After much debating, I finally decided to get another budgie so Scooter could have a companion. I went out and bought a larger cage and now have the new bird in Scooter's old cage.

 

Well guys I changed my mind (Laughing out loud). I did some more reading and researching last night, and decided I wanted a female instead of a male. So I took back the one I bought and exchanged it for a female. She's very cute, and the great thing is, she's already completely handtamed. Although she's too scared at the moment to have anything to do with me (Laughing out loud), I walked around with her on my hand in the pet store the whole time I was there. I think she's older than the other one, but she's still younger than Scooter. Her baby bars are already gone and she's already gone through her first molt. I took a few pics of her, but she's scared of the camera so they aren't very good. But maybe someone can tell my what type she is.

 

 

 

 

 

And a new picture of Scooter cause he's oh so sexy (Laughing out loud)

 

Edited March 30, 200718 yr by luvnscooter

Oh good for you and what a beauty. From the picture you have I say a male Yellow face type 2 I can't see the back of the wings but he is gorgeous :ausb:. Now the count down till they meet but you have a good 30 days to bond with him and get to know him .

Agree with Elly on the colours and he is a dominant pied as well.

:ausb: What a sweetie, congrats! :greenb:

I changed my mind and exchanged the male for a female. I updated my first post with new pics.

I see the pics she is cute, why did you decide to exchange. I am so bad I couldn't exchange once they come into my house I am hooked .

I did alot of researching last night on the internet. I had originally heard that you'd have better luck getting 2 males to live together, and then I kept on reading and alot of what I read said it didn't really matter. And since I already had a boy, I figured why not go for it and try a female. So she is the one. She's very sweet, and is already much more comfortable than the male was. She's very alert, playing with her toys a bit, and is communicating with Scooter from afar. She's still a bit nervous when I approach the cage, so I'm kinda just leaving her alone for right now until she gets more settled.

cool

good for you for being brave, I'm with Elly once I have the bird I wouldn't be able to take it back.

 

Your new hen looks to be mauve cinnamon. Possible a violet instead but I can't tell the check spots from those pictures.

I'd had him for less than 24 hours, so I hadn't really grown attached to him yet. And I knew I couldn't have 3 so I decided taking him back and picking out a female would be the best thing.

 

And her cheek patches are blue-violet if that helps.

Edited March 30, 200718 yr by luvnscooter

i'm thinking of getting a second budgie myself and need to work through the technicalities. so is 30 days in separate cages enough? and what's the minimum size for a cage for 2? plus what do you do when you let scooter out for a fly - does he fly straight to the new budgie or do you keep them in separate rooms when he's out and about?

Here are a couple articles that will help you decide from our FAQ's

 

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

Categories for this entry

General Budgerigar FAQs

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 okay, 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 okay 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

 

Last update: 2007-04-17 16:15

Author: Elly

 

2. Quarantine Program

Categories for this entry

Budgerigar Health And Related

 

Quarantine is the best way in protecting your existing birds from the introduction of infectious disease. It is also to determine whether or not the new bird or birds are diseased and then to treat the problem. The quarantine cage is where all new birds are housed and ideally it should be in a completely different room where there is no airborne or physical contact.

 

Recommend days for quarantine are at least 30 days (1 month). Avian Vets recommend 90 days (3 months) for best results as many illness can lay dorminate.

 

It is strongly recommended you quarantine! If you don't, you could lose all your budgies!

 

Budgerigar Quarantine Program

The following list outlines the steps that should be taken to safely and effectively

quarantine new arrivals to protect your existing flock from potential infection. Most

steps can be applied to any species. The main difference is in the size of the

quarantine cages used.

 

Bird Quarantine Program

 

Bird Treatments

1. External Parasites (Lice and Mites)

Spray thoroughly with A.I.L. before putting in quarantine cage.

 

2. Internal Parasites (Worms)

Treat with Wormout Gel on day one of quarantine

- CROP NEEDLE DOSE:

Fill a 1mL syringe with Wormout Gel and deliver. Administer 0.05mL per 100g body weight, once.

Repeat every three months.

- IN WATER:

All aviary birds add one mL to 80mL of drinking water, for two days. Pigeons - use only half the

dose by adding one mL to 160mL of drinking water. Treat birds for 2 days. Remove all other water

supply. Each pump delivers 2mLs. Aviaries should be treated at least four times a year.

 

3. Protozoa (Canker/Coccidia): Treat Canker with Ronivet-S; mix 4g per 4L drinking water daily for 5 days. Treat Coccidia with Coccivet; mix 1.5mL per Litre drinking water for 5 days.

 

4. Psittacosis: Use Psittavet in water; mix 4g per 800mL of drinking water (mix fresh solution daily) daily

for 45 days.

 

5. Megabacteria: Treat with Megabac-S; mix fresh solution daily for 10 days.

 

6. Nutrition: Supply extra vitamins (Soluvet), minerals (Tracemin), probiotics (Probotic) and protein for

the entire quarantine period.

