I just put $ down on a hand fed budgie

[Roxhum]

oh my. I am having so much fun with my Blue Crown Conure, Pampa, that for no good reason I have been itching for another bird. There have been rescue conures and a baby Jenday to die for. But really I just couldn’t, Pampa is all consuming, it just wouldn’t be fair to Pampa, another conure, or me. But a budgie maybe. After much deliberation I went to Petco to look at the budgies. But I just couldn’t. I went to a locallly owned pet shop that has locally bred babies. There was an olive green boy I saw last week, but they just got new babies in and everyone is on hold for two weeks. Okay I think that is the message, no more birds. My car however did not go home. It drove an hour to a pet store that always has birds. The pet store where I got Pampa. But nothing there spoke to me until the sales guy asked, “did you see these?” And there behind the cash register were hand fed babies from almost ready to go home to just getting pin feathers. I picked out an olive green, I think it is a boy, and I can take him home next week.
So now the big question, should I also get an albino baby, or wait six months so that I can bond with the first one first?

 

[Marvel_ous]

I owned a Petco budgie, probably different than a hand fed one, and there are upsides and downsides to getting two at once.
PROS:
1. They will have each other if you can't spend enough time with them
2. They will learn to be birds, not little humans (guess this could also be a downside)

Cons:
1. They might not be as tame
2. More birds=Bigger cage, more food, more money needed.

AKA: they would be happier together, but you might not be as happy.

Either way, I demand pictures!!!

 

[Roxhum]

Oh yes pictures next time I visit them.
I am so torn. I want two for sure since Pampa will always be my # 1 but it would be so nice to develop that bond first. I think I just answered my own question.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Can't wait to see pics! Any ideas on a name yet for your new little ones? (Notice, that was plural... LOL!)

 

[Roxhum]

I have a whole list of names, but none that I am sure of. Bird in Norwegian is Fugl, it sounds like fool. I figured that was fitting since I think it is foolish that I am getting more birds. But I don’t think that will be the name. Maybe Olli, short for Olive or Oliver since that is his color.

 

[Fergus Mom]

I have a whole list of names, but none that I am sure of. Bird in Norwegian is Fugl, it sounds like fool. I figured that was fitting since I think it is foolish that I am getting more birds. But I don’t think that will be the name. Maybe Olli, short for Olive or Oliver since that is his color.

That is comical Roxanne! Most of us here I think ARE huge fools for birds! I like the name Olli too.

 

[MahaSarah]

I personally think parakeets need another parakeet companion. I would get two little parakeets if I were you. If they really were handfed and hand tamed then they will still bond with you and want to spend time with you.

Good Luck!

 

[Roxhum]

Thank you mahaSarah.
I am such on the fence whether to get two now or the second later. There is a young albino that I could get. I would have three weeks or so with bird #1. Also I figure I could cage them separately during the bonding. Then too I wonder, I have a Blue Crown conure, the size difference is considerably but it would be nice if they could be friends. Is that more possible if I had only one?
Well I just got bit because Pampa wants my attention. It wasn’t even a hard bite but he punctured my skin. Is it wise to ever let them co-mingle? Anyways lots to think about. I best get flying

 

[iamwhoiam]

Congrats. Make sure you quarantine the new bird for at least 30-45 days. I would be careful regarding the BCC and the budgie. Sometimes birds of other species can be friends but sometimes they won't get along and that is even true of birds of the same species.

 

[camelotshadow]

If the albino is not related it might be good to get 2 budgies now so only one quarantine as they are together now. Even if they are related you can always add dummy eggs & maybe they are both the same sex? Generally 2 males get along better than 2 females.

Budgies really need budgies as you can't really take that place & you have your main squeeze. Let the budgies have theirs.

You could always add a budgie as they seem to get along most of them but its another quarantine.

 

[Roxhum]

Thanks camelotshado. I think the albinos are a different clutch. They also have babies not yet feathered out. I will have to see what color they will be. I can’t tell what sex the albinos are.
Okay not Pampas friends but still I like to think my dogs and soon the budgies will make life more interesting while I am at work.

 

[camelotshadow]

Pampas will appreciate some budgie chatter & a nice classical radio station,
Not sure about dog barking though...make sure the dog has no access to the birds.

Check out the others while yours is being fed. See if there is one that hangs out with him

 

[Lady Jane]

I don't think the human bond with one bird is as important as a birds happiness. Two is so much better than one. Especially with budgies because they have such strong flock instinct.

 

[Serin]

Two handfed babies is twice the fun. Both will be tame.
I've always had multiple tame budgies, and none of mine were even hand-raised.
It's a myth you need to isolate them to bond to them, plain and simple.
Budgies can be sexed from a day of age. Post pictures taken without flash, clearly showing their ceres, and I can tell you what the babies are.

 

[Roxhum]

Serin, even the albinos? I will take pictures next time I visit them.

 

[Serin]

Yes! My new baby, Peter, is an albino. They can be sexed the same way as any other mutation.

 

[Monica]

In Ino and Recessive Pied mutations, pink ceres equals males. Anything not pink (white, white with blue/tan, tan, brown) is female.



I also don't think it's necessary to get one bird and bond with it if you plan on having more than one bird to begin with...

An Experiment with Budgies | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[Roxhum]

Okay here are the babies. You can’t use these pictures to sex them because the ceres are way more purple in the photos then they are in person. We looked at the older baby albinos and the little baby albinos and all the Ceres look the same.

 

[Roxhum]

I brought an older baby home. I wanted a guaranteed boy and he was so pretty.

 

[Serin]

Looks like three males to me.