What about buying more then one birdie friend for my budgie?

[prncssjade]

Hey everyone~

I want to buy a friend for my current bird. She is a 2 year old albino budgie and has never had a cage mate. I was told that if I introduce her and the bird into a cge they have both never been in then they will not have territory disputes. I was wondering if I should get her a male or female friend. I don't want them to breed, but I also want to make sure they will most likely get along. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks!!

~Jade~

[Monica]

You could try for another female bird though they may have disputes. In getting another female bird you can be guaranteed that the two birds will not mate. A male might be more pesky though and may bother her too much if she does not readily accept them. On the other hand, she may eventually accept him and may not have as many disputes, of course then again she could overtower him... Since you don't want to breed, I suggest going for a female.

Instead of buying a new cage for two, buy a cage for one (nice sized cage, not small) with accessories (food, toys, etc), and quarantine the new bird for about a month (if possible, and get a vet check). Then, you can slowly introduce the two and let them out together at playtime or out of cage time (if they have any).

Just a few suggestions...

[prncssjade]

What about if I got more then one new bird for her to play with? Would this be worse or better as she is not used to having a cage mate? She is not a people bird and does not enjoy being out of her cage so I want to give her a birdie family to keep her happy. Thanks for your suggestions!

~Kristin~

[singing_wings]

If you are considering more than one bird you will need a nice size aviary. So each bird can claim its own "space". They will bicker if they are all placed in a small cage. If you do get more companions for your current budgie chances are it will bond with one of the other birds and less with you. This is really not a problem if you do not interact one-on-one with your current budgie. I would buy even pairs or all the same sex to reduce bickering. It all depends on the birds personality as to how they will react towards other birds. There is a "pecking order" with birds and one will always be dominant.