setting up a new aviary

[JKate]

Hi all

I am currently in the process of designing an outdoor aviary for a few budgies. I'm planning for it to be 1.4m long, .8 meters wide, and 1.8m tall. I thinking about getting 3-4 budgies and am wondering is this many budgies in this space will be suitable. There will be a fully enclosed sheltered area in the roof so they can get out of the wind and rain if they choose to. We live is a very mild climate and the aviary will be in a very sheltered area so I'm not too worried about the weather.
I am hoping to hand tame them because I absolutely adore budgies, I have budgie sat for a friend a couple of times but don't have much experience other than that.
what else should I know?

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

@Ali
@Budgiebonkers
@JLcribber

 

[Bookwyrm]

That's enough space for quite a few budgies! Probably 6-8.
I'd recommend sticking with even numbers. Just so everyone can have a buddy.
Budgies are actually pretty complicated. They need a varied diet, lots of toys, good perches, expensive vet care, etc. I can't give a whole lot of information at the moment, as I need to go to bed. But I'll pop in tomorrow and give you some advice!
I love budgies, and love it even more when they can be kept in a small flock.
I can't wait to see what comes of this!

 

[AussieBird]

@Destiny

 

[Ali]

I think 6 would be perfect! You could probably get 8 but it would be a little bit tight by the time you factor in toys and decor.

 

[Bookwyrm]

If you're new to bird owning, here you go....
Food- Birds need a varied diet. That Walmart seed mix isn't going to cut it. You'll need to give your birds a balance of good pellets (I personally am using TOP's), veggies, and seed as an occasional treat.
Toys- Lots of toys. Budgies are parrots, and thus very intelligent for their size. So, they need a lot to keep those little brains active. You need shredding, foraging, and climbing toys. Planet Pleasures are great for foraging and shredding. (And pretty cheap if you get them from their website. In the US, at least. I don't know where they're located or if they ship internationally...) For climbing, you can use ladders, swings, anything like that.
Perches- I'd recommend only using natural branches. You can use dowels, just keep them significantly outnumbered by natural branches. The texture of natural branches help prevent bumble foot, and the varying widths helps prevent arthritis. Don't use sandpaper perches or anything like that.
Out-of-cage time- while this is a large enclosure, it's still not huge. Your birds will need some time out in your house to fly around. If they are hand tamed, it shouldn't be an issue to get them into a smaller cage to take them indoors and let them fly around.
Random- DO NOT CLIP WINGS! Get from a rescue or a good breeder, not a pet store. Clean the cage every few days, or even better, daily. Vet visits should be an annual thing, at the least. Find an avian vet near you. Just know, vet bills are pricy. Keep your eyes open for signs of sickeness. (You can just Google different signs). Study up on budgie poop. These can be a major indicator if something's up!

 

[JKate]

Thank you for all the advice! I’m going to go with 6 budgies. I’m currently building the aviary and as its breeding season where I live I have a breeder in my area who I will be able to buy some younger just weened budgies from. I’m in NZ which means shipping is very expensive from the US but I have found a couple of parrot specialty stores here so I will start ordering some toys and such.
Thanks to all who replied it really helps!