FAQ: Supplies for birds

No. zoogidas.lt only compares prices. The shop link takes you to the shop's own website, where you place and pay for the order.

Packs come in very different sizes. The price per kilogram shows which one is really the cheapest.

Prices are collected from the shops about once a day. Each product shows when its price was last checked, so confirm it on the shop's website before you buy.

Yes. The product page shows its price history, so you can judge whether the current price of a food, cage or toy is typical or worth waiting for a discount.

Yes. For liquid products, such as water-soluble vitamins or cleaners, the price is converted per litre, and for food and litter per kilogram. That makes packs of different sizes easier to compare.

Prepare a roomy cage, a few perches of different thickness, a feeder and a water dispenser, food suited to the species, a bath and a couple of toys in advance. The bird then arrives in a ready environment and is less stressed on its first day.

Food, litter or cage paper, cuttlebone and mineral blocks are bought regularly. A cage, feeders and a carrier are usually one-off purchases, while perches and toys are replaced as they wear out.

A kit is convenient, but check that the cage is big enough for your species and that the perches are not all plastic and the same thickness. Sometimes buying a roomier cage and a few wooden perches separately is cheaper and better.

Large parrots need a sturdier cage with thicker, wider-spaced bars, thicker perches, heavier bowls and more chew-resistant toys. Products made for small birds can be unsafe for a large parrot because it quickly destroys them.

Place the cage somewhere bright but out of direct sunlight, away from draughts, radiators and the kitchen. It works best when at least one side is against a wall and the cage sits at roughly human eye level.

For one or two budgies the cage should be at least about 60 cm long, and longer is better because budgies fly horizontally. Bar spacing should be about 1–1.2 cm so the head cannot slip through.

Birds fly sideways, not upwards, so a long cage lets them make at least short flights between perches. A tall but narrow cage looks impressive, yet leaves little room to move.

Round cages are generally not recommended: they have no corner where the bird can feel safe, and the bars narrow towards the top, making it hard to fit perches. A rectangular cage is more comfortable for the bird.

Powder-coated or stainless steel cages are the usual choice. Avoid galvanised or old painted cages with flaking coating, because birds chew the bars and can be poisoned by swallowed paint or metal particles.

Yes, a roomy aviary is good for birds, especially several canaries or zebra finches that spend little time outside the cage. An outdoor aviary needs a roof against rain, protection from predators and a warm shelter in the cold season.

Two or three perches of different thickness at different heights are usually enough, placed so that none sits directly above another or above the bowls. Too many perches take away flying space.

Natural branches vary in thickness and have an uneven surface, so the bird's feet work in different ways and suffer less from pressure. Uniform smooth plastic perches can contribute to foot problems over time.

Budgies and canaries do well on perches about 1–2 cm thick, cockatiels on 1.5–2.5 cm, and large parrots need thicker ones. The bird's toes should wrap around roughly two thirds of the perch.

Rough sand perches or sandpaper sleeves can irritate the skin of the feet and barely shorten the nails. If you like, use one mineral or concrete perch alongside natural branches, but never as the only one.

Stainless steel or ceramic bowls that are easy to wash and clip firmly to the bars are the most practical. For water many owners choose an enclosed drinker, because fewer husks and droppings get into it.