As a budgie owner, you want any accessory you put in your cage to be helpful to your budgie in one way or another. So, how beneficial are play gyms and perches for budgies?
Bird play gyms and perches can provide your budgies with multiple benefits including offering them an opportunity to exercise, promoting physical and mental stimulation, facilitating socialization, providing enrichment that encourages natural behavior, and more.
This article will provide you with more information on the benefits of bird play gyms and perches for budgies, including tips on how to select the right ones for your budgie.
Benefits of bird play gyms and perches for your budgie
Getting your budgies playgyms and perches can benefit them in the following ways:
They promote exercise
One of the reasons you should get play gyms and perches for your budgie is that they provide your pet birds with opportunities for moving around and exercising.
In other words, these accessories help keep your budgie physically fit which is essential for maintaining good health and preventing the risk of obesity and other diseases caused by lack of exercise.
Physical and mental stimulation
Another benefit of providing your budgies with a playgym is that it promotes physical and mental stimulation.
If you keep your budgie stuck in its cage where it sees the same type of objects every day, it will soon get bored, and this can lead to depression.
Stress in budgies can manifest in various ways including self-mutilation, feather plucking, screaming/screeching, and other odd behaviors. This bird is intelligent and requires mental and physical stimulation in its cage.
Luckily, a playgym and perches provide it with newer, more interesting objects to explore and play with, thus stimulating its brain and keeping away boredom.
Moreover, perches come in different styles including swing, wood, rope, etc.
These styles have different textures and surfaces that offer comfortable platforms for your budgies to rest on, preventing foot-related problems.
Allow for interaction among your budgies
If you own multiple budgies, then getting a playground can help ensure your budgies interact with fellow birds in new ways.
Not just that, putting the play stand at a central spot in your home will enable your budgies to interact with you as well as other members of your family and make the bond stronger.
Remember, budgies are social creatures and require your interaction more frequently than most of the other birds in their parrot family.
Check the budgies in the video below happily interacting on a play gym.
Video:
More fun for your budgies!
Probably the best part about providing your budgie with play gyms and perches is that it helps them experience maximum fun.
Budgies are generally high-energy birds that like playing and getting lively
These accessories provide your budgie with plenty of opportunities to engage in various natural behavior activities like climbing, exploring, gnawing, tinkering, and playing.
Most of the budgie play stands come equipped with varieties of items to promote these be various.
These include climbing ladders, swing bards, bell toys, mirror toys, chewing toys, and Olympic rings—ensuring maximum fun for your bird!
Selecting the right size for the playgym and perches
Just like cages, you need to ensure you get the right size of playgyms for the birds you’re getting them for.
The ideal play gyms for your budgie should be big enough to offer ample space for your budgies to play and move around freely.
Most of the portable playgyms for budgies out there are made with small to medium-sized birds in mind, so they’ll make good choices for your budgies.
However, you should also consider the number of birds you have to ensure the model you choose is spacious enough to accommodate all of them.
A small play gym is ideal for 1-2 birds. But if you own up to 3 or more budgies, a larger play gym would be a better choice for you.
Perches should also come in a diameter that matches the size of your budgie.
Your budgie should be able to easily perch its toes around a perch and get a good grasp of it as opposed to standing on the perch with his toes wide open and spread over the perch.
A perch that’s too big will risk your budgie falling or slipping if started, due to lack of a good grasp.
The perches should also vary in size to allow budgies to choose what’s comfortable for them.
This helps prevent foot problems such as sore feet that can arise from stepping on the same size of perch, and constantly pressuring the same spots, at all times. (Source).
Selecting the right material for the playgym and perches
Different styles of play gyms and perches are usually made using a variety of materials including wood, bird-friendly metal, or plastic. Some models feature a combination of different materials.
Natural wood is the best option as it helps mimic the budgie’s natural; environment. This gives your pet birds a sense of familiarity while at the same making them feel comfortable.
Ideally, you want a play gym made using durable materials. This is important given that your budgies will attempt to chew the new accessory—and their hooked bills can be quite strong!
You should also ensure the material used is comfortable for your budgie to rest on or grip.
Natural wood makes the best choice due to its rough texture. Plastic and rope are also good provide they offer sufficient traction and come in the right size.
The materials should also be safe and non-toxic for your budgies. Avoid materials that contain harmful chemicals like lead or zinc or wood from non-toxic trees such as apple, birch, larch, lilac, willow, maple, etc.
Final Verdict
Providing your budgies with bird play gyms and perches is highly recommended. These accessories present many benefits to your budgies including offering them ways to exercise and stay fit. It also physically and mentally stimulates them and offers them enrichment that keeps boredom away and ensures maximum fun.
When looking for the perfect play gym and perches for your budgies, make sure you follow our tips above on how to select the right size and materials for these accessories. This will ensure you get the right one that’s comfortable and safe for your beloved budgies.
