Caged Budgies.

[carrust]

Does anyone else think that keeping budgies in cages is cruel?

[chaptazbru2]

I don't think expressing your concerns about a lonely caged bird is giving advice on 'how to live' to your customers carrust! What did you expect people on here to say? I think you should speak up on it's behalf, it can be done tactfully. I certainly would.

[Old_Geezer]

Less cruel than releasing them into the wild where they get mobbed & killed.

If you mean cruel not to let them fly around the room and stretch their wings occasionally, then yes I do think it a bit off.

Ideally of course they should be in their natural habitat or a massive aviary. But most of us can't afford an aviary, so unless we intend to ban such pets ...

[jourdain2]

I do. Trouble is that they would not survive in the wild. I would be happy to see keeping budgies discouraged.

[Daffy6543]

Keeping any bird in a cage is cruel in my opinion, especially parrots.

[wildwood]

Another case of attributing human emotion to animals, it just doesn't work that way. The budgies kept in cages have been bred in captivity for countless generations and are just about twice the size of the wild ones. Back in the years when we did have a budgie in a cage, it would happily return to its cage on its own after its daily romp about in the lounge.

Captive birds live more than twice as long as the ones in the wild. They don't as a rule have birds of prey, pet cats and other animals constantly trying to eat them. There are medicines available for easily diagnosed bird ailments. They should have food and drink available all the time.

Of course there are bird that are kept in cruel conditions but that is due to the irresponsible owner, not the fact that the bird is kept in captivity.

It does make me smile when people moan about keeping a bird in a cage while they have no problem tucking into their veal or steak or lamb-chops.

[woofgang]

But wildwood, your bird was let out of its cage, The discussion here is about birds who are never let out of small cages. The fact that they live longer doesn't mean much in terms of quality of life. Animals kept in small cages in zoos, so cramped and unstimulated that all the do is pace all day and all night, still might live for longer than their wild counterpart but that doesn't mean that they are happy.

[mrs.chappie]

Keeping the bird in the kitchen is a definite no-no.

[DaisyNonna]

I do

[vetuste_ennemi]

Wildwood, paragraphs 1 & 3 are just plain wrong. Para 2 is inconsequential.
But you're spot on with para 4.
25%. Must try harder.

[paddywak]

You might find this hard to believe but when caged birds are put into an aviary they often have to be "taught" to fly.As you may know all Collierys were required by law to keep canaries on site for gas testing in the event of a fire or accident.We had six which were kept in cages in the safety office.A new guy got the job who didn't like the birds being caged so he got hatch put in the wall and a large flight built complete with a load of perches and things.The birds were released into the flight and the canaries fluttered to the floor but couldn't fly back up at night this went on for several days with one of the guys who was a budgie fancier was laughed at when he said they needed to be taught to fly.The laughter stopped when he introduced one of his birds to the flight and within a week the birds were all flying.Another thing was when they were caged you never heard them singing once,they'd got used to the flight they never stopped,it was a pleasure to hear them .

[mrs.chappie]

Often, permanently-caged birds can't fly because they're overweight (no flying means no exercise).

Lovely story there, Paddywak. TFS.