jugoya
Member
I was reading that wounded lovebird thread...
And it makes me realize that not all people are inventive when it comes to taking care of their fids with what money they have... so I have a small informative guide here that I used to use as a college student who had many companion birds!
Working off of a $200 a month budget... I put aside $30 a month for my birds...
$20 of that was vet funds... (I built up a $800 budget over my five years! (Setting aside christmas money.. and spending money. Everything extra I had went to the birds. So no new computer.. no new phone no toys or things that I kept for myself. This can really feel like a sacrifice but if you aren't willing.. ask yourself 'should I have pets?'..)(This was on top of regular examinations with my local Avian vet.)
The rest went towards a toy and food fund.
This is what I did with two small birds.. and at any given time one of the two larger birds that I fostered.
I made sure to save when I could... and fed them a healthy diet of pellets, and fresh food as well.
First off.. when you can?
BUY IN BULK!
Especially pellets. I'd buy a 25lb bag of the smaller stuff, and share it among my birds. Yes.. I hand ground down the budgies pellets and cooked it into bread. A loaf if frozen would last me all of a month, and had all of the other things they needed in it.
Toys.. I spent much of my free time carving them out of found wood that I gathered from vinyards around the area. Or bought bulk beads and other stuff.
Food found around the home!
Carrots?
Frozen vegetables? Rice?
Also certain table scraps like the end of a salad (NO onions, or dressing)
All of these things when chopped up put into a bag and frozen can make food to suppliment your seeds.
And all are relatively cheap. One apple, a plum, a summer squash (usually yellow) A corn cob, some grated carrot, cabbage and maybe noodles... makes a decent enough chop mix that will last aweek.. and usually only costs about 3 or 4$- Of course I feed pellets along with these things..
All of these things are relatively cheap though and will keep quite well.
To buy these things for a while I would save any change I could find. Before Porter I just had the budgies and with a recent move and having lost my job.. things were tight; heck you can make a chop mix with things you find around the house. Dried beans.. cooked potato; almost any fruit you can find. Rice noodles.. most birds love this stuff. Make it vary and you'll still have very healthy birds. In the end its not so much expensive for food and toys (Vet bills and cages excluded) if you have a little imagination :3. Lots of birds loves Corn bread for example and Jalapenos.. and i grow those myself xP.
Save the seeds from most peppers or squash if you have a pumpkin around halloween. Squash seeds and pepper seeds are good; though most fruit seeds are not.
I usually give each of my birds a tablespoon of this mixture in the morning and evening.
Granted I make different mixtures quite often but.. this is the simplest and will help.
I give porter cat balls with the bell removed; popsicle sticks... natural wooden beads... all sorts of things.
When a bird gets bored of his old toys? I break them apart and make new ones, soak em in vinegar and share them between all of my birds.
When it came to cages and I found myself with another bird? Never hurts to take them apart and try and build bigger at least for a temporary solution.
So basically this slips down too five simple rules of thumb for the Thrifty bird owner.
1. BUDGET!
2. BUY IN BULK
3. Be inventive and proactive, Imagination is important!
4. TIME!
5. REUSE AND RECYCLE!
Use what you have.. work around problems and never let yourself slip up and think.. well a little less won't hurt them for a little while. That momentary lapse lets us slide into a habit of doing less. The more you do despite less money.. the more the health of your bird will shine out.
Its not about 'can't' its about making it so you CAN.
Thats about all I can think of for now xP
And it makes me realize that not all people are inventive when it comes to taking care of their fids with what money they have... so I have a small informative guide here that I used to use as a college student who had many companion birds!
Working off of a $200 a month budget... I put aside $30 a month for my birds...
$20 of that was vet funds... (I built up a $800 budget over my five years! (Setting aside christmas money.. and spending money. Everything extra I had went to the birds. So no new computer.. no new phone no toys or things that I kept for myself. This can really feel like a sacrifice but if you aren't willing.. ask yourself 'should I have pets?'..)(This was on top of regular examinations with my local Avian vet.)
The rest went towards a toy and food fund.
This is what I did with two small birds.. and at any given time one of the two larger birds that I fostered.
I made sure to save when I could... and fed them a healthy diet of pellets, and fresh food as well.
First off.. when you can?
BUY IN BULK!
Especially pellets. I'd buy a 25lb bag of the smaller stuff, and share it among my birds. Yes.. I hand ground down the budgies pellets and cooked it into bread. A loaf if frozen would last me all of a month, and had all of the other things they needed in it.
Toys.. I spent much of my free time carving them out of found wood that I gathered from vinyards around the area. Or bought bulk beads and other stuff.
Food found around the home!
Carrots?
Frozen vegetables? Rice?
Also certain table scraps like the end of a salad (NO onions, or dressing)
All of these things when chopped up put into a bag and frozen can make food to suppliment your seeds.
And all are relatively cheap. One apple, a plum, a summer squash (usually yellow) A corn cob, some grated carrot, cabbage and maybe noodles... makes a decent enough chop mix that will last aweek.. and usually only costs about 3 or 4$- Of course I feed pellets along with these things..
All of these things are relatively cheap though and will keep quite well.
To buy these things for a while I would save any change I could find. Before Porter I just had the budgies and with a recent move and having lost my job.. things were tight; heck you can make a chop mix with things you find around the house. Dried beans.. cooked potato; almost any fruit you can find. Rice noodles.. most birds love this stuff. Make it vary and you'll still have very healthy birds. In the end its not so much expensive for food and toys (Vet bills and cages excluded) if you have a little imagination :3. Lots of birds loves Corn bread for example and Jalapenos.. and i grow those myself xP.
Save the seeds from most peppers or squash if you have a pumpkin around halloween. Squash seeds and pepper seeds are good; though most fruit seeds are not.
I usually give each of my birds a tablespoon of this mixture in the morning and evening.
Granted I make different mixtures quite often but.. this is the simplest and will help.
I give porter cat balls with the bell removed; popsicle sticks... natural wooden beads... all sorts of things.
When a bird gets bored of his old toys? I break them apart and make new ones, soak em in vinegar and share them between all of my birds.
When it came to cages and I found myself with another bird? Never hurts to take them apart and try and build bigger at least for a temporary solution.
So basically this slips down too five simple rules of thumb for the Thrifty bird owner.
1. BUDGET!
2. BUY IN BULK
3. Be inventive and proactive, Imagination is important!
4. TIME!
5. REUSE AND RECYCLE!
Use what you have.. work around problems and never let yourself slip up and think.. well a little less won't hurt them for a little while. That momentary lapse lets us slide into a habit of doing less. The more you do despite less money.. the more the health of your bird will shine out.
Its not about 'can't' its about making it so you CAN.
Thats about all I can think of for now xP
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i fall on that category as well, and i do many of the things on your list, they do really help!
