You are just planning to run to the pet store to pick up some more pellets and seed mix. The supplies are the a bit low at the moment, and fido could definitely use a new chew toy as he destroyed his favorite one this week. It makes the most sense to go to the pet store since it is the most logical needing more than one thing pet wise, right?  
You hear the squeaks from the moment you walk in the door... they must have got a new shipment of budgies in! They were not any the last time you were in (not that you really pay attention, of course, you are not a "budgieholic" or anything, just like to "watch them". And then you see him/her... a beautiful new baby violet (those are rare aren't they!?) If you don't get him/her right now you are sure they will be gone by tomorrow! You better go see what they have as a temporary quarantine cage as you don't have one with only one budgie... you need to get him/her RIGHT NOW instead of kicking yourself when he is gone the next time you visit... don't you?

Or maybe you were on craigslist. Adds changes daily and you need to be vigilant to find the best deals! But there is much for sale today that you are interested in, so it couldn't hurt to look in the pet section right? You never know... there could be a good deal on a cage or play stand, at least that is what you tell yourself.
Lo and behold! Someone has just posted they have a budgie in need of a new home before they move at the end of the week... Thoughts start to flood in... What will happen if you don't take him? He is so cute, and they are re-homing him for free... sounds like your kind of price, money has been a bit tight lately! Off you go to email just to see because "someone else has probably already taken him" so it is not that much of a real temptation... or so you tell yourself?

The scenarios go on and on, and in the heat of the moment your budgie desires take over! You feel you must posses more, and that one right in front of you especially!!! But do you? What are some things to think about to bring you down from your budgie fever, and make a rational and smart decision? Lets think about a few, so that potential new flock member will be a smart choice if you do decide to bring them home!

A new budgie will obviously need a home to live in! Before considering the following questions, think about where you are currently living and the effect it could possibly have on your budgies.

What would happen if for some reason, you would need to move in the near future? Not all landlords will allow pets, and some have a limit of one or two birds only. Would you be able to easily find another apartment/house that would allow you to keep your flock if you expand it?

Or would it be easier to stay with a smaller number for right now until you can own your own home, or have a more sure plan for your living arrangements?  In being honest with yourself, you will hopefully avoid being in the position have no birds at all.

Another thing to consider is the thoughts of those living with you. While we might not feel the same way as they do about them, it is considerate to ask what do they think about the birds you have now before planning to add more. Are they currently annoyed by their noise level during the day? Does it bother them when they throw everything they can get their little beak on all over the new rug? Do they mind caring for the birds if/when you get stuck working late, or are not feeling well?  

More budgies will equal more work and responsibility, and the last thing you want is for your joy of owning these little cuties personally, to cause more friction with your loved ones if you can help it as naturally your family should come first. 

More budgies will need more space! Cages can vary greatly in price, and finding one that will allow plenty of exercise and play space when you are away is very important. It is even more of a concern if you will not have tame budgies, who will spend all of their time in a cage. Can you afford a large enough one for more budgies? While they are relatively small, the added cost of supplies and food should also be considered. Good quality seed mix, pellets and fresh veggies and potential supplements will go twice as fast with two budgies than with one.

We also all hope that in taking the best care of our birds, we will hopefully avoid the expensive vet bills that can so easily rack up, Even with the best care though, unfortunately emergencies can, and often do, still happen. With each new budgie you add, the odds of something completely unexpected happening go up respectively. What if for example, they suddenly become ill? Illnesses tend to spread quickly among birds living in the same home, often before any signs are shown of a problem in the first place. You can afford the vet trip and medication for one, can you for 2, 3 or more as the bill rises respectively? Of course we hope this will not happen, but it is very important to think about before hand as you naturally want the best care for your little ones!

Things are now VERY snug in the living room with the nice big (and expensive) cage you just got. All you need is a small temporary quarantine cage upstairs for that period, and then your new addition can be with your existing one and it wont really take up any more space than it did before. You don't mind having a little less space because you want the best for them!  

The weeks of quarantine fly by, and it is now time for the introduction! You read up and it is not very often that budgies introduced at young ages do not get along, so it should have been ok... but of course, you would be that ONE person in one hundred that gets two budgies that would rather kill each other than be in the same cage.

