Looking to refresh your bird’s home this spring? The warmer weather, longer days, and budding flora and fauna often inspire families to declutter, organize, and spruce up their homes. And, as part of the family, you can include your budgie in your home improvements. While pet birds benefit from a tidy, well-planned environment year-round, Omlet can help you refresh your bird’s home along with your own.
New season, new home
After being pent-up all winter, we all want to stretch our metaphorical wings – and your bird will be ready to stretch their literal ones. The Omlet Geo Bird Cage offers 44% more space than traditional small bird cage designs, giving your bird ample space to take flight.
Our artfully designed small bird cage takes an elegant approach when it comes to displaying your budgie. The unique design not only allows more space, but was created to look great in any room. Use additional small bird perches that add character to your bird’s home, and choose from different wire and base colours to match your home’s aesthetic.
But it’s not just for looks – the Geo Bird Cage was also designed for practicality. We’ve created this low-maintenance cage to be easy for you to clean, and to prevent accidental messes from your small feathered friends. The Geo’s thoughtfully centrally located feeder and waterer has been thoughtfully designed to reduce spills and waste. An optional solid bamboo stand can elevate your Geo Bird Cage to new heights – offering new vantage and focal points for both your bird and your room.
Try cage covers
Give your bird their beauty rest when you add an optional cover. Pet birds sleep best when it’s dark, but spring brings more daylight hours that can interrupt their sleep schedules. Since they’re diurnal (meaning they sleep at night and are active during the day) and need 10-12 hours of sleep each night, a cage cover can help coax them into slumber even when it’s still light out.
Specifically designed to fit the Geo cage, our Geo Bird Cage Night Cover in blossom pink is the perfect colour for a seasonal spring palette. Or, try our Geo Bird Cage Cover in midnight blue for a darker hue if that’s more in line with your style. Both colours allow for more restful sleep by providing cage coverage from the top down, while keeping the bottom open and airy for proper ventilation.
Add new cage accessories
Birds are highly intelligent creatures, and your budgies are no exception. And, as with all intelligent animals, birds thrive in an enriching environment. Investing in new toys is a great way to keep your bird’s cage fresh and engaging. Omlet’s Geo Bird Cage Accessories add flair and fascination to your bird’s enclosure, offering hours of boredom-busting activities.
Keep your birds healthy and happy by providing them with an enclosure that fosters their natural behaviors. Spruce up your budgie’s space this spring with mirrors and perches to stimulate their critical thinking and add variety to their routine. Or, add a bird bath to appeal to your bird’s love of bathing.
Refresh your bird’s home with a spring clean
For optimal cleanliness, you’ll want to deep-clean your bird’s cage at least once a week. But, if you have more than one bird, you may find yourself needing to clean their cage more often. Thankfully, the Geo Bird Cage is easy to clean in minutes – letting you spend more time with your birds and less time cleaning up after them.
Our included feeder has an enclosed base to catch seeds that are dropped during feeding, reducing the amount of wasted seed littering the bottom of the cage. The bottom itself is easily removed and can be hand washed or sprayed with a bird-safe sanitizing solution and wiped clean. Optional paper liners make cleaning even faster – simply remove the paper lining and replace with a new one for a quick and easy clean in between deep cleans.
Entering a new season with Omlet
Maybe you’re a seasoned bird owner, or are considering welcoming one into your family this season. Spring brings lots of changes, and is the perfect time to switch up your bird’s routine or to embark on a new bird-owning journey. From products to help your birds catch more shut-eye during the longer days, to cages that make bird ownership easier and more enjoyable than ever, Omlet has what you need to deepen the bond between you and your bird. See why thousands of people choose Omlet for their pet’s needs, and share in the wonder that our products bring to pets and their families.
Budgies are highly intelligent, relatively low maintenance, and are renowned for their hilarious personalities! And with their beautiful, striking appearance too, it’s hardly surprising that budgies are the world’s most popular pet bird. As with any pet, building a good relationship between you and your feathered friend can take time, so ensuring your budgie feels safe and comfortable around you is key to building a long-lasting companionship. So, you may now be asking the question of how to get my budgie to like me?
Step 1 – Make Sure They’re Comfortable
The first step to getting your budgie to like you is to make sure that they’re comfortable in your presence and their environment. Providing them with a safe and secure cage is a great place to start. TheOmlet Geo Bird Cage is the perfect space for budgies, with a geodesic, spacious design, offering plenty of room for perching and flying! Furthermore, the Omlet Geo Bird Cage has a choice of Omlet Geo Bird Cage Night Covers to choose from, that not only look great but most importantly, help to protect your budgie from any loud noises and provide them with a feeling of security at night when you are not there.
Maintaining your budgie’s space is another important step to take to make your budgie feel comfortable. Just as we wouldn’t feel happy in an unclean, cluttered environment, unsurprisingly nor do our pets. Fortunately, the Omlet Geo Bird Cage is incredibly practical and easy to clean. With a no-spill feeder that catches food and a wipe clean plastic base, your budgie’s cage will remain in tip-top condition with very little work from you!
Once your budgie feels settled and comfortable in its home, you should begin to make them feel comfortable in your presence. It’s important not to forget that budgies are prey animals, so can be on high alert until they have perceived that you are not a threat.
You should begin by sitting down by their cage, making sure not to make any sudden noises that could potentially scare your bird. Talk to them in a quiet voice, gently repeating their name and introducing them to everyone in the household. You can also perhaps read them a book (even if it makes you feel a bit silly!). Patience is key here, but your budgie getting comfortable around you is the beginning of creating a beautiful bond.
Step 2 – Start to Bond with Them
Once your bird feels comfortable and settled in their home, you can begin to strengthen your bond with them. Generally speaking, it will only take around two weeks for a budgie to become used to their home, although bonding with your bird could take months. Don’t let that put you off though, as since these brainy birds all come with their own personalities, bonding time really does vary from budgie to budgie.
When talking to your budgie, you can provide them withbird treats at the same time to start bonding. If you notice that your budgie is fearful of your hands, you’ll find it helpful to do some hand training, which we’ll learn about later. Alternatively, you can also place abird treat holder in their cage for them to enjoy. Not only will a treat holder keep your bird entertained, it will also help to create a positive association with being in their cage. Being present during this time will also help show your budgie affection. After the initial getting to know each other phase, budgies tend to really love their owners, so you can be assured that your affection doesn’t go unreciprocated. Just be mindful that budgies should only be fed occasional treats, alongside a balanced diet of good-quality seed, fruit and greens, and a mineral supplement block.
Whilst budgies are relatively low-maintenance, you’ll still need to dedicate enough time to them to develop your desired bond. Ideally, budgies need at least an hour of your time, spent solely focusing on them and their needs. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be with them for an hour in one sitting, so you can split this up into short sessions where you can provide your bird with your direct attention. During this time, continue to talk to them before starting to play.
Step 3 – Start to Play with Them
Playing with your budgie is the next step to getting them to like you. You’ll be able to notice when your budgie is becoming more comfortable around you from their body language, which will let you know that they’re starting to trust you and are feeling content. A happy budgie will have a relaxed posture and slightly open wings. You may also notice your budgie bobbing their head, or even their entire body. A comfortable and happy budgie will also let you know how they’re feeling with their vocalisations. If your budgie is chirping and chattering away, then this is another indicator that you have a happy bird on your hands! Read more about keeping your budgie happy on our 5 Ways to Keep Your Budgie Happy and Healthy blog!
Budgie toys are great for providing birds with the physical and mental stimulation they require. To initiate play with your budgie, it’s a good idea to get a selection ofbudgie toys to see which they enjoy best. You can find out more about what toy is perfect for your budgie with our blogChoose The Perfect Toys For Your Budgie!
A firm favourite amongst a lot of budgies, however, is the mirror game. It’s the perfect interactive game that both you and your pet can get involved in and only requires, you guessed it… a small mirror! All you have to do is simply hold a mirror in front of your budgie, to begin with. As your budgie moves closer to the mirror, switch the mirror to face another direction, until your budgie eventually ends up chasing their reflection! Alternatively, using a budgie mirror toy in their cage will keep them entertained, even when you’re not around.
Step 4 – Handle them Gently
Now that you’ve started to build a bond with your budgie, you may wish to start handling them. Before doing so, along with of course talking to and providing your budgie with toys and treats, raise your hand to your budgie’s cage. Within a few days, your hand will also become familiar to your bird, which is the first step towards handling them.
