How Many Budgies Should I Get?

Confused? and looking for the answer to how many Budgies should I get?

In short, It depends on various factors like budget, house size, experiences, noise tolerance level, everyday routine, etc.

If you are new to avian pet parenting, you should get 2 budgies of the same gender. And if you have a busy lifestyle, then you should get 3 to 4 budgies so they can create a flock and don’t require much human interaction.

Let’s discuss each factor in detail.

Q1. Factors to consider when deciding how many budgies should i get

budget

Apart from its price, there are many other expenses in having budgies like expenses on cages, food, toys, perches, medical expenses, etc.

If you have budget issues, you can start with having two budgies but two is the bare minimum.

House type or size

Budgies are playful birds, they can’t stay in a cage 24/7. You have to let them play outside once a day.

The problem is when you are living in flats with limited room and 6-7 budgies playing in the room, you will start feeling irritated after some time.

After all, it’s a house, not a zoo, you also have to maintain your privacy.

Many owners living in big houses leave one room entirely for the budgies, for them getting 6-7 budgies can be a good idea.

noise tolerance level

When 6-7 budgies grind their beaks or chirp together, you might get irritated.

You should also discuss with your family members and neighbors before deciding on how many budgies you should buy.

If you love playing with budgies and have a high tolerance level, you can buy 3-4 budgies.

Time

Budgies are social birds and they are made to live in a flock.

They need companions whether humans or other budgies.

If you have a busy lifestyle, It is recommended to have 3-4 budgies so, they feel like living in a flock and don’t need much human interaction.

But don’t buy more than that because more budgies means more care and more time-consuming.

experience

Keeping more budgies needs more experience; if you are new to avian pet parenting, you should get 2 to 4 budgies.

Don’t get opposite-gender budgies, go with the same gender.

Getting a pair will include taking care of many stuff related to breading.

care

The more budgie you get, the more care you have to give.

You have to clean the cage and if they get ill you have to give them extra care taking hospital, medicine, etc

Other problems are sometimes budgies molt, loose stools, or unnecessary budgies grind their beaks, in these types of situations they need extra care.

my advice

You should get two to four budgies of the same gender. Once you get experienced, you can add more budgies.

Try to get young budgies between 38 to 42 days of age, they will be relatively easier to tame.

If you are experienced and passionate about budgies, you can buy an aviary and keep 8 to 10 budgies.

q.2 should I get a male or female budgie?

Male parakeets

They are known for their friendly and playful behavior.

They have good mimicry skills and make good bonds with their owner.

But sometimes they are too noisy and attention seekers.

Female budgies

They are jealous, dominant, less playful, have average mimicry skills, and may take more time to bond with their owner. (reference)

They don’t make much noise but are territorial and not easy to get along with.

Both have their pros and cons

If you are looking for budgies who are less attention-seeking or make less noise, you should get two female budgies.

Male budgies need more human interaction and will make more noise.

But like humans, budgies’ behavior can also vary on an individual basis.

Upbringing and environment can impact more on their behavior rather than gender.

When you go to buy budgies, spend some time with them and choose whose behavior you like the most.

q.3 how many budgies can live together?

The number of budgies that can live together depends on the size of the cage.

It is recommended to keep two to four budgies in a cage. Don’t keep one parakeet, they need companions to live happily.

If you get busy at work for long hours they will feel neglected, bored, or even depressed.

You can increase the number of budgies from 4 to 6 by increasing the size of the cage.

q.4 What should be the size of a Budgie’s Cage?

Two mistakes that newbies do

1. They buy a cage that looks beautiful and cute.
2. They buy a cage that has so much height but no length.

Budgies fly back and forth, more than up and down, so the cage length should be more than its height. They are not helicopters.

A cage is a home for budgies and the home should have proper space, looking beautiful is not enough.

You should prioritize material, size, and dimension rather than look.

