Thinking of getting a budgie. Any tips?

Question
Hi!

I've been doing some research on budgies and I'm pretty set on getting one. I don't believe there are any breeders in my area, so I'm afraid I would have to get one from a pet store. I hear that budgies from pet stores take a while to tame and have a higher risk of carrying diseases. I'm prepared to be patient in taming a budgie from a pet store, but do you have any tips on how I might find a (physically and mentally) healthy bird? What sort of questions should I ask at the pet store? And what should I be wary of?

Also, I'm nervous that certain toys I might get for a budgie could be dangerous or cause it to be injured. I've read that sometimes birds can get tangled in cotton ropes or chain links, or they can tear apart a bell and swallow the clapper inside. What are the safest toys that I can get for a budgie? Should I be very concerned?

I refuse to buy any pet until I'm convinced that I can provide a safe and healthy environment for it. Please give me some advice! :)

Answer
Dear Vickie,
thank you for your question.
How long the birds take to tame is mire a question of their character than of where they come from and how old their are. Make sure all the birds in the flock are healthy and active and see an avian vet for a check-up as soon as possible, at least a fecal sample should be checked for parasites and a crop smear to make sure there's no infection. The birds must not sit on their perches all fluffed up and lethargic all the time. It's okay when they do it while they are sleeping and resting. A healthy bird will often sit on just one foot and with a sick bird, the tail will move in time with its breath, that's easy to see. Most pet shop employees don't know much about the animals they sell, so it's more or less no use to ask them anything. But it's important to do some research like you are doing.

I absolutely recommend getting two birds. Budgies are very social and need the company of another bird of their kind 24 hours a day. A humans just can't replace this even if you spend hours every day with them. They will be happier and more active as a pair. Two males or a male and a female will get along, two females often bicker. They won't breed unless you offer a nesting box, which I don't recommend because breeding budgies can be complicated. Taming two birds isn't more complicated than taming one.

The best toys for birds are branches from outside (pesticide/weedkiller-free) from Those make great chewing toys as well as perches that train the feet and keep the nails short and they are a good source of minerals. They also enjoy chewing on cork bark. Chains are definitely not safe, the beak can get stuck in the links. Big wooden beads painted with non-toxic paint (maybe food colouring and beet juice) threaded on a string make great toys for them. Here are pictures of budgie playgrounds, most of them homemade:
http://www.wellispielplatz.de/spiel/spielplatz/volierendach.htm
http://www.wellispielplatz.de/spiel/spielplatz/landschaften.htm
and of homemade toys:
http://www.wellispielplatz.de/spiel/spiel1/spielze.htm

I recommend this website for more infos on budgies:
http://birds-online.de/index_en.html

I hope I was of some help to you and I'm sorry that this took so long
Jennifer