Kids need a pet.
8, 6 and 4.
I had a couple of pet budgies as a child and I bloody loved those birds. I want something easy to look after, transportable so someone else can watch them if we go on holiday, interesting and child friendly.
We've got an aquarium - which is "theirs" in that they feed them, but is really mine.
DH against budgies because of a bad experience with an elderly aunt's bird - which was mental after a decade of looking at itself in a mirror and being kept in a tiny cage. He firmly beleives that caging birds is cruel, that budgies are noisy and unfriendly.
I'd get four birds, two pairs. In a giant cage which is for six budgies - lots of flying room in it. I've found a local breeder who has some 9 - 12 week birds available. Birds would have free flying in the room when we are in, once they are trained to return to the cage.
He's horrified, he thinks the racket will be like the mad old bird's mad old bird x 4.
I don't - they'll be company for each other, will have plenty of attention and no mirror. Inevitably, there will be some squabbling, but shouldn't be too much screeching?
Any ideas?
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mybabyweightiseightyearsold · 03/06/2012 17:08
I'm with your DH. Bird can't and shouldn't be kept IMO. I also think they would be noisy! Helpful?
Yes, though it's not what I want to hear! 
out of interest, do you think that caging a bird is cruel, full stop?
DH does - I'm not sure, if it's a parakeet who gets plenty of attention and time out the cage most of the day, most days?
Hadnt considered the one for each child angle !
Anyway pleased you have them ,there can never be too many budgie owners.
Let us know how you get on with the taming , im v interested to know how it goes taming multiple birds as ive only ever had one at a time.
I bet your dh has one on each shoulder by the end of the month.
I keep parakeets in an outdoor aviary - they will lay eggs in food bowls / corners etc. Just take the eggs away if you don't want babies.
I have had them indoors at times (two inside at the moment actually, as one caught a chill and now has to stay in until spring), just be aware that if they decide to bite your nose and hold on it HURTS.
Enjoy them. You can get some lovely toys etc on www.zooplus.co.uk/
hoodoo most birds to mate for life and I have heard of them becoming aggressive to anybody other than their "mate". Never had a problem with budgies myself though, and none of my budgie-owning-friends have either. Having said that I don't think I'd keep one on it's own - they are social creatures.
^Great!
I'm going to have one too then, i shall call it Bertie
Hoodoo it is possible. :) I am one of the above posters under a different name. Mine is so friendly to literally everyone that i think there is something missing with his survival instinct. No fear.None. Daft little bugger.
Its all down to the personality of the individual. I had a female before this one and she liked me and tolerated with some biting two other relatives. But to me she was the sweetest little thing who would preen my eyebrows.
And i second how much being bitten on the nose and holding on hurts ! I am ashamed to say when mine did that (the one and only time he has ever bitten me actually) it was so unexpected and gave me such a shock i reached up and sort of swatted him ! Then did much kissing and giving treats to apologize. He wasnt hurt or anything i should point out - just highly pissed off i think.
Although interestingly he has never done it again. Does give me a little peck if im in his way 
sometimes but not like the first proper bite.
Well then two is fine. Its more tricky to teach them to sit on your hand and generally tame them but not too bad. Also doubtful they will talk as they have each other but not impossible either.
With one you need to be its flock..my little bundle of feathers can right now be found on my laptop interfering with my typing as we speak.They like having out of cage time and also crap everywhere but you get used to it.
Erm lets see. Im trying to think of things that you may not know already but since i dont know you its a little tricky, so sorry if i am stating the obvious. They can be trained to be really loving pets. Mine gives kisses and plays ball on my kitchen floor. With two birds they probably wont be quite as attached as just the one but you will still get a lot of love.
They do chew, things like shelves,wallpaper and so on. Can be little buggers if you let them !
They are loud. Other people notice, i am pretty much used to it. Mines allowed to chatter but not to sit and screech unless hes hurt or something because it scares the bejesus out of me !
They like greens like lettuce as part of their diet. Mine particularly enjoys parsley and rosemary. (And crisps, bread and pretty much anything he can nick off my plate but i dont recommended feeding any of those. I tried to teach him a lesson once by giving him an olive. Didnt work although until then i had no idea that a bird could convey disgust.)
A big one is tefal(sp?) coated pans in the kitchen - they give off fumes when cooking that can be toxic to birds so either keep it out of the kitchen and air it well or use metal pans :) Oh and they eat your flowers if you are lucky enough to be bought them so watch out for that because a fair few are poisonous to birds as well.
Weell. They can be a lot of work too. Any messy what with the seed and crapping everywhere. How old is your DD ? By work i mean attention really and since you want two they would need less attention from you. Which is a plus. If DD is old enough you can have them following her everywhere instead of you 
.
The screeching ? I Turn around and yell "shut up " I wouldnt recommend this for timid birds though. Plus it doesnt work. Mine knows i am playing ! Usually he wants attention so i give it to him. :) Then i follow by giving him something to distract him.
He doesnt do it very often actually. I found and this may be just this bird, but now he talks he sits and sort of mumbles to himself rather than chirping and screeching like when he was little.
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