Budgie?

cazs

Hi,
I am thinking about getting a budgie.
Is there anyone who either has had one, or has one at present, and can share their experiences?
Thank you

UKTigerlily

I'd think you'd need two at least, personally I hate caged birds as it's unfair IMO but i'd also say look for a breeder not a pet shop. I can't remember much about looking after them as it's been years since I did but ppl will soon be along

Fosterdog

I second that, in the wild they live in big family groups so you should get a pair as a minimum.

Pechow

If untamed, definitely get more than one, they're flock animals and need the socialisation. Tamed birds can live alone, but they'll need a lot of human interaction to make up for it, so it's nicer to have two. If you interact with them often they'll both stay tame, though may prefer each other to you. Remember, they're parrots, and so very intelligent-they need toys and things to do! Toys can be cheap, like toilet rolls, wooden coffee stirrers, kitchen roll tied to the cage bar for them to shred, etc. They can learn to talk and have huge vocabularies-the record for largest vocabulary is actually held by a budgie, who knew over 1000 words and phrases! Because they're so common people really underestimate them, and their needs.

Ignore what a pet shop will probably tell you-the VERY minimum cage size for one budgie is usually said to be about 45cm x 45 cm, bigger is always better, especially with multiple birds that won't be let out. Check the bar spacing as well, make sure it's not wide enough for them to put their head through. It's often cheaper to buy one online, btw. Also, get perches of different sizes and shapes-dowel perches/perches the same size can cause them to develop bumblefoot.

A seed diet isn't good for them-they tend to pick out their favourites and leave the rest, and seed is very fatty. A mix of seeds, fresh fruit/veg, other things like grains and sprouts (sprout the seeds!), and ideally pellets like Harrisons super fine are best. Birds on a seed only diet often develop liver problems and have issues with malnutrition.

Especially if you get a female, research hormonal triggers to get her to lay as few eggs as possible, as this is stressful on the body. Things like 12 hours darkness each day (to mimic winter light levels when they don't lay) will help. They do not need a nest box or anything, they'll be fine sleeping on perches.

Avocado, caffeine, chocolate, apple seeds, and fruit stones are the main poisonous foods. Teflon fumes are toxic so you won't be able to use non-stick cookware (and even in another room it's still risky and I wouldn't recommend it). Aerosols, deodorant, etc aren't good for them either as their respiratory system is so delicate. Your average vet will not be properly trained to handle birds, you want an avian vet or even "just" an exotics vet.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask