Budgies As Childrens Pets
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Discussion

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Wednesday 10th April 2013
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My youngest daughter (8y/o) would really like a budgie as a pet, my concern is how suitable are budgies as children pets for children, is there anything special about keeping them?

ali_kat

32,142 posts

245 months

Wednesday 10th April 2013
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from memory of my Nan's

Large cage, food, water, some kind of fish bone, keep cage clean.

Remember to close windows & doors when opening cage to allow the Budgie to fly around the room hehe

vx220

2,720 posts

258 months

Wednesday 10th April 2013
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ali_kat said:
Remember to close windows & doors when opening cage to allow the Budgie to fly around the room hehe
From memory of kine as a child, remove dog from room while stupid budgie flies round room straight into dogs open mouth!!!

  • no budgies were harmed in our house, dog too stunned to crunch on stupid budgie, budgie fell from dogs mouth to the floor, flew off once saliva had dried...

TheHangingJudge

842 posts

168 months

Wednesday 10th April 2013
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I have budgies in an aviary so a bit different but obviously essentially the same. I would say Budgies do make good childrens pets, they are easy to look after and not large enough to do any harm with their beak if they get hold of you in the wrong mood. I would say that one on its own is probably not a good idea, they are social birds so you need two or be able to guarantee human contact for most of the day. Having two will mean they will not talk (they don’t all do so anyway) but they can still trained to come on to your hand, which I imagine a child would want. The latter is easiest to do with a young bird so that is a key thing to look out for. Ideally get a barhead (their nest feathers before their first molt) which means they are somewhere between 6 weeks and 3-4 months in age, and thus you know definitely what you are getting. On average I would say pet budgies live for c7 years so that’s another thing to think about.

rosie11

196 posts

162 months

Friday 12th April 2013
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Defo get a Barrhead a s these are young babies ready for taming, this picture shows a barhead with the barring going right down to the cere, on older birds this will moult out and the birds will not be classed as babies, once ours start moulting out they are removed from the pet baby cages and put in the flight for people to grow on as breeding birds.
6-8weeks is ideal age, and provide plenty of millet sprays, mix some groats into the seed and never feed trill always find best budgie if you can.

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2013
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Thanks fro the advice. The kids have been looking in various local pet shops & have decided that they want Budgies.

Just a case of finding some babies now.

steve j

3,223 posts

252 months

Wednesday 24th April 2013
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Budgies are charming pets, but have needs like other animals. As well as seed, don`t forget millet, fruit, maybe a bit of lettuce or carrot. They do enjoy a good bath in luke warm water too which can be fun.

bexVN

14,690 posts

235 months

Thursday 25th April 2013
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steve j said:
Budgies are charming pets, but have needs like other animals. As well as seed, don`t forget millet, fruit, maybe a bit of lettuce or carrot. They do enjoy a good bath in luke warm water too which can be fun.
yes though limited millet as they tend to eat this over the balanced seed mix and it can make them fat.

Cuttlefish, salt blocks, crushed egg shells etc. The cage should be large enough for them to stretch their wings out fully at the same time. Not too cluttered with toys and different size perches to exercise their feet and different textures. Apple wood is good (as long as clean)

I love the fact your daughter wants a budgie over the usual requests of rabbits and hamsters smile

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Thursday 25th April 2013
quotequote all
bexVN said:
yes though limited millet as they tend to eat this over the balanced seed mix and it can make them fat.

Cuttlefish, salt blocks, crushed egg shells etc. The cage should be large enough for them to stretch their wings out fully at the same time. Not too cluttered with toys and different size perches to exercise their feet and different textures. Apple wood is good (as long as clean)

I love the fact your daughter wants a budgie over the usual requests of rabbits and hamsters smile
We have a cage that's hopefully OK, we liked the shape as it will fit in with our house decor - http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk/Products/HB5954/s...

The youngest daughter loves birds, the eldest daughter was not convinced, until we popped to Rogers Pets, Filton. The owners were really helpful, got birds out, showed them how to hold the birds etc, she then fell in love with them too.

rosie11

196 posts

162 months

Thursday 25th April 2013
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Just looked at the link to the cage, don't put water in the feeders provided if they are the ones that the bird has to put his head into( difficult t see from the picture), budgies have been known to get into the feeders and drown them selves.
Instead have a clip on water fountain.
Baby budgies must have plenty of access to millet sprays so don't be tight with it, at around 8 months you can cut back to 2 sprays a week.
Photo please of the budgie, we all love photos.

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Friday 26th April 2013
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rosie11 said:
Just looked at the link to the cage, don't put water in the feeders provided if they are the ones that the bird has to put his head into( difficult t see from the picture), budgies have been known to get into the feeders and drown them selves.
Instead have a clip on water fountain.
Baby budgies must have plenty of access to millet sprays so don't be tight with it, at around 8 months you can cut back to 2 sprays a week.
Photo please of the budgie, we all love photos.
Thanks for that, we have already bought a silo type water feeder, the plastic feeders will be for grit & "Best Budgie"

steve j

3,223 posts

252 months

Friday 26th April 2013
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Put in wooden perches, not plastic, they help to keep the claws short thumbup

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Friday 26th April 2013
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The only problem we facing currently is that do no appear to be any available locally ~(Bristol)

TheHangingJudge

842 posts

168 months

Friday 26th April 2013
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R500POP said:
The only problem we facing currently is that do no appear to be any available locally ~(Bristol)
Would love to help but I am near London. Search on Preloved and you have a breeder in Yate, if that is any good? Birdtrader may also show something.

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Friday 26th April 2013
quotequote all
TheHangingJudge said:
Would love to help but I am near London. Search on Preloved and you have a breeder in Yate, if that is any good? Birdtrader may also show something.
Yeah, seen that, they guy never responds to calls or mails though.

TheHangingJudge

842 posts

168 months

Friday 26th April 2013
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R500POP said:
Yeah, seen that, they guy never responds to calls or mails though.
I know from experience finding birds online can be quite hard so I had another quick go: Nibley Bird Farm? But I guess you may have found it already?

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Friday 26th April 2013
quotequote all
TheHangingJudge said:
I know from experience finding birds online can be quite hard so I had another quick go: Nibley Bird Farm? But I guess you may have found it already?
Hoping to pop out there later.

rosie11

196 posts

162 months

Friday 26th April 2013
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Pop along to paradisepets ltd in Swindon, they had around 30 babies in yesterday, incl rainbows,violets.
Excellent shop btw

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Saturday 27th April 2013
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Popped to Nibbley this morning.

They has three, we picked up a lovely pied sky blue baby.

Pics will come when Pip has settled in a little.

Thanks all for the input.

R500POP

Original Poster:

9,001 posts

234 months

Saturday 27th April 2013
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Here we go, meet Pip.

Quite a friendly chap, we bought wood perches for him, whilst my hand was in the cage he climbed onto it and sat on it for 5 min.