How Many Budgies Should I Get?
Last updated on May 7th, 2024 at 01:12 am
Written by Isra P
You shouldn’t feel bad if you are pondering, “how many budgies should I get?” The truth is they are pretty exciting pets, and you may be debating whether to start with one or go all in. Of course, before making your choice, you must consider a few factors that will affect your relationship with your birds.
You should get between two to four budgies, especially if you have a busy lifestyle. Two is the bare minimum that will allow them to communicate and have fun without you being present. Three to four will create a more lively environment, where each budgie can build stronger bonds. More than four feathered companions will likely become too noisy for you unless you have special preparations for the undertaking.
Now, let’s take a look to see what else you need to know about the number of budgies you should get.
Where to Start?
Many researchers have found that if you acquire birds at a younger age, they are more likely to socialize easily. Moreover, the budgies will consider you part of their family with little effort, unlike older ones, which require more work to make that happen.
Number of Budgies in a Cage
We can keep all the budgies we want together, but what is the exact number that should be in a cage? The rule is simple; if you keep two birds together, they will be happier than a lonely one. So it is a good policy to keep at least a pair.
In the wild, these birds live in large flocks as they are highly social species. So if you keep more than two or a pair of birds, it will create a flock-type environment in which the budgies remain happy and contended.
Several problems may arise by keeping a single bird in a cage. If you are busy working long hours, your pet will feel neglected. You won’t be able to bond with it, and your relationship with your winged friend will suffer. Therefore, it is recommended to keep at least two budgies.
Cleanliness is essential in the cage of budgies. Keeping their cages clean makes these birds less likely to get sick. During cleaning, constantly use bird-recommended soap and cleaning products; otherwise, there are chances of harming your pets.
Size of a Budgie's Cage
Budgies love to play, so we have to provide spacious cages for them to be happy. Flight cages are ideal. Do not just look at the aesthetics of a cage, as some of them look very pretty, but they are not suitable in size for budgies. If you do not prioritize the cage size, you will ultimately compromise their physical and mental health. Secondly, you must consider how many budgies fit well in a cage. Therefore, cage dimensions should follow the number of birds you choose to keep.
Some of the recommended dimensions of various-sized cages for budgies include:
- Size for ONE Budgie: 18x18x18 Inches
- Size for TWO Budgies: 30x18x18 Inches
- Size for THREE Budgies: 32x18x20 Inches
The above sizes are the minimum recommended sizes, and it is better to look for bigger cages to make your pets happier.
Why Should you Provide a Companion to Your Budgie?
If you put a single budgie in a cage, you risk the bird’s mental and physical health as these birds are social, so interaction with other birds is mandatory for their well-being.
If you want a healthy, playful, and harmonious relationship between the budgies, then four are enough. In addition, if you include more than four budgies in your cage, they might make a lot of noise in the house, which is certainly not desirable for you.
Similarly, if you plan to accommodate the opposite gender, you must buy a larger cage for them. Therefore, as an estimate for a pair of opposite-gender budgies, you have to buy a cage for at least six budgies that can be easily accommodated.
All budgies, whether they are male or female, require a companion. They feel lonely and depressed if you only have one of them. So, always keep them accompanied.
Can we Keep Three Budgies Together?
If you are keeping male budgies together, it is OK to accommodate three in a cage. The male budgies are friendly and playful; they also love socializing with other budgies and birds.
Now, female budgies are pretty jealous and might not get along well (reference).
Therefore, before buying, you must consider these aspects of both genders. However, if you intend to keep female budgies together, do not go for an option of three. Instead, opt for a max of two.
As per research, male budgies tend to be friendlier than their female counterparts. It is still possible, though, that a female budgie may enjoy sharing her space with others.
How to Introduce a new Budgie to an Older one
Broadly, we can categorize budgies into four types: males, females, older, and younger budgies. If you have a male and female pair of budgies, you shouldn’t place a third one with them, as the pair will not tolerate anyone who is breaching their privacy.
Now, if you ought to put a new bird into the cage, do it slowly. Wait and monitor the old budgies’ reaction by putting the new budgie inside. Even if the pair seems to be OK with it outside the cage, you have to be careful once they are all together. If a budgie looks upset, avoid putting another one in the cage of that budgie or with two other budgies.
Doing it would be like having a stranger enter your bedroom without permission, which is quite awkward! So the best way is to conduct introductory visits of budgies to some cages; if they like a cage, they will pick it and start living there happily. Maintain the cages side by side and permit socialization to occur in a neutral area so they can communicate in separate cages (resource).
Place your birds in a play stand or perch as you introduce them to one another. Then, let them select their preferred cage. In this way, the birds will become tame, calm, and peaceful with one another.
So how many budgies should you get? Consider having at least two budgies in the same cage while keeping size in mind. Moreover, you can have a pair of males or three male budgies rather than having more than two females.
Similarly, for a male-female pair of birds, an extra-sized cage should always be selected so there is ample space for newborns. Finally, watch out for the behavior of your older budgies to know what to do. If you do this, your feathered buddies will have a more enjoyable time.
