Does anyone have experience with budgies?

[FishFinatic77]

They're beautiful! They're spitting images of my grandmother's budgies. Peter and... Peter. I'd love to have at least some kind of bird someday. Their sweet little eyes and colours make me so happy.

Thank you! They make me happy too. Just looking at their cute little faces makes me smile.

 

[FishFinatic77]

It has been years since I had Budgies, I miss mine they were also very playful and liked to sit on my should while I watched TV. They would tap on my ear if I was not giving them enough attention.

That's so cute!

 

[MammaBearinTN]

They're so pretty! I love budgies, although a group of them can get quite loud! LOL

 

[FishFinatic77]

They're so pretty! I love budgies, although a group of them can get quite loud! LOL

Thank you! Yes, Sprite and Marshmallow talk all day long. I like listening to them though. It's a very cheerful sound. ?

 

[OliveFish05]

They're so pretty! I love budgies, although a group of them can get quite loud! LOL

Thank you! Yes, Sprite and Marshmallow talk all day long. I like listening to them though. It's a very cheerful sound. ?

Veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy loud. My sisters have 7 who live in their bedroom. Apparently my sisters and I laugh a lot, because the birds have learned to giggle...

I just read through a bit of this thread, your parakeets are so lovely!!!

 

[Fishmanic]

Thank you! Yes, Sprite and Marshmallow talk all day long. I like listening to them though. It's a very cheerful sound. ?

what do they talk about?

 

[azvictoria]

I didn't think bird questions would come on here! I had a big aviary years ago raising exclusively Australian parakeets and cockatiels - anything from budgies to more exotic ones - crimson rosellas, Princess of Wales, even the rare 28 Parakeet. Hope to help here! While I have always had fish, birds are really in my wheelhouse - spend a lot of time working with zoos in the US and OZ with avian issues, the number one being liver disease in captivity.

I really want to get a budgie, but I have never owned a bird (besides chickens), so I have lots of questions. Does anyone have any experience with budgies? @Colin_T, you keep birds, right?

-Can I keep a single budgie, or do I need to get two?

Depends. If you want a soulmate bird, get one. If you have a lot of space for more, get more.

-How big does the enclosure have to be? Does it have to be bigger for two budgies?

Depends on your relationship. If these are ornamental and meant to be a bonded pair, you likely won't be part of it. Lot of space to fly. If you want them as shoulder pets, it doesn't have to be that big but you have to make that commitment.

-How loud are they? I don't want to put the cage in an area where they will disrupt sleep, etc.

They can be loud, but are surprisingly one of the best talkers in the avian world. Budgies can really belt it out when upset, but when satiated, they make the most wonderful sounds and can have a conversation with you. Again, what do you want from these birds?

-Are they very messy? Will they spread seed husks everywhere?

Yes, but they shouldn't throw seeds everywhere because seeds aren't that good for them. They should have a variety of foods, Harrison's pellets are the best. Also lots of greens, specifically liver calming ones. Aussie birds in captivity often die from liver issues. Feed dandelion greens, never spinach. Eucalyptus if you can get your hands on it, or even a few tea bits in the water. Tanins bind to excess iron in the liver.

-Is there a way to clip their wings so that they can fly for short distances, but they cant escape through an open door? Or do I just have to be very careful when I take them out?

Yes, trim the tips of the primaries and secondaries. They're nomadic and not homing. If they fly out the door, you likely won't see them again. These birds are designed for flight - they're not a chubby African or S. American parrot - parakeets are streamlined. Some of the bigger ones don't need as much trimming, but I do think most captive birds need trims to keep them safe and to keep their manners in check.

-Are there any health issues that budgies are prone to?

Yes, Liver disease and vitamin A deficiencies.

-Do budies have to be vaccinated against anything?

No

-Are the budgies at petco healthy, or should I go to a breeder?

Breeder.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

 

[itiwhetu]

I had two yellow budgies years ago, their names were custard and cornflour. They were fantastic, one day one fell off its perch, thud. About a year later the other one fell off its perch, thud.

 

[FishFinatic77]

Depends on your relationship. If these are ornamental and meant to be a bonded pair, you likely won't be part of it. Lot of space to fly. If you want them as shoulder pets, it doesn't have to be that big but you have to make that commitment.

They can be loud, but are surprisingly one of the best talkers in the avian world. Budgies can really belt it out when upset, but when satiated, they make the most wonderful sounds and can have a conversation with you. Again, what do you want from these birds?

Yes, but they shouldn't throw seeds everywhere because seeds aren't that good for them. They should have a variety of foods, Harrison's pellets are the best. Also lots of greens, specifically liver calming ones. Aussie birds in captivity often die from liver issues. Feed dandelion greens, never spinach. Eucalyptus if you can get your hands on it, or even a few tea bits in the water. Tanins bind to excess iron in the liver.

