[Cookie&Omelette]

Hi all, during my journey with looking after and taking care of unwanted and neglected budgies I don't know what to do anymore. I have done my best to take in and look after as many unwanted pets as I can but the stream of unwanted budgies just seems to be never-ending. I spoke to my friend and he said you rehoming them all is only fueling the demand for people to breed and ultimately dump there pets.

I took in my 6th rescue bird today and after seeing he was living in a tiny 12 inch cage. I did not have the heart to leave him suffering like that. I would like to ask would you continue to look and find rescue birds or just admit you can not change things and put it out your mind? I have attached a picture, he seems so happy to be free he even flys to me and sits which is unheard of.

 

[srirachaseahawk]

Rescuing an animal from poor living conditions is a blessing for that animal, full-stop.
It is one thing to purchase an animal from a "big box" store under the impression that you are rescuing it, as this really does feed demand.
It's an entirely different matter when you rescue an animal from a legitimate rehoming service, or on your own from someone who just can't make it work anymore.

This bird right here is very lucky to have found you, so thank you for rescuing him/her

Post some more pics, including of his/her face in natural light and we can confirm gender for you

Got a name picked out?
Is he/she quarantined away from your other budgies?
How is he settling in?

 

[Cookie&Omelette]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I never buy from pet shops, thanks god in my city the local pet shops have stopped stocking birds. Most if not all of my birds have come from "his partner died" so getting rid in other words. These little creatures light up my life with there mischief but I just dont know how long I can continue this. I see so many posts online about getting rid of this and that budgie for every excuse under the sun, and when I see there living conditions I just buy them. I have 6 now and I can only see my flock growing, although now I am thinking about a bigger house. I just know that one day I will have to say no more

 

[Cookie&Omelette]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I never buy from pet shops, thanks god in my city the local pet shops have stopped stocking birds. Most if not all of my birds have come from "his partner died" so getting rid in other words. These little creatures light up my life with there mischief but I just dont know how long I can continue this. I see so many posts online about getting rid of this and that budgie for every excuse under the sun, and when I see there living conditions I just buy them. I have 6 now and I can only see my flock growing, although now I am thinking about a bigger house. I just know that one day I will have to say no more

 

[Cookie&Omelette]

Rescuing an animal from poor living conditions is a blessing for that animal, full-stop.
It is one thing to purchase an animal from a "big box" store under the impression that you are rescuing it, as this really does feed demand.
It's an entirely different matter when you rescue an animal from a legitimate rehoming service, or on your own from someone who just can't make it work anymore.

This bird right here is very lucky to have found you, so thank you for rescuing him/her

Post some more pics, including of his/her face in natural light and we can confirm gender for you

Got a name picked out?
Is he/she quarantined away from your other budgies?
How is he settling in?

I did not quarantine but I give them all a drop of Ivermectin.

 

[StarlingWings]

You should not medicate your birds unless they need it; was one of them showing signs of mites? Additionally there are other illnesses which especially in rescue birds could be passed on that are not affected by Ivermectin such as PBFD and psittacosis, both of which are highly contagious. It would have been better to quarantine; however now I would suggest you perhaps take him in to the vet to make sure he is healthy.

Meanwhile, he is a gorgeous little boy and I'm glad you were able to take him in. It is hard to see that there are so many pets which end up unwanted and looking for a home. It's truly unfair that many humans see pets as disposable, or that simply so many people have situations change to the point where they can no longer properly care for their pet. Since it's never the animal's fault that this has occurred, it's always sad to see. As "ghost pepper gyrfalcon" said above, it's true that rescuing animals is different than getting them at big-box stores since the the sale of rescued animals does not directly influence the sale of birds from the bird mills and therefore doesn't promote their propagation in any way. However, its true that eventually you are going to run out of resources to properly care for more birds. Even so, you would have made such a difference in the lives of the little ones who were fortunate enough to come home with you.

Thank you for rescuing these little ones. Nobody can solve a problem like this singlehandedly, so try not to think about the other little ones that can't find a home with you and hope that they will someday. Meanwhile, your budgies will surely have the best life possible!

 

[Cookie&Omelette]

Thanks for the reply. I only give the new arrivals a shot as I had a really bad case of mites with one of my birds and I don't want to go throught that again. I know I should quarantine but after seeing there poor living conditions and the calling I just don't have the heart to do it to them. We all make mistakes, but for me the joy of seeing them flying and interacting with there flock mates alleviates most of that anxiety. I will continue on my mission for now as every little helps, and if you can change one life then its a win I wake up to my little ones every day and they make me smile, they are like kids truly

 

[Cody]

I understand your compassion but just keep in mind that you must be able to provide for them in every way. Should one or more become ill and need medical attention you need to be able to provide that and it is expensive, so the more you have the more your spend.

 

[FaeryBee]

I took in budgies (and lovebirds) from people who needed to rehome them.
I ended up with 9 budgies and 3 lovebirds.

While I have the financial means to care for my birds -- having 12 birds is a HUGE responsibility and is very time consuming.

At this time, I have two rooms in my home that are "bird rooms". One of them is for my budgies and one is for my lovebirds.

Additionally, I have two Shetland Sheepdogs that are NEVER allowed in the bird rooms. My dogs take up the majority of the rest of my time.

I would not recommend that you continue to take in more budgies.
It is very easy to reach a point where you are overdoing it and you can morph into a "hoarding" situation without meaning to.

Additionally, you mentioned in another thread about building an aviary and I assume you mean it would be outdoors.
I would not recommend that either.
I have a friend in Australia who had an outdoor aviary and a hawk killed one of her budgies by grabbing it through the mesh of the aviary.
I fully believe your birds are better off kept in the house.

It is important that you do everything necessary to prevent breeding when you have mixed genders.
You must also ensure you have access to an Avian Vet and the financial means to care for all the birds in your care.

6 budgies is more than enough. I would suggest you make a promise to yourself that you will not rescue any additional birds at this time.
Keep a limit on the number you keep so you can give the ones you have the best possible care for their optimal health and well-being.

(I'm currently down to 5 budgies and 2 lovebirds)

Best wishes!

 

[Cookie&Omelette]

The aviary would be built indoors basically just to limit mess and be 100% sure that when I am out they are all safe. I also understand you are right limiting myself to what I have now for the time being at least. I have the means to take care of what I have now as I am fairly lucky to have a steady job. I need to put the idea of rescuing any more out my mind, it's just so difficult sometimes. I joined this forum to learn and also get others point of view, that you have all kindly provided. I know I have made some mistakes with my birds we all do, and I am not someone with years of experience. Thanks for the replys all it's appreciated

 

[Cody]

Keep a very close watch on the white bird you just acquired, he has discoloration on the feathers above the cere which usually happens when there is a discharge from the nares. If he is sneezing he must be separated from the others and taken to an avian vet to determine the issue, an upper respiratory infection could be passed to the other birds.