Hello there -

I have a couple of questions about what to get for my budgie.

 

Is it important to spray them with lice spray? Is there a particular brand that sells a natural one as I read in another post somewhere that it can cause blindness if spray near their head.

 

Also do they need to be wormed? Is it something that you add to their water?

 

I have read about the egg food. Is that important for my male budgie too? I havent seen it for sale in my local pet store (Gold Coast).

 

Just one more - are there any supplements that I should be providing for him? I have noticed that he has been eating (or at least trying to) eat the sand off his sandpaper on the bottom of the cage.

 

I provide him with shellgrit, fresh fruit and veges daily (as well as seed/water).

 

Sorry to ask so many questions - I am just so unsure what to get - so any brand recommendations would be appreciated.

 

Thanks so much - Meeka :rofl: & Leroy :rofl:

Edited March 26, 201015 yr by meeka

Hello there -

I have a couple of questions about what to get for my budgie.

 

Is it important to spray them with lice spray? Is there a particular brand that sells a natural one as I read in another post somewhere that it can cause blindness if spray near their head.

Also do they need to be wormed? Is it something that you add to their water? You could use Ivermectin - one drop on the skin behind the neck does mites,lice and worming all in one. Or Avian Insect liquidator - does the mites, lice etc and wormer like wormout gel in the water. I find it easiest to use Ivermectin as it does everything in one hit

 

I have read about the egg food. Is that important for my male budgie too? I havent seen it for sale in my local pet store (Gold Coast). Are you meaning egg and biscuit? or egg powder? or both?

 

Just one more - are there any supplements that I should be providing for him? I have noticed that he has been eating (or at least trying to) eat the sand off his sandpaper on the bottom of the cage.

I provide him with shellgrit, fresh fruit and veges daily (as well as seed/water). Your budgie may be foraging for calcium or something else or just because hahaha... Calcium and charcoal bells, Iodine and Charcoal bells - both are good and just as important as each other. One of my budgies absolutely loves cuttlefish, the rest obsess over their bells. Just out of curiosity, how come you have the sand paper? I know it's meant to help with trimming claws and aid as a type of grit - but I found it a bit useless. It didn't really do anything for my birds. But maybe you get better results out of it than me.

 

You're already feeding fruit and vegies so that's good , just becareful doing it daily as they may get poopy bums, depending on what fruit and veg you're giving them

Sorry to ask so many questions - I am just so unsure what to get - so any brand recommendations would be appreciated. If you don't ask questions, you'll never know and never learn That's what we're all here for

 

Thanks so much - Meeka :rofl: & Leroy :rofl:

 

I hope that info helps. If I have said something wrong, one of the more experienced members will correct it

Thanks for all that info -

 

With the egg stuff - Im not really sure - is one better than the other? Im not really sure what its purpose is. Do they seem to like one more than the other? When people mention feeding their birds crumble - are they refering to some sort of egg food?

I have read about the egg food. Is that important for my male budgie too? I havent seen it for sale in my local pet store (Gold Coast). Are you meaning egg and biscuit? or egg powder? or both? :rofl:

 

You're already feeding fruit and vegies so that's good :rofl: , just becareful doing it daily as they may get poopy bums, depending on what fruit and veg you're giving them

His poo is always normal and not runny. He enjoys alfalfa, watercress (favourite), celery, corn, bean shoots & sweet pea shoots. Different all the time depending on whats at the supermarket & fruit shop.

 

Oh and with the sandpaper - not really sure what made me get it - but he seems to enjoy it and playing with it. I only put one sheet in the bottom so that it only covers a small part of the bottom of the cage.

 

 

You've been very helpful about the mites/worming stuff - thanks so much

Edited March 26, 201015 yr by meeka

Hello there -

I have a couple of questions about what to get for my budgie.

 

Is it important to spray them with lice spray? Is there a particular brand that sells a natural one as I read in another post somewhere that it can cause blindness if spray near their head. If you have a solo budgie or if you get another one and quaratine it you should not have to spray them, personally I believe it is a money making thing that pet owners think they need, you will get different opinions on this of course and I might get yelled at but I have had my budgie Merlin for 3 years and never used that on him. Budgies that gets mites, lice etc...are ones that are with many budgie, live in outside aviaries or maybe taken outside in their cage often and can get it from other birds. You won't find your budgie getting it if he is healthy. Though, I do believe that mites from what I heard can lay dorminate (scaley mites) and if they have a bad molt may come out, don't quote me on that one.

 

Also do they need to be wormed? Is it something that you add to their water? I have heard this to be different from me because I live in the US, my budgies have never been wormed and this is not a common practice here, where you live may be different. I would call your pet store or where you got him and ask them if they worm them again this is something that doesn't need to be done but once if it is common by you especially if he is a inside budgie.

 

I have read about the egg food. Is that important for my male budgie too? I havent seen it for sale in my local pet store (Gold Coast). It is important for all budgies because the protien it provides, you don't even have to buy it you can make it yourself, we have a receipe section under the food and nutrition forum, I believe it is pinned.

 

Just one more - are there any supplements that I should be providing for him? I have noticed that he has been eating (or at least trying to) eat the sand off his sandpaper on the bottom of the cage. I believe if you offer your budgie a wide variety of foods along with his seed or pellet or both diet that he will be healthy, I don't offer it to Merlin and he is healthy. The key to health too is stable warm climate in your house so if your house temp. goes up and down you may think about putting in a heater to keep the room a consistant temp. He is probably not eating the sand, I would say he is just foraging around and to keep him enriched you can add foraging for food keep the bottom clean and throw seed on the ground, we have a post on that too I believe it is pinned.

 

I provide him with shellgrit, fresh fruit and veges daily (as well as seed/water). Grit is not necessary with budgies and has been shown to cause impaction. Because they do hull their seeds they don't necessary need it, members have different views but the majority agree grit is not needed for budgies.