We're picking up our first male budgie this weekend, and we eventually would like to get a second male hopefully to live in the same cage. From reading on here we're going to get the first one and hopefully get it to bond to us before getting the second. I've also read on here that breeding pet budgies usually un-does a lot the taming.

 

Would having 2 males have the same effect. We don't want them to be completely dependent on us, but would like them to be happy to sit on our fingers and receive a scratch behind the head and not fly madly around the cage when we fill the food containers.

 

Is this feasible or should we stick to just one budgie. If it is feasible how long, or what stage should the first be in its bonding with us before introducing the second.

I have a friend who has 3 of my pet budgies (bought as babies at different times, but all within this year). One male and 2 females. I think you will have a hard time getting them to talk to you in "human speak" if you have more than one bird, as they are happy to chatter away to each other, but if you have one very tame and comfortable pet and you bring a second one along, initially keeping it in a separate cage for training, they will still bond to their human owners and happily interact with you. My friend has great delight with all three of her babies, all having their own unique characters

It was a long time ago now, but I had a male for a year once who was extremely tame. Then we got another baby boy, and I think he was young enough that it was no trouble to tame him given that we already had a very tame one. I think they bonded very well with each other, but the old one was still very tame towards us and the new one was plenty tame enough to get out and play with although not seeking out human company particularly. They were both friendly and tame enough that it was a nice balance.

 

I have thought that in future if we find we don't have as much time for Cosmo as we do now we might get him a little boy as a friend and tame him too. But for now we'll just stick with the one and hope we can always give him this much attention!

 

 

Edit: oh yeah and also talking. The first boy was a big talker, and when the new one came along he talked in words to him, and even learnt some more words (the new one's name), and eventually the new one learned one or two words off the old one. He probably talked a little less eventually, but was still always a talker.

Edited November 21, 200816 yr by krosp

The breeding process is not what makes them not bond to you as strong it is that a budgie will bond with it's own species before it bonds with another species (such as us). My experience is as such, Pretty was bonded to me within about 9 months and I feel that I should have had a strong bond before I got another but Merlin was at the right place at the right time and we got him. What I found is that Pretty's bond with me weaken but he still wanted to be around me and he would fly to me etc...but Merlin never bonded with me because he immediately bonded with Pretty. The 2nd budgie will bond with the 1st budgie and the 1st budgie will stay bonded to you but share the bond with the 2nd budgie. If you want to keep a "you are the only" one bond with a budgie then they have to be the only budgie.

Thanks for the replies, sounds like its a goer then. We're not really all that fussed about them speaking, nor seeking our company, but just want them to accept it when we seek their company.

 

We'll see how long it takes to bond our first budgie then make a decision on when to get a second. Both my son's want one each, but there's no point if it makes the budgies not want to interact with us at all.

Edited November 21, 200816 yr by Hills

Your boy has already bonded to Cookie, my male inside budgie

He follows Cookie around like a lost puppy and unless they are in separate rooms your boy wont sit on me as he wants to sit with Cookie

Just a note because you have 2 doesn't mean you shouldn't pay attention like them when you have 1 because they will tend to go backward if they are not payed attention to on a daily basis , they will only accept you when you want if you give them time that they need from you.

No worries, but I don't think that will be an issue Elly :hi:

 

I hope we're not going to upset him too much by separating them, Liv