:bb: We had a pet budgie up untill a couple of days ago that we were all very attached to. About 2 months ago Joe was pretty crook, after a visit to the vet and couple of days stay he seemed allright. We brought him home and much to our delight he seemed okay, but not quite unfortunately something we put down to age. I came out one morning and put his cage in front of the open door and he seemed okay, I went back to bed and on coming out a half an hour later found he was dead.

We thought we looked after our bird quite well, new seed every day, fresh water when required and a total cage clean at least once a week. Joe was about 7 when he died.

My family and I are very keen on budgies but I have a few questions before we get another;

What is the life span of a budgie?

Are there specific signs we should look for which indicate a birds health?

When is the best time to buy one, Spring?

We loved out talking budgie, I realise they a less likely to talk with two but is it better to have two?

Can you worm budgies, is there a certain regime of food additives or medical process we should have followed for our little bird that would have increased his life span?

I would be grateful for any advice. Regards Greg

Firstly, i am very sorry for your loss. Secondly, welcome to the forums!!!

 

It's good that you're asking questions before you go out and get another budgie. The average life span for a budgie is about 7-8 years but with the right care 12+ isn't uncommon. A healthy budgie will have clear bright eyes, no discharge from nostrils, smooth healthy looking feathers, clean vent and it will be active. If it's on it's own you should also watch for irregular poop (runny, off colour, non-existent). Baby budgies are usually available all year round. You have to be careful when picking a budgie and make sure it's a baby. A baby will have no iris ring and black bars nearly right down to it's cere. One or two budgies is a personal choice. Are you home a lot and would one get a lot of attention? A lot of people start with 1 and then get another later on. You can get dewormer for budgies from pet shops or a vet. Was your budgie on an all seed diet??? A lot of people don't realise that a budgie can't get enough nutrients from seed alone, even if the seed is labled "Complete Budgerigar Food". It's not! Budgies need fresh fruit and vegetables daily or every second day. Things like brocolli, celery, lettuce, spinach, apple, carrot and sprouts usually go down pretty well but some budgies don't like trying new foods. You just have to be persistent.

 

Hope all that helped a bit.

 

Bea

Firstly, i am very sorry for your loss. Secondly, welcome to the forums!!!

 

It's good that you're asking questions before you go out and get another budgie. The average life span for a budgie is about 7-8 years but with the right care 12+ isn't uncommon. A healthy budgie will have clear bright eyes, no discharge from nostrils, smooth healthy looking feathers, clean vent and it will be active. If it's on it's own you should also watch for irregular poop (runny, off colour, non-existent). Baby budgies are usually available all year round. You have to be careful when picking a budgie and make sure it's a baby. A baby will have no iris ring and black bars nearly right down to it's cere. One or two budgies is a personal choice. Are you home a lot and would one get a lot of attention? A lot of people start with 1 and then get another later on. You can get dewormer for budgies from pet shops or a vet. Was your budgie on an all seed diet??? A lot of people don't realise that a budgie can't get enough nutrients from seed alone, even if the seed is labled "Complete Budgerigar Food". It's not! Budgies need fresh fruit and vegetables daily or every second day. Things like brocolli, celery, lettuce, spinach, apple, carrot and sprouts usually go down pretty well but some budgies don't like trying new foods. You just have to be persistent.

 

Hope all that helped a bit.

 

Bea

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First of all, I'm really sorry to hear about your budgies. I just lost a parrotlet so that feeling is fresh on my mind.

 

I'm just going to add to what Bea said (which I completely agree with).

 

If you want to bond with the bird and you have a lot of time to spend with it, one is fine. If you're gone most of the day and the bird is going to have to be alone you should get two. Some people prefer to start off with one, tame it, then get a second one. Just remember that if you add a second bird after you've already had the first, you must quarantine the new bird in another cage and room of the house for at least 30 days before introducing them. This allows for you to monitor it for illness. Budgies hide their illness extremely well because in the wild, a weak or sick bird is the first to be picked off by a predator.

 

Taking a new bird for a well bird visit at the avian vet is a great idea. It's basically just a check-up. Avian vets are trained and equipped enough to properly treat birds. Dog and cat vets just don't always have the education to treat birds especially in an emergency situation. At the well bird visit your vet will be able to advise you as to whether or not your bird should be wormed and he/she can also talk to you about what foods to feed the bird and how to properly care for it.

 

I suggest you read a few parrot books before getting another bird. They're very complex little animals! Some books that I find helpful are Guide to a Well Behaved Parrot, Guide to Companion Parrot Behavior, and Birds Off The Perch. They're all about parrots in general but pretty much everything said will apply to small parrots like budgies too.

 

Have fun with the new bird if you decide to get one.

Sorry to hear you have just lost your budgie.It's brilliant that you are wanting to find out more before you get another.

If you search on here you will probably get the answer to most of your questions but if you can't find it then just keep asking.

Julie