I just read a question saying that budgies should fly everyday. This is really freaking me out. I have a big (14' high, 10'x 16' at the bottom) cage for my one budgie at my dads house (whom I only see every other weekend and once a week) and I never let her out.
The day after I got her, me and my sister let her fly in our bathroom. I will never do that again. The wings weren't cliped, and she FLEW like mad. She hit the mirror, walls, EVERYTHING. She would then only fly if we went near her and then she'd barley kill herself. We managed to get her back in, and never ever took her out again.
I heard here on Y! Answers that they should be left inside, and my mom's friend said she used to own a lot of them and she said they feel more secure in the cage. Now I'm confused and feel so guilty and I haven't taken my bird out once since that one time. What should I do? I'm very scared for her and I'm barely at my dads to take her out, and my dad and his gf are out most of the time. HELP!!
2007-07-26 15:37:51 · 7 answers · asked by The Ayatollah of Rock n Rollah 4 in Pets ➔ Birds
OK... The question I'm trying to ask is should I let my budgie/parakeet fly? Do they belong in a cage? Or outside the cage? I think inside the cage. I'm not sure. Just answer that simpily.
2007-07-26 15:49:23 · update #1
Budgies are highly social creatures, and if she's not coming out of her cage and interacting with you everyday, she really needs another budgie friend with her. Because of their need to be always mentally stimulated, keeping one in a cage with nothing to do would be the same as keeping yourself in a cage for days on end.
When taking her out of the cage, do so in a room where all mirrors and windows are covered. Consider getting a playgym for her and taking her to the vet to get her wings clipped.
Make sure she has plenty of budgie toys in her cage for when you're not giving her attention (this is whether she has another bird friend or not).
If you are unable to let her out and interact with her as much as possible, you may want to seriously consider getting an aviary for her where she can fly around all she wants and have a budgie friend.
A bird's cage is like its own room and space, which is why it feels secure. However, if it is never let out, it -might- seem more like a prison to it (not always though, you will find some birds really love their cages even if they are never let out).
Don't feel bad, at least you are concerned, which shows that you do care. But do take the thought seriously of giving your budgie a change.
2007-07-26 23:23:26 · answer #1 · answered by chocoboryo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My birds have there bings clipped to where they can freely fly around the house but just to the level where they can't run into a ceilign fan. A bthroom is a very unsafe flying place. A livving room is better, but yes, a budgie needs to fly. My birds are in there normal places, window seal, top of the cage, shelves, bed, or bird stand most the day, as they tend not to fly around. They know there cages as a sleeping place, and they go into there cage at bedtime(But, I leave the doors open in the day so anyone can fly in if they want to sleep) and whenever I'm out of the house, or cooking. It isn't a hastle as I can lift the door up and down a few times and they fly in the cage. However, I have three caged most of the day. The Mother and Father (who have just laid there first egg of the clutch today!) and a younger cockatiel, Nala, who is about to come out again. She rather enjoys it and she wants to stay in there untill the Male's settle down in the fall. Both of them always bug her about mating and it drives her nuts! She's normally the one who enjoys sitting on my shoulder most of the day. But, birds do need exercise. A bird should have atleast an hour of outside the cage time, and about 10-15 minutes of flight time a day.
2007-07-26 18:23:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All birds need out of the cage to fly and get exercise I don't care how big the cage is, BUT GET THE WINGS CLIPPED FOR her/his own safety and to prevent a escape if some one "forgets" to close the front door or doesn't do it fast enough!
with their wings clipped they can still fly BUT not as far or as long
but yes they need to be let out, and it needs to be let out daily
during the summer time my budgies cage door gets opened around 10 am and doesn't get closed back up till around 2-3 am he goes in and out as he pleases
during school (when my kids are in school) the cage door gets opened at 5:30 am closed at 9pm when i go to bed
he has free range of the house, I keep the toilet seat down at all times, and my laundry room door shut and if I'm cooking I close the curtain I've got hanging in the door way, other then that he can go where he wants when he wants
2007-07-26 17:31:35 · answer #3 · answered by atv_chick_2003 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I allowed mine out of the cage, but make sure mirrows and windows are covered, at first. The first one I had, I only let out at night, and would close the drapes, and she would start streching her wings, knowing she was going to get out to fly around. My second one, seemed to know what the window was, so I let the door open on her cage and she just came and went as she pleased. I took an older male, from an old man who had to go into a nursing home. He had never been out of his cage, but he adjusted really well, and he would come and go in his cage as he wanted to also. My cockatiel, has a huge cage, but just sleeps in it. He comes and goes as he pleases also. None of them had their wings clipped. I would say "time to go to bed", and they would just go get in their cages, and my cockateil does that also. They need exercise. And the only way they get it is flying around. Just make sure, you have made your house "bird safe".
2007-07-26 15:48:43 · answer #4 · answered by Joan H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My birds have never flown very far. They are rarely out of the cage. Albeit a huge cage with 6 perches so there is plenty of room.
2007-07-26 18:28:50 · answer #5 · answered by racegrrli 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that your parakeet should spend at least an hour a day outside of her cage. I would take her to an avian vet and have her wings clipped. It sounds like you also need to tame her. Teach her to "step up", and she'll know who's boss.
I would do these things as soon as possible.
2007-07-27 02:55:30 · answer #6 · answered by sailorjupiter112 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fly in a small room with mirrors, and windows covered. also, they sell small swings and perches that you can hang from the ceiling so your bird will have somewhere to land besides the curtain or lamp where they will surely poop....
2007-07-26 15:44:18 · answer #7 · answered by bebop_music 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