What's A Dwarf Budgie!?

[MajesticOcelol]

I've been offered a "dwarf budgie" from a breeder I've been conversing with for a couple of months. I'll be going round tomorrow to see his budgies and pick one out anyway.
But I've never heard of a dwarf budgie. Does anyone have one? Could you show me a picture?
I've tried researching them on google and there's nothing.


I may be being too sceptical about this, but could he be trying to pass off a runt of a litter onto me, to get it out his breeding stock? I know that's a terrible thing to think, but I don't want to get a little guy who's going to suffer his entire life because it's got a size deformity that isn't normal in budgies.

 

[PoukieBear]

I have never in my life seen or heard of a "dwarf budgie".

If it actually IS a "dwarf", and doesn't look like a normal budgie, then DO NOT BUY IT! It clearly has health issues, is not genetically strong. This could be due to poor breeding selection of it's parents, inbreeding, genetic disorders, or it could be a spontaneous mutation like in humans.

Clearly this "breeder" is trying to sell a non-healthy bird to an unsuspecting individual. Please don't fall for it!

I am curious to see it though, could you ask the breeder to send you some pictures?

 

[MajesticOcelol]

I asked when it was first mentioned and he said he'd see if he had any pictures of it. But he didn't. (Honestly, I know that must sound so suspicious, but he's honestly nice; his budgie pushed it's eggs from the nesting box, one of which I was going to take home once it was old enough, and he offered to buy some chicks when he was down south buying a pair of budgies.)
And I seriously doubt whatever the budgie is like he'd try to sell it to me if he knew there was something bad wrong with it. I know it's part of the 23 (And people think I'm crazy with my future budgie aspirations) new budgies he bought just last week, very long story, but maybe another shady breeder sold it to him and he doesn't realise the biological implications?
I'm fully aware he could also just be a bad guy in disguise, and I'm certain it's clear I'm trying to find excuses as to why he's not a bad person in the situation.

I'd ask again for a picture of the "dwarf" budgie, but as I said I'm going tomorrow to pick out a budgie and it might seem a little weird asking again to see pictures of it.
Sigh.
I hope whatever it's like it isn't suffering right now...

 

[MajesticOcelol]

If I don't feel the situation appropriate to snap a quick picture tomorrow I'll certainly describe it.
Is there any possibility it could just be very young? (Just as bad I know.. :/)

 

[SandraK]

I hate to say it but I have a soft spot for runts. They don't always have health problems but a shorter life span and have no clue that they are smaller or different from the rest of the flock. I have a couple of tiel runts and they're just as happy as the non-runt ones. And some can be feistier than the normal ones and some can be absolute darlings.

Is he trying to sell you this bird or give it to you? Also are you planning to breed the budgie you get or just have it as a companion bird?

 

[MajesticOcelol]

Companion bird. And I'm pretty sure it would be selling, but I'm not 100% anymore. The only pricings that were discussed were about the eggs. I have just assumed the same goes.
I was honestly considering getting him/her/it (I have a habit of calling birds him if I don't know their gender), if I didn't see one that I liked more/behaved in a good way, all those sort of things.
But now I'm not so sure which was why I made the post to inquire about this, and the first reply has put me on edge a bit more.
You said you had cockatiel runts before? Did they die a very early death, or just earlier than you'd expect?
Budgies don't live too long as it is, and I don't know about picking one that probably won't live as long...
Though, I am like you and I have a soft spot for a runt of any sort of litter.

 

[SandraK]

They haven't died a very early death which means they've lived for 3-4 years and have gone "suddenly" as in overnight if you will, not a lingering death. And they have enjoyed their lives with the rest of my tiel flock, flying free in the bird room and just hanging out. One of my present runts who is about 4-5 years old is Dizzy, named because she seems to fly in half circles. But she hangs out with the other tiels and climbs around with them too. If she wants to do something, she will. I look at how much of a happy life I can give or make for a runt even if it does have a shorter life span.

I'd say visit and check out the "dwarf budgie" and tell the aviary owner that you couldn't find anything online about "dwarf budgies" to see what he says. At the end of the day, it is up to what you feel comfortable with not what anybody says you should do (or not).

 

[MajesticOcelol]

Thank you both very much for your replies, really appreciate it. 3-4 seems quite a short lifespan for a cockatiel.
I'm very glad you're dedicated to making their lives the best they can be.
I try to have this attitude to all my pets, but seeing as I'm new to owning a bird I think I'll most likely wait until I'm more experienced before I take in a runt, even though my heart will probably yearn for it tomorrow. They sound like great company though, and I think if I don't take the opportunity this time, if it presents itself in the future I'll take it.
I read about "dwarf"/runt cockatiel when I was looking for dwarf budgies, it's actually the only example of the "dwarf" term being applied to pet birds I could find, so it leads me to believe the terminology of a "dwarf" bird is incorrect.
I'll still describe it tomorrow for those who are curious.

Again, thank you so much!

 

[kokoko]

Any updates on the dwarf?

 

[MajesticOcelol]

Hey everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting on the update. I've been away since Monday.

I was supposed to be going to this "breeder"'s house to pick out a budgie last Saturday. I waited for him to tell me a time, because he said he'd send me a message around 10:30-11am. Nothing. Waited a good few hours after before sending him a message.
Another couple hours later he sent me a message saying he couldn't do it today, could I do tomorrow.

