What Makes Budgies Happy?
What makes budgies happy? That’s an interesting question. Like humans, they have their unique preferences and tastes. So what one budgie may love, another might not be fond of it. Still, there are a few activities that almost all budgies enjoy and make them quite happy.
Budgies are happy when they eat lots of food, play with toys, and live in a stress-free environment. They also enjoy flying and bonding with their owners. By nature, budgies tend to be noisy, so if you hear a lot of chirping every day, you know you are doing a good job.
Now, there are a few more details that you need to know to ensure your budgie’s emotional well-being. They are easy to take care of, and implementing them shouldn’t be a problem. Keep reading, and find out what is necessary to have happy budgies.
How to Make Your Budgie Happy
Making your budgie happy is fairly simple. Still, it requires paying attention and committing to it every day. But don’t worry. By following the next couple of steps, you will see how making your budgie happy also makes you happy.
Provide a Nutritious Diet
Nothing can make a budgie happier than food. Seeds, pellets, fruits, and vegetables are necessary for budgies to remain healthy and enthusiastic.
Try to give them a balanced diet and don’t overfeed them with seeds, which should be like 30% of their food intake at most. On the other hand, pellets, apples, and dark leafy greens pack needed nutrients and are loved by these birds, so feel free to offer them whenever you have a chance (reference).
Offer a Snack
Spray millet is the one thing budgies can’t resist. So, reward them with the irresistible snack every now and then, and their happiness levels should skyrocket. But, be careful and don’t let them eat too much of it as millet contains too much fat and may cause health issues.
Allow Flying Time
As birds, budgies love to fly, and that’s essential for them to be happy. Don’t keep them in a small cage all day long, as that will only make them suffer. Instead, try to provide them a spacious cage or let them fly in a safe room.
Give them some time out of the cage while supervised if needed. One hour should suffice for budgies to stretch their wings and release some steam.
Now, I’m aware some owners prefer to clip their feathers so they don’t escape or hurt themselves. That’s all good, but you must remember that they must enjoy some degree of freedom to be satisfied. So let them jump and explore around for a bit, and you will see how excited they can get.
Give Them a Massage
Young budgies may like being massaged near the neck area and can relax while you cuddle with them. Now, it is uncommon for budgies to like being touched. So you shouldn’t feel bad if they just fly before you get a chance to rub their necks.
Keep the Cage Clean
Budgies may be birds, but they do care about having their homes clean. They get upset if you let their droppings accumulate for too long. So, how do I know that?
Watch them for a bit and notice that when a long time has passed since their cage has been cleaned, they will use their beaks often to remove dropping remains from the perch, toys, and feeders. That’s a sign they don’t like a dirty cage, so you should do your best to keep it tidy to make them happy.
Let Your Budgies Rest
Budgies need around 10 to 12 hours of sleep every night (resource). That’s a lot of hours, but they need every one of them to keep their energy levels going. A bird that hasn’t rested well screams for no reason, tends to get sick more often, and plucks its feathers more than it should. If the lack of rest persists, your budgies may even try to harm each other.
To prevent such an event from happening, make sure your pets have everything they need and are well-covered at night. You will see that they will be much happier in the morning.
Spend Time with Them
No pet likes to be lonely, and that includes your budgies. So try to talk and play with them for at least one hour a day. If you do it, you will notice that they will become excited when you arrive and might even greet you in their unique way.
Create a Comfortable Environment
– The budgies’ room light has to be adequate according to the time of the day.
It should be easily adjusted to be plenty in the morning and none at night. That’s an essential step towards making them happy.
– Your budgies can’t be happy if they are all stressed out.
So, if you want them to be relaxed, keep anything that could be a threat away from them. Cats, dogs, and other pets may pose a risk to your birds, and they know it.
– Noise levels should be kept to a minimum.
They might enjoy listening to music and even watching TV, but you should not overdo it as they get angry if the sound is louder than their chirps.
– Temperature control is crucial.
Budgies are sensitive to both high and low temperatures. They prefer to be in rooms with temperatures ranging from 65 ｰF to 80 ｰF or 18.33 ｰC to 26.66 ｰC. If it’s too low, they might get hypothermia. Too high and getting heat stroke is a possibility. Either way, they won’t be happy if any of those situations occur.
Supply a Bath
Everyone gets happy after taking a soothing bath on a hot summer day. Budgies are no exception. Prepare a bird bath with enough water for them to get refreshed but shallow enough, so they can fly away when they are done. They will love it!
Play Some Music
Music can make your budgies happy. Of course, you have to know first what type of music they like. Once you know, you can create a playlist of your budgies’ favorite tunes and play it whenever you are having a good time with them or when they feel down to cheer them up.
Show Them Toys
Budgies are childlike, and as you know, one of the easiest ways to make them happy is with toys. So offer your budgies new ones and watch their eyes light up with excitement. They love pecking at bells and jingle bells, so give them special consideration. It won’t be long before they put them to the test and forget everything that has been upsetting them.
In the following video, you will see a few of the typical signs displayed by happy budgies:
How do you Know if Your Budgie is Happy?
Want to know if your efforts are paying off? Easy. You only have to pay attention to the unmistakable signs that all happy budgies exhibit. They are easy to recognize, so you shouldn’t have any trouble identifying them.
Eats a lot
Budgies are energetic, and to be able to do all they want to do, they have to eat everything they can. So a good indicator that your budgies are happy is when you see them eating all the food around and even trying the new snacks you offer.
They might even take the fruits and vegetables out of your hand if you give them a chance. But on the other hand, a lack of appetite or willingness to eat is always a sign something is amiss.
Likes to Play
Discovering new areas and trying interesting toys is one of the top priorities of budgies everywhere. They love using their beaks to throw and move anything they can and have plenty of satisfaction doing it.
So if you see them jumping around, climbing, and taking a bite at almost any object they see, you can be sure they are having the time of their lives.
Preens Often
The way a budgie handles its feathers tells you about its emotional state. For example, removing dust particles and spreading the oil secreted by their glands located near the base of their tails is an activity budgies frequently do when they are in a good mood.
Happy budgies take their time to keep their plumage lustrous, soft, and tidy, so if you don’t see that, there is a high chance you have a distressed bird.
Chirps Nonstop
Chirping is the classic sound budgies make when they are relaxed and content. They chirp consistently or change to chattering, clicking, and singing whenever they are unwinding and ready to have a good time.
At the same time, a silent budgie is typically one that is sad or going through health challenges. Consequently, pay attention to your pet if it stays quiet for too long while awake. The exception to this is new budgies that are assessing their environment before getting comfortable.
Moves Constantly
Busy budgies are happy budgies. Your pets are likely delighted if you see them eating, chirping, jumping, flying, playing, and chewing on almost anything around. You may catch a few glimpses of them sleeping during the day, but for the most part, your budgies will be all over the place planning their next shenanigans.
Bonds with you
The connection your pets have with you plays a crucial role in how pleased they are with the way they are living. For example, grooming, grinding their beaks, or just sleeping close to you shows they are not stressed by your presence and feel at ease. Other indications that your budgie is in high spirits are eating from your hand and allowing you to pet it most of the time.
Now, if your budgies refuse to eat from your hand or won’t let you pet them, it doesn’t mean they are sad or hold a grudge against you. They may need more time before they can get closer to you.
Making your budgies happy doesn’t have to be complicated. As long as you can identify what’s troubling your pets, you can take the appropriate steps to cheer them up and improve the quality of their lives whenever necessary. Do it often, and your relationship with your winged companions will flourish.
