Taking an English Budgie

[LiveLaughLove]

So, I have decided with an English Budgie for our next fid!

I have a couple of options for birds here locally. I can go for a hand fed baby just weaned from someone who sells at flea markets (I get kind of a weird vibe, will only send me one picture of the 6 that are available, says I must go to the flea market this weekend to see the rest, advertised as being in one town but flea market is an hour away from that). Price on this is higher but not bad for a hand fend baby.

My other option is a local person that bred for show, has show quality birds from 2 months to 11 months but birds were parent fed and not handled often. More affordable than the first handfed baby.

I know taming depends alot on the bird, but do you think I'm setting myself up for unneeded frustration by going with the second option and taming the bird myself? I'm going to go meet the birds from the local breeder in person and see what vibes I get but would like to know what experiences others have had with taming male english budgies (I am Def getting a male).

Thoughts?

 

[Monica]

Not english budgies, but I did get 5 adult, untamed budgies to fly to me for food.

Which later led to doing the same with 5 cockatiels of various tameness (or not tameness). I didn't intend to do this with cockatiels, but somebirdy was watching me feed the budgies and wanted in on the action!

 

[MyAussieFriends]

I don't have any experience with English budgies, but I do have 5 regular budgies.

4 out of the 5 were untame, while the one was hand raised. I've got to say, even with working with the wild ones daily, they still aren't even close to the level of tameness as the hand raised bird.

I'd go to the flea market and check out the quality of the birds. Sometimes you just need to see it in person. If you still get a weird vibe from the owner and see the babies not being taken care of properly, I would skip it and look else where.

 

[LiveLaughLove]

Ugh I meant Taming not taking! I hate that I can't edit the title haha.

Thanks guys. I love the videos! I do think I will go to the flea market and see how I feel about it, this bird will be my daughter's (aka mine but I'm sharing) so being somewhat tame is important.

 

[Lady Jane]

My two English budgies are from a breeder that breeds for show and parent raised. The male has tamed beautifully (yellow one) and the female will get on my finger but she is always afraid something bad is going to happen to her unless the male leads the way. I would call that partially tamed. They are lovely birds, calm and so pretty. I would go for the show breeder and I have mixed feelings about selling any bird at a flea market.

 

[Clare]

Sometimes people can come across weird on the phone or via email, but then when you meet them in person they are entirely different and vise versa! I personally would lean towards the already handled baby, but I do agree with Lady Jane with having mixed feelings towards birds being sold at flea markets. I'll still go and check it out, but just use your intuition.

The local market here has a stall (with their own birds, plus accessories for sale) that is run by the local parrot and finch association and they are an absolutely fantastic. But then there is a guy at the same market that is obviously there to try and make a quick buck as he has numerous birds all shoved in small cages together and they are visibly unhealthy.

Good luck and I bet your daughter is super excited!

 

[FreeByrd]

BeautifulBeaks | Facebook

These people are in Port Charlotte, which I believe is south of you? I've heard good things about them.... and the birds look like they get a lot of interaction.

If you are okay with shipping, however, and with spending a bit more money.............. Cute Little Birdies Aviary ships and they've got one heck of a setup and their birds are the best of the best. Their website is incredible.... lots of info and photos and things you would really have to search to find all set up on one page!

Both options are better than flea markets or show birds in my opinion. I aim to get an EB or two from Cute Little Birdies Aviary someday.... But the Port Charlotte place is within driving distance of you, I believe?

 

[Kolkri]

I also plan to someday get a budgie from Cute Little Birdies. But till I have less birds and that should be years and years down the road. But I have heard wonderful things about them and they are so popular they have a waiting list.
Good luck

 

[Birdaholic]

I have a female English budgie that was hand fed. I wasn't able to handle her as much as I wanted when I first got her, so she got pretty nippy. Actually she bites really hard. However, I've had her 2 1/2 years now and she is so full of personality I just adore her. I'm pretty sure thinks she's human. I also have a male parakeet who's about a third smaller than she is. He wants to mate but she only allows him to feed her and then has nothing to do with him. She has so much more personality than he does. I talk to them both all the time. English budgies are much more curious and aggressive. Her bites are much stronger and more painful than his. Hand fed is definitely the way I'd go.