[HappyHippy]

Hiya Fleece wife 

We had budgies (quite a few, 8 or 10) in an outdoor aviary when I was younger, we're at a similar altitude and exposure to you as you know. They were all fine, their house within the run (or is it called a flight?) was wooden and cosy there were never any problems with cold.

I had a single budge as a pet when I met Bruce and he was friendly, would hop onto my finger and fly round the house (wouldn't have trusted him outside) I never managed to get him to talk but he was bought from a pet shop so I have no idea how old he was - younger birds talk quicker 

Bruce had a cockatiel, Levi, he was absolutely fantastic! Would talk, come and nibble your ears (and chew through necklaces if he got the chance  ) and was completely hand trained and could be trusted outside. I remember coming home one day to find Bruce and his friend BBQ'ing in our garden with the dog lying on the grass, next to Levi who was just hopping around - they'd brought the budgie out in his cage so he wouldn't be left out 

Kaitlin has just acquired her first budgie, he's 8 weeks old, just separated from his mum and after less than a week is hoping onto her finger and starting to make promising talking noises 
Bruce has a real affinity with birds and knows a man who breeds budgies and lots of other birds, so if there's anything we can help with just give me a shout.

They're more rewarding than folk think, you get back what you out into them though so if you want super tame, talking birds you do have to spend a bit of time on them initially.
Good luck 

[Fleecewife]

 


That's lovely to know, as you're so close. I have come to the conclusion that as long as we have the dogs, Mia and Sophie, I shouldn't have budgies. It's partly that they would not be safe together, with Mia in particular having an irresistible sense of humour where livestock are concerned, but also I wouldn't have time to spend with my budgies.  And there's the small problem of persuading Mr F that budgies are lovely wee things - I'm working on that.

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Thanks BWH.  I have been reading a bit about them too and I wonder just how much care, and how much attention they need?  Are they OK with dogs in the house, barking?  If yours got out of the house, do you think they would come back?  That was always my fear with the one I found when I was a child, that someone would open the door when it was flying free. No budgie would last long outdoors here as we have sparrow hawks, peregrines and buzzards around, as well as all sorts of corvids. I shall keep thinking about it.....

sorry for the late reply

we have 2 dogs but we are vigilant around them so keep an eye when there is crazed activity,

the dogs are in the kitchen when we are not in and allow the budgies to go through the dining room and living room.

they dont take much care but the more you handle them the more they become tame.


funnily enough a friend used to look after the budgies when we go away and her autistic son opened the door and our tamer of the 2 budgies got out and he went and sat on the neighbours shed.

when i went up he came back and landed on my shooulder, that said the female wouldnt hang around :-)

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

Ha ha!  Thanks for prompting a childhood memory of an Auntie's pet shop full of escaped budgies.  I have no idea, this far on, how the pandemonium came about or why I was there at that moment (No!, it wasn't my fault), but luckily the door onto the street was shut. 
And, of course, the memory of our pair - I seem to recall ours were called Peter and Paula !  They also got to have flights out of their cage which was on top of the kitchenette which might not have been the best place for it given that the kitchenette's drop down flap was where mother did all of her cooking preps.


Chris Packham's budgie piece on "Animal Einsteins" yesterday was interesting with it being suggested that female budgies chose a mate based on brain-power.  (I'm slightly sceptical though about how that works in the wild within huge flocks of birds !!!)

i wouldnt be too sceptical as we have had ours paired up a year and nothing!! so maybe Billy isnt as clever as first thought.