I've been looking at getting a second budgie, and the new little guy will be a 'runner' budgie. He will be caged during the day, so I'm just wondering what an appropriate cage will be for him. I spent the weekend looking around, and found a nice great big, long cage that I rather liked the look of (plenty of space to clamber around), and there were also some nice tall ones as well.

 

What are your thoughts on appropriate cages for runner budgies?

Any kind of cage that you would get for a normal budgie is fine. However it is probably best not to get a tall one, because if they fall, they fall far. I think you should get the long cage as it would be shallower and nicer to move around in. A really good item for a runner budgie is an exercise wheel, like what mice and rats have. Try to get a diameter over 20 cm (8 inches).

I have a runner budgie and she loves the wheel. (she is the yellow budgie in my sig) Unfortunately because she is in a tall cage she falls alot. But she is always fine and i don't want o seperate her from her family. :bluebudgie:

Try to have the bars running horizontal so they can climb up easier, instead of vertical bars. :bluebudgie:

I agree with everything that is said giving her perches that are close together where she can hop from perch to perch :bluebudgie: If you put in a swing keep it lower until she has the hang of it. with balance.

Thanks for your responses everyone - there is such a wealth of knowledge here I can't believe I haven't joined earlier!

 

I will go with the long-style cage, despite the extra cost. I'm going to have to think about the set up and the rat wheel sounds hilarious (though after Pip got his toes stuck in another toy, it will be supervised!).

 

The runner budgie (Bunsen) will arrive Saturday week, so I'm starting to get excited by the prospect of having two around the house for the first time!!

Stupid question time.... What is a runner budgie? I'm guessing its one that can't fly? Do they get that way from a medical issue, or do people 'make' them?

It's not a stupid question! I hadn't even heard of runner budgies until my friend said she had two to rehome!

 

My understanding is that a runner budgie was a bird born with wing defects with no chance of flying. But if anyone else has more info that would be great!

Often runner budgies (budgies that can't fly ) have some sort of infection, that causes them to lose flight feathers or render their flight muscles weak.

French moult is one that renders budgies flightless (I believe this is what Saffron had). It is a virus that strikes in the nest and causes flights and tail feathers to fall out. Once they reach adulthood, the feathers grow back, but they grow back weaker and misshaped, deformed, but the bird appears to be normal. This disease isn't passed on from the mother affected, to her babies, as can be seen by the fact that Saffy has a raised a clutch with out french moult, however it can be passed on from mother to chick, from a mother that carries it and is not affected by it. It only affects babies and once a bird has had it they don't keep it.

Here is a bigger picture of Saffy. I got her from a petstore, so I can only theorise that she had french moult, but it fits the bill (*cough cough* bad pun) as her feathers are bent slightly and aren't as strong as the other budgies' feathers.

 

 

 

 

 

Another way is Pulpitus. This is a bacterial infection that causes the flights and tail feathers to fall out and grow back weak, however they never seem to stay in long.

 

Inflammation and injury to the pectoral muscles (chest muscles) which are the main powerhouse muscles for flight, can prevent a bird from flying.

 

And then just any general deformities can cause flightless birds.

My budgie Turbs has arthritis and here's what I do for her (as she has another mobility issue):

 

- use a long wide ladder (ie. one that stretches across the whole cage), fill between the rungs with thin foam (eg. for lining clothes etc.), cover it with towel so it's soft and use it as a platform - you can use pegs to support it (ie. the ladder leans on the pegs). Her cage is big so she now has 3 of these.

 

- put a big thick squab of foam (eg. 1 inch) on the floor in case she falls (which happens from time to time). Usually you can get them cut to a certain thickness or DIY

 

- cover at least 2 perches in the cage with an old towel so it's a nice easy area to grip. I love the rope perches they have these days, but I don't find they are soft enough for Turb's arthritic feet. Hene, I use towel covers. Much softer and easier to grip.

 

Bear in mind that you should dust off the poo and seed from the platforms every night and change them at least once a month. You can wash and rewash the towels (I did this at first - eg. santise them with baby santising products), but I find it's best to just cut up a new towel.

