I have been thinking about getting a second budgie, is this a good idea?

Getting a second budgie could very well be a good idea, but only if you think it over carefully and prepare. Here are some things you should think about:

Any new bird must be quarantined for a minimum of thirty days so that you can monitor him for illness. Avian vets suggest a longer quarantine of 90 days. A well bird check up during this time is a very good idea with an avian vet. You can also use this time to bond with the new bird so that it is tame before introduced to your other budgie. It is much harder to tame a bird that is already housed with another bird. Read: Quarantine Program

Not all budgies will get along. Most are ok, but introductions must be carefully supervised to ensure that the two birds will not harm each other.

In the event that your budgies don't get along, you must be prepared to house them separately. Many budgies who refuse to harmoniously share a cage will often do ok during out of cage time. However, this is not always the case. You may very well end up having to give your new budgie his own spacious cage and make time to give the two birds separate time out of the cage.

Speaking of which, a second budgie means a little more expense. Vet care, extra food, and an extra cage (at least for quarantine) must be taken into consideration or a bigger cage to house both birds comfortably. If you find your birds are arguing and not getting along check to make sure the size of the cage is big enough to accomodate two budgies. The most costly of all these is of course, vet care. Can you comfortably afford vet care for the bird you already have? If not, it would probably be wise not to add to the flock right now.

Lastly, make sure you really want that second bird too. If your biggest motivation is providing a budgie friend for your current bird then you might end up frustrated and disappointed if they don't get along.

Basically, make sure you have the time, patience, money, space, and desire to comfortably take care of a second budgie, even in the event that the two birds do not get along.

Another note is that two males will get along better than a male and a female. Females tend to boss and rule over males, who will more readily back. Getting two of the same sex birds will also prevent accident breeding and eggs being layed especially if you do not desire to breed.

answer by eterri

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