Are budgies housebroken? The best tips against budgie droppings

Whether budgies are housebroken occupies many people who are thinking about getting the birds. Because having to pick up constant droppings due to free flight seems like a lot of effort.

This is especially the case when several budgies are kept and the room is comparatively large.

What to look for and what possible solutions and alternatives can be found, you will learn here.

Are budgies housebroken?

It would be nice – but they are not.

About every 20 minutes they defecate small amounts of feces and urine. The poop can end up anywhere. Floor, furniture, on clothes or your hair are possible places.

The good thing, however, is that the feces are relatively solid and dry quickly. After drying, it can be removed in a short time and easily. However, on delicate materials it can pull the color, which is why the droppings should be removed daily.

With a large number of budgies, a large amount can accumulate, which means a lot of effort and is inconvenient, especially with high and therefore difficult to reach furniture.

How to remove the droppings properly?

Let the droppings dry and then pick them up with a cloth or dry rag. Afterwards, you can wipe the area with a damp cloth and appropriate cleaning agent.

It is advisable to clean the area after each free flight. This is because budgies also lose feathers and spread sand, food or bowls.

In the long run, therefore, a lot can accumulate. In addition, stains can arise.
Can the contamination be prevented?

Even when flying freely, the intelligent and nimble animals often choose favorite spots where they leave droppings.

Once these are found, appropriate pads can be spread to collect the droppings and keep the area below clean. This makes cleaning much easier, because all you have to do is replace the protection when needed.

Stains are prevented and contamination is at least reduced.

You can also create potential favorite places. Suitable for this purpose are, for example, small trees and branches, which are equipped with special food and placed in a bowl or a bucket.

Can budgies be trained to be housebroken?

Unfortunately, this does not work.

Even if the birds are very docile, there is no appropriate training for them to relieve themselves only in the cage or aviary. Therefore, prevention of the spots is more reasonable and easier.
Is an aviary an alternative?

An aviary with sufficient floor space and height has several advantages.

It offers a lot of freedom of movement even outside of free flight, has space for several birds and a great deal of variety through branches, various food sources, roosting places, bird baths and watering places. Even plants can be placed in them and climbing opportunities can be implemented.

They do not completely replace free flight, but compared to a cage they are the better choice.

It is also ideal if the indoor aviary has wheels. In summer temperatures, it can then be moved to the garden or balcony. Because fresh air and sunshine are also good for your budgies.

Outdoor aviary in summer

If you have enough space for an outdoor aviary, be sure to consider this option during the warmer months.

Make sure there is:

sufficient shade
sheltered roosts
protection from rats, mice and martens

Also, provide as much space as possible for your budgies to fly. You can achieve protection from predators with sturdy grids and lawn edging stones as well as underlaid wire mesh. This way, no dangerous animal can dig its way across the floor.

However, make sure that the animals are brought back indoors when the temperatures drop, because cold can be dangerous for budgies.
Furnish room appropriately for free flight

Another way to solve the problem of lack of housetraining is to adjust the room for free flight accordingly.

In your bedroom you certainly don’t want to have droppings on the bed and the expensive carpet in the living room shouldn’t get any either.

Therefore, choose a room that is easy to clean and where there are no delicate materials.

Tiles or linoleum are good floor coverings.

You can also simply cover the bed, couch or other textiles for the duration of the free flight. Suitable for this are for example:

Painting tarpaulins
Plastic tablecloths
Foil

Compared to cleaning you have a much lower effort.

Of course, it is also ideal if there is only a few pieces of furniture in the room or if a protected and safe area is directly demarcated.
Can I offer food and water during free flight?

To establish favorite places for landing, you can.

However, if your budgies are to return to the aviary or cage after as short a time as possible, you should not offer anything during free flight. Otherwise, there is neither hunger nor thirst, so most animals see no reason to fly “home” again.

Another way to keep contamination to a minimum is to offer food only on the cage during free flight.

This way, they sit directly above the litter while eating and any droppings land exactly where they should. Suitable attractants are special treats, such as fruit, chickweed or panicle millet.
Conclusion: budgies are not housebroken but still lovable

Even though budgies are not housebroken, you can still take some measures to keep soiling and the effort required for cleaning low.

Still, before you get them, keep in mind that these pets will require more frequent cleanings.

This is because in addition to the droppings, there will be other contaminants.

Your birds may spread their food, lose feathers, pluck at plants or take a very intensive sand bath, leaving more sand in the environment than in the cage.

So be prepared to vacuum and mop more often, even independent of free flight.

Nevertheless, budgies are adorable creatures that can enrich your everyday life!