Hellooo.

 

okay, first of all, I apologise if this has been asked to death - I have tried searching but my efforts seemed to result in far too many irrelevant threads to wade through on my slow connection. Hum.

 

SO.

 

I have never before owned a budgie, but lately I've become totally enamoured by these birds and am planning to try to convince my landlord that I should be allowed to keep one (ahaha, yes... I haven't actually asked him yet. He has a "no pets" policy but I don't know how strict this is... still, I'll be heartbroken if he says no - it's lonely here without a little friend to keep me company! I so miss having a companion critter to play with and spoil rotten.)

 

I work full time, 37 hours a week, and thus would only have time to spend with the budgie early in the morning or after 17:30 when I get home. Being a relatively introverted person, I don't like to go out much in the evenings so I'd be spending plenty of time with the budgie after work, but I'm quite worried about it getting lonely or bored in the daytime. Is this an issue, do you think? Would it be cruel for me to bring home a budgie and abandon it from 8:30 til 5:30 every day...? I would hate for it to be lonely and sad.

 

Should I consider getting 2 budgies? What do you think is best for the bird?

 

If I were to get two, would it be better to bring the pair home together or to leave it a couple of months before introducing the second so that the first has a chance to get used to me first? I've read in many accounts that it's more difficult to bond with a budgie when there are 2, though not impossible. I'm just worried about ending up with 2 wild and naughty birds going rogue on me... I am just not quite sure what to expect.

 

I'd feel more comfortable starting with one, but if being out for 8 hours per day is going to be upsetting for it then I'll just have to be brave

 

Any advice on this matter would be very much appreciated!

 

Thank you~

 

Helen

Hello and Welcome

 

Firstly. No question is too big or too small We love questions - it keeps us on our toes

 

You will probably get a number of different opinions here, and it is also a personal choice.

Personally, I would have 2 birds. I would buy 2 baby (6 week old) siblings from a breeder who has continued to handle the babies from a young age. That way they are already starting to tame and are good friends with each other.

 

Ensure your cage is big enough for them to have room to fly...

 

This is an ideal cage for 2 budgies

 

And fill it with LOTS of toys.

 

A radio or a TV left on during the day can help too.

 

Hope this helps a little

Edited March 28, 200817 yr by **Liv**

Hey, thank you, yes that helped a lot.

 

I'd wondered if maybe leaving the radio on might help...

 

The cage I am after is definitely big enough - it's advertised as a cage fit for 2-4 budgies but I'd prefer it to be a little larger than necessary than smaller. Plenty of space in this one for 2 birds to fly!

 

 

Anyway... when I've got the go ahead from my landlord (being optimistic here! Hey if he says no I'll just find another place to rent... hee hee ) I'll have to call up a few of my local breeders to find out what's available - still not quite sure who I'm going to buy them from but there seem to be plenty of breeders around here so one of them has got to be suitable. Fingers crossed!

 

Oooooh I'm far too excited. Everyone at work is sick of hearing me babble away about budgie this and budgie that! (Laughing out loud). It'll only get worse.

Budgies are totally addictive and this place makes them even MORE addictive! When i joined here i had 10 birds, 9 months later I have 30

 

Great to hear you have found a cage

Here is a link to see the right and wrong cage types... Just because someone says they are suitable for birds, doesn't mean they are.... just double check here to make sure the cage to are looking at is suitable. --> Right and worng cages

Here is a good article about having 1 or 2 budgies CLICK TO READ. You have received great advice

Budgies are totally addictive and this place makes them even MORE addictive! When i joined here i had 10 birds, 9 months later I have 30

 

Great to hear you have found a cage

Here is a link to see the right and wrong cage types... Just because someone says they are suitable for birds, doesn't mean they are.... just double check here to make sure the cage to are looking at is suitable. --> Right and worng cages

I agree with Liv on cage sizes. Please do not rely on advice from anyone selling cages or petshops as to what is best for how ever many budgies...please use the cages article we have on here or others advice from here in selecting your cage type and size

and welcome

Hi, welcome to the forums

it is really great that you are researching before buying a budgie.

Hello and welcome, great you are asking questions and doing research. Yes, budgies LOVE the radio on!!!! My personal opinion is if, you are away for long hours as I am, better to get two to keep each other company. Get one first and work with them to make them tame, get another and work with them in quarantine for a month and then slowly introduce them. Probably better you get male/male, female/female pairings to avoid problems later on. But again, that's ME, enjoy reading everybody's comments! :ygbudgie:

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

 

Budgies are the best arn't they. Hope you find the forum fun, we have a great time here. Here's my opinion on your situation...

 

The only problem/issue that you have with buying 1 budgie now and another later on is that you will have to quarantine them... so you would need to cages... if you buy 2 young ones from the same breeder you will be able to house them in the same cage from day one... the downside to that is that it is, in some peoples opinions, harder to tame them like that... weigh up the pro's and con's of each and then come to a conclusion that best suits your situation...

