Is it Easy to Take Care of a Budgie?

It's not hard to take care of a budgie.

It's not hard to take care of a budgie.

Easier than a dog, more work than a goldfish, budgies aren't difficult to care for, but they do require your time. More than anything a budgie needs affection and attention. Once you've met your budgie's basic physical needs, give him lots of love.


Pouring a little bit of seed into your budgie's dish each day will keep him alive, but to be really healthy he needs a few more nutrients. Chop a little bit of fruit or vegetables and add them to his meal. To keep mealtimes quick and easy, chop enough to last several days and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. Fresh fruits and vegetables should make up about 20 percent of your budgie's diet. Keep food in front of your bird all the time, but remove empty seed hulls or uneaten fresh food and replace it with fresh food once a day.


It should go without saying that your budgie should always have fresh, clean drinking water available. He also likes to take frequent baths, and a shallow bowl of clean lukewarm water at the bottom of the cage will let him splash, play and get clean. You can leave the water there all day if the room is warm and he doesn't make too much of a mess. If he makes too much of a mess with the water, leave it for about half an hour or until he's done with his first bathing session and then take it away.


Your budgie might be little, but he's packed full of energy and needs exercise every day. Climbing around in his cage will keep him entertained, but he really needs to get out of his cage too. The more time spent stretching and moving, the better, but at a minimum he should get out of his cage for one hour every day.


Budgies are messy, messy, messy. Your bird doesn't realize that all his fun makes more work for you. Throwing seed around, splashing in water and shaking out his feathers are natural daily routines, not to mention waste droppings. You'll need to clean and rinse his food and water dishes with mild dish soap each day. You'll also need to switch the paper at the bottom of the cage and wipe down his perches and toys on a daily basis. This sounds like a lot of daily cleaning, but it only takes a few minutes. About once a month the cage should be deep cleaned using either a hose or shower and mild detergent.

Other Requirements

Other care requirements are minimal, but your budgie should always have a cuttlebone and mineral block, which you'll need to clean and replace as needed. You'll also need to replace perches every few months, as they become too soiled to keep clean. Also, to keep your budgie from getting too bored, rotate toys and move perches around every few weeks.

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