Now it’s time to put your hand inside the cage. Most importantly here is to not make any sudden movements to potentially frighten your bird. Whilst remaining calm is essential when first having physical contact with your budgie, you should be confident in your approach. Slowly placing your hand inside the cage should get your bird familiar with being close to you, before they are fully comfortable with sitting on your finger. You should keep your hand in your budgie’s cage for five minutes at a time and practise this during your sessions with your budgie throughout the day. Use millet on your finger, so that your bird will eventually get used to having to go between your thumb and index finger to get their reward.
It is important to point out that your budgie may initially peck at your fingers when you reach for them. Although this won’t be hard enough to draw any blood, it’s worth noting. As a whole, however, budgies are rarely aggressive by nature, and if anything, they may clash with each other over food and territory but this temper is often short-lived.
Step 5 – Start to Train Them with Commands
Tricks may look impressive, but they’re also fantastic for helping to build up a lasting bond between you and your budgie!
One of the first commands you can teach your budgie is to hop on and off your finger, also known as finger training, as we briefly touched on earlier. Once your budgie has this initial move down, you’ll be able to move on a few more complicated tricks! However, to finger train your budgie they’ll need to be confident around your hands, as you would have been practising with step 4 hand training.
After your budgie has eventually perched on your finger with your hand in their cage, you can begin using “step up” and “step down” commands, as they move on and off your finger. Repetition is important, so be consistent with the commands you’re using and reward your budgie when they successfully follow what you’re asking of them. Soon enough, with a bit of patience, your bird should be able to hop on and off your finger when offered it as you open their cage.
As your bird advances, you can spend some more one on one time with them and teach them some more basic commands with a few short sessions. Read our previous blogFour Easy Tricks to Teach your Budgie and ourTeaching Budgies Tricks guide for a bit more inspiration!
Step 6 – Tame Your Budgie
If you followed all of the steps above, you should’ve been able to tame your budgie. This is all about having your budgie’s trust, which would have been built over several training sessions and time spent together. At this point, you can practice letting your budgie out of their cage to roam free. They may initially again need treats and encouragement to entice them out of their comfort zone, so continue to use a soothing tone you’ve used throughout the process to help them. If they immediately fly back into their cage, it’s nothing to be concerned about. As with every step of budgie training, patience is key!
So, now you’ve got a tame budgie and have created a wonderful, affectionate bond, you’ve got years of great fun ahead. Even after your bird is tamed, you should continue to spend time with them, so that they can live a fulfilled life as the happy, sociable animals they are meant to be!
Whether you’re buying a present for an animal loving child or for your own little pet, we’ve got the perfect gifts, big and small. Check out these top tips, now at an amazing price in the Omlet Black Friday Sale!
Shelters and Play Tunnels
Give your rabbits or guinea pigs something fun to play with on their run this winter with Zippi Guinea Pig Shelters and Rabbit Play Tunnels. Available in green or purple, the shelters are a great way of providing a safe and secluded place for your pets to hide, or as a platform they can jump onto and watch the world go by.
The play tunnels can be placed independently anywhere on the run for your pets to chase each other through, or be connected to the shelters to create a maze that mimics their wild burrows. Entertainment and safe spot in one!
Caddi
The Caddi Rabbit Treat Holder is the perfect stocking filler for chickens, rabbits or guinea pigs, or their owners. The Caddi can be filled with a range of pet appropriate treats, and will swing as the animals peck or bite the treats. It’s the ideal both mental and physical challenge, with the added bonus of a tasty reward!
Hung from the roof of your hutch and run, the height of the Caddi can easily be adjusted, and it’s super easy to remove it for refilling and cleaning.
Qute Hamster and Gerbil Cage
The Qute hamster and gerbil cage allows owners to get closer to their pets. The modern design means you will be happy to display the piece in your kitchen or living room, and the large, crystal clear bedding tray makes it easy for pet owners of all ages to see what their pets are up to. The bedding tray also offers a convenient way of getting your hamster or gerbils out of the cage for playing, socialising and exercise.
Geo Bird Cage
Upgrade your budgie or other small birds’ home this winter with the stunning Geo Bird Cage. The Geo has got everything your bird needs to become a natural part of the home, and you can accessorise with baths, mirrors and toys for your pets to enjoy. You can also add a festive touch to the avian housing with the NEW Nordic Green cover. Pop the woodland themed cover with a calming cream background and a trim of geometric trees over the cage at bedtime to let your pets rest in their own winter wonderland.
Eglu Go Hutch
Do your current pets need a home improvement? The Eglu Go Small Animal Hutch is the perfect way of keeping rabbits or guinea pigs in the garden. The handy integrated hutch and run solution allows your pets to run in and out as and when they like during the day, and when it’s time for a nap they can curl up in the safe and insulated house. In winter you can move the hutch closer to the house, making cleaning and spending time with your pets even easier.
Pride of Omlet series is a collection of amazing stories which shine the spotlight on extraordinary pets and share their selflessness, bravery, talent and compassion with the world.
We have been lucky enough to collect some wonderful stories of your extraordinary pets and share them with you for 10 weeks! Here is a summary of the stories that you can read again and find directly on our Blog.
Pride of Omlet: Stand Up for Disabled Animals
Jerry’s a cheeky, playful and boisterous rescue dog from Romania who can do a handstand! He landed on his feet when Shena gave him a home and inspired her to start a rescue centre specialising in disabled animals. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: The Constant Companion
Martha’s humans Nicola and Ben bought chickens to bring joy to Julia, their mother who they cared for at home. The family could never have imagined that a chicken would become a caring companion to Julia in the advanced stages of dementia. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Free Support
Once caged battery hens, Hennifer Marge and Sybil now work free-range with their human Jonathan, transforming lives for offenders at the Rosemead Project. Jonathan (support worker and chicken champion) believes the hens have the power to unscramble tricky social situations. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: A Perfect Match
On paper, Kipper wasn’t exactly what Angela wanted. After years of behavioural challenges, he’s become the best-behaved blood donor and saved over forty dog’s lives. Kipper’s turned out to be Angela’s perfect match. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Teachers Pet
Henni Hen is a teaching assistant by trade. A cute and cuddly chicken who loves children. She follows in the footsteps of her bubbly humans, Hamish and Verity. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Mipit Makes Sense
Mipit is a Mental Health Assistance Dog for his human, Henley. Mipit keeps Henly alive and independent. Who wouldn’t love a dog that can put out your recycling, answer your phone, and be your best friend, come rain or shine? Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Perfect Peaky
At the tender age of one, Peaky is already a retired filmstar. He had lived in a cage his whole life, released only to perform. When Joana and Fergus took him home, he was a fluffy, yellow bundle of nerves. But they are determined to help Peaky, their cute little canary companion, to come out of his shell. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Saving Sophia’s Life
When you’ve grown up with animals, home isn’t home without a pet. Bringing Harry home was lifesaving for both him and his humans, Sarah and daughter Sophia. Harry has a special gift. He’s a unique epilepsy monitor, and he’s saved Sophia’s life countless times. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Buster’s Beard
Buster was destined to chase balls on the beaches of Barry Island. He’s a lovable labradoodle with big brown eyes and a long beard. A thinker with a playful nature, he’s co-authored a children’s book with his human Natalie to bring Autism Awareness to all. Read the story here!
Pride of Omlet: Brave Bunnies
It’s hard to describe how frightened Pixie the rabbit was when the RSPCA rehomed her with an experienced rabbit owner. Eighteen months on, cheeky little Pixie lives in the lap of luxury and is learning to be loved by her adoring human, Wendy. Read the story here!
Some pets, including rabbits and guinea pigs, are naturally vegan. Hamsters and gerbils, although omnivorous, can thrive on a vegan diet in which the protein content is supplied by plants and vegetables. Others, including omnivorous dogs and out-and-out carnivore cats, cannot be easily pleased on meat-free diets.
All animals need to have their nutritional needs satisfied. But this does not mean you can’t have a vegan dog. Vegan cats, though, are a lot trickier.
Can my dog have a vegan diet?
If you were to meet a species of animal for the first time and had to make an accurate guess about its diet, you would get lots of clues by looking at its teeth. The teeth of a dog, like the teeth of a bear, proclaim loud and clear that this animal is an omnivore – that is, one that eats both meat and vegetables. If you think of your dog as a domesticated wolf, you get a good idea of its natural diet.
However, as the panda proves, a supposed meat-eater can sometimes get by perfectly well on a vegan diet. A panda’s teeth are similar to any other bear’s – long canines for meat-eating and molars for grinding vegetation. And yet pandas don’t eat anything other than bamboo. So, if a bear can be vegan, does that mean you can have a vegan dog?