The cage should have 1/4-inch bar spacing so they can climb on the cage and the material should be stainless steel so they can’t chew.

size guide

Budgie Number	Size of Cage(In Inches)
One Budgie	18(L) x 18(B) x 18(H)
Two Budgie	30(L) x 18(B) x 18(H)
Three Budgie	32(L) x 18(B) x 20(H)

These are the minimum recommended sizes.

If you are planning to buy a pair of opposite-gender budgies, you have to buy a bigger cage that can easily accommodate six budgies.

They will breed and a bigger cage is essential for chicks’ safety.

Budgies are vulnerable to obesity, so flying is important to them to remain fit.

q.5 Can Three Budgies Live Together?

As you know, male budgies are more sociable, friendly, and less territorial. Three male budgies can happily live together.

On the other side, female budgies are mostly jealous and territorial, They may fight and harm themselves.

And keeping both genders to make it three is a bad idea, want to know why?

A male and a female budgies may breed and the other one can harm their eggs or chicks. If you are new to parenting, you should buy three male budgies.

q.6 Can I Keep Just One Budgie?

You can keep one budgie but only if you can become his flock.

You can’t keep him alone for long hours, they are sociable birds and are not made to live alone.

If you still want to buy one, You should keep the cage in the most crowded room. Let your family members become his household flock. You have to let him outside the cage twice a day.

My suggestion is that you should get two budgies at least. It will be good for their mental and physical health.

q.7 Why Budgie Needs A Companion?

These budgies are naturally found in the grassland of Australia. In the wild, they are used to live in a flock. So it’s obvious, that Budgie will need a companion to live happily.

They are sociable birds and they need interaction with other birds for their mental and physical well-being.

They need a companion whether it is a human or another budgie. You should get at least two budgies, even if you get busy at work they can be companions to each other.

q.8 how many budgies are too many for a cage?

No numbers of budgies are too many for a cage. They are flock birds and are made to live in a flock. You just have to make sure the size of the cage is well enough.

When you feel that they are not able to fly in the cage due to the increased numbers, you should bring a new cage.

Give them enough food, toys, and water so they don’t have to fight for them.

q.9 How to Introduce New Budgies To Older Budgies?

Have you got new budgies?

Let’s introduce them to your older tiny friends but hold on! It is a step-by-step process and you have to keep patience. You may be wondering Why I should not put new budgies with the older ones directly.

How will you feel when unknown people come to your home and start living? Same thing budgies feel, they may fight for territory, food, or toys.

So let’s start the steps:- (resource)

Step: 1

Quarantine the new budgie for 20 to 25 days in a separate cage and another room, they might be carrying any virus.

STEP: 2

After quarantine, take the cage to the same room and place it close to the older one so they can interact from their territory. Get them outside of the cage at the same time and introduce them outside under your supervision. Repeat it for a few days and let them play outside under your supervision.

Step: 3

After 10 to 15 days, start keeping him in the bigger cage with other budgies. Notice all budgies’ reactions carefully. You should give everything food, water or toy separately so they don’t fight for these things. Put the new budgie in its older cage at night because at night they might fight you will not be there.

Step: 4

After 10 to 15 days when they become good friends and start playing together, remove the old cage and permanently shift them with their friends. They might start fighting for territory even after a few days, you have to keep patience and have to repeat the steps.

FAQ’s

Q.1 Should I get a budgie for my cockatiel?

Ans. You can get it. They can live in the same house but in the same cage. You can try it under your supervision.

Q.2 Should I get a budgie if I go to school?

Ans. Yes, you can get but it should be at least two. They need a companion when you are not there.

Q.3 Should I get a female budgie for my male?

Ans. Yes of course, but the cage should be bigger and can easily accommodate six budgies because they may breed and have chicks.

Q.4 Should I get a budgie nest box?

Ans. Yes, you should if you have a pair of budgies and you want them to breed and have chicks.

Final Thoughts – How Many Budgies Should I Get?

I was also confused about how many budgies should I get. After much research and talking to the vet, I understand it completely. You should get 2 to 4 budgies.

You have to read this article carefully to get the exact number for you because it is not the same for everyone.

Thank You!