For disease prevention, there are some important things to consider in diet , drinking water and also in the choice of seating.
Nutrition
Since many diseases are caused by malnutrition or malnutrition, it is usually a good idea not to rely on the advertising promises of commercial brands.
➔ Diseases due to improper nutrition
Grain mixture (main feed)
As main feed the budgies should get a grain mixture with at least 10% grass seeds and if possible without oil seeds (overweight!).
In addition, you should make sure that the mixture does not contain sugar or honey, and other undesirable ingredients (eg, bakery products, etc.).
Fresh food
To meet the need for vitamins and minerals, it is imperative that budgies receive fresh or green food several times a week.
If she does not already know it from the breeder, it is essential to persuade her with a lot of patience to try the “unknown” food. Once they get to know this, they will usually even fight over it.
Wild herbs, such as dandelion and ribwort, are particularly recommended here, as they usually have a higher nutrient content than lettuce and vegetables.
Grit
Since bird sand and grit are essential for crushing food in the stomach and thus for digestion, additional grit should always be available regardless of the litter.
For hygienic reasons, grit should be offered in an extra container and not as an addition to bird sand.
Water bowls
Since the budgie’s drinking water can quickly become contaminated, it is not only important to change the water daily, but also to choose the drinking vessel and especially to clean it carefully.
The dangerous trichomanders (flagellates) can also be easily transmitted via the drinking water.
After just one day, you can often notice a slimy, greasy coating (bacterial film) at the bottom of the drinking vessels, where the bacteria reside and multiply.
Water dispenser
Especially the popular water dispensers are extremely problematic from a hygienic point of view:
- In almost closed vessels, such as a water dispenser, bacteria can multiply millions of times within a few hours, which is accelerated by high temperatures (e.g. in summer).
- With increasing age, more and more microcracks form in the plastic, in which additional germs settle.
- Since these are plastic, they cannot be sterilized with boiling water or in the oven.
If you still want to use a water dispenser, the following things must be considered.
- Daily water change (more frequently in summer, if necessary) and replacement of the water dispenser.
- Daily cleaning with hot water and a bottle brush. Then allow to dry through for 24 hours to ensure that, for example, flagellates etc. are also killed.
- Regular replacement with a new water dispenser before too many micro-cracks and scratches form.
Open bowls
Much more suitable are open bowls made of stainless steel or glass, because they are not only easier to clean, but also easily sterilized in the oven, if necessary.
But here, too, there are important things to consider:
- Daily water change (more frequently in summer if necessary) and bowl change.
- Cleaning the used bowl with hot water and a brush.
- Allow the cleaned bowl to dry for 24 hours to ensure that e.g. flagellates etc. are also killed.
- Place the bowl in such a way that the water cannot be contaminated with feces if possible.
- If necessary, remove lime layers, as germs can easily settle in them.
Feeding bowls
Feed dispenser
Food dispens ers are not as hygienically questionable as the water dispensers, but these are still not very suitable for budgies.
The reasons for this are as follows:
- These tempt budgies to eat excessive amounts of food.
- These do not function reliably and it can happen that no more feed slips in.
If you still want to use them, it is imperative to check them daily so that the budgies do not starve to death despite a full feeder if the food does not slip.
Open bowls
Stainless steel or glass bowls, on the other hand, are much more suitable and are also easier to clean or sterilize.
But here, too, there are important things to consider:
- Place bowls so that they cannot be contaminated with feces if possible.
- Provide one feeder per bird if possible (exception: larger flocks).
- Empty feed daily and replace with new feed (deshelled leftovers if necessary).
- Do not offer unlimited food , but ration it (2 tsp per bird).
Daily unpeeling
If the food is not changed or de-husked daily, the budgies may not be able to reach the remaining food under the husk layer and may starve.
Perches
Included perches
Even though the well-known perches made of turned hardwood or plastic are included in almost every cage as standard, they are extremely unsuitable:
- Due to the too small diameter, the birds have to hold on with “all their strength”. In addition, because of this, natural wear of the claws is also not possible.
- The uniform diameter and completely even surface, allows only one foot position, always loading the same points of the foot. As a result, bale ulcers can form in these areas over time.
- The smooth surface provides little support for the feet, so they slip incessantly.
- Due to the use of hardwood or plastic and the two-sided attachment, the perches can not bounce when landing, which is a great stress on the joints.
Suitable seating
To avoid the above problems, you should use only perches made of natural wood (or cork) in different diameters.
The advantages are:
- Different thickness and an uneven surface
- Springs during approach and thus spare the joints (compare floor of a gymnasium)
- natural wear of the claws
- Bark can be nibbled off (additional minerals)
Furthermore, additional seating should be offered where the bird’s foot can rest horizontally:
- Cork branch seat discs
- Branch slices (e.g. fruit tree, birch, etc.)
- Seat boards
➔ So urces of supply: Vogelgaleria / Vogeltraum / Vogelking
➔ Do it yourself: natural wood perches & swings
Bathing facility
Unlike many other birds, budgies rarely bathe. This is probably due to the fact that in Australia they have to make do with dew moisture during dry periods for feather cleaning.
For example, many budgies also like to use damp lettuce leaves as an alternative “dew bath.”
Bath houses and bath bowls
The following things should be considered:
- You should choose a bright bathhouse , because budgies do not like to go into dark containers.
- Bath bowls should be filled with water only about 3cm high.
- The bottom of both must be grooved or ribbed, so that they do not slip during bathing.
- If necessary, remove lime layers, as germs can easily settle in them.
After bathing , the water should be emptied or replaced as soon as possible, as budgies often defecate in the water. Since they also drink from the bath water, hygiene is particularly important here.
Spray bottle
Some, but not all, budgies also like (especially on hot days) to be sprayed with a spray bottle (mist).
Here you should also always use fresh water and pay attention to scrupulous cleanliness of the spray bottle, so that germs and fungi can not form.