The answer is yes – but it’s a yes with lots of small print! A dog requires a diet that contains the fats and proteins it would get from meat. It is dangerous to ignore this basic need and simply feed your pet with whatever you please. Some dogs have delicate stomachs at the best of times, and a low-fat, high-fibre diet can cause potentially life-threatening problems. A diet that excludes meat should never be fed to a dog without the advice of a professional pet dietician.
The collagen, elastin and keratin found in meat diets are not easily replaced by vegi equivalents. Your dog will also need the ‘long chain’ omega-3 fats found in animal products such as egg, fish and some meats. Vegan omega-3 fats are not the same as animal-derived ones.
All of which presents a headache for the vegan dog owner. There are, however, products available that claim to let your dog live a healthy, meat-free life. Before you take the plunge, it is essential to seek professional, scientific advice and guidance. Compromise is usually the best choice here – a vegan diet supplemented by some of the animal-derived essentials. Crickets, for example, can provide lots of the amino acids and keratin a vegan diet lacks, and they’re 65% protein.
Can my cat have a vegan diet?
The compromise approach is even more important for cats. These are amongst the planet’s true carnivores, obtaining all their dietary requirements from other animals.
The main challenge with minimising the meat in a cat’s diet is that, unlike many mammals (including dogs), cats cannot produce certain proteins. They have to absorb these from the meat and fish in their diet. Amino acids are another issue – cats deficient in the animal-derived amino acid taurine, for example, usually succumb to a specific type of heart problem.
Even a fortified vegan cat food cannot be confidently recommended. Turn the situation on its head, and try to imagine weaning a rabbit onto a meat-only diet, and you get some idea of the challenge – and the ethics – involved.
There are some lab-grown ‘meat’ products in development, with vegan and vegetarian cat owners in mind. However, whether these will arrive – and remain – on the market any time soon is hard to guess.
For many vegan pet owners, there is a huge ethical issue involved in feeding the animals they share a space with. Ethics, however, include the animal’s needs too, and it’s an almost impossible issue to resolve when it comes to cats. If you are able to reduce but not eliminate the meat in your cat’s diet, that’s the safer option.
Top 10 pets for vegan households
There are, of course, plenty of other pets that don’t eat meat, or that eat some meat but can still thrive on a meat-free diet. Here are our ten favourites.
1. Rabbits. No problems here – rabbits are happy vegans, with diets based on hay and vegetables. You could argue that the soft pellets they eject and then eat are animal products of a sort, but they are simply semi-digested vegetation.
2. Guinea pigs. Like rabbits, these wonderful little characters thrive on a 100% vegan diet.
3. Hamsters. As most hamster owners feed their pets with shop-bought hamster food, they may not be able to say exactly what the ingredients of that food are. However, vegetarian and vegan hamster foods are readily available.
4. Gerbils. Like hamsters, gerbils are omnivores that can live happily on a vegan diet. They tend to have rather delicate stomachs, so feeding them with a high-quality pellet mix is essential. Too much fresh stuff can cause problems.
5. Mice. Although they will eat pretty much anything in the wild, mice can thrive on vegan diets; but it is still best to use a food mix prepared specifically for them. This ensures that they will not be deficient in any of the vitamins and minerals they need.
6. Rats. These are the most omnivorous of rodents, but as long as you feed them a vegan mix that has been fortified with all the nutrients they need, they will thrive. Indeed, rats who eat too much animal fat tend to become fat and die prematurely.
7. Chickens. If you watch a free-range hen, it soon becomes clear that she will eat anything – grass, beetles, worms, and everything in your veg patch if you’re not careful! Most chicken feed emulates this mix of plant and animal products. However, it is possible to buy vegan chicken feed, and circumstantial evidence suggests that hens can thrive on it. However, they are likely to produce fewer eggs, and you will not be able to stop them scratching for worms and bugs, no matter how vegan the layers pellets are!
8. Budgies and parrots. Vegans will have no obstacles to face with budgies and parrots, unless the birds are being bred. Egg-brooding female birds need a protein boost, normally delivered via an egg-based food or cooked meat. Vegan alternatives are available, though.
9. Finches. Many finch species enjoy bugs and mealworms as treats, but these are not an essential part of an adult finch’s diet. These birds thrive on a mixture of seeds and fresh vegetables.
10. One for reptile fans. When you think of pet snakes and lizards, you probably have an image of dead mice or doomed crickets. However, there are a few commonly kept pet reptiles that eat a 100% vegan diet, the most popular being the Green iguana. Getting the balance of vegetables just right is very important for the animal’s health, but meat is certainly something you won’t have to worry about.
There is no shortage of choice when it comes to vegan pets. Keeping a vegan cat or dog is a much trickier proposition, though. And with all these animals, a balanced diet that matches the pet’s nutritional requirements should be your primary goal.
This article is a part of our Pride of Omlet series, a collection of amazing stories which shine the spotlight on extraordinary pets and share their selflessness, bravery, talent and compassion with the world.
-Written by Anneliese Paul
At the tender age of one, Peaky is already a retired filmstar. He had lived in a cage his whole life, released only to perform. When Joana and Fergus took him home, he was a fluffy, yellow bundle of nerves. But they are determined to help Peaky, their cute little canary companion, to come out of his shell.
When Joana met Fergus, she didn’t know she was falling in love with a human and his pet cockatiel. It had been his companion for 22 years. Together they grew the flock with a cheeky budgie. “He was like a dog; he wanted to sleep with us. You could hold him and kiss him!” But tragically, within a short space of time, the cockatiel died of old age, and then the budgie became terminally ill. The house fell silent.
Lockdown 1 without birds was quiet and sad for Joana and Fergus. To cheer themselves up, they decided to get their home ready for another bird and after plenty of research, they agreed on the Omlet Geo as the beautiful new bird home. All they needed now was a bird to live with them.
Fergus works in TV, and if anyone offered an animal, Fergus was known to take it. One day a ray of sunshine arrived on set—a bright little canary owned by a person who supplies animals for TV shows. Fergus struck up a conversation with the owner and learned that this little bird had a feisty character and had to be separated from the other birds, which meant he lived alone, probably in a smaller cage. Seeing Fergus’s enthusiasm, the owner asked, “Do you want this one?”
Ecstatic, Fergus called Joana, “We can get a canary!” When the clapper board shut, Fergus drove Peaky home to Edinburgh. But they got stranded en route in a massive snow blizzard and were stuck in the car for hours before being rescued by locals who took them in for the night. The next day, Peaky and Fergus continued their journey home, and when they finally arrived, the house instantly came alive.
Peaky sings beautifully and chirps up when he hears a running tap, the kettle, the hairdryer, and he even provides backing vocals to Joana’s zoom calls. However, unlike their previous birds, he’s a scared soul that feels safer inside his Omlet Geo.
He doesn’t want to come out. Joana understood it would take time to get to know him.
She has a deep empathy with birds and is slowly, patiently, gently, working with Peaky to get him to trust his new human family. When she was younger, she made magazines written from a birds point of view called The Birds Club. And Joana is now a professional writer, currently working on a series of children’s novels where birds play the main characters. Peaky even has a little cameo.
He’s getting braver, occasionally eating treats from Joana’s hand, enjoying honey seeds, millet and spinach. Joana makes sure he has space to escape if he’s not comfortable. She doesn’t want him to perform, she just wants to prove to Peaky that he can trust her.
“I’m doing a lot of research to work on rewriting his ideas about us. He came into our lives after being birdless for a year. He has no idea how happy he makes me.”
Budgies are extremely affectionate pets that love to thrive in a family environment. You don’t need to be a bird expert to keep a small budgie under your roof. However, if you want it to thrive and be happy and healthy, there are a few things to consider.
Omlet offers you a list of 5 things to keep in mind when raising a budgie.
1- Consider investing in a cage that respects your pet and its needs
If you decide to adopt a budgie, this should be a priority. Make sure you have a cage that suits your budgie’s needs and allows it to be happy. A bird needs enough space to stretch its wings and have fun. Make sure the cage is large enough and that it gets enough sunlight. Your budgie will need to see light to be able to thrive.
Budgies fly horizontally and do not fly high, so make sure the cage is wide enough.
It is important to choose a cage that is easy to clean, as you will need to spend time keeping your bird’s area clean. This is essential for your bird’s health (and yours). Budgies need to relieve themselves regularly, approximately every 15 minutes, so you need to have easy access to all areas of the cage so that you can clean the entire cage and avoid unpleasant odours and a dirty environment for your little budgie.
You should also consider a cage that can accommodate several budgies. Although budgies can be kept alone, they do prefer the company of their own kind.
