Birds as pets

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Originally posted by WolfChan
In my area there is a store that sells english budgies for $50.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Quakers, because they are illegal here. I have heard them compared to grey-cheeked parakeets, and if they are anything like those little gems they are wonderful! I got to know a pair of grey cheeks after their owner died, and they were the quietest, sweetest little things. They loved each other and people very much.

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I used to have a grey cheeked parakeet!!! :D Those birds are really really hard to find. I haven't found one since. His name was sugar, and besides lovebirds was our first small parrot we had. He was a major brat! He was in love with my stepfather Denny. We would always joke that if the two could ever marry eachother they would. =P

It's funny how I got him too. I was walking down the street in my friends neighborhood one day in 8th grade, and I heard a parrot. There was a lady outside and I asked her if she had a bird and she's like, "Yes, do you want it?". Course, I got all excited and took the bird home. :) He HATED females. One time though, I remember my dad coming for a visit and Sugar biting him right on the lip. He bled a lot. He got a parking ticket the same day. :p


We had Sugar for a few years, and then one day my little sister (who was 7 around the time) got very excited about my stepdad being home, ran into the living room and accidently stepped on Sugar. :( It was Easter and we had to take him to the Emergency Room. We took x-rays (which we still have) and he stayed overnight in an oxygen chamber. We were told we could bring him home because the x-ray didn't show any broken bones. I guess he had internal damage though because he passed away the next day. :( It was so sad. My sister sill feels bad about it, but it was an accident. Needless to say, we are VERY VERY careful with the birds being on the floor now. Course, now that we're all older it's not that much of a problem. After that we took on a few parrotlets. That didn't last long. Nasty little beasts! :p

Where can you find an English budgie?

If you want a GOOD English budgie, it's best to find an exhibitor who shows their birds as well as breeds them. English budgies from excellent lines with good carriage, a nice full head, proper stature, proper wing alignment, and a calm demeanor WILL run over 150$. Some birds who don't quite make the mark are often sold for companionship or aspiring English budgie breeders. These babies are usually parent raised, although I know some exhibitors who sell hand raise English budgies just as pets. These hand fed English-ers are about 125$-150$ from a reputable, private breeder. I generally don't like buying from a pet store, but whatever floats your boat.:)

American ("regular") budgies run about 15-20$ for a parent raised bird. Hand feds run about 40$. I will also agree that English-ers tend to have a calmer and tamer disposition. I believe this is in part due to the fact that, like dog shows, birds have to turn "ON" and stay looking fabulous in front of the judge. This drives the breeder to select the top birds with a calm disposition. Hope this helps!

The store I worked at got English Budgies from an exhibitor who gave them his less than perfect (colorwise) birds to sell as pets. WIth a bird like a budgie, you really don't have to spend the extra money on a hand-fed bird. They tame down very quickly, even if they're parent-fed birds. We used to take a few of the prettiest, trim their wings, work with them for two or three days until they learned "step up", and then sell them for twice as much money!

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Originally posted by Giselle
Where can you find an English budgie?

If you want a GOOD English budgie, it's best to find an exhibitor who shows their birds as well as breeds them. English budgies from excellent lines with good carriage, a nice full head, proper stature, proper wing alignment, and a calm demeanor WILL run over 150$. Some birds who don't quite make the mark are often sold for companionship or aspiring English budgie breeders. These babies are usually parent raised, although I know some exhibitors who sell hand raise English budgies just as pets. These hand fed English-ers are about 125$-150$ from a reputable, private breeder. I generally don't like buying from a pet store, but whatever floats your boat.:)

American ("regular") budgies run about 15-20$ for a parent raised bird. Hand feds run about 40$. I will also agree that English-ers tend to have a calmer and tamer disposition. I believe this is in part due to the fact that, like dog shows, birds have to turn "ON" and stay looking fabulous in front of the judge. This drives the breeder to select the top birds with a calm disposition. Hope this helps!

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The same thing goes for hamsters and hamster breeders and showing. If you want a show quality hamster, you go to a breeder, but you can still get a friendly hamster.. better than most pet store hamsters anyways.
I am against buying from pet stores. I would consider getting a a bird from Omar's Exotic Birds though. Yes, I am in Orane County. I believe Cass asked that. There is actually a small Omar's about 5 minutes from my house. I am going to a hamster show in Lake Forest on the 2nd, and there is also and Omar's right by there.
You guys make those English budgies sound very tempting. ;)

Nowhow do I go about finding a bird breeder here in California.
I look for bird clubs here in southern CA.. and I get addresses. No email address, website, or phone number. There is an Orange County Bird Breeders club. Their P.O. Box is located in the same city in which I live. The P.O box goes to the membership secretary, so I am assuming she lives here as well. I wish their was a website, email address or phone number. It would be so much easier.

to start off, I strongly don't recommend you buy a bird, or *anything alive* for that matter, from a petstore.

If your looking for a "snuggle" birdie, I wouldnt really recommend a conure since in general they kinda have attitudes and are known to bite the hand that feeds them ;) ((we have one, one second hes dancing and giggling, the next second hes turned into Boogie Bird, The Human-Destroyer.)) Cockatoos, in my experience, have always been pretty friendly and "snuggly" ((that might just be me though)) My favorite birds are cockatoos, african greys, and macaws :) the toys we have for our macaw and cockatoo are mainly kong toys, our smaller birds don't really like to play ((their seniors)) :(:(

I think itd be a good idea for you to check out birdie books/magazines, "Bird Talk" is usually a good magazine, I learn something new each time, almost. :) good luck :):)

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Originally posted by DejaVu

I am against buying from pet stores. I would consider getting a a bird from Omar's Exotic Birds though. Yes, I am in Orange County. I believe Cass asked that. There is actually a small Omar's about 5 minutes from my house.

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Omar's Exotic Birds (By Cypress college) is where we bought our tiels and parrotlets. They are the BEST bird store around! Their birds are so well taken care of, they gets loads and loads of attention (not like at Magnolia Bird Farm. God I hate that place!!!) and the people who work there are fantastic. All their birds are hand fed, from breeders. They are the BEST bird shop in Orange County by far, and not only that they take excellent care of their birds. When one of our parrotlets looked sick they paid for the whole vet visit, AND gave us a free brand new cage! Awesome people to work with, plus almost all the birds there are bred by the employees, so you get to talk to the breeders first hand.

I'm from Orange County. We used to live on Knott and Orange, on the border of Anaheim/cypress/Buena Park and I attended Cypress College, which is why I know of the pet shop. :)

LOL! Where you lived is fairly close to where I live. I live in Stanton. A two minute drive from the Omar's by Cypress college. It's a fairly small Omar's and I haven't been in it. I have only been to the one in Lake Forest. I keep meaning to go to that Omar's though. I'll probably go there soon enough. Where about is the Magnolia Bird Farm?