How To Set Up A Birdcage For A Cockatiel

I have owned many parakeets over the years, and I enjoy giving bird tips to others.

How to gear up an effective cage for parakeets, cockatiels, and other small-scale birds.

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Cockatiel & Parakeet Cage Setup

It is pretty uncomplicated to set upwards a birdcage. If you want to set upwardly a birdcage for parakeets, cockatiels or other small birds, then yous will need at least these basic starting supplies.

• An appropriate cage (run across details below)
• Perches
• Toys
• Food and water holders and feeders
• Clips to secure whatever loose items

The kind of toys and perches, and how many y'all add, are upward to you, but simply make sure yous have at least these three things on hand. Continue reading for a detailed listing on setting upward a birdcage.

A cockatiel all settled into her new birdcage

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Purchasing a Birdcage for a Small Bird (Parakeet, Cockatiel, Etc.)

A few important things to consider:

1. Size: When you consider a birdcage for a parakeet or cockatiel, keep in mind what size cage you purchase and so it is not as well small. The parakeet or cockatiel should have space to stretch their wings later all the perches, toys, and other accessories take been added within the cage so be mindful of the dimensions of the cage when you lot buy and set up the birdcage.
2. Bars: Brand sure the cage has some horizontal bars and so that the bird can climb easier. Vertical confined are fine likewise, just your bird volition have a harder time trying to move about the cage. In this instance, the cage above (which cost about $seventy.00) has horizontal bars on the sides and vertical bars in the dorsum and the front.
3. Feeders: Some cages will come with a food and water tray such as the one in a higher place, merely you can always add together more feeders since the bottom ones are not as practical equally ones that hang between the cage bars.
4. Seed-Catching Tray: If the cage comes with an easy-to-clean plastic cage bottom, that'south all the better for yous, it makes cleaning up messes easier and likewise ensures that seeds don't make it on the flooring and so often.

Vary the texture and size of your bird's perches.

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Start With Perches

Get together up all the perches you will use to set up the birdcage and brand sure that you take a couple that vary in width and texture. This ensures your bird'southward feet get some exercise, and the foot is not curved in only i position all mean solar day. Birds are on their feet all day, every twenty-four hours, for the rest of their lives, so a couple of proficient perches are an important feature.

Spread out the perches in the cage so that your bird can easily access their food and water bowls later and still have infinite to move and hop around. In my case, I keep both a parakeet and cockatiel in the same muzzle (which is okay as long as they do non fight) so I mounted a perch up loftier on the acme left where only the parakeet tin fit to provide a adept place to slumber at dark.

Hither I take added all the perches to the birdcage and ensured that both birds that will be in this muzzle have plenty of infinite.

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A few plastic, a few wooden, and a mirror toy is a good variety to accept in a birdcage. Exercise non place as well many mirrors.

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Add Toys to the Birdcage

The adjacent part of setting up a birdcage is adding some toys. These can consist of:

• Plastic hoops and balls
• Colored, wooden toys
• Chewable toys
• Mirrors
• Bells
• Toys made of ropes

Add a few so that your birds do non get bored (three–5 toys in a cage of this size are plenty to go on a little bird entertained). Avoid cluttering the birdcage with toys equally your parakeet or cockatiel will non have space to stretch or motion around. Position toys so that the bird can reach them either from a perch, the lesser of the cage or while hanging on the side of the cage. Place mirrors at an appropriate peak relative to the bird.

Gyre to Proceed

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If y'all are placing mirrors in a muzzle that only has one bird, do not identify more than one. Single birds tin go fastened to their mirror prototype and even begin feeding their mirror prototype thinking it'south another bird (significant your bird is regurgitating its nutrient instead of getting the diet information technology needs). If you lot see this happening, remove the mirror for a few days from the cage or place it in a less accessible spot to the bird afterwards.

Don't overload the cage with toys then that the birds don't accept infinite to move effectually or stretch anymore.

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Next: Food and Water

Although my cage already came with two trays (one for food and ane for water), I prefer to add together two more than feeders to the muzzle and so that I know there's always food somewhere. The feeders that come with the cage brand it besides easy for the bird to pick upward a seed and driblet the hull/husk dorsum in the tray. So you get a layer of what looks similar seeds, merely is actually an empty seed husk, masking the nutrient underneath. Birds have starved this fashion, and so I like to eliminate that possibility by calculation upright feeders to the cage as well.

Position the feeders somewhere close to a perch so your bird tin can easily reach them from where they are standing. Change the water out daily.

Ensure y'all provide a varied diet for your birds, not just a apparently seed nutrition, which lone tin can crusade health issues in your bird.

Adding Feeders and Water Trays to the Birdcage

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Use Clips to Secure Loose Items

After you set up the birdcage, make sure that everything is held securely in place. You don't want a perch to autumn downwardly in the middle of the dark when your birds are sleeping on information technology.

