Small bird, giant cage

[Ziel]

My budgie got quite the upgrade today.













I've spoiled her and I have no regrets

[Deleted]

Wow! Look at her. Cute

[OP]

One thing I need to point out is that cosy hut. If you want to keep your beautiful budgie safe, get rid of the hut. They are a danger of suffocating your budgie. She looks as though she needs some company in that big beautiful cage.

[Hezz]

OP took the words right off my fingers; please take out that snuggle hut - they are a serious health risk to your bird. Budgies do not need something to snuggle into for sleeping; they are happiest either on a perch or best still, on a swing for sleeping. Those things can get them entangled as they will chew on anything they can, especially the hens! If you want to give her something to go in and out of, use an old kitchen towel roll or similar. The other bad thing about those things is that the hens will see them as a nesting spot; believe me, you do not want to turn your girl into a chronic egg layer!!

Great cage, though. Those of us who have these, absolutely love them.

[Shirls]

Wow!!! What an upgrade! One very happy budgie there - doesn't she need a friend to share all that space??

[Ziel]

Feb 26, 2017 9:14:29 GMT Hezz said:

OP took the words right off my fingers; please take out that snuggle hut - they are a serious health risk to your bird. Budgies do not need something to snuggle into for sleeping; they are happiest either on a perch or best still, on a swing for sleeping. Those things can get them entangled as they will chew on anything they can, especially the hens! If you want to give her something to go in and out of, use an old kitchen towel roll or similar. The other bad thing about those things is that the hens will see them as a nesting spot; believe me, you do not want to turn your girl into a chronic egg layer!!

Great cage, though. Those of us who have these, absolutely love them.

Thanks for pointing that out! I know the huts aren't ideal, but I'm looking for something to keep her warm (my house tends to get very cold during the winter despite our best efforts). Do you have any suggestions as to what I can use? She has a cuddle heater near the hut, but doesn't really use it. Would adding more blankets around the cage exterior help?

[Shirls]

I put a sheet (an old bed sheet but it's black) over the whole cage for my buds Ziel, then a fleece over the top in the winter. They keep warm enough and my house is pretty cold of a night time.

[Ziel]

Feb 26, 2017 9:57:46 GMT Shirls said:

Wow!!! What an upgrade! One very happy budgie there - doesn't she need a friend to share all that space??

I'd love for her to have a friend, but I'm honestly unsure if she'd take well to it. She's such a bossy little thing that I'm concerned she'd bully another bird and then I'd have to keep them in separate parts of the house!

[Ziel]

Feb 26, 2017 12:40:06 GMT Shirls said:

I put a sheet (an old bed sheet but it's black) over the whole cage for my buds Ziel, then a fleece over the top in the winter. They keep warm enough and my house is pretty cold of a night time.

Alright, I'll find something for the cage within the next few days then. I'll take the hut out immediately. Thanks for your help!

[Shirls]

It isn't very often that a single budgie would bully another budgie Ziel, not that I know of anyway, perhaps other members think/know different. I think you would get slightly more 'differences of opinion' with multiple birds, especially if mating and nesting was on the agenda. skysmum never seems to have any problems??

[Ziel]

Feb 26, 2017 12:45:01 GMT Shirls said:

It isn't very often that a single budgie would bully another budgie Ziel, not that I know of anyway, perhaps other members think/know different. I think you would get slightly more 'differences of opinion' with multiple birds, especially if mating and nesting was on the agenda. skysmum never seems to have any problems??

I've heard of people having problems with multiple females. It's entirely possible I could have misread the information I was given though. Would another female be appropriate? I really don't want any baby budgies haha

[Shirls]

Budgies will only mate if given the facilities to do so, i.e. nest box and nesting material. I have at the moment three males and one female, have had in the past three males and two females and none of them have bred. I think your little girlie would like a little male company Ziel.

[Ziel]

Feb 26, 2017 12:52:30 GMT Shirls said:

Budgies will only mate if given the facilities to do so, i.e. nest box and nesting material. I have at the moment three males and one female, have had in the past three males and two females and none of them have bred. I think your little girlie would like a little male company Ziel.

Oh boy. I suppose I may have to do a little budgie match making if that's the case. I really would love for her to have some company, and maybe she can try stealing someone else's food for a change!

[OP]

Just to make things a little more exciting for you, don't expect things to go the way you plan. Your budgie(s) will have a say in the matter. It's rather unlikely that you will have two that fight and cause you to separate them, it's not unheard of but rather unlikely. That is one of the great joys of budgie introducing, one never knows what is going to happen.
If and when you do acquire a companion for your girl please remember to quarantine any newcomer.

[stevex]

Feb 26, 2017 12:35:52 GMT Ziel said:

Thanks for pointing that out! I know the huts aren't ideal, but I'm looking for something to keep her warm (my house tends to get very cold during the winter despite our best efforts). Do you have any suggestions as to what I can use? She has a cuddle heater near the hut, but doesn't really use it. Would adding more blankets around the cage exterior help?

I think that budgies can cope with the cold during winter, they may be small but they are well insulated. Usually it's draughts that can affect them as their systems don't like the sudden change in temperature.