 

As for wether you by a girl or boy or both... I find most people on here believe that they will not breed unless they find a site that is sutable for a nest but there are some others that believe some budgies will breed no matter what situation they are in... I'm not that experienced so I can't really say I have an opinion either way.

Thank you for all your great advice!

 

Thanks for the link to right and wrong cages. This is the cage I want:

 

 

 

 

It is very roomy (87cm x 46cm x 67cm or something like that), and also a reputable animal cage manufacturer here in the UK so no danger of toxicity etc. Seems to have excellent reviews from the budgie owners who bought it.

I had a look on eBay but some are sooo cheap there I get a bit suspicious. I'd rather pay a bit more for something I know is made properly and won't be dangerous.

 

 

I would definitely be getting a same sex pairing if I go for 2 - don't want any risk of breeding, eek, I wouldn't know what to do! :mellow:

 

If space allows I could consider getting them at different times and going the two cages option. Just have to see what the place looks like when I've finished my big junk clean-out... :hap:

 

Thanks again! It's so great that you all love budgies so much. I think they're one of the most underrated pets ever... I remember in primary school each class had a "class budgie" (along with "class hamsters", "class gerbils" etc.), but they can't have been happy, treated more like an chirping ornament than a pet you could interact with. The teachers didn't have a clue how to look after them of course.

 

 

:greenb:

Great cage :hap:

Welcome to the forum

I can see YOU are going to be bitten by the "budgie bug" badly, being this excited and you dont even have one yet! I think its great and yes, you are quite right, they are an underrated little pet, except by those that are owned by them (Laughing out loud)

Hi Faepirate,

 

that looks like a fantastic flight cage. The budgies will be very happy there. I wouldn't worry too much about the sex of the budgies, as without a nest box it is very unusual for them to lay eggs. Not impossible, but unusual. I have around 50+ birds of mixed sex in my aviary and have never had an egg laid in there. The other 20 birds in breeding cabinet, however, are a different story

 

I look forward to seeing the beautiful birds you will acquire.

 

 

Feathers.

YAY congrats on your almost but not quite new additions!

what will you call the little darlings?

Good descision on the same sex that is what I did I got 2 males so I didn't have to worry about eggs at all .

Wonderful cage.

Hi Faepirate.. welcome. I live in a flat and got Maxie for Mothers day last year. I too worried about my landlord. I hadnt asked FIRST!! My kids said tell them you're looking after it for someone but in the end I confessed the truth (always safer). I HAD TO!! The landlord's father came to fix my tap!! YIKES!! I stood sort of in front of the cage, trying to hide it while desperately hoping Maxie wouldnt give the game away by chirping. Of course .. she DID!! I nearly died! "father landlord" looked up... "thought I heard a bird!" I laughed... "hahahahahaha.... you did" (as my heart was racing!!). I hastily added that I have this little feathered companion so that I have someone to come home to (I live alone). I was so nervous telling him, but he obviously wasnt concerned. Next weekend the landlord (lady) came and dropped in for a coffee. Again the nervous wait for Maxie to chirp. In the end I came clean and said "do you like my little feathered companion over there? isnt she cute?" luckily she was okay with it but said she would "discuss it" with the real estate and let me know if it was okay to have her. I sweated.. didnt hear back at all so presumed it was okay.

 

Then I got Charley.. oops.. hope TWO budgies is okay (I have one in each room as Charley talks and is totally in love with me and I dont want to lose that by having him in love with Maxie instead). Held my breath the next time "flat inspection" was done by the real estate. Lease says "DEFINITELY NO PETS".. however, nothing was said. (so I got a fish tank with 30 fish!! hahaha but that's another story!!) Flat inspection went well, no mention of my 32 pets!!

 

If I'm going out for a length of time I leave the radio on for them (same radio station in each room.. I guess that was important!!!???). They love it. I am also away at work from 6am till 5pm but I know Charley amuses himself, he never stops playing and talking. I spend time with them every evening and a LOT of time on the weekends. Maxie is very quiet but I'm sure she is happy (she looks happy!). They cant see each other but never have so they dont seem to worry, just accept that there's another of their kind in the "other room" (I guess).

 

Once I went away overnight and left a small light on and the radio on (softly) for the entire time. I know they would have appreciated that. Only problem was I couldnt of course cover them up that night so presume they "stayed up" partying all night!!

 

Dont know how helpful this all is to you. But enjoy your budgies when you get them. I LOVE the cage by the way, and best of luck with the landlord. I'm sure they'll be understanding like mine!!

Hey!

When I got the permission to buy myself a budgie, I got myself a single one. I'm a full time worker, I leave at 7:30 and return at 6pm... But still, I had plenty of time to tame her good! So IMO, working full time and having just one budgie doesn't hurt. But I really think you need to get a 2nd one later on so they'll have each other during the day. I did a few months later, when I judged I had tamed my girl okay. I didn't do quarantine and put them together when I got home. I didn't know I had to quarantine anyway.

