Adding a second budgie?

October 9, 2005 7:14 AM

BudgieFilter: Getting a second budgie?

Right now we have a wonderful budgie (parakeet). Very tame, likes to get scratches, likes to play "hide-and-seek." She entertains herself pretty well when alone, but we are thinking of getting a second one for a little more companionship, especially when we are both at work.

Our bird *loves* talking to the birds outside, so it makes us think she'd like another bird friend.

The question is: will a second budgie make our original like us any less? Might it ignore its human friends and only pay attention to the other budgie? Might it not like to get scratched any more? Any advice from experienced budgie owners is appreciated!

We've had the budgie a little over a year now. I've also read about quarantining the new budgie for a month and some other precautions.

posted by starman to pets & animals (5 answers total)

I had 3 budgies before 2 of them died earlier this year. Only one of them was comfortable enough to let me approach it and put it on my hand, the other 2 would fly away in fear. The one that is left now has been alone for about 6 months but still doesn't allow me to get near it. The two that were afraid of me were both male, and the one that liked me was female.

My suggestion would be to go with a Female and you should be all good, I don't think she would stop liking you.
posted by Sonic_Molson at 7:36 AM on October 9, 2005

From personal experience adding 1 + 1 budgies, yes, the one you have will transfer some of its affection to the new budgie. I don't think your present budgie will become less tame, though -- just less fixated. Hand feeding (only -- no food elsewhere) helps maintain the tameness, but budgies being flock animals they do prefer their own kind. Still, I'd do it again, because a budgie with company is happier.
posted by anadem at 12:49 PM on October 9, 2005

Be aware. We got a new pal for our parakeet (although this was a Catharina parakeet, but close enough perhaps) and the poor new bird got massacred one night. I mean, its feathers got ripped out. All of them. In one night (we weren't at home). And yes, we did the proper thing and had them in two cages next to each other for a time and they were very excited about each other, and they coexisted quite happily in one cage for a few days before this turn of events.
posted by Skyanth at 10:24 PM on October 9, 2005

Yikes... sorry to hear that, Skyanth. Were they hand raised?

Thanks for the input, everyone. We are leaning towards getting another one, but probably not right away.
posted by starman at 6:35 AM on October 10, 2005

Both from the shop..
posted by Skyanth at 9:31 AM on October 10, 2005