Hello everyone!

 

I've just discovered this forum and have been doing a lot of reading.

One thing I can't find info on is whether or not I can keep my budgies with smaller birds such as finches. I've read that it's not recommended to keep them with other parrots, but are finches okay?

 

The cage I have ordered is 155cm(H) x 70cm(W) x 50cm(L).

 

I've finally decided on budgies over cockatiels (I think!) but now I need to know if they can have other companions! If so, how many? I want more than 1 budgie, but other than that it's not a big deal to me.

 

What are some good ideas for plants to put on the bottom of the cage? I'd like it to have a very natural look to it, with a little waterfeature (Nothing that the birds could drown in) and some nice plants.

 

My goal is to one day have an aviary big enough to keep Princess Parrots (I read somewhere that mine would be big enough, but then another website contradicted my finding)! I would love a pet that I can take out for 3 or so hours a day (When the cats aren't around!) and I can bond with.

Welcome

 

You may want to PM Kaz she has Princess Parrots and could help you on them.

Budgies are recommended to be a lone species in a cages or aviaries because they can get quite nasty (especially if you colony breed which is not recommended what is recommended is closed breeding).

 

How many budgies or what to put on the bottom I will let another person more experienced answer who has a large aviary . You can even ask Kaz if you PM her about the Princess Parrots.

 

Again welcome...and check out our FAQ on the top they are CHOCKED full of info.

Hi, welcome to our forums

Hi there

In regard to Princess Parrots, I would NOT put them in any aviary ( not cage ) that is less than 3 metres by 3 metres by 2 and a half metres tall. They are a bird that loves to fly and need space to do that. The size you have talked about is not large by any means, so you may have to wait until you have a much larger aviary.

I have budgies in my aviary complex and my husband has parrots canaries and finches in his aviary. But his aviary is 10 metres by 3 metres by 2 and a half metres tall. Very large and planted out a little so there are places and spaces for all the birds.

I would not mix budgies and finches at all. The size cage you mentioned is around the size of my patio cage or a tad smaller ( I use it for quarantining birds ).........I would put no more than 6 budgies in for comfortable living, maybe a couple more if they are getting out of cage time. Cettainly not the size you want to be breeding in. Hope this helps.

 

Cheers Kaz

Edited December 9, 200717 yr by KAZ

:ygbudgie: Hello and welcome! I would not recommend putting in ANY bird with a species other than itself but I do know that my avian vet houses a finch and budgie together. DO NOT put a lovebird in with anybody other than another lovebird and even then, watch how they do together.

Thanks for everyone's help! (Don't worry Kaz, when I first read that my cage was big enough for Princess Parrots I didn't believe it - When I move house in a year or so I'm hoping to build a large backyard aviary for them!)

 

I'll remember to post back when I have the cage and the birds. I'll probably only get about 3 to start off with.

Thanks again,

 

Alex

Researching to find answers is the beginning of a good bird owner and you are asking all the right questions and searching for answers. You have the good sense to "feel" when advice seems wrong.

We have many varied bird owners on this forum, not just budgie owners, so its a really great place to find very good information and to get advice and help. Look forward to hearing more.

Try and keep in mind that pet stores often tell "stories" about their birds. In a great many cases they sell older budgies with clipped wings and call them tame baby budgies...but thats just one of the stories and there are many more

Feel free to browse through our FAQ section and past topics. There's lots to learn.

 

Cheers Kaz

I agree with what has been said about the size of your cage ( only big enough to house a couple of budgies only), but just to let you know that Years ago when I kept many varieties of avairy birds , I would have finches in with budgies mainly zebra, double bars , chestnuts, diamonds and java sparrows , These I considered hardy finches and I breed them successfully with budgies , I must say though I only ever had one species of finch in with the budgies and I would build a round cylinder from wire that a budgie could not fit through be a finch could , Inch x inch square wire worked well , Inside this I would stuff it with tea tree branches and hang it in the avairy in the back corner , The cylinder was approx 450mm in dia and 1metre in length , the finches loved it they could get away from the budgies and be safe and that allowed them to build their nests and breed successfully . The finches loved the budgie feathers they always were out and about picking them up for their nests .

I had no problem mixing them if you make sure all their needs are met.

Lastly I will say goodluck with your budgies and remember to learn about the bird you intend to keep , the more you know then the better you will be able to look after them , resulting in happy birds .

Mixed species cohabiting successfully occurs more often when the aviary is quite large and as lonebudgie says there are hidey places as well. People have a different idea of what a large aviary is sometimes. My husbands aviary is 10 metres by 3 metres by 2 and a half metres tall. He had large parrots finches and canaries. It has lots of hidey places and some shrubs and groundcovers. BUT when we breed we have to sell most of the extra birds, or even that kind of space would be overcrowded. That would create stress and stress creates illness and deaths.

Edited December 11, 200717 yr by KAZ

Mixed species cohabiting successfully occurs more often when the aviary is quite large and as lonebudgie says there are hidey places as well. People have a different idea of what a large aviary is sometimes. My husbands aviary is 10 metres by 3 metres by 2 and a half metres tall. He had large parrots finches and canaries. It has lots of hidey places and some shrubs and groundcovers. BUT when we breed we have to sell most of the extra birds, or even that kind of space would be overcrowded. That would create stress and stress creates illness and deaths.

Your right Kaz I forgot to write how big the avairy was , It was 3m x 3m x3m high and I only bred one variety of finch per cage with the budgies , I colony bred the finches and sold off all the young each year maintaining the original pairs . Thats why I said to learn about each individual species so as to provide the best you can for them , If you dont then you will recieve nothing in return from your birds.