# Adding more buddies



## Kiwi&CoCo (May 6, 2021)

Okay so as you can see I have my beautiful twins. They are tamed, sweet, gentle boys. There is a lady by my brother’s house who has at least 10 parakeets in a tiny cage and every time I drive by I get so upset to see those poor birds in that cage! No toys, dirty, small.. a whole mess. One day I jokingly said that I would steal some from her and she said “you don’t have to, I’ll give them to you” so that got me thinking. My questions are: 
1) How many more parakeets I could add in order for all of them to be comfortable? My cage is a flight cage31"L x 20.5"W x 53"H
2) My Parakeets are tamed and I am 100%sure those other ones are not, you can’t even get close to the cage, are they going to “influence” on my budgies temperament? Lol I don’t want them to become aggressive.
3) Should it be better to add Females or Males? 

I would love to help some of those birdies. Even the small ones! There are even eggs on the bottom of the cage.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Thank you for watching out for these little ones ❤ Honestly, unless you have a lot of money for vet bills and other cages, food, toys, etc. it may be very difficult to take them all in from such a terrible condition. Of course, they definitely need a much better living situation, so my first thought is to take them and surrender them to an animal or bird rescue, if there is one near you.

On the other hand, if you really felt that you had the time and resource to give this many new little ones a home, you would most likely need several more large flight cages. The maximum number of birds recommended in even a large flight cage is no more than four, so assuming there are ~10 more budgies you'd need at minimum two more cages, and this is assuming you have space to quarantine them from your twin boys for at least a month, too. Also, it would be an initial challenge to figure out flock dynamics and determine which birds get along and which don't.

Assuming everything works out, it's possible one or both of your little ones will enjoy spending more time with the new birds rather than you. It's just natural since they'd spend more time with them and play with them, etc. However, if you kept them in their own cage so that you could still work with them and interact with them separately, that will most likely allow for them to still further a relationship with you while still getting to interact with the other birds as well.

Finally, it's best to always have an even ratio of males to females, if you had to choose. However, this is only a guideline as generally flock dynamics are usually very variable in "what works" for a certain group of birds.

Hopefully that helps a little~ whatever you decide to do, thanks for wanting to help these precious little ones


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*While I commend you for wanting to take on the budgies that obviously need to be rehomed, I wouldn't advise taking more in.
Instead, I would seriously consider reporting this woman to the proper authorities. Obviously, she shouldn't have the birds if she isn't caring for them properly. 

There are many things to take into consideration before getting another bird.*

*Do you really want another pet*

*1. If you decide to get another budgie in the future, please be sure to observe quarantine for the new budgie.

Quarantine means housing the new bird in a different cage in a different room than the current bird (as far away from the room the current bird is in as possible) for a period of 35-45 days.

Budgies mask symptoms when they are ill. Symptoms may not show up for over two weeks. 

Often you will not even realize your bird is not well. Many budgie illnesses are airborne which is why you need to quarantine your new bird in a completely different room.*

*Quarantine your new bird!*

*Yes - Quarantine IS necessary*

*It is also a good idea to always take a new budgie in to see an Avian Vet for a "well-birdie" check-up. This allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet and the vet can establish a baseline for your bird in case of any future illnesses or injuries.

If there are no Avian Vets in your area, then finding an Exotic Pet Veterinarian who has experience in dealing with small birds is the next best option.

2. Introducing the new bird to the current bird*

*Introducing Two Budgies*

*3. Flock Dynamics*

*Differences and Dynamics in Flocks*
*Your Harmonious Flock*


*4. Vet Expense and Housing

Do you have the time, finances, etc to devote to another bird?
Are you ready, willing and able to house the new budgie separately on a permanent basis if it does not get along with your current bird after quarantine? *

*Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense*


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