Congratulations on your new bird! Budgies make wonderful pets and they are very fun to watch and play with. They can learn to perform tricks, ride in toy cars, and talk. It all depends on the bird though. I have two wonderful cockatiels, so obviously I'm a bird person. When I got my birds, I did know some things about them from friends that had their own birds, but I really got most of my information online. Budgies are one of the easiest birds to tame, and I have tamed quite a lot of them for my friends. Sometimes they will gain confidence in you in as little as 1 day! Their wings need to be clipped in order to start the taming process. That makes it much easier and the birds will have less risk in getting hurt by flying into walls and mirrors out of fear. If you cannot clip their wings yourself (you shouldn't try it if you've never done it) many pet stores and vets offer this service for a small charge. Once their wings are clipped, you can begin to tame them. Put a small towel or cloth in you hand and hold them gently with that. Make sure you are not holding too tight, and keep their head out of the towel. Talk to them gently. Keep these setions short because the birds will get stressed out in the towel. After holding them for 30 - 60 seconds, take them in a corner and sit down. Release the bird onto your finger. Sometimes it will jump off, but with my experience with parakeets, they normally stay for at least 20 seconds. If they jump off, hold them again and place them on your finger. Teach them to step up when you place your finger in front of them. Reward them with treats such as spray millet, for good behavior.
About the food, most people generally feed their birds only seeds, but in reality, this is not good for them. They should still eat seeds, but vegetables, cereals, whole wheat bread/crackers, fruit, rice, etc. should also be offered. Vegetables and fruits are important for their health, and it should become a part of their diet from an early age. It may take time for them to try the new foods, but eventually, they will learn to eat new things.
Birds are very playful and acrobatic by nature, and require toys, ladders, and maybe a swing in their cage to keep them from getting bored. Purchase safe toys for you bird from a local pet store.
The cage newspaper should be changed daily, and the cage should be washed every two - three weeks. The cage should be covered at night to provide the bird with a restful night and to prevent night frights that may cause injury if the bird sees something spooky! Birds should be given time to play out of their cage every day and interact with their human companions. With time, your bird will become the greatest companion you've ever had. Be sure to change the bird's food and water every day, and keep the cage out of direct sunlight, as it can cause dehydration. Hope this helps! I will look for some budgie websites that may help you and post it here later!
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