The Omlet solution: The Geo Cage
The Omlet Geo Cage for Budgies, Finches and Canaries complies with current regulations to provide your pet with the space it needs. Its innovative design provides a safe and airy living space for your budgies. This cage is the result of many years of research to provide your birds with an optimal environment to keep them happy.
This cage not only meets the needs of your budgies but is also functional and can be cleaned quickly and easily. The inside of the cage will be as good as new after your visit. In addition, The Omlet Geo Cage for Budgies, Finches and Canaries offers an exceptional design that allows it to be integrated into any interior decoration.
The cage is extremely important, as is its location. Remember to place the cage in a room with stable temperatures: not too hot, not too cold. Also, avoid rooms that are too noisy with too much traffic and activity. Your birds need peace and quiet. A bright room will make your little budgie happy. However, avoid placing the cage too close to windows, as the sun through the glass and the intense heat can be dangerous, or even fatal to your pet.
2- Don’t skimp on accessories
Taking care of your budgie is not only about giving it a place to sleep, it is also about allowing it to have fun and discover many things through a variety of accessories. The bathtub is not a trivial accessory: budgies love to stay clean. There are many plastic tubs available that allow your budgie to clean itself and feel clean all the time. Choose a bathtub that fits your cage and can easily be installed in it. It should be easy to fill from the outside.
At Omlet, we offer a Geo Bird Bath that fits our Geo cage and its sloping sides perfectly.
Technique for the bathtub: do not fill it to the brim, as you will find water everywhere. The tub should not be too small to allow your bird to enjoy it fully, but it should not be too large either so that it does not take up all the space in the cage. If the bathtub you have chosen fits easily into your budgie’s cage, you may want to consider adding it for a few hours while your bird takes a bath and removing it the rest of the time.
You should also consider quality drinkers and feeders that will allow you to feed your beloved animals properly and without hindrance.
If your budgie can clean itself and stretch its wings, it is likely to thrive and feel happy. However, it is necessary to keep it occupied with toys.
So think about furnishing its space with useful accessories that entertain your budgie. Vary the shapes, sizes and aspects to offer your pet new experiences.
Perches for budgies are extremely important for your birds and play a significant part in ensuring a better lifestyle. Choose perches with a wooden base, such as pine, as plastic fails to offer the proper grip that your bird needs, and can be bad for their feet.
Bird toys have their place in your pet’s cage, but avoid taking up the whole space. It is important to have several types of toys that you can mix up weekly to give them more variety and keep your bird entertained.
Toys stimulate your pet and prevent your budgie from getting bored.
3- A happy budgie is a well-fed budgie
There are several ways to take care of your budgie and the first way is to feed it sufficiently with quality food. What does a budgie eat? Your budgies’ favourite bird foods are seeds, vegetables and fruit. Just like other animals, dogs, cats (etc), never give your budgies chocolate and caffeine.
It is essential to ensure that the drinker is always full of water to keep your animals properly hydrated. Your birds will know how much water they need but it must be available to them. If the water is not drunk, you must change it regularly to prevent the growth of bacteria.
4- Budgies need quality sleep!
Sleep is essential for your bird. It allows your pet to rest its body and recharge its batteries. Just like human beings, sleep helps reduce stress and promotes your pet’s learning and memory. It is estimated that a budgie can sleep between 10 and 12 hours a day. A happy budgie is one that benefits from this rest time in the best conditions.
It usually prepares for bed half an hour before going to sleep. You can improve the sleeping conditions of your budgie by providing an opaque blanket, which does not let light in and ensures that your bird gets the rest it deserves. This solution also allows you to soundproof the cage a little if there is regular activity in the room. It is sufficient to keep the room dark and to let a little light through so that your budgies are not injured if they hear a noise that wakes them up. The Omlet Geo Bird Cage Cover offers your birds an ideal solution for a full and restful night’s sleep. It can be placed on any cage and allows your birds to sleep safely.
Establish a routine each night so that your budgies feel comfortable and understand when it is time to go to bed. They will feel confident that there is nothing to worry about and will fall asleep peacefully.
However, if you notice that your budgie(s) panic when you put the blanket on the cage, don’t persist. Some birds have their own habits and there is no point in insisting on certain accessories. If your budgie is happy and can sleep perfectly and peacefully without a cover, that is the main thing.
5- Give your budgie lots of love and get it used to its environment
For a budgie to be happy and healthy, nothing is more important than the love you give them in a healthy environment adapted to their needs. Never rush your budgie and give it time to adapt to any situation, new environment, new toys or accessories…
Don’t hesitate to talk to your budgie and make it feel your presence without smothering it. Repeat its name to get it used to the sound and to assimilate it. If there are several of you in the family environment, introduce the members of your family little by little without rushing your pet. No loud noises or big movements. Your friends or family can enjoy your budgie, but calmly and respectfully.
Treats and time with your pet will make your budgie happy. Make sure you spend time with your budgie. This will strengthen the bond between you. Gaining your pet’s trust is a long-term process. You can use your fingers to tame your pet little by little, for example by moistening them and placing seeds on them. Intrigued and curious, your budgie will surely come to you.
Do not hesitate to open the cage from time to time to let your bird fly in the open air in a room. Just remember to avoid bright lights that may attract your bird and end up hurting it (sunlight through a window, for example). If you decide to let your bird fly in your home, be careful with objects that could either break or hurt your pet. The room should be secure enough to prevent your budgie from ending up in the vet’s office.
An unhappy bird may become aggressive or develop health problems. This can manifest itself in regular pecking or screaming. Your budgie, if unhappy, may be more agitated than usual. If you are sure that you have done all you can to keep him happy and his aggressive behaviour persists or you detect abnormal problems, it is time to make an appointment with the vet. One visit per year to the vet is recommended to check that everything is going well with your pet.
With all these tips and tricks, your budgie can be happy and thrive by your side. All you need is patience and the right equipment and accessories for your pet’s needs.
You can keep chickens with other pets when the proper preparations and precautions are in place. Some pets like cats and dogs may have an innate prey drive that chickens can trigger, so it’s important to take introductions slowly to ensure success. With these tips, you’ll be able to confidently introduce your current pets to your chickens, or introduce new pets to your existing flock with confidence.
Keeping chickens with dogs
Dogs are the most common pets in the world, with millions kept as pets across the country. So, if you’re among the many dog owners, adding chickens to your family is possible once you consider your dog’s temperament and trainability.
Assessing your dog
If you’re a dog owner, the first thing to consider is their temperament. Different dog breeds may also react differently to birds as part of their nature. For example, breeds like Labrador Retrievers or German Shorthair Pointers may become easily excited around birds due to their natural hunting and retrieving drives. Other breeds that may have increased prey drives include:
Regardless of their breed, if your dog becomes excited or overly curious around small animals, their behaviour will likely carry over to chickens. If your dog loses their mind over the birds at your backyard feeder, or drags you to investigate the park ducks on your evening walks, they’ll likely stress out your flock – and themselves.
Dogs without a prey drive or with little interest in birds will likely not pose a problem to your chickens, but all dogs react differently when new pets enter their territory. Usually, most dogs will adjust to the new backyard occupants just fine after an acclimation period. You will likely see your dog expressing interest in your chickens at first – hanging around and sniffing the coop. They may even express a desire to interact with your chickens through playful postures and behaviours. Understanding your dog’s body language around your chickens will help you determine what their relationship will be like.
Chickens are prey animals, and can be hurt easily. Dogs cannot play with chickens as they would with other dogs or even other pets. It’s important to teach your pup that chickens are fragile friends – not toys or something to hunt.
Teaching dogs to get along with chickens
Unless leashed walks make your dog overly excited, their first encounter with your chickens should be done with a dog collar and lead. Make sure their collar is tight enough that they don’t slip out, but not so tight that it’s uncomfortable. Walk your dog up to your chickens’ enclosure and let them sniff. Maintain a tight leash until you see your dog’s reaction, and allow the lead more slack slowly to reinforce good behaviour.
Let your dog watch you spend time with your chickens. This should be done with your chickens in the safety of a strong walk in chicken run. If your dog does more than sniff or hang around the run, take a step back and approach their interaction from a different angle.
It could take several weeks for your dog to fully accept your chickens. Some other ways to help your dogs adjust to your chickens include:
Setting up chicken fencing around the outside of your flock’s run for your dog to observe them at a distance.
If your dog has a run or playpen, place it next to your chickens’ run and slowly decrease the distance over several days until they are side-by-side.
Reward your dog with their favourite treats each time they are calm around your chickens.