I always use either binder clips or another type of clip that tin agree down things that are moving as well much. For example, the natural stick perch that I added needs to be held downwardly with a clip, or else it wobbles. I besides use a clip to hold down ane of the extra water trays since I know my budgie likes to lift it upwardly from one side and spill all the water out.

Clips aid secure birdcage items

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Final Step: Add the Birds!

I've added some newspaper to the bottom of the muzzle underneath the grate to make cleaning easier, and at present nosotros're ready to put the birds in.

Don't place your birds in the middle of the cage. Hold them close to the archway and allow them explore and leap in at their own step. Birds are weary and always cautious around new things, so allow them to adapt. In my case, the cockatiel, Duchess, jumped in correct away while my parakeet, Sunny, took his fourth dimension near the archway earlier jumping in.

Let your birds go in by themselves. These two buddies get along well and practise not fight so it is okay to go on them together.

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Average Prices of Birdcage Supplies

Item	Toll
Perches	$iii - $six per perch
Feeders	$two - $10 per feeder
Toys	$3 - $x per toy
Cage	$25 - over $100

Sunny, the parakeet, is already feeling at home with a nap in his new cage.

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More than Helpful Bird Articles

• The Best Diet and Nutrient for Parakeets: What to Feed a Budgie
  Discover what nutrient to feed a budgie besides equally a list of toxic foods to avoid. Here is how to easily feed your parakeet a good for you and balanced nutrition.
• How to Finger-Railroad train a Bird Quickly
  Notice out how to quickly and hands finger train a wild parakeet or small bird in a few simple steps.
• Essential Parakeet Diet and Nutrient
  Parakeet essential nutrition: What food to feed a budgie too equally a listing of toxic foods to avert for parakeets. Here is how to easily feed your parakeet a salubrious and balanced diet.

This article is authentic and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

© 2022 Deya Writes

Kim on January 01, 2022:

Important to stress that an all seed diet will shorten the life of a bird. Too keep in mind that pet birds deserve veterinary intendance; preferably with a certified avian vet.

EvaBella Goss from California on Nov xi, 2022:

I merely got a cockatiel (5 mo) 2 days ago. At start he was very quiet just sometimes he chirps once or twice. He hasn't eaten annihilation, not that I've seen, but I call back he drank some water? Anyways he keeps pacing upwardly and downwards a perch and he also has pecked at one of his feet and had sneezed I'd say virtually 3 times. Is he okay?

Brian on February xv, 2022:

Tin can you tell me why my cockateil has not made a audio since I have had it five days at present

Shanto Riaz on Baronial 22, 2022:

Tin you lot tell me what is the size of your cage showed in the article??? And should I use it for a pair of cockatiel????

Burnadette Grubb on April 19, 2022:

For a cockateil is there any suppliments that i should buy for my cockateil

Thank you lot in Advance.

Deya Writes (author) on October 28, 2022:

Jazzy J,

I would actually freeze what you aren't using currently since that way the veggies volition last weeks, even months without spoiling as long as they are constantly frozen. Microwaving or putting them in the oven won't really cause a big nutrient loss, rather merely dehydrate the veggies of the water so you can definitely do either and exist okay. For example, I feed my parakeets baby carrots but I stick them in a cup of water in the microwave first until they are dainty and soft and give it to the bird like that like a quick steamed carrot.

JazzyJ on Oct 26, 2022:

Some actually skillful information. My budgies mated and seven eggs were laid. And so far half dozen take arrived and I expect the terminal to get in by morning time. They all look very good for you and I have been trying my best to requite a varied nutrition, seeds, pellets, and fresh organic greens. I take 6 adults and now hopefully all these piddling ones will survive. My question is, since these fresh organic greens, broccoli, zucchini, squash, carrots celery, cucumbers,(in addition to egg food, foraging mix and missing link nutrients) are very costly and I discard them immediately if they look like they are turning is it possible to microwave them and use them in a stale land or fifty-fifty drying in the oven without them losing much of the nutrition? I realize what Mommy eats is what she feeds them then although I wasn't particularly excited I certainly turned that corner once the first egg was laid..Oasis't worked so difficult in a long time. Daddy helps some but they have me working like a slave. LOL Please propose asap. Thanks sooo much!

Deya Writes (author) on Apr 10, 2022:

Yep they tin can exist a trivial messy but at least it's simply over there in their little corner.

Ronald E Franklin from Mechanicsburg, PA on April 09, 2022:

You bring back memories. I kept parakeets when I was younger, but haven't had one for years now. I think I've just gotten as well lazy to expend the necessary endeavour to take intendance of it. But, I do thank you for bringing back those skilful memories.

Source: https://pethelpful.com/birds/How-To-Set-Up-A-Bird-Cage-For-A-Parakeet-or-Cockatiel

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