My husband and I are finally going to take the plunge and get our first Budgie. We've both had them as kids and he's retired now and the show is within an hour's drive next weekend so NOW is the time.

I've had the cage and some toys for about a year, waiting for our lives to calm down a bit so that we have the time. I'm about to order some seed, avi-cakes, and pellets based on the reviews here, because I'm afraid they will be over-priced at the show.

There are also a few more toys I would like to get. I have two nice branches that have been curing on my deck since last spring. I plan to attach one to it's cage and hang the other from the vaulted ceiling in our living room and they need a few 'decorations'.

But is there anything I should watch out for at the show? I will be attending the NC Caged Bird Society show in Eastern North Carolina.

Any Vendors I should avoid? Any Vendors that you think are 'the best'? Any outrageously priced items I should definitely not buy there no matter how much I want it?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

How exciting that you are going to have a budgie in your life again. As far as buying supplies at the show goes, I would make list of items that you like and get to know the going price for those items before going to the show, at least that way you will be able to know if what is being charged at the show is reasonable. I am in the Chicago area and in the shows I have attended around here the supplies are usually very reasonably priced. Be aware that birds brought to shows have the potential of being exposed to any contaminant that may be around, be it a pathogen, mites, toxins etc. The shows I have been to sometimes do not even have any budgies so if there is some contact for the show you may want to check with them to see if they can supply you with a vendor/breeder list so you don't make the trip for nothing. Also if they can supply you with a list and there are breeders in your area you could contact them and perhaps see their birds in their home instead of at the show. This would give you an idea of the care that is put into the breeding by the breeder as sometimes this can turn out to be less than what you would like. At the show you don't have any way of really knowing the conditions that the birds were raised in.

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Thank you for the tips. I will see what I can find out before I go.

I agree, and no matter what a vendor says, if their budgies don't look 100% healthy, don't fall for it - it's easy to fall in love with a bird when there are so many, but for the sake of you and your future bird, it's always best to buy from an ethical breeder who explains in-depth how they raise their birds. For example, they should breed in separate cages (not colony breeding!), all chicks should remain with their parents for at least 8 weeks, and they should practice co-parenting (which means they socialise their chicks with humans without taking them from their parents) rather than hand feeding (which pulls the chicks from the nests when they are young). Budgies that are co-parented tend to be more emotionally developed as well as more socially well-rounded than hand-fed birds.

Have fun at the show! Best of luck

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Thank you. We're so excited!

I ordered some Harrison's Super Fine Pellets and some Dr. Harvey's Seed mix for starters. And of course will supplement with sprouts and veggies, of which we eat plenty!

Great that you will be feeding a healthy diet, however, when you first bring the bird home you should continue to feed it whatever it has been used to eating , even if it is not what you would choose. The bird will be stressed enough by the change in its home and you do not want to add additional stress by trying to change its diet too soon. Please make sure you find out what the breeder has been feeding and continue that until the bird is comfortable in its new home, then you can begin to wean it onto the new diet.

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Will do!

It is always taking a risk of picking up deadly pathogens when attending a bird mart, bird fair, or whatever we want to call them.

Here is a link that explains it. Bird Marts by Ernie Colaizzi Although it was written a while ago, it still applies. Scroll down the page and you’ll find where they actually did tests for deadly viruses by swabbing the tables in the environment, and it was there more often than you might think.

It’s fun to go and see though.. some have beautiful exotic birds that you may never see anywhere else.

Many people who attend take off their shoes before entering the car and house, and clothing immediately after getting home and showering.

I personally wouldn’t buy anything that can’t be sanitized with an antiviral like F10. If you go, have fun. Just wanted you to be aware of the risk. I’ve been in the parrot world long enough that I know this is a valid concern.

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Whoa - thank you for that!

One more thing to investigate is do you have access to an avian vet. Avian vets are sometimes difficult to find so it would be a good thing for you to see if there is one within a distance that you are willing to travel. It is best to know, should the need arise, you have someplace to turn to.

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