Make sure to never leave your dog unattended with your chickens – especially in the beginning. Even if they can’t get into the run with them, an excited dog’s barking can easily stress your flock out.
Keeping chickens with cats
Cats are more difficult to train than their canine counterparts, and are decidedly less predictable in their behaviour. But the good news is that most cats don’t see a large hen as potential prey the same way a dog might. Most cat owners will agree that their cats show little to no interest in their chickens. In fact, cats and chickens have a somewhat symbiotic relationship.
Birds and their feed attract rodents, which a cat would much prefer over your hens. So, when your cat is able to patrol your chickens’ surroundings, chances are good that any potential rodent problem will be nipped in the bud.
Some cats may show increased interest in your hens. This largely depends on your cat’s breed and temperament. Cats will pose a greater threat to chicks rather than grown hens, but by keeping your flock in a strong chicken coop and run, you’ll ensure they stay safe from your cat.
Keeping chickens with guinea pigs
It may be tempting to keep some cute cavies in with your chickens, but in reality it’s not wise. Chickens will likely pick on them, and with their short legs, guinea pigs can’t get away from them quickly. Their dietary requirements are also very different, and your chickens may eat your guinea pigs’ food in favor of their own, which means neither animal will be getting the nutrients they need. If you have cavies and want to house them near your chickens, it’s best for them to have their own guinea pig hutch and run.
Keeping chickens with rabbits
Rabbits on the other hand are fast enough to fend for themselves against chickens, and if raised together from a young age, can do well around chickens. Still, they require their own dietary needs and clean sleeping quarters. They don’t roost like chickens, so they’ll need their own burrowing space in the run or under the coop.
The easiest way to achieve this is by adding walk in chicken run partitions. This will allow you to create “rooms” for each species to ensure they all get what they need. You can open the partition doors to allow everyone to be together whenever you’d like, or create a third space as a common area.
Remember to try to give each species as much space as possible in their respective areas to make them feel safe and comfortable.
Chickens and other pets
Chickens can also mix happily with goats, and with female ducks (males will tends to bully them). Ironically, they do not mix with birds in an aviary. They will eat anything that falls to the aviary floor, but they will also happily peck the other birds whenever they can and may attract rats and mice, which will cause problems for the smaller birds.
If you live in a rural setting, you can keep chickens with other barnyard animals. Chickens mix happily with:
Goats
Sheep
Cows
Alpacas or llamas
Pigs
Female ducks, guinea fowl, peacocks, geese, or pheasants
Any other avian species kept with chickens should be docile and preferably female, as males can bully hens. Smaller birds like quail or pigeons will likely get pecked at by chickens, so it’s best to stick with larger birds as run-mates. Small pets like hamsters, gerbils, turtles, or frogs should never be kept with chickens – they will be pecked at and killed.
Omlet and your pets
Omlet has all of the pet products you need to keep your furry and feathered family members healthy and happy. Having multiple types of pets is exciting, and through our line of chicken coops, chicken runs, and walk in run partitions, you’ll be able to create a safe haven for all of your animals to enjoy. And, by knowing that Omlet products are protecting your flock, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve provided them with the best chicken housing solutions available.
Like most kids, as a child I had a budgie I, nor my parents, knew nothing about. At the age of 17 I hadn’t had birds since that time in kindergarten but my boyfriend (and soon to be husband) did. It kind of forced me into a world I didn’t understand but wanted to.
What does a typical day look like for your budgie?
I half-wish there was such a thing as a “typical day” in my life at all! Because there’s a lot of different areas of my life, it keeps things interesting for my birds based on the fact that I travel so much. My budgie has been to a lot of states and hotel rooms
already, and one of her favorite things is actually road trips because she enjoys being in the car with us!
When we are home, she owns the house and we even screened in an outdoor porch area for her to fly around in as well. The cutest part of the day is when she wakes up and flies herself into the main living area of our home to greet everyone, and when you notice in the early evening she is nowhere to be found because she went off to find the quietest room in the house to sleep (we keep foraging trees in each one – and her open Omlet cage in my daughters room.)
How can you tell your budgie is happy?
All animals make happy noises – cats purr and birds sing. Our budgie is no exception and has her own set of content and happy noises we’ve grown to love to hear. She also flies laps daily around our home which is always fun for us to watch!
What is your budgie’s favorite treat?
Like a typical budgie, she loves herself some spray millet.
What would be your best advice for someone thinking about keeping budgies?
Ask yourself “why” you want a budgie. Make a list of the reasons why and ensure you’re committed because budgies can be really discouraging pets – they spook easily, they’re flighty and they can become hand and human shy if not interacted with and instead left to their own devices inside a cage. A lot of the typical things humans interpret as “budgie loves” like mirrors, will work against you creating a meaningful relationship with your bird.
What is it that you like about the Geo bird cage?
The first thing that attracted me to the Geo cage is its unique design and how well it looks in the home. The footprint is also nice, and it fits easily in any room and looks great in it too. Of course, my main concern with any budgie cage is design and materials and once those both checked out for safety, I was hooked!
Budgies need toys, so much so that they should be an essential part of your birds’ setup, only just behind food and water on the priority list. Toys provide them with physical and mental stimulation, as well as a lot of fun.
Budgies love to fly, climb, jump, swing and flap, and to explore their environment using both beak and feet. As an owner you will need to make sure you provide toys that fulfil all of these needs. In the picture above we have packed the cage full with perches and toys, but it is usually better to stick to maybe two or three toys in the cage at a time and swap them regularly. You don’t need to get new toys every time as the budgie won’t remember what toys he or she played with two weeks ago, but variety is certainly the spice of life when it comes to budgie toys.
Also, remember that budgies can and should have toys outside the cage for when they are free flying. Make sure everything you give your bird is safe; avoid anything sharp, things with gaps or hoops where a foot or a beak could get stuck, or that would be dangerous for the budgie to ingest bits of.
After a while you’ll probably work out what toys seem to excite your pets the most, but you might have to try a few things before you figure it out. If it seems your budgies don’t like a toy you’ve got for them, it’s worth taking it away and reintroducing it a few days later. Your bird might very well be super excited about the same toy on a different day.
We’ve filled a Geo Bird Cage with some of our favourite toys from the Omlet shop that we know the office budgies go crazy for. Hopefully yours will too!
While perches are not always seen as toys, they are essential to any budgie set up. Without perches your pets will have nowhere to roost at night, but will also be deprived of a lot of entertainment. Sitting holding a wooden stick might not be your idea of fun, but birds love them, and you should always make sure you have a few perches in the cage.
Budgies have excellent colour vision, and colourful toys are normally a big hit. Maybe something like the Classic Fruity Swing Rings, hanging fruit shaped rings that your pet will love climbing up, swinging on and pecking at. It will look cheerful in the cage, and adds an interactive challenge for your budgie, who will also love playing with the attached bell.
The Woven Wonders hanging toys provide great entertainment and intriguing exploring for your budgies. Birds love to chew as they play, and these toys are designed to be durable but shreddable, mimicking the things the budgie might have played with in the wild. We’ve chosen the comet and the dreamcatcher to provide the budgie with colourful toys to swing in and climb on, as well as slowly break with their strong beak.
Your pet budgies will also love the Naturals Peck n Seed Swing. Not only is it a comfortable perch to rest the feet on, it swings gently when suspended from the roof of the cage and is covered in 16 different types of delicious seeds, berries and vegetables. Working out how to remove all the tasty goodies while swinging will keep your budgie happy and stimulated for hours.
Make your pets work for their treats with Vitapol Fruit Sticks. Jampacked with yummy seeds and fruits, it can easily be hung from the mesh in your cage, so your pets can climb close to it and peck away at the tasty stick. Treats should always be fed in moderation, but you don’t need to worry as much about it when you know your birds will have to work for the reward.
Last but not least is the Nature First Husk Puzzler. This hanging toy is designed to enrich your budgies’ environment and provide both physical and mental stimulation. The husk ring combined with braided seagrass and limestone shells is great for all senses, and will look impressive and intriguing in the cage.
The starting point for all budgie tricks is trust, and the key to success is treats! Once a budgie has been hand-tamed and is happy to perch on your finger outside the cage, you can take it a step further and introduce some fun challenges. Make sure you have a sprig of millet or your pet’s favourite vegetable snack handy!
Snakes and Ladders
For this, you need a small raised platform, with a ladder leading on one side and a slide on the other.
The ‘ladder’ part of the trick is simple: place the budgie at the foot of the ladder, and offer the treat at the top. As the bird climbs up, use a command such as ‘Up the ladder!’ After a while, you will be able to place the budgie further from the foot of the ladder.
