Getting a second budgie

Question
Hi, I've had my male budgie for almost a year now and he is over a year old. He was hand-raised and he is very affectionate and sweet. He absolutely loves people. The problem is that I am now in high school, horse back ride until late at night, do homework, and will soon run track. He is always happy to see me at night and in the morning, but those are the only times I can take take him out, especially since he is in the family room and can't be let out his own. I feel bad for him! I feel like I have been denying him the natural behavior of communicating, grooming, and feeding with another bird. He must be so lonely!

I have contacted his breeder and she said that it would be a good idea to get another, but keep that one separate for a few months so that that bird becomes attached to me too. I don't want my boy turn ALL of his affection to a new mate though.

If I were to get another budgie, I would prefer to get a girl. But, I don't really want to have baby budgies. How would I prevent baby budgies?

Please let me know your thoughts and opinion on this. Thank you very much! =D

Answer
Yes, they do tend to do better in groups.  In the wild, they live in large groups or sometimes up to 25,000!  Though around 100 is more common.  I can't even imagine that many birds...but they do fine in pairs!

What the breeder told you is partially correct.  Yes, you want to separate them so the new bird will get used to you, the real reason you want to quarantine them is so they won't pass germs to each other.  They have immunity already to the ones they have, but the other bird won't.  Separate them for about a month; 30 days is usually more than enough.

They won't turn all of their attention to a new friend, as long as you still give them attention in return.  Considering how long you've had him, you're probably his earliest memory, and the bond they share with their owners is very strong.

Sadly, there is no budgie birth control.  They sometimes won't breed unless they have a nest box, but then they just improvise and nest on  the cage floor, food dishes, anywhere they can find.

Let me know if you have more questions!
-Leah