Once you decide to get a budgie, do not rush to get one. Firstly, you need to learn how to take proper care of your new feathery friend. Secondly, you must decide whether to get one or two budgies. Can I keep a single budgie? I know it is hard to decide whether to get another budgie or not. After doing thorough research, I wrote this article to help you make the right decision.
Can a Budgie Be Kept Alone?
Can I keep a single budgie? Yes, you can keep a single budgie, but there are certain standards you must meet. You can keep a single budgie if you have enough time to play with your bird. If you have a busy schedule, keep more than two budgies. This is because budgies are social and energetic birds.
It takes lots of time to entertain and keep a single budgie. You must spend at least one hour a day with your bird. This means if you cannot spend a few hours with your bird, you should get your bird a new friend. Your budgies will become friends and they will play together when you are not around.
Some bird owners use toys to entertain their birds. The toys can make your bird happy, but not for a long time. Your budgie can get bored with the toys, especially if you cannot afford new toys. So, do not rely on toys to keep your budgie happy.
I highly encourage you to get a second budgie, especially if you have a busy schedule. A budgie needs daily exercise and mental stimulation, which you cannot provide because you are busy. Your two budgies will bond and they will play together. Your budgies will live happily together.
Can a Single Budgie Be Happy?
It is possible for a single budgie to be happy, but this depends on your effort. Keeping a single budgie happy requires lots of time and effort on your part. This is because a single budgie needs your attention. Do not leave your budgie in its cage and expect your budgie to be happy.
However, many bird owners do not have enough time to spend with their budgie. You may spend the whole day working. You come home in the evening; you do not have the energy to play with your budgie. So, you just feed your budgie and leave it in the cage.
You may only have one free day every week to play with your budgie, which is not enough for a budgie.
As I mentioned above, budgies are social animals, so there is no other option but to spend time with your budgie if you want to keep your budgie happy. It is much easier to take care of a happy and fulfilled budgie. You will bond with a happy budgie easily.
You want a fulfilled budgie! Have a single budgie? Here is how to keep your budgie happy:
Spend More Time With Your Budgie
Firstly, your budgie needs your attention. Spend a few hours with your budgie. To enjoy spending time with your budgie, teach your budgie new tricks. Also, spending quality time with your budgie can help you build a strong bond with your bird. Your bird will be happy to spend more time with you.
Get Your Budgie Toys
Secondly, get different toys for your budgie. Do not just get one toy. A budgie needs a variety of toys to play with. Change the toys inside the cage every week. A budgie will play with these toys, especially when you are not around. Remember to clean and sterilize these toys. Do not give your budgie dirty toys.
Exercise
Thirdly, do you leave your budgie inside the cage for the whole day? Do not make this mistake! A budgie needs exercise. It becomes sad if you just leave it sitting in the cage. Remove your budgie from the cage and let it fly inside or outside of your home.
If you want your budgie to fly inside your house, cover your mirrors and turn off your ceiling fans. Ensure there is nothing inside the house that can injure your bird.
Entertain your single budgie if you want your budgie to be happy.
Is My Budgie Lonely?
Budgies are NOT a solitary species, so a single budgie can become sad and lonely. Most single budgies have a poor quality of life, especially if the owners do not spend some time with their budgies. A lonely budgie usually plucks its feathers and it might stop eating because it loses its appetite.
Here is how to know if your budgie is lonely.
Stops Eating
A single and lonely budgie usually loses its appetite. If your budgie stops eating, do not force feed it. It might be lonely and sad, so give more attention to your budgie. Take it outside to exercise, especially during the day. Regular exercise can make your budgie become active again and regain its appetite.
Keep in mind that your budgie might stop eating because it is sick. So, do not just assume your bird has lost its appetite because it is lonely. Your budgie can go for around 48-72 hours without food.
If your budgie does not eat for several hours, take your budgie to an avian veterinarian.
Fluffs Up Its Feathers
A budgie can fluff up its feathers for different reasons. It can fluff up its feathers when it is lonely, cold, ill, and fearful. That is why you need to spend time with your bird. Spending time with your bird allows you to know your bird well, which allows you to know why your bird is fluffing up its feathers.
Becomes Aggressive
Once you get your budgie, know that it takes time to build trust with your bird. A new budgie is usually fearful. Why? It is alone and living in a new home. Therefore, your budgie might become aggressive and it might attack you, especially when you are trying to interact with your bird.
Patience is necessary. Do not just ignore your bird because it attacks you every time you want to take it out of the cage. It takes time to build trust with a new budgie, so you must be patient with your bird. The time it takes to build trust with your budgie is worth it.
How Do You Introduce Two Budgies?
Getting a new budgie can make your current budgie happy. Once you decide to get a new budgie, it is now time to learn how to introduce your new budgie to your old budgie. New budgies may fight, so do not rush to put your new budgie in the same cage as your current budgie.
Here is how to introduce two budgies:
1. Get a New Cage
You need to get a new cage, where you will put your new budgie. Some budgies may carry diseases and parasites that can make your current budgie ill. Use medicine for internal parasites and a mite or louse spray to treat your new budgie. Then, put the new cage in a separate room for around 30 days.
2. Introduce Your Budgies
Once the thirty days are over and your new budgie does not have visible parasites and does not show any signs of illness, you can now introduce your budgies. But do not put them in the same cage. Instead, bring the cages close together. Your budgies will see each other and they will get used to each other.
3. Let Your Budgies Meet
Once they get enough time to know each other in separate cages, you can now introduce them together. You can either introduce them together in a secure room or outside. Your birds might fight, so expect this to happen. If the fight gets out of hand, separate your birds. Then, put them in their own cages.
4. Put Your Budgies in the Same Cage
Once your budgies are comfortable with each and can get along without fighting, you can put the birds in the same cage. You might want to get a bigger cage because your budgies will play together. Your cage should have enough space for your birds to exercise.
5. Keep a Close Eye
Your current budgie has been used to living alone, so it is hard to know how it will react with the new partner in the same cage. That is why you need to keep a close eye on your birds. If they get along after a few days, you can rest assured your budgies will remain close friends forever.
Are Budgies Better in Pairs?
Yes, budgies are much better in pairs. Budgies do not like living alone. They are active, so they should live in pairs. You will love having several budgies because they will play together, which can reduce the time you spend with your single budgie. You will never get bored having more than two budgies. You will just leave them to play together.
Final Thoughts
Can I keep a single budgie? As a new bird owner, you may be asking yourself this question. I highly encourage you to keep two or more budgies. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep a single happy. This means you may have to spend every free time you have with your bird. If you do not mind spending several hours every day with your budgie, you can keep a single budgie.