Parakeet Care for Beginners: Cage, Diet and Daily Routine
Budgies are friendly and clever. Here is how to set up a healthy home for yours.
Parakeets, also called budgies, are small, social and playful birds, and a great introduction to bird keeping for new owners who can give them daily attention.
Cage setup
Choose the largest cage you can fit, with bar spacing narrow enough that your bird cannot get its head stuck. Provide several perches of different widths, a few safe toys and a place to bathe or mist.
Diet
- Offer a quality pellet or seed mix as a base.
- Add fresh leafy greens and vegetables daily.
- Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol.
Daily routine
Parakeets are flock animals, so they need interaction every day, either with you or with a bird companion. Offer out-of-cage time in a bird-safe room, and give them plenty of quiet, dark sleep at night.
Household dangers
Fumes from nonstick cookware and some aerosols, scented candles and cleaning products can seriously harm birds. Keep the kitchen away from your bird, and ventilate well.
Find an avian veterinarian before you need one, because birds often hide signs of illness.
This article is general pet care information and not a substitute for advice from a licensed veterinarian.
