I look around, I read all I can about Budgies - I look at my little guy.

I'm lying in bed & my husband has spirited the Budgie cage into the office this morning. I hear them. Laker is out & hanging out with my husband. Then I hear sharp calls, repeatedly - my husband has left the office to go outside for his morning smoke. I often think it's a good thing we only have a small Budgie - he already has been taught that the contact call usually brings results - how we would have suffered under another species - we have trained him so poorly!

So I got up & wandered into the office to see a happy Budgie on top of his cage, on Jerry's Boing, leaning towards me all ready to pounce. After our ritual greeting, he looks out the door into our room & takes off to see if Hubby is in there [or spend time with the mirror Budgie] & lands on his gym.

I go to the computer & check out the shelters. Right now the Toronto Humane Society has 3 Budgie girls. http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/adopt/birds.asp
They are all lovely & any would look excellent with Mr. Laker in a visual kind of way. My husband leans towards Pearl because of her damaged wing. I first thought Iris was so like Laker it would be charming but Olivia is a little like Jerry & Laker together & she is obviously just a baby going into her first adult plumage.

I have so many questions & my mind is going in circles. My husband's holding up OK.
1) I'm worried about an adequate quarantine & endangering my Laker. [i can get a quarantine cage from my mother's - they'd be in opposite ends of the apartment - but lets face it - it's an apartment!] Is the shelter's stay a quarantine, in any way?
2) I worry about them not liking each other
3) how the cage we have, could accommodate 2 - even tho they're not in it a lot.
4) Will the male/female mix be just leading to baby troubles.
Oh I'm sure i have more concerns - or maybe you can point more out to me.

I'm sure a lot of you have wondered if you're doing the right thing, getting another bird. I have thought of getting a Linnie but my husband thinks Laker should have a friend of his own species, if we get another bird + we like his Budgie chatter & singing.

Oh boy - Laker's getting a brother/sister!!

I definitely understand all of your concerns as I have gone through those same thoughts in my head many times. I'm not sure I can answer any of your questions.

I think it is very hard to effectively quarantine (we didn't with Lulu and I think we were just lucky..).

I've never had a female and I'm not sure about the possibilities of mating even if you don't provide a nest box. My concern (don't know if it's valid or not) would be, even if you don't provide a nest box, would they still try to find a nesting place outside of the cage?

And I guess before you wonder whether or not you can accomodate the two in the same cage, see (after quarantine) if they even want to be housed in the same cage. And that of course brings me to the big concern of if the two will even get along - that's always my concern when I've gone over this in my head.

I know you've been thinking about this for a long time and I kind of think you should go for it! If we didn't have Lulu (and I don't mean that in a negative way, I love her!!) I would consider it more seriously for us as well. But since Jerry and Lulu can't get along properly, I worry even more that a 3rd bird would be triple the trouble - and I'm not ready for that!

So, I am the softest touch around (yes, I am now down to a dozen budgies), but I would say to go for it! Most of my birds are from the pound (some from their sweeps of street vendors, some are surrendered pets) and with a big cage I have never had any significant behavior problems. I know a lot of folks do have issues & have no idea why I have been so very lucky. Also have not had too many couples pair off. I have only had three clutches in all the years I have had budgies (and lots of budgies). If I'm wrong, you can bring the babies down to me....what is a few more at Camp Chaos!

How about you go to the shelter and see if any of them bond to you or your hubby? It certainly cant hurt.

Jac, this evening I was telling Dave that Laker may be getting a sibling and he laughed and said, "Jerry is alllll the budgie we can handle!!" He was being a little pistol half the evening

Yes Laker is a little pistol as well.
But you know I think my husband is coming around about a Budgie friend as he's always worried Laker is lonely & has everyone checking on him - even when the little guy has chosen to go into the other room. If Laker is lonely he usually if quite vocal - or strangely quiet [that can mean he's napping tho ]

I'll be off to my parents soon & I'll pick up that cage so I'll be ready. It was a good suggestion to just go & look at them - i'll go for the calmest I think.
Drat - 2 Linnies looking for a home as well - both girls & they come with their own cage.....from a bird club ad

Sometimes apartment living can be frustrating. With both of us working from home there isn't a lot of space for cages.....

My son is putting on pressure for a pet as well - we keep saying, we see you hardly at all - would your pet see you?

Jac...........you know you want to so do it! You can quarantine the new fid in the bedroom or something.

A safe Seclussion is in another room, the bonding issue will take time.
Past experience has proven never to put (stranger) birds together, there will be a need for another cage.
After seclussion is over and all appears okay, place the cages next to each other and allow a meeting, watch there reactions and allow time for them to get to know each other.
Breeding (could) occur weather there is a nesting box offered or not, if you intend on breeding, then by all means provide a nesting box, but you will need to do some reading and be prepared to hand feed, tube feeding can be challenging, syringe feeding is easier but you will still need knowledge.
If no box is provided the hen will lay her clutch in the bottom of the cage, more than likely there won't be success due to not being able to keep the eggs properly warmed, for success there will be a need for not only a nesting box, but nesting material and KNOWLEDGE.
Having a male and female doesn't mean they will be sucsessful parents, you will need to know the incubation time frame and so much more.
I am alittle but if it were me, I would bring all the Keets home from the shelter...LOL.
Plan on spending valued time with your new bird, the bonding issue will take time, I pray all works out well for you and your Mate.
Good Luck

If it was just me I'd probably have tons! That's what's got my husband worried. He was quite alarmed when I mentioned the Linnies! I said well, i could just go get them & swing around to the downtown pound. [later: well if you can't bare to come to the shelter i might have to bring them all home.]

The second thing he's a bit concerned about, & maybe he's a bit sad about as well, is Laker going to stop being so friendly? I know a lot of people worry about that one.

I've never had those concerns with my cats or dogs - they may add friends but they're always loyal.

You have a valued issue there, many birds change there ways twords there human when introduced to a new friend, we seen and experienced this as humans when we were younger.
The important thing will be to keep your current agenda with Laker, no matter what, stick to your current agenda, all will be fine.
One is a lonely number, The hardest issue here within our home having soooo many little ones is spending valued time with all of them.
All will be fine Girl, listen to your heart, its when we stop listening to our heart we begin to have problems.
There a few little ones out there that need your love, You and your mate have such love to offer, They call to you...I can here them.....Follow your heart.
Good Luck
Peace