If you want to buy a budgie, you shouldn’t do it instantly. Immediate purchases sometimes lead to bitter disappointments. Find out here on what you should consider when it comes to buying things to care for your budgie.
Characteristics of a Healthy Budgie
If you have made up your mind and want to buy a budgie, there are a few things to consider. Of course, every Neu-Welli owner wants a lively and healthy animal friend.
Even laypeople can recognize whether the Welli is healthy or sick based on a few characteristics. Before you buy, take a close look at the animal of your choice – preferably over several days – and watch it carefully. The budgie should definitely give an alert, attentive, and happy impression. Its plumage should also be clean, smooth, and matt-shiny. However, caution is advised if the animal lacks the tail or wing feathers. A look in the eyes, on the beak and nostrils is also highly recommended. The welli should always have shiny and clean eyes, a smooth beak, and clean nostrils.
Of course, these characteristics are always only guidelines. Some diseases cannot be guessed at first glance. So always ask about the bird’s history. If you want to be absolutely sure that your new darling is in good health, you should get a veterinarian you trust on board after the purchase. This can examine your animal very carefully and treat your welli if necessary.
Are you buying budgerigars from breeders, animal shelters, or private individuals?
Buying a budgie should be considered carefully. Of course, it is essential to carefully inform yourself about the feathered friend in advance. If you have decided to bring budgerigars into your home, there are various ways to find the right animal friend. Whether it is a bird from the breeder, from the pet shop or from the animal shelter depends on some aspects that every bird lover should be aware of before buying it.
At the Shelter
Giving an animal from the shelter a new home is certainly a good decision. However, keep in mind that you don’t know the bird’s history. Accordingly, when choosing a new friend, you should take a lot of time and take a close look at the animals. It is particularly important that the animal has a clean, smooth plumage and does not give a lethargic impression. However, if the Welli looks satisfied and happy and appears tame, chances are good that you have made a good choice. It also makes sense to consult the shelter staff. They know their animals very well and in most cases can give you satisfactory information about the animals available.
The Pet Shop
Even in a pet shop, you should rather let your eyes wander around too little once. The premises in general, but also the accommodation of the animals in particular, should make a solid, clean, and well-kept impression. Take a good look around and make sure that the budgies find clean and fresh drinking water, limestones, twigs, play options, as well as enough fresh food and a well-kept sandy floor in their home. Some pet stores keep too many animals in cages that are too small – if this is the case, you’d better look for another pet shop.
Ask the seller for precise information about the animals and their origin. It is best if Wellis only had to travel short distances, because excessively long animal transports often result in depression or trauma. The chances of getting the budgie tame are also worse.
Again, you should take a close look at the bird (s) of your choice before buying. Watch the budgies in their familiar environment. Do they look normal, satisfied, and healthy? Do they eat, play, and drink? Then the chances are good that you have selected healthy and happy budgies as new family members. If, however, individual animals or even the whole group seem rather quiet and sleepy, take a closer look. The budgies don’t have to be sick, but you should watch a little longer now. It may also make sense to come back on another day. So you can watch again and make sure that the parakeets are not missing anything. Maybe it was just a rest period.
Breeder
If you have decided to obtain your new animal roommates from a breeder, you should definitely seek a personal conversation with them beforehand. Because the top priority is: only buy your budgies from reputable breeders. Inquire about their previous experience in breeding and their approach and breeding goals. A conscientious breeder will be happy to give you information and will probably be proud and happy to present his results.
Also, look at the accommodation of the birds. Is everything clean? Do the birds have enough space? Are they kept in groups? Is the breeder respectful of their animals? Do they also ask themself how the animals should be housed with you? If you can answer these questions with “yes” and if the breeder and the environment make a reasonable and appropriate impression, you can very probably assume that you are dealing with a reasonable breeder who is interested in the welfare of their protégés. And this is valuable in two ways: Not only do you receive animals in good condition, but you can also benefit from the experience and advice of an experienced budgie connoisseur.
Of course, even a reputable breeder can earn money by selling their animals and want to win prizes at exhibitions. Let them be granted for their work and the great effort that they have invested (often for years or even decades)! But black sheep are unfortunately everywhere and so the ambition of some breeders goes beyond the needs of the animals. The focus is no longer on budgies and their well-being, but rather on monetary interests or beauty ideals. The risks here include strong incest and the topic of “agony breeding”. A conscientious breeder (and also a reputable breeding association), on the other hand, will attach great importance to the fact that the kept and bred animals can show their natural behavior and are in excellent health.
When the time comes, if you want to breed budgies yourself, click here for an article on the subject of that!
Budgie(Animal) Welfare Comes First
Regardless of whether you choose to buy a budgie from a breeder, from the pet store, or from the animal shelter, the welfare of the animals should always come first. Let yourself be guided by your gut feeling. If you are just a little unsure about the seller or the animals, you should trust your instinct and go a little further and buy your birds with a clear conscience. That way, you can be sure that you will have a lot of fun with the parakeets. At the same time, you are doing something good by not supporting unsightly machinations by dubious sellers.