Advice for definite future budgie!

[Marvel_ous]

Alright, so, as some of you might know, I am finally getting another bird! In a few months.
To pass the time, I'm constantly checking and double checking that I'm ready. I would like you guys' opinions on my setup and plan! (I'm starting out with one bird, my mom is reluctant enough toward just one, let alone two. I'll try to soften her up, though.)

I'm getting three cages, a 30 by 18 by 18 inch cage for the main cage, a 24 by 16 by 16 cage for the sleep/vacation cage, and a 12 inch by 10 inch by 9 inch travel cage. All in all, the three cages will set me back about 70$.

I have a 30$ perch budget, which should get me a good 5-7 perches to spread out among the two cages (the travel cage is perchless, I'll be lining the bottom with soft rags), plus the ones that come with the cages and a few I'll make myself.

I have a 20$ toy budget, for at least 5 or 6 toys (the sleep cage will have 2), plus some (a lot of) paper/cardboard ones I'll make. We have a bunch of empty boxes lying around anyway. Any suggestions in terms of toy type? I know no mirrors or anything the budgie could trap himself in.

I'm spending 12$ on Goldenfeast pellets to start off, plus an extra 5$ for a good brand of seed.
How long does a 2 pound bag of pellets last a single budgie? I'm curious.

I have a perfect spot in my room for the sleep cage, and we have a huge space behind our couch that I will turn into a place for the day cage. I'll post photos of the spots soon. I would put towels under the sleep cage to help control the mess in my carpeted room. (the spot behind our couch is tiled)

I would also like to take my bird places with me. I would use the travel cage outdoors, but does anyone have an idea for a low-cost budgie "harness" I could use inside places like Lowes?

It's going to be hard to wait...
I've literally watched almost every budgie video on YouTube...
Tuesday of next week we are visiting Cheyenne Mountain zoo, they have Greys, other parrots, and either lorikeets or budgies, I forget.

Any other ideas to keep myself entertained? So far I'm keeping busy with school, my dogs, and art. LOTS AND LOTS OF ART. I've drawn my main character about 50 times now, changing my style slightly each time
Plus learning to lipsync and animate flight

 

[taxidermynerd]

Any suggestions in terms of toy type? I know no mirrors or anything the budgie could trap himself in.

A lot of budgies love balsa, you could try sola which is the softest wood in the world. Paper, maybe cupcake liners? I use the mini ones. Bells are a favorite here, also foraging. One of my favorite things to do is wander through Walmart and just keep an eye out for anything he might like. I got a couple of baskets for foraging for 97 cents, and a clothes rack to play on for 9 dollars, both at walmart.

How long does a 2 pound bag of pellets last a single budgie? I'm curious.

With Chirp, a 2 pound bag lasts, oh I'd guess maybe like 6 months? Somewhere around there. I keep it in the freezer, and fill mason jars to keep near the cage.

I would also like to take my bird places with me. I would use the travel cage outdoors, but does anyone have an idea for a low-cost budgie "harness" I could use inside places like Lowes?

I'm not so sure about a harness, since budgies are so small and fragile, but a carrier could be nice. I picked up one of those soft-sided ones for 10$ when Drs Foster and Smith had their big clearance thing. I personally wouldn't feel safe using a harness with my budgie.

Best wishes! Waiting to get my budgie seemed like forever! But it'll pass fast! Good luck!!!

 

[Mizzely]

Birds eat about 20% of their body weight a day. Assuming a 35g budgie, that amounts to 7grams a day total of food. So even if you were feeding JUST pellets, 1 lb of food for a budgie lasts about 65 days.

If you are feeding Goldenfeast, please note that it does not contain Vitamin D3 and you will either need to take your bird outside several times a week year round or supplement with D3 separately to make sure you get that in them

Harnesses cost what they do because they take a lot of planning and good materials. Don't skimp on that Avian Fashions runs a sale on a flight suit the first Monday of every month.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Wow Trinity - you have this planning thing down to a fine art! And of course, you'd go crazy if you didn't fill your time while waiting, so - good job!

