Birds

Budgies make excellent pets, they are attractive, colourful and easy to tame.  They can be taught to mimic sounds and talk.  Their requirements are very simple. They can be kept alone but prefer the company of their own species.

If housed indoors a wire cage with a plastic base is required, the cage should have some horizontal bars on it to allow climbing. Bars should be no wider than 12 mm apart to prevent escape. Use perches covered with sandpaper as this will file their nails and avoid clipping which is stressful for your bird. The cage should be located away from draughts and direct sunlight. They should be let out of their cage daily to exercise, make sure all doors and windows are closed when you do this. The cage should contain plenty of toys to keep your budgie stimulated especially if it is kept on its own. Covering the cage with a cloth at night will encourage him to settle down to sleep.  A bath should be provided either fixed to the outside of the cage or a shallow bowl placed inside the cage. Budgies can also be kept outdoors in a purpose-built aviary

A good quality budgerigar mix makes a good basic diet.  Cuttlefish should be made available which acts as a vitamin supplement and helps grind the beak down.  Small pieces of fresh fruit, vegetables or millet may also be given as treats.  Fresh drinking water should always be available.  Water bottles and feed bowls should be cleaned daily. 

Budgies can live up to 15 years.

Kakarikis are small parrots with big personalities, who enjoy interacting with their environment and can be endlessly entertaining.  They are easily tamed and enjoy the company of humans.

Kakarikis can be housed indoors in a large wire cage with a plastic base or outdoors in an aviary.  The cage should be large enough for them to stretch out and flap their wings without them touching the sides of the cage.  The cage should be positioned away from draughts and direct sunlight.  If kept indoors they need to be let out of their cage daily to exercise, make sure you keep all doors and windows closed when you do this.   They enjoy bathing so a large bird bath should be provided.

Kakarikis eat a wide range of seeds, grains and vegetation.  A quality parrot food mix makes a good basic diet although supplements may also be required.  Small pieces of fruit and vegetables can be given as treats and fresh drinking water should always be available.  Apples, grapes and carrots are the usual favourites.

Kakarikis are climbers who are quite happy to climb up a cage with its beak and feet and can do so with considerable speed, attaching some horizontal climbing bars to the outside of the cage makes a good exercise area. Kakarikis are generally not the most playful with toys but they do enjoy different types of perches, swings and occasionally wooden or plastic balls.  They will chew whatever they have so be aware that toys may be destroyed.

Kakarikis can live up to 20 years

Finches are attractive, inquisitive, and sociable birds they are easy to keep and look after.  They like the company of their own species so are best kept in pairs or larger groups.  If kept indoors they will need regular exercise outside their cage and are most active during the daytime.

Finches can be housed indoors in a large wire cage with a plastic base or outdoors in an aviary.  The cage should have some horizontal bars set at different heights as they love to hop from one perch to another.  Bars should be no wider than 12 mm apart to prevent escape.  Use perches covered with sandpaper as this will file their nails and avoid clipping which is stressful for your bird. They need to be let out their cage daily to exercise, make sure you keep all doors and windows closed when you do this.  The cage should be located away from draughts and direct sunlight. You should provide a bath for your finches, either fixed to the outside of the cage or a shallow bowl placed inside the cage.

Finches eat a range of seeds, grains and vegetation.  A specially formulated Finch mix makes a good basic diet although supplements may also be required.  Small pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables may be given as treats and fresh drinking water should always be available. Cuttlefish can be given to provide extra calcium.

Finches naturally enjoy playing so it’s a good idea to provide them with plenty of toys to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. 

Finches can live up to 5 years.

Canaries are attractive, friendly and sociable.  They are easy to keep and look after.   They like the company of their own species so are best kept in pairs or larger groups.

They can live indoors or outdoors.  If housed indoors a wire cage with a plastic base needs to be provided. The cage should have some horizontal bars set at different heights as they like to hop from one perch to another.  Bars should be no wider than 12 mm apart as to prevent escape.  If kept indoors they should be let out of their cage daily to exercise, making sure all doors and windows are closed.  Covering the cage with a cloth at night will encourage your bird to go to sleep. The cage should be located away from draughts and direct sunlight.   Use perches covered with sandpaper as this will file their nails and avoid clipping which is stressful for your bird. Sand sheets or bird sand should be placed on the bottom of the cage as this will help them with digesting their food.  You should provide a bath for your canaries, either fixed to the outside of the cage or a shallow bowl placed inside the cage, this will help them with their preening activity.

