Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 3/23/2007

Question
Hi I am thinking of getting a budgie, I've already got lovebirds and there nice and freidnly and will sit on my shoulder. I was wondering can a person have just one budgie? I will be working 4 to 5 days a week 8 hour days starting next month but do have time to let the bird out andinteracte a bit before and after work...would this work for the bird or no? I do plan to take alot more time taming the baby bird at first but was wanting to make sure a single one would be ok...I'd perfer a single one as I like that fact that a single bird bonds better and likes you better then if there housed together. What size cage do you reccomend for a budgie; I have a spare cage that is 18 inches high 16 inhces wide and 11 inches deep would this be suitable or not? THank you for your time I apprecate your help.  

Answer
No name???

Yes, you can have just one budgie.  However, since you have lovebirds, and since birds prefer other birds to humans, it's the same as if you would purchase more than 1 budgie, even if you don't house them in the same cage.  How much time is a "bit?"  If you're only talking about a couple of minutes, this really isn't enough time to keep a tame bird tame.    

If you purchase a handfed, just-weaned baby budgie from a breeder (or pet shop), you won't have to tame the bird as it will already be tame when you get it.  You would have to "maintain" this tameness by spending time with the bird on a regular basis (tame birds don't just stay tame without daily interaction with their human).  If you buy an untame bird, a "bit" isn't going to be enough time if you want to tame the bird.  

Whether this will work depends on how much time you spend with a new budgie, how much time you can spend with the lovies too, the individual personalities of the birds involved, and whether the new budgie is tame or not.  Even though you would house them separately, they can still become friends with each other through their cages...they only have to be able to communicate with each other, know that the others are in the home.  

Cage size depends on how much time a bird has to spend per day in its cage (or out of its cage) and how much stuff you have inside the cage.  A bird that is allowed to be outside its cage most of the day only needs a cage large enough for the bird to nap in, eat/drink in, sleep in, etc.  A bird that has to stay in its cage most of the time needs a bigger cage.  At bare minimum, the cage has to be large enough for the bird to be able to vigorously flap its wings (as if flying) WITHOUT any part of its body touching anything inside the cage.  Whether the cage you describe is big enough depends on what other stuff you put in the cage (toys, perches, feed and water dishes, etc.).  You'll need to be the judge of this.    

Come back with any questions.  If you could also provide your name, this would be great.  Thanks.

Chrys