For the ‘snakes’ part of the trick, the budgie will scoot down the slide, and once again the millet or other treat is the key. Place it at the foot of the slide, and be patient. It’s very likely that, being such a smart bird, the budgie will fly to the treat without using the slide. If this happens, hide the treat, and start again.
The budgie will soon realise that the slide is the key to the treat. Once the bird is on the slide, say ‘Down the snake!’ You can then extend the ladder and the ‘snake’, if you wish.
Budgie Football
If you put a table tennis ball in your budgie’s cage, the bird will soon be playing with it, ‘dribbling’ the ball with its beak. Outside the cage, this can be turned into a human-versus-budgie football game. Gently roll the ball towards the budgie, and the bird will instinctively ‘save’ the ball. Include a goal mouth, and your budgie is transformed into a goalkeeper.
Set up another goal mouth a metre away from the budgie, and see if the budgie manages to score a goal as it taps the ball forward with its beak. Once the ball is between the goalposts, say something like ‘Goal!’, and offer a treat. The bird will soon learn to hone its beak-dribbling skills in order to score those treats!
The Great Escape
The aim here is to get your budgie to negotiate a short tunnel. It won’t be tunnelling its way to freedom, though, just to a tasty treat!
To begin with, use a piece of cardboard with a large hole cut into it, or a large plastic ring. Call the budgie, offering a treat on the other side of the hole. As the bird hops through, speak your chosen command words – something like ‘Let’s tunnel!’ Once the trick is going well, swap the hole for small sections of plastic or cardboard pipe, with a narrower hole/tunnel as time passes. Eventually, you will be able to call your budgie to make his Great Escape through something with the thickness and length of a kitchen towel tube.
Fetch
This one takes a little time to get right, but once again the budgie’s intelligence wins through in the end. The goal here is to teach your bird to pick up an object, bring it to you, and drop it into your hand.
To begin with, get the budgie to perch on your hand, and offer a shiny object such as a button or paperclip. When the budgie takes it in its beak, say ‘Fetch!’ When it drops the object, say ‘Drop it!’, and if it lands in your hand, offer a treat.
Once this has been mastered, place the object away from your hand, and say ‘Fetch!’ when the budgie picks it up. Bring your hand close, ready to catch the object when it falls. Over time, this will develop into a routine in which the budgie picks up an object, runs back with it, and places it in your hand for a treat.
The thing that all these tricks have in common is that the budgie will love performing them. If they don’t want to take part, they won’t, simple as that. This means there’s no pressure, no forcing the issue. It’s just fun all the way, for budgie and owner alike. Trust and treats – that’s the key!
The Omlet Geo bird cage is a beautiful, contemporary habitat for budgies.
The budgie is the world’s most popular pet bird. When the first specimens were brought to Europe from Australia in the 1840s they were an instant hit. The reasons for their popularity are clear to anyone who has spent time in the company of these wonderful little birds. They are pocket-sized parrots, with all the personality of their bigger cousins – clever, colourful, and with the seemingly magical ability to learn human words… sometimes!
1. Budgies don’t require much
Budgerigars are also easy to look after, and being small birds they have modest appetites, so they’re an inexpensive addition to the home. Their diet is based on seed, and as long as you source a good mix, without added colours or chemicals, the birds will thrive. They will also enjoy some fresh greens and other vegetables, but only in small quantities.
This reflects the birds diet in the wilds of Australia. They gather in large feeding flocks and seek out grass seeds. Most of these are fresh, of course, and in captivity the seed should be as fresh as possible too.
In terms of equipment, a good cage and basic accessories are all you need. You can give them simple things to play with, too, like ping-pong balls and bells. All very cheap, and incredibly cheerful.
2. Budgies Have Fantastic Personalities
Beautiful as a pet canary or finch may be, you can’t train them beyond the basic perching-on-a-finger level. Budgies, however, can take on board an amazing variety of skills, from coming to your hand when you call, to negotiating tunnels, skateboarding, and manoeuvring a ball around obstacles.
The key to these skills lies in bonding with your budgie. It’s more than simply taming – it’s a human and bird friendship, the kind of connection you can only form with an intelligent animal. Budgies are not alone in this, of course – the whole parrot family is renowned for its grey matter. But in a bird as small as a budgie, intelligence appears even more remarkable.
3. Budgies Can Talk To You!
Budgies talk, pretty much all day, with various moods that you soon come to recognise. Not all the ‘talking’ consists of recognisable words – in fact many, if not most birds, never master human words. But it doesn’t really matter. It’s great fun if your bird takes on board a few words and phrases, but even without them budgie sounds are a source of great pleasure.
Female budgies are less inclined to speak than males. Of these, around half may pick up human words. They have more chance of learning if you start teaching them in their first nine months. Some require lots of time and effort, while others seem to soak up words with relative ease. Talk-time tends to be after a good feed or a spot of exercise. The budgie will settle on his favourite perch and begin to chatter. The bubbling, clicking, whistling babble of speech sounds voice-like even when there are no human words in the mix. It’s a lovely, soothing backdrop to the day.
4. Budgies Don’t Like Vets!
The Omlet Geo bird cage is available in a choice of teal and cream base colours and black, white and gold mesh.
In other words, budgerigars are generally very healthy and robust birds. As long as they have a super-healthy diet and a clean environment (cages should be spruced-up once a fortnight), they will be strangers to the vet.
Budgies also let you know on those rare occasions when they’re not feeling well. They will stop chattering non-stop, will sleep during the day, and will look sad and ‘droopy’ on their perch. Because, of course, there are potential illnesses, as there are with any animal. Give them a daily visual check – if they’re looking as happy and chirpy as usual, all is well. If you have any doubts, run through our checklist of possible problems, and have a word with a vet. Chances are they will never have met your budgie before!
5. Budgies Come in Endless Colour Patterns
Although there are just three basic colour combinations – green and yellow, blue and white, or a mixture of these – the variety of patterns within this mix is incredible. In some birds the white dominates, with other colours bursting through like flowers in a snowy meadow. Some birds have striking primary colours, while others have pastels, sometimes fading to just a hint of translucent colour. There are all-yellow budgies, all-white ones, birds patterned in just greys and blacks, and, of course, classic green and yellow budgies looking exactly like their Australian wild cousins.
Whichever variety of budgie you bring home, you are guaranteed a bird packed with enough personality to fill a dozen birds twice its size. And this will be a long-lasting friendship, as a healthy and well fed budgie can live up to 15 years. Enjoy your time together!
It’s a dusty business being a pet bird, in a world of sawdust, seed husks and the dry atmosphere of the great indoors. The dust gets lodged at the base of the feathers, and the skin starts to get itchy. This is why most birds absolutely love taking a wet bath.
This doesn’t apply to all species, though. Every chicken keeper know how much their hens love a good dust bath – making things drier and dustier than ever. You may also notice wild birds such as blackbirds and sparrows dust-bathing too.
Many birds happily mix and match these two different bathing techniques. But in general, it is thought that the preference for one method over the other depends on where the birds originate. Land-based birds with access to water tend to bathe in it; while those in more arid habitats favour dust-bathing. The dust helps maintain the correct oil balance on the bird’s feathers, and also deters parasites such as lice.
When a bird mixes and matches, it is both cleaning itself (with the water) and then de-lousing (with the dust).
Budgie Baths
During hot weather, budgies may take a dip several times a day, given the chance. Their bath can be fixed inside the cage, or can simply be a shallow bowl on the ground outside the cage. Keeping the bath external to the cage helps keep things dry and tidy. There’s a lot of flapping and splashing involved in bathing if you’re all hot and bothered and covered in feathers!
The bath serves at least three purposes. It helps the birds get clean; it helps them cool off; and it provides a lot of fun. Some birds can’t get enough of it; and yet some owners report that their bird baths are never used. This lack of appeal is a bit of a mystery. Given the chance, most budgies relish the chance to splash around, and will use their drinking water as a mini-bath, if possible. Some, however, never get the bath bug. This is probably due to early exposure – if a bird hasn’t been given the opportunity to enjoy a soak during its first nine months, it may never acquire the taste.
An unbathed bird isn’t a problem – the budgie will still preen and ruffle its feathers to clean itself of dust, and it certainly won’t become smelly.
Budgies – most of them – also enjoy what is known as a ‘bird shower’: bunches of edible greens and herbs freshly dipped in water. These act like a budgie carwash, and the bird will enjoy rubbing and rolling in the moisture before shaking itself dry – and probably taking a bite or two from the shower to round things off!