There is no room for another cage, and the quarantine cage is too small for a permanent cage... what now? Space for an additional cage is very important to consider with opposite sex pairs as well. If they get the breeding urge and despite your best efforts can not be discouraged, they will need to be separated when in breeding condition to prevent the impending babies you are not prepared to care for.  
  
Space a big thing to consider when adding another budgie to your home, and while most of the time it works out well when keeping more than one budgie together it is always best to be prepared for the worst case scenario! Can you find space to house your flock separately, if needed when adding a new addition?

Like all animals, with budgies where they have come from, who their parents are and how they were treated is going to have a huge impact on their personality, health and lifespan. There are many reputable family run pet shops, and hobby breeders that take great care in their birds wellbeing and breeding. A well balanced diet, well matched and healthy parents free from any inbreeding from a good source, and who are limited in how many chicks they are allowed to raise a year will have a profound impact on the potential baby you are thinking of bringing home.

Large chain breeding operations (essentially bird mills, which sell wholesale to many chain stores) on the other hand are usually a very different story.

When breeding only for profit rather than enjoyment, the care and wellbeing of the animals naturally goes down hill greatly. Poorly bred birds with a poor diet will be little more than unhealthy, and will naturally have babies that are the same. This is one reason why today we hear so often of birds from these sources living so short a time. Poor practices can only go on so long before the lifespan of the birds in question is cut drastically short. Budgies used to live 15+ years, but many are lucky to get 5 years today.

In mill/large pet store conditions disease also spreads very easily. Quarantine is normally 1-2 weeks, and unless the staff are very experienced often any disease is missed as many are hard to identify before it is too late. In these cases, we bring a new bird home and unless we practice very good quarantine with an extensive vet check up, anything can easily spread to our previously healthy flock.  In these cases, they have also had little if any human interaction beyond being caught and transferred from the breeding cage, to the pet store, and again when you pick them out of the pet store cage. A good breeder, or small family pet store that gets their birds from a local breeder will be much more likely to socialize the babies, and provide a better experience than just fear in terms of humans.

While not everyone has the same opportunities, if you are looking for a new addition please try to find a good and reputable source for your new little one. Not only will you be helping to eliminate the poor practices of mills, but will also be greatly reducing the risk to yourself of many vet bills, and the potential heart break of loosing your new addition. It might be more expensive, and take more time to travel to find a good source, but what is an extra day of travel for a pet you are hoping to own for many, many years to come?

So you are covered in all of the above mentioned points! You are ready for a new budgie!

But if you have limited space as most
of us do, you can not have every bird that in ideal world you would like to have. For this reason, it is important to be choosy to an extent when you are ready to add your next flock member. What are you looking for in terms of personality? How about gender, and color? 

Be honest with yourself.... if you really want a laid back spangle male, but impulsively buy a more dominant recessive pied female because she was available and you liked the way she looked at the time... do you think you will no longer want that spangle male? Obviously not! He will still be on your wish list... but will you have room to add him to your flock? For most of us, a rash decision will simply be adding to your "budgieholic" tenancies, and are no better off than you were before in what you wanted in reality.  
 
Instead, carefully think about what exactly you would like, and begin searching for it to the best of your ability. Make a list of your top two or three personality traits, and top 3 color choices. Are you flexible on the gender of your baby? While it is not a determining factor in terms of personality or talking ability, there is nothing wrong with preferring one over the other. Just be honest with yourself!  When you see a tempting bird, try answer these questions mentally:
  

• Is this budgie included in my top 3 color choices? 

• What about this birds personality is drawing me to them?
• Does he/she have one of the personality traits I would like?
• If the bird qualifies in both of the above questions, is this the gender I had planned?

If the answer is no to any of the above....  most of the time you have answered your own question as to whether you should get them or not. Be patient and keep looking. There are so many budgies out there looking for a forever home, why not find the perfect one you are really looking for?

While this is just a few of the things to consider, hopefully this has given those considering a new family member something to think about when doing so.

When we decide to bring a new life into our homes, at the very least we should try to be well prepared, educated, and 100% happy with our decision!