 

Quarantine Conditions

 

CAGES

Size

- Budgie/small parrot; Breeding cabinet (600mm x 450mm x 350mm)

- Finch/canary; Budgie breeding cabinet

- Medium/large parrot; 1200mm x 900mm x 900mm

- Cockatoo; 900mm x 900mm x 900mm.

Position

- Inside conditions; separate air space

- Outside conditions; At least 5 meters from other birds.

Preparation

- Cleaned and disinfected with Avi Safe

- Treated for insects with Avian Insect Liquidator (A.I.L.)

- Paper on bottom of cage.

 

Hygiene: Clean cages and feed birds in quarantine AFTER normal aviary maintenance

Wash hands with Avi Safe Scrub after attending to quarantine birds

Be careful not to carry droppings, feathers or other waste back into existing aviary

Wash and disinfect food and water containers with Avi Safe daily.

 

 

Observation During Quarantine What Should you look for?

The purpose of quarantine is to detect or eliminate potential problems before they can enter

your aviaries. You must observe all birds in quarantine for any signs of disease. Common signs

are;

 

 

• Prolonged inactivity

• Eye or nasal discharge

• Weight loss

• Soiled vent or diarrhoea (cages lined with paper make observation of droppings easier)

• Wheezing or gasping.

 

If any of these signs occur, keep the infected birds separate from your current stock. Contact

Vetafarm veterinarians or visit www.aussievet.com for an online consultation.

 

VETAFARM

Office Address: 3 Bye Street Wagga Wagga NSW, 2650 AUSTRALIA

Postal Address: PO BOX 5244 Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 AUSTRALIA

Tel: (ISD + 61) ( 2) 69 256222 (Six lines) Fax: (02) 69 256333

Email: vetafarm@vetafarm.com.au

 

We always advise before any home treatment to make an appointment with your Avian Vet.

 

 

Last update: 2007-04-21 15:01

Author: Article contributed by Daz

 

Quarantine for 30 days and that includes ANY contact in the cage or out of the cage.

i'm thinking of getting a second budgie myself and need to work through the technicalities. so is 30 days in separate cages enough? and what's the minimum size for a cage for 2? plus what do you do when you let scooter out for a fly - does he fly straight to the new budgie or do you keep them in separate rooms when he's out and about?

 

Hi nataly....30 days for quarantine is the minimum. It is highly recommended. I didn't do a full quarantine for Bella. I should have, and I believe it is very important, but for Bella it wasn't in her best interest.

 

When I bought her she was handtamed along with another budgie, which she had bonded with. Being alone was causing her problems. I could not keep her and Scooter in separate rooms. Since we have other animals in the house, my bedroom is the safest place for my birds. So Bella could hear Scooter, but couldn't see him. She appeared very stressed, maybe even depressed. She had runny poops, wouldn't eat, and was fluffed up constantly. After 5 days of this behavior and them calling to each other, I decided I would let them be together. I knew that there could be consequences if she was sick, but with the background I had on her from the petshop (she had been with them for awhile since they tamed her themselves, had no visible health problems, and it was the same shop I got Scooter from) and the fact that I have a good avian vet available if needed, I decided it was the best thing I could do for her.

 

It was love at first sight for both of them. She became a completely different bird. She started eating like a horse, was playing with toys, and within a couple days her poops returned to a normal consistancy and she was no longer fluffed up. I've had her for over a month now, and I have 2 very happy, healthy budgies. In my case, I may have just gotten lucky with having a healthy bird, but I feel the stress she was under from being alone could have made her sick.

 

So I would suggest to you, that if at all possible, absolutely quarantine your new bird. It's very important. They need to be kept in separate rooms. Scooter would automatically fly over to Bella's cage as soon as I let him out. Contact like this defeats the purpose of quarantine.

i'm thinking of getting a second budgie myself and need to work through the technicalities. so is 30 days in separate cages enough? and what's the minimum size for a cage for 2? plus what do you do when you let scooter out for a fly - does he fly straight to the new budgie or do you keep them in separate rooms when he's out and about?

 

Scooter would automatically fly over to Bella's cage as soon as I let him out. Contact like this defeats the purpose of quarantine.

 

Everyone does what they want . I do want to add this is why quarantine needs to be done in 2 separate rooms. So when they come out they don't fly toward each other. It defeats the purpose if you have them in the same room or if the door is open so they can fly to the other room. It is also best so they can not hear each other this is where you find that birds go crazy and want to see each other and then you break down as a owner and shorten the quarantine.

 

Quarantine is extremely important you would feel devestated if your new bird because it was ill infected or even killed your existing bird or flock because of your own actions.

 

I am sorry if I sound harsh but it is a reality with birds. Do people get away with shorten quarantines yes but some don't so please quarantine no matter what.

aaww...thats good. Scooter is "oh so sexy" as you say it. (Laughing out loud)...Just kiddin' with ya...

 

I hope both of your birds do well in the future...

Scooter is so cute i can't wait to get my baby budgie in 6 weeks i am counting down!!