FAQ

Frequently asked questions about budgies.

Questions asked most often before considering this hobby.

• Is this a hobby I can do?

If you have some space, time and a bit of money (birds need to be fed) then you can do this. Everything you need to learn about this hobby, you can find on this blog.

• What will it cost? Can I afford it?

You don’t have to buy new equipment (cages, nest boxes, etc.) to start out: many budgerigar fanciers upgrade their set-up as they advance in the hobby and are willing to sell – or even give away – their old equipment to beginners. So join a club (around R800 to R1000 annual fee if joining the BSSA plus admin fee depending on the club you join) and immerse yourself in the budgie culture.

As for buying budgies: you don’t have to buy the most expensive from the top breeders in the country when you start out. Buy from pet shops, from others in your club and learn everything there is about having budgies – and how to enjoy the hobby – before shelling out buckets of cash.

• Do I have sufficient time?

If you keep your hobby small (under a hundred birds) you only need about half an hour a day to check up on them, feed and water them, and clean the aviary.

• Can I still go on holiday – who will take care of my birds?

That’s where joining a club comes in handy: make friends who understand the hobby and who you can trust with your birds.

• Can I contract a fatal disease from birds?

No. There aren’t a lot of diseases that can be transferred between species, and those are usually contracted in crowds – not from your pets.

• Can I develop cancer from inhaling feathers?

Keep your aviary clean. Wear a dust mask when cleaning – it will keep your allergies from overreacting. But no: cancer isn’t caused by inhaling feathers or dust, it is damage to DNA that causes cancer.

• Do these birds bite?

Yes. Cocks don’t bite as much as hens (except anything with a tint of purple: they bite HARD). Hens ready to breed bite the most and can cause some damage. Just clean the wound with an antiseptic like Dettol and for deep bites, add a dollop of Bactroban to speed up healing.

It’s all part of handling your birds. The more they are handled, the less they bite.

Questions asked when starting out.

• How do I identify between male and female?

Males have blue “noses” and hens have brown. (The area just above the beak where one would expect a nose.) In some instances, hormonal imbalance for example, some hens will have a white “nose” tinged blue. (More on this in a blog post.)

• Is it possible to identify the sex of young birds?

Young males have pink-purple “noses” and hens whitish-blue “noses”.

• How old must they be to breed?

Twelve to eighteen months. Any younger, and your bird isn’t fully matured (or grown) and this can lead to complications such as not breeding again or failure to feed their chicks.

• How do I know they are ready to breed?

Cocks are very talkative, their “noses” are bright-dark blue, they chase the hens around the aviary, they challenge rivals, and sometimes they masturbate against the perches.

Hens are extra aggressive, their “noses” are dark brown, they start to use the seed feeder as a nest or they find a place on the ground to start to create a nest, some even lay eggs in the aviary, and they allow the cocks to mate with them. They also eat all of the wood perches.

•  Why are my birds attacking each other?

Overcrowding may be the issue. See my blog post about it.

•  Can I keep other birds in the same aviary as my budgies?

It’s best not to. For example: the dust from budgie feathers affect the lungs of chickens and the chicken droppings affect the lungs of budgies. They can make each other seriously ill. (The same goes for other birds: they all have their own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s best to keep like with like.) Budgies also like to attack small birds kept in the same aviary and kill their young.

•  Should I lock my aviary?

Against predators of all kinds? Absolutely. Criminals will break in and steal your birds to sell. Rats will break in to eat your birds (and so will other predators like weasels and wild dogs). Cover all windows and doors with a fine mesh wire (not chicken wire) to keep rats out. And lock the door of your aviary properly. I’ve heard of too many instances of birds being stolen from their nest boxes by criminals in the middle of the night and of stray dogs causing a bloodbath to tell you anything else.

Other Commonly Asked Questions

•  How do I buy budgies from you?

Fill out the contact form and we’ll chat. I only sell budgies in South Africa right now.

•  Can I borrow your books about budgies?

No. There are several online resources — including this blog — that you can use as reference if you cannot find books about budgies at your local library.

•  Why should I trust what you say about budgies?

I’ve had budgies for more than fifty years. Experience, learning from others and from books, and constantly working with my birds has given me insight that others might not have.

• Why don’t you post as regularly as your blog’s sidebar says?

I don’t run an online business: I have to be in my aviary. Sometimes I don’t even turn on my computer for weeks, though I do schedule posts in advance. And life happens. Sign up for email notifications for when something new is posted on the blog instead of checking in every two weeks.

Don’t hesitate to send your questions via the contact form if they aren’t answered here or elsewhere on the blog.