companion

Question
Hello Chrys,
I have a female budgie,almost 3,,she has never laid any
eggs. Is it normal for a female to never lay eggs? she is
definitely a female ,,
crusty pinkish/brown cere.
also,I have the opportunity to adopt a parrolette,young
male..is this an ok companion for a budgie? or would I be
better adding another male budgie instead? I am interrested
in getting her a companion.
land last question,,would a companion stop her from making
her shrieking noise? I love her chattering ect,but she does
this sort of screech that kills my ears!!I'm hoping that a
friend for her would possibly stop her from calling out..
thanks!  

Answer
Hello Libby,

It is fairly common for some female birds to not lay eggs at all. Regarding the color of the cere, it is a good indicator as to the sex of the bird, but without seeing "her" lay an egg or attempt to breed with another bird it is not 100% fool proof, many "hers" end up being "hims" when it is later discovered, even if cere color is noted and guessed upon.

Any mixing of species does not usually go well because of the different diet/size requirements associated with different birds. I have never been a strong advocate for housing different species in the same cage because of that. With that said, many cockatiels, parrotletts, etc have gotten along fine with budgies but it is up to the individual birds.

I am not sure why your bird would be screeching, it is possible that a companion would calm that but again, there is no real indication that she is screeching because she is alone. She might just like the sound herself? lol.

Best of luck!