Well, I found a linnie breeder near me (an hour away). I have been reading all I can find and have been desiring this bird. She has 4 females for sale (I would only get 1) and I was getting all excited. But then I read the thread about what to tell people who want a new bird and now I'm not sure. I have an American and English budgie. The linnie would not live with them but would be in the same room after quarantine. I only would have a single linnie. I am retired with plenty of time to give to my birds. But would this be fair to my budgies who rule the roost. Can a linnie and budgie play together outside the cage. Would the linnie long for one of it's own kind. You can be honest with me . I can take it. Is this a bad thing I am planning on doing?

I can't answer any of the Linnie questions, but I do NOT think that anything in the thread about what to tell people who want a new bird applies to you at all - from what I've seen through talking with you, your birds look happy and healthy, loved, and well cared for. I think it's always a good idea to think about how adding a new bird will affect the existing flock though.

I have only had Linnies for a short time now so not super experienced but stay in touch and we can swap notes. However, all my Linnies are in a communal aviary with three society finches as co-habitants. They get along fine except for the Linnies destroying the finch sleeping quarters - so I will be taking care of that problem this weekend.

I think the Linnie & budgie can get along fine but ya just never know for sure until ya put them together (thoroughly supervised at first). I am a believer in each species having playmates/mates of their own species but that is just me.

Please ask that breeder you are buying from to join our Board if ya don't mind. Also please tell her that I will buy her remaining three females if she ships and the price is right. She can contact me here in a pm if she likes.

I don't think there'd be a problem with Budgies and Linnies sharing a house. And although I never lived with Linnies they appear to be humble, demure and sweet and wouldnt be incompatible in the same room with Budgies supervised. But I do think the Linnie would long for one of his own kind and always be an outsider even if he appears to be "happy". But then, I'm one of those people who always believes in pairs and never three of anything. Somebody is always the outsider.

Another wierd thing that could happen is one of your Budgies could fall in love with the LInnie. THEN you have big problems like happened to me with my Parrotlet. Everyone on the face of the earth swore "oh no, Parrotlets hate other birds she'll kill another one they only like being with humans". So although this made no sense to me at all and my instinct said they must be wrong I sorta went along with that and the FIRST WEEK little four month old Piper fell for the Budgie male and vice versa AND he has a hen. With lipomas to boot. And she didnt neet the aggravation. I really planned on the Plet and Budgie being "friends" if anything and thought the hen didnt have long to live.

That was eighteen months ago LOL and I had to get Piper her own mate.
And to this day she cannot be in the same room as him or she is totally obscessed. Only now she bites him LOL. Now that she's bonded to Toby. Up until a month or two ago she'd sneak in his cage and try to blend in and sit all still like a statue like I wouldnt see her.

SO, if you're prepared for oddball things happening and maybe having to keep them seperate forever then one will be fine IMO. But I'd really try for two so right off the bat the budgies may be disuaded from thinking they can move in on the Linnie in a romantic way. Which even with two one of the Budgies may still want one of the Linnies you just can never tell. But with two pairs I think it's how nature intended and would work out.

That's so funny!

Thank you for your responses. Lot to think about. Cindy, what if I was able to get a male rather that the female. My budgies are both male. That would eliminate the possiblity of a love affair, right? I kind of want a male as I have read that as a general rule males bite less.

Yes that'd probably be better. Although it's hard for me to picture a biting Linnie even a hen they always looks so sweet. But if they have normal hen tendancies then I guess they could be that way. Like budgie hens...ouch lol

You're so lucky to be home <jealous>! And so are your birds lucky to have you home too! This would be a good time to decide before it's winter and their schedules are all crazy with it getting dark early. Good luck with however you decide.

I am sorry for the slow relpy... We took the weekend off to spend with my parent at the cottage...

But I do have friends that have Linnies & cockatiels, Linnies & keets, Linnie & P'lets... They seem to get along with most birds... You will have to keep an eye on them... but Linnie's have such a mild personallity... They mix & are added to families very well... JMO..
Hope it helps...

Nancy, I believe you have enough time and love to share with one more. Go for it!