The 2 pounds of Zupreem Fruity Blend Pellets that my 2 budgies are using has lasted 6 months. I just opened the 2nd bag today, and I mix their seed with the pellets. So I'd say maybe a 2 lb bag might last a single budgie a year - wow! But question here - aren't you going to feed pellets to both of them?

I am so excited for you - your budgies are going to have a great time.

 

[Lady Jane]

I buy strictly Goldenfeast bird foods and supplement with a calcium Vit. D powder. I am so impressed with how you are going about this. Very organized. Have you lined up an avian vet and have a rainy day fund for this? I would not line the carrier with rags. Try to keep fiber materials away from them. Just use newspaper or paper towels. Can you put a perch in the carrier?

 

[Marvel_ous]

No, unfortunately. It doesn't have bars, it's more like almost a rat carrier. I'll use the paper towels! I am planning on taking him outside in his travel cage for at least a few hours a week (Not all on one day), and I think I won't buy a harness in the beginning, since it's not a necessity. I might get one once I've saved up money again.

I'll have a good 100$ left over in case anything were to happen, and my parents have agreed to pay the vet bills, they have a really good track record of taking sick or injured pets to the vet.

Like I said, depending on my mom's mood, I might have to start out with just one budgie, and she may let me get a second once she sees that I'm taking good care of one.

I'm also getting some bamboo plants, they grow fast, are non-toxic, and seem like fun perches and chews. Especially if I get the bendy ones. They are attractive, too! They will act as almost play gyms outside of the cage. I'm sure my budgie would enjoy a little "forest"!

 

[kifird]

I'm also getting some bamboo plants, they grow fast, are non-toxic, and seem like fun perches and chews. Especially if I get the bendy ones. They are attractive, too! They will act as almost play gyms outside of the cage. I'm sure my budgie would enjoy a little "forest"!

Good Idea on the bamboo plants, I'll be looking into bugging my mom into getting some bamboo plants for Nua (since she's already destroyed half the population of my mom's indoor garden haha)

 

[MahaSarah]

Good luck with getting your new friend! Do you plan on getting him from a store, breeder, or adopting?

 

[Marvel_ous]

Store. No breeders or rescues close enough. Closest shelter is TGF, and even that is over an hour away, and no active breeders closer.

Plus, although my parents will pay for vet bills and future costs, I need to pay for the starter supplies myself.

 

[Marvel_ous]

Here are the areas!
This is where the main cage will go, plenty of sunlight! We will remove the cushions and replace the plastic tree with some bamboo.

This is for the sleep cage!

 

[SquawksNibbles]

My Budgies are not really big on chewing wood, but your future Budgie may be! Some vendors here on AA sell 1/8" thin balsa pieces - really good for the littles. My guys love seagrass mat toys. You can make an activity mat out of one or roll one up and make a foraging toy out of it. Cupcake liners, straws, cardboard, and finger traps are a few things you could try for toys.

Store. No breeders or rescues close enough. Closest shelter is TGF, and even that is over an hour away, and no active breeders closer.

Have you checked places like Craigslist? You might find Budgies being rehomed on there that you can give a soft place to land.

 

[Gribouille]

Hi, I would advise you to save the 30$ from the perch budget, and go get yourself some from real trees. They are free, look nicer, you can get as many as you want, and they are much better for the bird's feet, as well as climbing exercice since you can arrange them at different angles in the cage. My birds love to climb from on the the other, up and down from bread to pellets to water to swing.



I also built a little ladder with perls on the side to play, and you can see a little red ball hanging on the right, it is a wool ball from a hobby shop, with a fishing line through it and ended with a perl. Hanging from a stick, my birds have had much fun with them, as well as with bells on pipe-cleaners like the one on the top of the ladder.
.

 

[Marvel_ous]

Ooo, that looks like fun!
I might spend the 12$ on that big boing perch I saw, and use the rest to buy bird-safe wood. The tree in our yard is safe, too!