# How messy are budgies?



## lotlot

Are they really _that_ messy? I'm considering getting a couple, but I'm quite (very) houseproud and am not keen on mess. Is it easily manageable? I do have a toddler and a dog, so obviously have to keep on top of things anyway.


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## mollymo

We have one budgie that we had for someone as they could not keep him anymore.
When he arrived he had a normal sized budgie cage and yes he was quite dirty with seed and feathers when he flapped his wings.
We then decided to get a larger very tall cage and it really did work as he tends to stay nearer the top and half way down and when he flaps his wings its much better.
I would imagine two would be alot more messy than one of course.


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## lotlot

Thank you for replying. That certainly makes sense to use a taller cage and you look as though you're houseproud too


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## ZiggyB

Yes!! They are messy! And a wider cage rather than tall is a much better space for your new budgies as they will have more flying room and less likely of just reaching the top and staying in the same place. The bigger the cage the better and bars of the cage should be horizontal and spaced no more than 1/2-inch apart. Cages with a flat roof offer a handy space for hanging toys, perches, etc. Avoid plastic and wooden dowel type perches, instead natural wood perches of different sizes are better as they exercise your budgie's feet and help prevent pressure sores.


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## mrs phas

I wish people would see budgies for what they are, small parrots
they need a wide cage rather than tall, as said above, and lots of natural climbing/roosting perches, apple branches, from a pesticide free source are great for them, theyll have great fun peeling the bark too, budgies, like all parrots love to climb and, unlike finches and canaries, fly horizontally and less often than you think
As for mess, try and get a cage with a skirt on the outside, it will help keep some of the husks contained, however, yes they do make a mess and learn very quickly that something they find fun might upset you
have you thought about a canary or finches rather than a couple of budgies? a good, strong male canary can fill the air with endless song and are less messy than a single budgie, let alone two


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## ZiggyB

My friend had a few canaries and the boys especially had a beautiful song, but I love the finches, they are very sweet cwtshing up to each other and sound a bit like a squeaky toy!


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## mrs phas

ZiggyB said:


> My friend had a few canaries and the boys especially had a beautiful song, but I love the finches, they are very sweet cwtshing up to each other and sound a bit like a squeaky toy!


loved my zebras, bred like rabbits mind, but their little soft beeping could be heard all over the close on a still day
all the local kids called them the beepers
for tiny little birds, they survived winters in the unheated ( bar an electric light bulb in the inside cubby) aviary extremely well and stood up to the cockies like the little buggers they are


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## steveshanks

Very messy, i had a Budgie (sadly we lost him last year) and the floor was always covered in seed and feathers, Cockatiel is the same. We had a pair of Bourkes, they made very little mess but then again they didn't do much, very pretty though.
Any bird forum will tell you not to get a tall cage for a Budgie, they want to fly across the cage and find it tricky to fly up, wide AND tall is fine though.


ZiggyB said:


> I love the finches,


We do to, we have 2 Zebras and 3 African silver bills (all male 2 cages) and they are so much fun in different ways, Zebras are crazy and the Silvers are cute. We also have a Cockatiel named Poppy.


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## elmthesofties

If you keep the cage on a table and have smooth flooring, I don't think it's too bad. You can brush up the worst of it from the table and little seed shells and feathers sweep up easily. If done every day, it'd be easy to keep on top of. If you put it on a small stand above carpet, though, I imagine it'd all get ingrained in the carpet.


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## mollymo

I am no budgie expert but ours does seem quite happy in his taller cage and he does hop and fly around top to bottom with ease.
But as I say I'm no expert.......just doing what I thought best for him at the time


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## ZiggyB

mrs phas said:


> all the local kids called them the beepers


Hee I love this! They really do make a beep noise :Hilarious



steveshanks said:


> We do to, we have 2 Zebras and 3 African silver bills (all male 2 cages) and they are so much fun in different ways, Zebras are crazy and the Silvers are cute. We also have a Cockatiel named Poppy.


Ahh, I very nearly bought a couple of zebra finches, but ended up with a budgie (who I'm sure thinks himself a parrot the way he tries to bully the rest of the animals in the house, including the kids!).


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## mrs phas

steveshanks said:


> Very messy, i had a Budgie (sadly we lost him last year) and the floor was always covered in seed and feathers, Cockatiel is the same. We had a pair of Bourkes, they made very little mess but then again they didn't do much, very pretty though.
> Any bird forum will tell you not to get a tall cage for a Budgie, they want to fly across the cage and find it tricky to fly up, wide AND tall is fine though.
> 
> We do to, we have 2 Zebras and 3 African silver bills (all male 2 cages) and they are so much fun in different ways, Zebras are crazy and the Silvers are cute. We also have a Cockatiel named Poppy.


Did you keep the bourkes in a cage? If so im not surprised they didnt do much, we had them in an outside aviary with a 15ft flight and to see, and hear, them in flight is amazing, their feathers are so soft they literally make a whiffling noise as they fly. Because their feathers are so soft, they are easily broken, which is why its advised never to have them in a cage where they can bang or catch them, also they fly in mainly straight lines, again cos of soft feather not giving much lift, and rarely use their beaks to help them climb like budges and parrots do

I do miss my birds, one day, when i can no longer cope with dogs, i will have some more, but no big parrots, i havent enough years left in me for anything bigger or longer lived, than a cockatiel or maybe a maroon bellied conure (all of which ive kept and bred) and they do, normally, around 15-25 years. My all time wish bird was a hahns macaw though, maybe I could squeeze that in


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