Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Choosing a healthy budgie
• Part 2 of 2: Choosing a budgie for personality and appearance
• Tips
• Warnings

Buying a budgie or budgerigar is a big commitment as they can live up to 9-14 years old. Because they live so long, you really need to make sure you're buying the right bird for you and your family. To find a good budgie, you need to assess the budgie 's health, personality and satisfaction before purchasing it. Finding a budgie who will become a happy family member in the long run requires dedication on your part, as well as a willingness to walk away from a bird that just isn't right for you.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Choosing a healthy budgie

1. Look for parakeets sold by a seller in good standing. You can find parakeets for sale in classifieds, online or at pet stores. You can also get one from the animal shelter. Wherever you get your budgie, make sure the seller has healthy and well-treated birds.
   • Check online reviews of the sellers you find. Are most buyers satisfied with the birds they bought from the seller?
   • If you have a friend with parakeets, ask them where to get good birds. This is especially useful if they have recently fetched their bird or birds.
2. Visit a store or retailer. Rate the feeling they make you. Does the space feel clean and well cared for? Do you think the people who work in the store or the person who sells the birds are responsible and involved in the health and satisfaction of the birds? If any of that doesn't feel right, walk away.
3. Ask the seller how he takes care of his birds. Make sure he changes the cages regularly. Do the sellers wash their hands before handling the birds? These are simple but important things that keep budgies healthy and happy.
4. Examine the cage the parakeets are in. Parakeets need a clean and spacious cage. Are there so many parakeets in the cage that they can no longer all move? Is the cage or bin dirty? Does the condition of the cage match what the seller told you about how he takes care of his birds? Do the birds have water? Do the birds have suitable food such as seeds, pellets and vegetables? These are all important things to research before purchasing a budgie.
5. See if the birds look healthy and happy. Do the birds communicate with each other? Look at the head, body and legs of any bird you are considering. If he is healthy and happy then his feathers should be smooth and shiny, not raised. He must have a healthy appetite, so you must be able to watch him eat. Its beak and legs should not have crusts. The air holes must be clear and there must be no nasal discharge.
   • The feathers should have a shiny, smooth and soft appearance.
   • The parakeets should not have any deformities or abnormalities.
   • Budgie legs should be free of mites and toes clean and smooth.

Part 2 of 2: Choosing a budgie for personality and appearance

1. Assess the temperament of your possible budgie. If he is healthy and happy then he should be active and appear happy. Does it move around, eat seeds and drink water? While a budgie should be relatively calm when left alone, it is natural for a budgie to contract its feathers when you get close to its cage, so don't see that behavior as negative.
   • Usually pet store parakeets are not tame, which means you have to be willing to put in the time to get them used to your hand if you want to hold them. If you want to buy a budgie that is already hand-tame, you will need to go to a specialist budgie breeder.
2. Find a budgie that is young. You can tell a parakeet's age by the black stripes on the forehead. A young parakeet (less than 4 months old) will have black stripes that extend all the way to the wax skin, the fleshy part above the beak. After four months, the streaks will disappear.
   • If the budgie in the moulting he is about 6 months old, which is a good age to train a budgie.
3. Determine if your potential budgie is male or female. This only matters if you have a preference, and only works when they are old enough to have no streaks. In males, the wax skin is blue. In females, the wash skin will be very light blue, beige or brown.
   • Male parakeets can talk a little better, so if that's important to you, make sure you have a male bird. But a young, healthy bird of any sex can become a great talker with the right training.
4. Choose a bird that is attractively colored. If you are buying a budgie from a seller who has many healthy and active birds, feel free to select your budgie by appearance. Parakeets come in many colors, so choose the color combination that you like best!

Tips

• Before you buy your budgie, make sure you have enough time for it. Many people buy one and only then realize that they just don't have enough time to groom and pamper their new pet. They can live up to fifteen years! What will you do in ten or more years, still have a few hours a day for him?
• Parakeets can get lonely and want to be part of everything. You may need to get your bird a friend to keep it happy. But keep in mind that buying a playmate for your new budgie will result in him having less affection for you. In addition, parakeets can learn to talk, but are less likely to do so if they have a buddy.

Warnings

• Parakeets can hide their disease well, so watch the bird you want to buy for a while before actually buying it.
• When holding your budgie, don't squeeze, this can affect your bird mentally and hurt him.