 

Maybe I shouldn't have... Not cuz I was scared Pat was sick but more because Bud just spent a full day preening him quietly, and whenever he tried to leave she'd squeak and he'd freeze... Then she'd preen him again. o_O And he was just standing there staring at me in a "Woman, what the heck did you get me into here?"

When we were renting about 7 years ago, my lease also said NO PETS (Me, No Pets - That aint gonna happen hehehe)

I bought a turtle first..... They said "Well i guess it's okay, it's kind of like a fish, right?" I said "absolutely" with a big grin. My Terry Turtle was out of the aquarium and walking around the floor every day hahhaha. She was toilet trained and loved to sit on the sofa... More like a dog to me hehehehhe

 

Anyway, about 3 months later i moved my small aviary from my mum's house with 5 budgies in it.... the landlord was like "I guess they are okay, seeing they are outside pets, Right?" I said "absolutely" with another BIG grin hahahha. all my birds were tame and spent most of their time sitting on my shoulder or the curtain rods hehehehe

 

Good luck with your land lord. As you can see i didn't pay a lot of attention to them, but i was only 18 at the time hehehe.

Welcome Fae, ( the only person I know that spells Fairy correct (Laughing out loud) ) anyways .... Cage is Great Nice and roomy .... there are ways of persuading land lords ( box of chocolates, Fav bottle of grog :beer: (Laughing out loud) ) I too think that you should start of with 2 babies if you are not home often as a bird can die of boredom.. Plenty of toys and free fly time .... like the others have said Budgie are ADDICTIVE I start with 2 1 year later i house 20 .. Good luck withyour hunt forthe right bird/s and best of luck with the landlord :(Laughing out loud):

I asked my landlord rather gingerly tonight whether I would be allowed a budgie.... at first he wasn't sure because apparently the tenency rules are on government approval and nothing to do with him, but I pointed out that the agreement ACTUALLY reads: "No pets allowed without the permission of the landlord", to which he replied, "Oh! Oh it does! Then that's fine! I don't see any problem with you having a budgie!"

 

So you know what this means in a couple of weeks times.........

 

 

*SO happy*

 

(I was nervous all day about asking him! Eeek. I was convinced he would say no and I was prepared to move out just for the sake of this little dream of mine. xD Hee hee.)

 

I had a super massive clean-out at the weekend and rearranged all the furniture in my room in order to make space for the budgie cage. When I get the confirmation from the landlord's wife (he needs to check with her) I can order that cage and get started on 'budgie-proofing' my room (anyone got any advice on this...?) and telephone the local breeders.

 

Ooooooooooooh I am SO hyped right now...

 

 

YAY congrats on your almost but not quite new additions!

what will you call the little darlings?

 

I don't know what I'll call them yet! I haven't even decided whether to get a both male or both female pair (assuming both are available).

 

 

Ha ha, thk and Liv, I love your accounts of sneaking your pets through the landlord's nets I'm guessing they say "no pets" mainly for dogs and cats. That's what my landlord guessed anyway (it amuses me very much that he doesn't even know why the rule is there in the first place!).

 

Thanks everyone for the welcomes and suggestions!

 

YEAHHHHHHHH !!!!!

 

Wasn't that hard?????? ..... I look forward to seeing which bird you get ... All the best IT'S SHOPPING TIME

congrats, you got a lot of great advice I have been reading here and there

Make sure your get that from your landlord in writing that you are allowed the budgies.

I don't know what type of apartment you live in or if your walls are thin but 2 males are going to be louder then 2 females. I love males because of their exciting nature and the fact that I don't have to worry about any egg issues but when considering an apartment setting you may want to go with 2 females because they they are not quiet quiet they don't tend to make as much racket as 2 males. .

Got ths info re: 1 or 2 budgies ....Some food for thought ....

 

Budgies are flock creatures. This is one of their most defining aspects. Budgies need to be part of a flock and it is cruel to keep a budgie lonely and isolated. It is perfectly fine to keep only one budgie as long as you plan on taming him (or her) and you and your family can interact with him/her every day. In this case, you and your family will become your budgie's flock, and he or she will form a very close bond with you. If you have a male budgie, he is likely (but not guaranteed) to learn to talk in this situation. Your budgie will become a beloved household pet. However, if you and your family do not plan on keeping a tame budgie and do not plan on interaction with the bird(s), you must keep at least two together. You can keep any combination of males and females together, but I recommend at least 50% males. The budgies will become a flock and will interact, chirp, and sing together. They will be enjoyable to watch and to have around. But no matter what, a budgie should never be kept alone and isolated without interaction from it's flock (whether it be it's human flock or budgie flock) on a permanent basis.

I like 2 males. Males are the silliest of the lot, with their head bopping, dancing, flirting, pinny eyes, poofy heads and kissing everything that moves and sometimes doesn't move. hehe

I love the boys too