Finch Baths
Everything that applies to budgie baths applies to finch baths too. Always make sure the ‘bath tub’ is secure – either fixed to the cage, or broad-bottomed so that it cannot be tipped over. Finches tend to be a bit nervous, and a wobbly bath will shake their confidence.
Some species, notably the canary, also love a spray-shower. Tepid-to-lukewarm water in a mister-spray is their version of a luxury spa session. Once your bird is hand-tamed, introduce the spray and see how the finch reacts. If it becomes scared, don’t continue, but try again later. In 90% of cases, your pet will come to love this form of pampering.
Parrot Baths
Like budgies, most larger parrots enjoy the opportunity to bathe. The water is thought to fulfil several different purposes, from cleaning the feathers and softening up dried-on dirt for easier removal, to assisting moulting and helping the respiratory system.
Many parrots enjoy the spray-mist shower too, and some of the large species even acquire the taste for joining their owners in the shower room! This is not without its hazards, though. Parrots’ respiratory systems are sensitive to chemicals found in tap water, such as chlorine and fluorine. If your parrot is to be your shower companion, you will need to fit a shower filter that removes these chemicals
A wide dish is a more conventional bath for a parrot, though. The birds will use the dish for drinking as well as bathing, but that’s fine.
General Bird Bath Rules
Whatever type of birds you keep, their bath will become dirty very quickly, and the water will need replacing at least once a day. Many owners impose bath time on their birds, only introducing the water at certain times. In smaller cage set ups this is the best method, as it avoids everything getting very wet very quickly, and staying that way.
In a larger aviary, the bath is usually installed as a permanent cage feature. It’s always interesting to see which of the birds become ‘bath addicts’, and which ones prefer a quick preen-and-shake, no water required!
Whatever your set up, always make sure the water is at room (or ambient air) temperature. Allow cold tap water to cool first – a bird that takes a cold dip may suffer shock to the system and become ill.
Above all, bath time is fun – both for the bird, and as a spectator sport!
The main thing is to give your budgies and finches a space in which they can happily do what a bird has to do – eat, sleep, fly, perch, and chill out.
So, your check list might read something like this:
Full flying access to the entire cage
Fantastic feeding station
Lots of perches and usable ‘corners’ for taking time out
Easy access to and from the cage
Fantastic design that makes it a standout feature in the room.
And that pretty much summarises the new Geo – the first great leap forward in cage design for 100 years.
The Geo Bird Cage for Budgies, Finches and Canaries
Until the arrival of the Geo, bird cages hadn’t changed much since the early 20th century.
But why did we need another innovation in cage design, you may ask? For the simple reason that when keeping a pet, its welfare and happiness are the top priorities.
So, with this in mind, could the old, rectangular-type standard bird cage be improved upon?
The answer is yes – and then some!
The unique geodesic-dome shape of the Geo, and its central feeding station, are the stand-out features. To explain how we got there, let’s take a brief sprint through previous approaches to cage design.
Bird Cages – from Small Cells to Big Sales
Bird cages have a long history, and their basic shape and function has evolved over the years.
In the beginning a cage was simply a cell in which the feathered inmate – usually a finch, bunting or starling – was expected to sing its little heart out. These small cages were made from wicker or other light, pliable wood. By the 1830s cages were being made from metal and wire. The basic design remained bell-shaped (the kind of thing seen in Tweety Pie cartoons).
This design lingered into the later 19th century when keeping birds as pets underwent a huge surge in popularity, with budgies becoming the pet bird of choice for many. The cages were often ornate, but the emphasis was on decoration, rather than keeping the birds happy. These cages were all height and no width, usually.
By the early 20th century, rectangular, wider bird cages were mass produced – the kinds of things still sold as the standard finch or budgie cage in most pet shops. Design was, at last, part of the overall concept – seed trays that slot into the cage sides, water bottles that attach via clips, better, wider doors, removable bases for easy cleaning.
With a wide range of cage sizes, it meant you could ensure that the dimensions were right for the number of birds you owned. So what was left improve – why do we need the Geo?
Why the Geo Cage is Better for Pet Birds
The geodesic dome shape of the Geo cage provides the ideal dimensions for birds to move around in. When flapping and flying in a rectangular cage, birds don’t have much front-to-back space – the flying area is limited to the length of the cage. Also, birds cannot negotiate 90 degree corners: these are dead space when it comes to flying.
So, if you were to map the total usable flying area, you might be surprised to find that in a standard rectangular cage of 90x60x40cm (220,000 cubic centimetres) a budgie or finch can only make use of one tenth of the area for flying.
In contrast, the Geo’s 62x60x60cm (223,200 cubic centimetres) is nearly ALL flying space. There are no front-to-back limited space issues, and no right-angled corners to prevent a bird stretching its wings.
Birds are happier if they can fly outside the cage
In any indoor cage, a bird is only able to fly in a limited space. Ideally, all pet birds should be allowed to free-fly in the room – and we have advice on making this a safe and happy pastime in our Omlet Budgie Guide.
The Geo makes free-flying a breeze – it has two wide doors allowing your birds easy access to and from the cage.
Cutting Corners
Do birds need corners to hide in if they’re startled or afraid of something?
Yes and no. It’s more about the position of the cage. If the birds are in the middle of a room completely surrounded by activity they will have nowhere to hide if they’re feeling nervous. That’s why a cage – including the Geo – should be close to a wall or a corner of the room if possible.
Also, the Geo does have corners – lots and lots of them, just not the right-angled corners of a standard cage. You’ll still find your birds using these multiple corners to rest and take stock.
Looking good, feeling good
The Geo’s marriage of great looks and ultimate bird-friendly design set it apart from anything else available.
One of the most eye-catching features is its central feeding station. It’s a joy to watch birds gather together and feed, and the Geo has an extra bonus in that most of the discarded husks and dropped seeds fall into the feeding station’s hopper for easy cleaning.
The rounded shape of the Geo – not circular, but a collection of many flat sides – makes it a striking feature in the room. But, most importantly, it’s a striking feature that doubles as the perfect environment for your pet budgies and inches.
When you know how to care for a budgie, they make wonderful pets. Not only will their beautiful plumage brighten up any room, but they’re also very intelligent and sociable — developing strong bonds with their owners. Like with all pets, however, they come with responsibilities, and it is now your job to make sure they stay healthy and happy.
Diet and basic needs
Your budgies should consume the nutritional equivalent of what they would eat in the wild. The basis of their diet should be a good quality seed mix, and they should always have access to water and a cuttlefish bone. Offer leafy greens and herbs to provide vitamins and minerals a few times a week. Feed fruit as a treat no more than once a week, as these foods are high in sugar. Food and water containers must be refilled every day, and washed weekly.
Twice a year your budgies will moult, which means their plumage will gradually fall out and grow back. To help them stay healthy during this time, it’s important that they get extra moulting vitamins in their water.
Like most pets, budgies appreciate routine. Try feeding and letting them out of their bird cage around the same time every day. If you choose to use a bird cage cover at night time, it’s best to do this every day. This way the budgies will be able to anticipate the activity around them and feel comfortable in your presence – effectively minimizing stress and anxiety.
Enrichment and entertainment
Budgies are very social pets, and it’s always best to keep them as a pair – preferably siblings of the same sex who are used to living together. If you just want one budgie, you will need to act as its friend and companion, and can expect to spend a lot of time with them.
Most budgies like to bathe in a bird bath. The main purpose of a bird bath is to clear dust and sand from their feathers and to cool off. Even if your budgies don’t have these daily requirements, most budgies enjoy splashing around in the water. If you don’t have a bird bath in their cage, you can put a bowl of water in the room where the budgies are given flight permissions. It’s important to change the water as soon as it gets dirty in any bird bath.
If your pet doesn’t seem interested in a bath, an alternative is a budgie shower. Hang some wet leaves (lettuce, basil and parsley are favourites) in the cage, and watch your budgie run through them.
Budgies should be offered the opportunity to fly freely (but supervised) outside of their cage every day for at least 45 minutes. Ideally, budgies should be able to have multiple hours outside of their cage. Make sure theroom is budgie-proofed before you let your pets out. Close windows and doors, block off fireplaces, turn off fans and air conditioners and keep other pets out of the room.
Check your cage
Check your budgies’ cage weekly to see that everything is in place and nothing has broken. Perches must be kept clean and functional. Bird toys are great for mental stimulation, as they encourage physical exercise and help wear their ever-growing beaks down. Change up your budgies’ toys every now and then to keep them interested. You don’t have to buy new toys all the time, but rotating through your budgies’ toys with the occasional new toy will help add variety to their environment. Your budgie’s environment is a crucial element in keeping them healthy and happy.