Yes, trim the tips of the primaries and secondaries. They're nomadic and not homing. If they fly out the door, you likely won't see them again. These birds are designed for flight - they're not a chubby African or S. American parrot - parakeets are streamlined. Some of the bigger ones don't need as much trimming, but I do think most captive birds need trims to keep them safe and to keep their manners in check.

Yes, Liver disease and vitamin A deficiencies.

No

Breeder.

Thank you, but I actually already have them! I got them in December.

 

[FishFinatic77]

what do they talk about?

Who knows! Probably about all the weird things the big, featherless creatures do.

 

[FishFinatic77]

Veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy loud. My sisters have 7 who live in their bedroom. Apparently my sisters and I laugh a lot, because the birds have learned to giggle...

I just read through a bit of this thread, your parakeets are so lovely!!!

Wow, she has a lot of budgies! That's so cute that they learned to laugh.

 

[OliveFish05]

Wow, she has a lot of budgies! That's so cute that they learned to laugh.

Well, I have one, then each of my 3 sisters has a pair, but yes it is a lot of birds!

It is really creepy though because they only laugh at night, and usually if we say something not funny at all, like “I hit my head really hard earlier today” (cause my sister’s and I just talk about random things when we are supposed to be sleeping) and then the birds will start laughing

 

[FishFinatic77]

Well, I have one, then each of my 3 sisters has a pair, but yes it is a lot of birds!

It is really creepy though because they only laugh at night, and usually if we say something not funny at all, like “I hit my head really hard earlier today” (cause my sister’s and I just talk about random things when we are supposed to be sleeping) and then the birds will start laughing

Oh wow, that is really creepy! ?

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

It makes me so happy to find somebody that is willing to spend so much time with their budgies that they are well-trained and loving parrots. It does not happen often, these birds are very hard to tame. It's the difference between a hand-fed bird vs a parent raised bird I've had budgies off and on my entire life. According to my mother my grandmother had one budgie and then she would say "or maybe it was a canary" LOL. My mom kept budgies even after I left home. Congratulations on beating the odds. Most people try for a couple of weeks and then get bored and frustrated and stop trying. many unfortunately stop caring for the birds. A friend of my daughters many years ago was told by her parents if she didn't take better care of her birds they would let them loose. They got fed up with them and were getting ready to open the door and let them out (so they say) and I told her I would be right there. What I got was two miserable bird in a cage not big enough for one, There perch was a ruler! Stuck in the cage at a slant and far from their seeds and water to eat or drink they had to hold on to the side of the cage and try to do it nearly upside down. At my house they lived in a flight cage that had 3 levels of perches and multiple locations for seeds, water and fresh vegetables. It's amazing their feet weren't ruined so she must not have had them very long. What were those parents thinking? They were the ignorant ones in this case. They only lived about 5 more years. It seemed most of the American budgies only live 5-8 yrs. I had an English budgie (about a third bigger) that lived to 23. I had her for a number of years and was going off to school so a friend of my mom's took her (and probably spent more time with her). At age 20 she became egg bound (she'd never even laid an egg in her life). She took her to Kansas State University (they have a large veterinary program) and they put her under anesthesia and extracted the egg. She lived another 3 yrs. Her name was "Sugar".

 

[FishFinatic77]

It makes me so happy to find somebody that is willing to spend so much time with their budgies that they are well-trained and loving parrots. It does not happen often, these birds are very hard to tame. It's the difference between a hand-fed bird vs a parent raised bird I've had budgies off and on my entire life. According to my mother my grandmother had one budgie and then she would say "or maybe it was a canary" LOL. My mom kept budgies even after I left home. Congratulations on beating the odds. Most people try for a couple of weeks and then get bored and frustrated and stop trying. many unfortunately stop caring for the birds. A friend of my daughters many years ago was told by her parents if she didn't take better care of her birds they would let them loose. They got fed up with them and were getting ready to open the door and let them out (so they say) and I told her I would be right there. What I got was two miserable bird in a cage not big enough for one, There perch was a ruler! Stuck in the cage at a slant and far from their seeds and water to eat or drink they had to hold on to the side of the cage and try to do it nearly upside down. At my house they lived in a flight cage that had 3 levels of perches and multiple locations for seeds, water and fresh vegetables. It's amazing their feet weren't ruined so she must not have had them very long. What were those parents thinking? They were the ignorant ones in this case. They only lived about 5 more years. It seemed most of the American budgies only live 5-8 yrs. I had an English budgie (about a third bigger) that lived to 23. I had her for a number of years and was going off to school so a friend of my mom's took her (and probably spent more time with her). At age 20 she became egg bound (she'd never even laid an egg in her life). She took her to Kansas State University (they have a large veterinary program) and they put her under anesthesia and extracted the egg. She lived another 3 yrs. Her name was "Sugar".

Thank you very much for your kind words. It means a lot to know that I'm doing a good job with my birds.
It's so sad how those budgies were being kept! It's good that you saved them before the parents released them.
Sugar must have been an amazing bird! Anesthesia is risky for any bird, but even more so when they are that old. Incredible that she survived that!