Mirrors are dangerous for all the birds, as they might fly into it thinking it to be a place instead of reflection. Do not keep the windows open, as they might fly out of these to explore the world. Keep them away from household items like fans, air conditioners, exhausts, washing machines, and even kitchen equipment like mixers and coffee-makers. It is best to keep your budgie out of the kitchen as it is full of dangers. Knives, forks, microwave, and induction are all a danger for your little bird.

Training and clipping

Budgies can be trained to behave in a particular manner. Teach him the techniques of stepping-up on the finger, hand, and stick. If you discipline your budgie properly, he will listen to you every time you give him some instructions. This will help you to protect him when he is about to get hold of a harmful item like electrical wire. You can instruct him to step-up to your finger immediately and he will obey. If he is stuck at a height, you can tell him to step-up on a stick and he will soon be out of any danger. Some people recommend getting budgie’s wings clipped for his own safety. With clipped wings, he won’t be able to take a high flight protecting him from dangers at a height like a fan. Once he is aware of his limits, allow his wings to grow normally. I have never clipped Budgie’s wings, and I never will. Personally, I don’t recommend clipping Budgie wings.

Safe Food

There are certain foods that are toxic to budgies. Avoid chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, avocado, uncooked onion, and garlic in his diet as these are toxic for him. Dried and preserved fruits should not be offered to him as it might contain sulfur dioxide which will cause him shedding and discomfort. Even the fresh fruits should also be cleaned thoroughly to wash away any pesticides. Some fruit seeds are toxic to them, so it is better to offer all the fruits after removing seeds from them. To avoid the development of goiter in your pet budgies, give him a sufficient supply of iodine-rich food. For making his bones strong, fulfill his calcium requirements with the help of cuttlefish bone. It is a great way to avoid any calcium deficiency in him. Provide him with a completely balanced diet for avoiding any nutritional complications.

Outdoor Safety

You need to take extra care of the little life during your outdoor trips together. Take care of the climatic conditions of the place of your visit. Your pet should not be exposed to extreme hot or extremely cold environments. While preparing the route, check for any disease-outbreaks to avoid him catching any diseases. Start with shorter trips initially to check if your pet is comfortable with traveling or not. You will have to carefully observe his behavioral changes during these initial trips to determine if he has any travel-sickness. Your little one might fly away on seeing a real or imagined threat outside, so it is better to keep him in his travel-cage or a harness. Never leave him unattended in a car, even if caged or harnessed, to avoid any attack by a predator.

Cleanliness

It is very important to safeguard your budgie from diseases. Maintain proper hygiene for him by giving him the opportunity to take a bath from time to time. Take him to a professional veterinary for grooming sessions regularly. Keep his cage clean to prevent him from germs and parasites. Clean the cage-accessories and his utensils too. All this is important for the safety of your budgie’s health.

Predators

You must safeguard your little pet against any kind of dangers in the form of predators, both inside as well as outside your home. Ensure to keep his room’s doors and windows closed at all times to prevent the entry of any four-legged one. Check for any holes in his room as you need to prevent him from snakes too. During your outdoor trips, don’t carry him on your shoulder as a hawk might snatch him away from you.

Conclusion

Handling a budgie properly and safely requires a constant effort on your part. You must provide him a safe and secure living environment in return for his companionship. These efforts don’t go waste and you will cherish the memories of all the moments you spend together for the years to come.

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