Owning a bird can be a decades long commitment
so it’s important you choose a bird that fits with your lifestyle, whether you're a beginner or have owned birds your whole life - there’s a perfect fit for everyone. Birds vary greatly in size, noise level, intelligence and sociability and for beginner bird owners or people with small children in the house it’s highly recommended you opt for a smaller, lower maintenance bird to ensure all its needs are met and it has the best quality of life possible.
There are many amazing birds for beginners including budgies, cockatiels, doves, canaries and love birds, all of which can either be kept individually, as pairs or in small groups with other birds of their species. While owning two or more birds is a bigger responsibility, requires a larger cage and more food it may be the way to go if you and your family spend a lot of time out of the house. It's important to remember that most birds are social animals and if they only have their owners to rely on for social interaction it’s crucial that you can spend time with them daily to avoid them becoming depressed, if this isn’t the case buying them a friend can seriously improve their wellbeing.
Before buying your bird, finding a cage big enough for the number of birds you're going to have is detrimental. For a single budgie the recommended cage size is 46cm x 46cm x 46cm, while for a cockatiel it’s 60cm x 60cm x 60cm with cage sizes increasing based on the size of the bird and how many birds will be in it. Having a cage suited for your bird's needs is imperative to their health as many problems such as OCD tendencies, obesity, depression, stress and aggression have been directly linked to birds kept in smaller cages. A great way to keep them entertained throughout the day or while you’re out and about is by decorating their cage with toys, perches and foraging activities which can be found at your local Just For Pets store or on our website. Along with cage size and attention, having a balanced diet is crucial for your bird to thrive, as well as feeding them bird pellets their diet should be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables with seeds, nuts and grains being given as treats.
Training your bird can be an intimidating thought, especially if it’s something you’ve never done before and while it can be difficult at times it’s also incredibly rewarding and can help you to develop a deeper bond. There are certain types of birds that are easier than others to train including cockatiels and male budgies, especially if they’ve been hand raised. Hand raised birds are more likely to bond with and trust their owner faster as they are used to being around people and lack the fear response birds raised by their parents have, making training easier as you can begin while your bird is much younger, meaning it’s more receptive to what you are teaching. Positive reinforcement is key to training any animal, using rewards such as treats, affection or a toy your bird particularly likes can make a world of difference, not only by encouraging them but also making them enjoy and look forward to training sessions. A great starting point for training is with cues, a cue can be any sound or signal you like and after a while your bird will get the hang of what you want them to do. A tactic that can speed up training is the use of a bridging stimulus such as the word “good” immediately after the action is performed and then followed with the reward of your choice to further reinforce the behaviour.
If you’re not sure where to start or have any questions, head into your local Just For Pets store and speak to our expert staff.