Although usually yellow canaries are available in assorted breeds, colours and markings.

A good quality canary mix makes a good basic diet although supplements may also be required.  Small pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables can be given as a treat. Fresh drinking water should always be available.  Water bottles and feed bowls should be cleaned daily.  Cuttlefish can be given to provide extra calcium.  Grit should be available to aid digestion. An egg food can also be given occasionally, this helps canaries maintain their colour and is especially good for breeding and pregnant birds.

Canaries naturally enjoy playing so provide them with plenty of toys to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. Canaries cannot talk, but cock birds will sing quite loudly and repetitively during the mating season. Hen birds will ‘cheep’ rather than sing.   

Canaries can live up to 10 years.

Cockatiels are colourful, active, and inquisitive.  They are easy to keep and look after.  Cockatiels can be taught to mimic sounds and talk. They like the company of their own species so are best kept in pairs or larger groups. Cockatiels come in a vast array of colours and markings. Common types are pied, pearl, and white faces. Colours are usually grey, cinnamon, lutino or albino.

Cockatiels can be housed indoors in a large wire cage with a plastic base. The cage should have some horizontal bars on it to allow climbing.   The bars should be no wider than 17 mm apart to prevent escape. Cockatiels kept indoors will need to be let out of their cage daily to exercise, make sure you keep all doors and windows closed when you do this. A bath should be provided for your bird, either fixed to the outside of the cage or a shallow bowl placed inside the cage. Covering the cage with a cloth at night will encourage your Cockatiel to settle down for sleep. Use perches covered with sandpaper as this will file their nails and avoid clipping which is stressful for your bird. They can be kept outdoors in an aviary which should allow plenty of room to fly around properly.

A quality cockatiel mix makes a good basic diet, although supplements may also be required such as cuttlefish which acts as a vitamin supplement and helps grind the beak down. Small pieces of fresh fruit, vegetables and millet may also be given as treats.  Fresh drinking water should always be available.

Toys are essential to stimulate them mentally and physically. With patience, Cockatiels can become quite tame although it is essential they are trained from an early age, and by one person only. The first step is to get the bird used to being stroked inside its cage. Use a stick or perch, not your hands. Start by gently stroking its chest a couple of times a day, then encourage it to jump onto the stick. Next, repeat the whole process through the door of the cage rather than the bars. Finally, repeat again, using your hands this time instead of the stick. This is a gradual process that may take several weeks but usually works in the end. 

Cockatiels can live up to 20 years.

Lovebirds are friendly, inquisitive, colourful and intelligent birds that are easy to keep and look after.  They like the company of their own species so are best kept in pairs or larger groups.

Lovebirds come in a variety of colours and markings.  They are usually green or yellow with orange, pink and blue highlights in either peach-faced or masked varieties.  Keeping masked and peach faced birds together is not recommended as they can fight.

Lovebirds can be housed indoors in a large wire cage with a plastic base or outdoors in an aviary.  The cage should have some horizontal bars on it to allow climbing as they love hopping from perch to perch.  Bars should be no wider than 12 mm apart to prevent escape.  The cage should be located away from draughts and direct sunlight.  They need to be let out of their cage daily to exercise, make sure you keep all doors and windows closed when you do this.  You should provide a bath for your lovebirds, either fixed to the outside of the cage or a shallow bowl placed inside the cage.

Lovebirds eat a wide range of seeds, grains and vegetation.  A quality cockatiel/parakeet food mix makes a good basic diet, supplements may also be required such as cuttlefish which acts as a vitamin supplement along with helping grind the beak down.  Small pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables can be given as treats and fresh drinking water should be available.

Lovebirds are curious and highly active birds that enjoy playing and climbing, so toys are essential to stimulate them mentally and physically. 

Lovebirds can live up to 20 years.