 

Also make sure that the towel joins are on the bottom as the tape may scare them - stick them with sticky tape or duct tape or some other tape which holds.

 

It makes a very comfy little budgie. Turb even sleeps on her swing at night and the plastic swing perch is also covered with soft towel (a tiny piece) and held on the ends with 2 rubber bands.

 

Works a treat. She has pressure sores on her foot so bad before these, but now they are heaps better because of the softness.

Hey there, I can't wait to see your new runner budgie!

 

Here is a picture of my runner Triton.He had Pulpitus , I got him from Scotie on this forum.

 

 

 

He's the grey guy!

 

Carri

Hi, i just discovered that my billy is a runner budgie!

 

here he is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Billy seemed okay when got him, but then all his flight and tail feathers fell out, i took him to an avian vet. he has a virus called Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (am thinking this could be technical name for french moult?) I give him drops for his water the vet gave me, they stop paracites from infecting him as this virus makes it easy for that to happen. The vet said he will have it for life and it makes his immune system a little bit weak so i have to be extra carefull with him. eg cant go near other birds as is more suseptible to didease. he also recomended that i don't get another budgie as the virus may be passed on to the new bird. i can't have Billy sitting up high anywhere as he still tries to fly and has already broken his beak, it can easily happen again as he can't land well without proper feathers. his feathers grow back but just fall out again very easily.

 

But he is THE happiest and sweetest little guy you could ever meet! I have ladders going up sides of cage so he can climb up vertical wires, also lots and lots of perches so he can just jump from one to the other. when we at home i put his cage on the floor and leave door open with a ladder to ground so he can come and go from his cage. we just have to be carefull as he is so little and runs around the floor could easily get under foot!

 

I think your new addition to the family sounds gorgeous, hope this is helpfull for you! i would reccomend going to an avian vet just to get him checked out in case he needs anything. would love to see pictures!

Thanks for the info everyone!

 

Sailorwolf, I love that you call one of your birds Saffy. I had a cat named Saffire who was also Saffy to me. It makes me think of him everytime you say it!

Yay, I'm glad you are reminded of your kitty.

It's short for Saffron :sad:

Edited February 16, 200718 yr by Sailorwolf

Awww, Saffy and Triton are both sweeties :-) Sorry, Bethgemm, but your picture of Billy won't come up! Good info, though, thanks!

 

I am intending to take Bunsen (& Beaker) the the vets as soon as I can. It's not a cheap journey, though - the taxi fare is $50 for the round trip and some drivers aren't too keen on a bird being in their taxi - but I'd rather they be safe and healthy than risk anything.

Good on you! Don't let a taxi driver stop you from doing things!

Just to update you all, I ended up getting a rats cage! It had horizontal bars, it's long, short, and has platforms. I've put loads of ladders and eucalypt perches through it as well so Bunsen will have loads of areas to walk around on, and I've put some toys in as well. The cage is set up in my room for the quarentine period, and if Beaker and Bunsen really don't get along when they've had chance to meet and get to know each other, Bunsen will live there more permanently (otherwise Bunsen will live in the lounge room if we can find space!)

 

He/She will be arriving this Thursday, so I'm really excited now!! Everything's all set to go, just awaiting the new arrival!

What a brilliant idea, to get the rats cage. Sounds perfect. Good luck with everything. Try and remember when the budgie is out and perhaps on your shoulder or something....they still think they can fly and leap off. They can be hurt pretty easily.

Edited March 20, 200718 yr by Bubbles

I have two little 'runners', except I call them 'walkers' They have a large cage with plenty of climbing equipment and perches, but the main thing is I have padded the bottom. A simple babies changing mat at the bottom of the cage can prevent injuries and bruising should the budgie/s take a tumble off the perch, or forget that they cant actually fly! Never use towelling as floor padding, as tiny claws can get caught up in the loops and actually be torn out of the toe. (agonising) Thick fleece is a far safer alternative, and you can still put the newspapers on top of it to help keep the washing down a bit