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New Budgie Information, Choosing A New BudgieSo you have decided to get a new budgie, great. But how do you choose the right one? Male or female? An older or younger bird? I would always go for the younger bird. Budgies can be trained from around six weeks old, but they are unlikely to respond to training after they reach six months of age. And males usually respond better than females. There is a list of all the signs to look for in a healthy budgie on the health page, so have a look to make sure that you don’t bring home a sick bird. Where To BuyRecognized breeders are always the best place to get a budgie from. They often have perfectly healthy birds that they are willing to sell because they aren’t suitable for breeding or showing. If not from a recognized breeder then get your budgie at a reputable pet shop. They quality of the birds will vary as they have quite a few in stock at any time. But you can have your pick of the bunch, and grab one of the better ones. Checking Age & SexChecking the sex of young budgies can be difficult, it is not uncommon for even experts to make mistakes. With young males the cere is a pinkish color that will turn blue as he matures. With females the cere is a bluish white to start with, and turns brown when they mature. Telling the rough age of young birds is somewhat easier. At around twelve weeks the bars of color which go from the cere to the forehead disappear. So you can easily tell if the bird is three months old or younger. CompanionshipIf your house is going to be empty for long periods then it is kind to get two budgies, so that they can keep each other company. Since budgies are used to living in large groups they will get lonely very quickly without stimulation. If you do decide on getting two budgies, then it is best to buy and house them at the same time. This will avoid any jealousy issues, as neither bird will think of the cage as just his. Two males or two females will usually be happy living together. Don’t be worried if you house two males together and they start pecking at each other, as gentle pecking is a sign of affection. If they do start getting rough and drawing blood, then it is time to separate them. There is one downside to housing two budgies together though. You will not be able to teach your budgie to talk as they will not bond with you well enough. Is A Budgie Right For Me? Bringing A Budgie Home Budgies, Budgerigars Information |