Sunday rolls around. I send him a message asking what time I could come round. No reply until about 7pm. He said would come pick me up (there was no bus service to where he was on Sundays), so I told him where I lived, and he said he just had to wait on some visitors leaving and he'd be right round. 3 and a half hours later, he hadn't shown up or even send me a message to say he wasn't coming.
Long story short I told him "if he didn't want to sell a budgie to me that was fine, all he had to do was say. I'm not happy with my time being wasted and there was no need for it"

So I never ended up going round to see, sorry guys.
He just ended up seeming so shady. It was too good to be true at the start, he offered to give me a spare cage, and when I asked about what he fed them, he said he'd pop round to the shop he gets his seed and millet from and get me some. He seemed to conveniently have excuses not to show up, and didn't even bother to tell me when things came up so I waited patiently wasting my own time. Ugh, it was/is so infuriating.

Better news, though. I found another breeder, who only lives 2 streets away from me. I'm getting a beautiful female budgie off her. Fingers crossed everything will be ready for tomorrow. I've just come back from seeing her! I'm so excited to get her.
There will probably be pictures soon.

 

[SandraK]

Hey everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting on the update. I've been away since Monday.

I was supposed to be going to this "breeder"'s house to pick out a budgie last Saturday. I waited for him to tell me a time, because he said he'd send me a message around 10:30-11am. Nothing. Waited a good few hours after before sending him a message.
Another couple hours later he sent me a message saying he couldn't do it today, could I do tomorrow.

Sunday rolls around. I send him a message asking what time I could come round. No reply until about 7pm. He said would come pick me up (there was no bus service to where he was on Sundays), so I told him where I lived, and he said he just had to wait on some visitors leaving and he'd be right round. 3 and a half hours later, he hadn't shown up or even send me a message to say he wasn't coming.
Long story short I told him "if he didn't want to sell a budgie to me that was fine, all he had to do was say. I'm not happy with my time being wasted and there was no need for it"

So I never ended up going round to see, sorry guys.
He just ended up seeming so shady. It was too good to be true at the start, he offered to give me a spare cage, and when I asked about what he fed them, he said he'd pop round to the shop he gets his seed and millet from and get me some. He seemed to conveniently have excuses not to show up, and didn't even bother to tell me when things came up so I waited patiently wasting my own time. Ugh, it was/is so infuriating.

Better news, though. I found another breeder, who only lives 2 streets away from me. I'm getting a beautiful female budgie off her. Fingers crossed everything will be ready for tomorrow. I've just come back from seeing her! I'm so excited to get her.
There will probably be pictures soon.

You had your doubts initially and I guess they were confirmed. Better safe than sorry but I'll still be looking for your post about the budgie you do get.

 

[Jordie K]

The white budgie is a dwarf, he was 2 years old in this phonto. And the bluish one (r.i.p pencils) was under 3 months, not sure exactly, but no older than 5 months bc he still had his stripes. Giles (dwarf) is now 3, and has not changed in size. Other than the fact that his wings do not open properly, He has no deformities hes perfectly healthy and happy. Hes just very small, everyone who sees him always asks how old my budgie is, and i tell them, and they say stuff like "why is he so small?". And hes not albino.

 

[Lady Jane]

This sounds like a name someone made up for a small budgie. Mickey, my female, was very small when I got her and also quite a mess. She now is the sweetest little bird and looks beautiful. At least I think so. Here is an early photo of her an how she looks now. Mickey is on the left side in the photo.

 

[Jas]

Blue is an extremely small budgie, in fact he's the smallest I've seen.

And then there is Busbee who is similar in size to the GCCs

 

[PoukieBear]

If you want my honest opinion as a breeder...(this may not be what you want to hear, but I'll say it anyways) a "Dwarf" budgie does not exist. If a bird is truly that small, it's likely a genetic defect due to inbreeding, poor line breeding, or just plain poor pairing of the parent birds and not selecting the optimal traits to be breeding for.

 

[camelotshadow]

I think a regular budgie is small enough & see no reason to try to breed them smaller...I want to be able to see a bird with my eyes & not use a magnifying glass!

 

[nu2birds]

Why do people do that???? Why all the elaborate lies.......times, ride arrangements, all of it a lie. I just don't get some people. AND, I'm sure there is no such thing as a Dwarf Budgie, I agree with Michelle above.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Why do people do that???? Why all the elaborate lies.......times, ride arrangements, all of it a lie. I just don't get some people. AND, I'm sure there is no such thing as a Dwarf Budgie, I agree with Michelle above.

One big ole' fat ugly reason, and it happens over the entire pet industry. Look at some of our pet dogs who can't even breathe properly any longer.... sigh.

 

[hrafn]

Reminds me of my ball python Sam, who was being sold as a "miniature" version of her species.
She was a tiny, tiny baby, and she was almost dead from starvation. Unlucky for him I know snakes, and got him banned for life from the market. Sammy came home with me, and is still small from being starved as a hatchling.

People love to lie to sell off undesirable animals as "unique". I don't know how many times I've seen ads for "rare" puppies that are just mutts.

 

[PoukieBear]

People love to lie to sell off undesirable animals as "unique". I don't know how many times I've seen ads for "rare" puppies that are just mutts.

GAH! This drives me absolutely insane !! (Insert lots of profanity here). Our local adds are FULL of mutts being touted as "rare" and people are wanting $1200 - $1500 for each puppy! WTF?! For a MUTT !