Budgie List

[Nathaniel]

This is my continuation from my last thread "Which Bird is Right for Me".
Obviously I know what bird I wish to get. Now I want to know If my shopping list is good, Training techniques, Stories of your budgies, pros, cons, recomended items, items to stay away from, etc.

I appriciate all input and thank everyone who helped me before.

[Nathaniel]

My list will be complete around 5 pm july 8th.

[Nathaniel]

Ok so I decided to follow the advice of Kim S and start with one budgie and tame him, then about four months later I can introduce another budgie and the first one can help tame her. So in my list I will include breeding supplies. Also as an up side I have figured out that my budget for my budgies and all will be about $800-$900. Plus if I can get a real job then I can earn even more. So now I have to do more shopping and more research.

[Rue]

I'm going to throw a wrench in the works. Feel free to ignore me though, if you'd rather.

I've just gone through this with my two younger kids. I let them get birds. So I have recent hindsight to draw from.

My daughter wasn't sure what she wanted...and ended up with 7 male finches and 2 female budgies. We're down to 3 finches...all are old...and the budgies are still fine. She's just graduated from high school.

My son wanted his own bird. I let him get a cockatiel hen because I knew she'd be fine together with my hen and they'd be company for each other. He's now 15...and I look after 'his' bird (as expected) for the most part.

If I had to do it again...I would have suggested they each get one green-cheek conure. The conures are small enough that you don't have to worry about space constraints, friendly (if you work with them enough), active and entertaining. We would have ended up with less birds (not that we didn't enjoy the finches or the budgies, but I believe we would have enjoyed the conures more).

I'm also against breeding animals just for the heck of it. 'Even' budgies - who can be longer lived than a dog - don't deserve to be bred just because they're easy to breed. The SPCAs and rescue facilities are full to the brim with unwanted budgies. Why bring more into the world just because you can? You certainly don't need to breed animals to gain expertise with them. If you are going to breed - there should be a valid reason to do so...and it should come AFTER several years of general care experience, not right at the start.

[YungAndintrigued]

Hehe, Rue I totally missed the moral of your story.

[Rue]

Hehe, Rue I totally missed the moral of your story.

Did ya? LOL...I'll work harder making the next story clearer...

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Yah, I'd suggest looking back at the discussion that ensued when budgiebuddy announced he or she was going to breed budgies...

[pchela]

I will agree with everybody. Breeding is not needed and not recommended. There is no reason to bring more budgies or any bird into the world when there are so many unwanted birds in rescues or even being mistreated in homes. It should be enough to have a budgie as a pet and friend. There is no reason to breed them. The following topics should be useful

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1886&hilit=budgiebuddy

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2178

The second is about unweaned chicks but it also touches on breeding.

[Rue]

entranced: did you mean Nathaniel? I did read the thread, then went back and looked for anything I had missed...

I'm not sure what I overlooked...

[Nathaniel]

All of this comes from http://www.drsfostersmith.com . In total it cost $333.92 including shiping. So as you can see, this is a huge step away from $900.

Suppies list:
(ex.)
>Catigory-Total price: Item(s)

>Cage-$64.99: Clean Life Cage 27" Cage 22" x 22" x 34"

>Travel-$11.99: 9x5x5 Small Bird Carrying Cage

>Perches-$: Java Perches Small, Safety Pumice Perch XSmall 5/8" x 6" long, Zig-Zag Rope Perch

>Toys-$17.97: Hanging Munch Ball Regular 8-1/2" long, Rope Knots 6" long x 5/8" dia, Acrylic Dice Mobile 3-3/4" x 11" high

>Foraging-$44.45: Kabob Small, Cholla Cactus Perch 12" x 1-1/2" to 2-1/2" dia, Ceramic Crock 10.2 oz Hooded, Barrel of Fun 3-3/4" x 1-1/2" x 2-3/4", Go-Nuts Toys Small

>Swing/Ladder-$9.99: Triangle Rocker Small 1/2" rope dia

>Training-$13.47: Golden Sunburst Millet 1 lb, Stainless Steel Cup Small Bolt-Lock Clamp, Control Ease Training Clicker

>Health/Grooming-$111.92: Grooming Tools Claw Scissors, Kwik-Stop Powder 1/2 oz, Digital Scale Bird, Cuttlebones, Glass Feeder/Waterer 6", holds 2.5 oz, Poop-Off 16 oz - w/Brush

>Food-$18.98: AvianMaintenance Natural Parakeet 2-1/4 lbs, Buddeez Bird Food Dispenser Small