Before you buy a budgie, you should take your time and consider whether the feathered pet is really the right fit for you. Here you can find out what you have to think about so that budgies are happy with you and where you can get birds.
smooch! These two budgies get along great and show their affection through their beaks – Shutterstock / Papuchalka
When you hear the lively chirping of birds, does your heart soar and you would like to buy a budgerigar yourself right away? That’s understandable, after all the cute birdies are really lovable creatures. Nevertheless, you should not rush into anything and inform yourself thoroughly about this animal species beforehand. For example, you should know that budgerigars are not loners and need at least one conspecific around them.
Before you buy a budgie: is the pet right for you?
Budgies have a life expectancy of around 15 years – that’s quite a long time. Are you willing to cherish, nurture and care for your budgies for that long? If so, that’s a good starting point for buying a budgerigar. Make sure everyone in the family is okay with the purchase and that no one is allergic to the birds. Budgies tend to be very talkative birds – can you live with the noise?
Very important: budgies are not solitary creatures, so you cannot just buy one budgie, you should buy at least a pair. You usually have the fewest problems with two males, but a mixed-sex couple may have offspring. However, the danger is relatively small if you do not offer the birds a place to nest. Two females tend to bitch unless they grew up together.
Some of the squeaks can be small dirty finches; especially when they are moulting, they scatter their feathers everywhere. They can also gnaw on furniture and objects in free flight – if you are very attached to a clean interior design, another pet may be a better fit for you. In addition, cleaning the cage regularly takes a lot of time and effort, so you should also consider that.
Speaking of cages – the aviary should not be too small for your feathered friends, after all, the little animals need enough space for toys, perches and other indispensable furnishings. The place for the aviary must be protected from drafts, wind, kitchen fumes and direct sunlight; do you have the opportunity to do this? Also, take into account that your budgie will get sick and have to go to the vet.
Where to buy budgies
You have several options when you want to buy budgies. With all options, however, make sure that the salespersons are very familiar with keeping budgies and can give you expert advice. Also, take a close look at the birds and the conditions in which they are kept: Do they appear cheerful, do they look healthy, do they have enough space and opportunities to keep them busy? Then nothing stands in the way of the purchase.
breeder
You have the best chance of healthy, well socialized and young budgerigars from the breeder. With a small hobby farm, the birds are sometimes even tame, which is an additional advantage. But even if the budgies are not yet tame, you can catch up at home as soon as they have settled in. A reputable breeder will ask you questions about your living conditions, whether you have enough time for the parakeets and whether you can give them free flight. It is best to buy a pair that has already found each other – it would be cruel to separate them and this way you don’t have to bring two birds together first.
animal shelter
There are also budgerigars in the animal shelter that have already experienced one or the other blow of fate or unsightly keeping conditions, but are otherwise just as lovable as their conspecifics from the breeder. So if buying a very young budgie isn’t that important to you, give the shelter birds a chance. In addition, the birdies are nursed and cared for in the animal shelters, so you don’t have to worry about getting sick birds. However, the Federfreunde are not free of charge, a nominal fee is usually due.
pet shop
Care should be taken with birds from the pet store. The chicks are often separated from their families too early and have to stay in the pet shop in cages that are too small and often overcrowded. If you see this, don’t be tempted to make a spontaneous pity purchase in order not to support the dealers. You should also be suspicious if the seller cannot provide you with any expert information on the age and sex of the parakeet and is unable to provide any information on how to keep it appropriate to the species. However, there are also pet shops where the birds are in good hands, the salespeople know their way around perfectly and are there to give you competent advice and action and take the time for you. Then there is nothing wrong with buying your budgies there.
bird exchange
Breeders meet at bird fairs to look for more budgerigars for their breeding stock. But private individuals can also buy a budgerigar on the stock exchange. You can also have a look around at the bird exchange, talk to the breeders and buy the birdies later.
Private
Finally, there is also the possibility of budgerigars to adopt animals from private individuals. If, for example, people’s living conditions have changed so much that they can no longer take care of the birds, or if there were unexpected offspring, you can adopt the budgies there at low cost before they end up in the animal shelter. However, you then have little security as far as the state of health and the mental state of the birds is concerned.
You might also be interested in these topics from the Animal category:
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