Health checks
Budgies’ beaks and nails grow constantly throughout their lives, so it’s important that they have access to toys to grind them down. In most cases you will need to trim the nails when they get too long, so make sure to purchase a pair of clippers made specifically for this task.
Budgies are very good at hiding pain and illness, and you’ll need to give them regular health checks. When you get to know your budgie, it’ll be easier to recognize when they aren’t feeling their best.
Another way of spotting early signs of illness is to regularly check your budgie’s droppings. The disposable paper liners in the Geo bird cage make it easy to monitor your pet’s health. When you do your weekly clean, check the amount, colour, and texture of the droppings. They can vary somewhat depending on what your budgie has been eating, but all faeces should be firm, with the urea (liquid portion) transparent and clear. If you notice changes or have other reasons to suspect that your budgie might be ill or in pain, contact your veterinarian. Make sure to find a vet that is experienced with birds – ideally before you bring your budgie home so you know who to contact if something goes wrong.
Omlet and your budgies
We’ve thoughtfully created the best bird cage for your budgies. The Geo Bird Cage has everything you need to make caring for your budgie easy, and to give them the perfect home. Customize their cage with bird mirrors and budgie perches to give them exciting ways to entertain themselves inside of their home. And with an optional bird cage stand and customisable cage colour options, your birds and their cage will both be a beautiful addition to any room.
Finally there is a budgie cage as good looking as the budgies
The revolutionary NEW Geo Bird Cage from Omlet is a breathtaking, contemporary design that redefines what a pet bird’s habitat can and should be. The geodesic shape defines a light and spacious habitat for your birds, creating the perfect environment to reveal their natural beauty.
Rigorous design and testing have refined the Geo Bird Cage into a final form that has nothing superfluous but leaves nothing out.
Simon Nicholls, Omlet’s Head of Design said “The inspiration for the Geo Bird Cage came from a really amazing polymath called Buckminster Fuller, who pioneered geodesic domes in the 50’s. Once we had the form we developed over 60 prototypes to ensure that every aspect was optimised for both the bird and the owner. I couldn’t be prouder of the finished product.”
A good example of the care and attention to detail throughout the Geo is the central feeder. A delight for both owner and budgie to use, it’s also a remarkable piece of engineering. It intelligently catches any dropped husks and seeds in a hopper making this the cleanest bird cage of its kind.
Pet birds are the 4th most popular pet in UK households according to the annual PFMA report. Budgies have long been a favourite with children, parents and grandparents as they enjoy human company and can be easily trained to land on your hand and can even learn to speak. With Omlet’s latest innovation, keeping budgies is easier, cleaner and better looking than ever before!
Available in a choice of teal and cream base colours, the Geo Bird Cage can be further customised with a choice of two stand heights. Made from solid bamboo, the stand elevates your Geo Bird Cage to either coffee table level or higher. No other small bird cage creates such a captivating centrepiece for your home.
The Constellation Geo Bird Cage Cover is typical of the kind of thoughtful touches pet owners have come to expect from Omlet. Decorated on the inside with a map of the stars, when it’s placed over the Geo at night, budgies cantry to spot Orion, Ursa Major and maybe even a shooting star before they nod off to sleep!
The Geo Bird Cage is available exclusively at Omlet, from £99!
Budgies make great pets. They’re easy to look after, intelligent, easily trained, and small enough not to eat you out of house and home or demand lots of space.
Because of the easy availability of budgies, it’s tempting to simply nip to the nearest pet store, bring one home, and take it from there. However, it’s worth answering a few questions first, to make sure you’re making the right choice, buying from the best place, and bringing the budgie home at the ideal time.
Where From?
The best place to source a budgie is from a local breeder. They will know the bird’s pedigree (and may even be able to introduce you to your new pet’s parents!) They will also know the exact age of your budgie, and will be able to give you details of the variety of bird you are getting. This won’t make any difference to looking after it, but will help you understand exactly why your pet has a particular colour or pattern – e.g. Opaline, Spangle, Skyblue, Texas, Yellow Face, Frilled, or a dozen other varieties.
Check online of in a local directory for a list of local budgie breeders. The closer to home the better, as it’s best to minimise car journeys when bringing new birds home.
A good pet shop is the second best option. The budgies here will usually be healthy, but the shop will not have bred the birds itself, and so will not usually have full background knowledge of each individual. They may also be a little vague about the age of the pets they have on sale. Shop birds are often relatively old, and a bit set in their ways. This makes them more difficult to hand-tame.
Where To?
Budgies needs a suitable space in the home, away from direct sunlight, draughts, steamy kitchens, scary dogs and cats, screaming children and bright lights. They also need a cage of a suitable size, equipped with all budgie mod cons. The geodesic Geo bird cage makes a perfect home for all small birds, including budgies.
When to Buy?
A budgie should not be brought home before it has passed the eight-week mark, and ideally it should be no older than 16 weeks. Young birds are much easier to hand-tame and train, and young males have a better chance of becoming talking budgies.
Older birds, especially ones that have lived in a cage with other budgies for a long time, tend to be less trusting of humans and therefore more difficult to train. However, an older budgie that has already had experience of perching on human hands will make the transition easily, regardless of its age.
You can check the age of the bird yourself, using a simple visual clue. Young budgies have horizontal stripes across their heads, including the forehead. These disappear after the bird’s first moult, (three to four months after hatching). So, any bird with a barring pattern on the head will be less than 16 weeks old.
As for your own part in the ‘when?’ question, bring your new budgie home at a time of relative peace and quiet. Renovations, house moves and long holidays are not good times to buy a new pet!
Which Type?
All budgies are beautiful, whatever their age, gender, colour or coat pattern. It’s best not be dazzled by colour. Sometimes you’ll see a budgie with unusual or colourful plumage and think ‘That’s the one!’ But there are more important factors to consider, such as age, personality, and gender.
Ideally, you want a young, confident bird. An older budgie will take more time hand-taming; a shy one is likely to remain shy and flighty; and a female bird is not going to talk (if that’s something that’s important for you as a budgie keeper – although bear in mind that no budgie is guaranteed to learn how to talk).
Why?
This is a deceptively simple question. Why do you want a budgie? Is it for you, for the children, as a companion for an existing bird, or a replacement for a budgie that has passed away?
All pets require our time, and budgies are no exception. They should never be purchased simply to make a house look prettier, but should be considered as friends and companions.
Children don’t make good budgie keepers – at least, not if they are under the age of 10. Birds are very fragile, and easy to injure or frighten. They also require regular and reliable care, in terms of feeding and cleaning.
It may sound like a good idea to buy your lonely budgie a new friend, but the birds won’t always automatically hit it off. The newcomer will often end up bullied and unhappy, and you may need to separate them. This is less of an issue if you have a larger aviary, with plenty of space for a new bird to find his feet, to hide if necessary, and to gradually work out his place in the hierarchy.
Why Not?
It’s not all pros – there are cons too, as with any pet. Budgies, although not in the same league as cockatiels and larger members of the parrot family, are still noisier than the average finch or canary. They mix their musical bubbling chatter with squawks that can become very grating.
If the squawking goes on and on, it usually means the bird is unhappy with something in its cage or in the immediate environment. Make sure there are no drafts, ensure that the bird is not trapped in sunlight without shade, make sure the food tray and water dispenser are topped up, and keep other pets out of the room.
Then there’s the mess. Budgies manage to scatter seed husks over the floor, and at moulting time the slightest breeze will send handfuls of downy feathers floating to the ground. They’re not super messy, but obsessively tidy owners may start to get twitchy! By purchasing a cleverly designed cage, like the Geo, you will minimise the spill from the budgie flapping wings.
If you’ve considered these basic questions and decided to go ahead and buy a budgie, the rest is plain sailing and many years of happy companionship with your feathered friend.
It’s very unusual for birds of prey to attack chickens and this would only occur with the really big hawks such as Buzzards or with accidental attacks from trained birds of prey such as Harris Hawks, and Sparrowhawks. Kestrels and Red Kites won’t take hens as they either hunt for smaller birds or carrion. Hens are much, much bigger than most of these garden visiting birds of prey so are quite safe, although they will make alarm calls and run to hide if any fly overhead as this is a natural instinctive reaction.
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If you were to meet a species of animal for the first time and had to make an accurate guess about its diet, you would get lots of clues by looking at its teeth. The teeth of a dog, like the teeth of a bear, proclaim loud and clear that this animal is an omnivore – that is, one that eats both meat and vegetables. If you think of your dog as a domesticated wolf, you get a good idea of its natural diet.
1. Rabbits
Budgie Baths
