Feeding Budgies
The staple food of budgies in the wild is usually grass seeds. However, in captivity budgies thrive well on a diet of seeds, millets, whole grain breads and sprouts. A varied diet provides all essential nutrients and keeps the budgies well nourished. A varied diet also prevents obesity as opposed to a diet exclusively on seeds.
Place the seeds in a flat dish so that it is easy for removal The feeding can be done once a day. Seeds which have not been eaten by the budgies can be reused. Just blow over the feeding dish to remove the husk and then top up the remaining seeds.
Budgies also love coriander leaves and greens. Beetroot, spinach, lettuce and cabbage may also be given. Put these leaves into the cage and watch the budgies tear them up into little bits as they eat them. Give only fresh leaves as old or refrigerated leaves may cause digestion problems for the budgies. Remove any leftovers from the cage.
Foods NOT to be given
Do not give Avocados, chocolates, apple seeds, coffee, tea, tomato leaves, peach seeds, eggplant, peanuts, etc to your budgies as these contain substances which can prove to be toxic to the budgies.Water for Budgies
Budgies need fresh water everyday. Keep a constant supply of water in the cage. Replace the water if it has become soiled. Special water dispensers suited for birds are available. This prevent the water from getting soiled.
In the wild, budgies descend in large groups over water bodies. They love to bathe. You can keep a shallow bow of water and watch them bathe. Bathing water can be provided twice a week.
Night Fright in Budgies
Night frights are situations which occur in the night when budgies become suddenly agitated, flapping their wings and flying erratically around the cage while making loud noises. A night fright may involve all or some of the budgies in a cage. The budgies may sometimes fly into the cage bars and thus injure themselves.Budgies can injure themselves during a night fright. This can result in broken wings or in blood feathers which can cause excessive bleeding in budgies and, in some cases, death. Night fright in budgies is contagious. A budgie which experiences night fright may induce night fright in others.
What causes Night Fright?
Some believe the night fright are causes when budgies have a bad dream a human equivalent of a nightmare. Well, while that is probable, we really do not know for sure as to what goes on inside their tiny heads.
Preventing Night Frights
Night frights can be prevented by providing a dark environment for the budgies in the night without any disturbance. You can cover the bird cage with a dark cloth to protect them from outside stimuli. When a night fright does occur, switch on the lights at once. Try to calm your budgiesvby talking softly to them.Once they have calmed down look into cage and inspect the budgies for physical injuries such as broken wings or bleeding feathers. Some pet owners suggest having a night lamp in the room where you have your budgies cage. The birds apparently find this reassuring.