OK, I've got MBS bad (do you think it's a Spring thing?). Anyway, I find Kirby the Quaker so absolutely amazing and am so crazy in love, I just gotta have another bird. The thing is, we've recently had to move to an apartment. Seems well sound-proofed, as I've asked my neighbors whether they can hear Kirby and all say no (that's some soundproofing, huh?). Nonetheless, space is an issue as is noise. I'd been thinking parrotlet, but there's an amazing little albino budgie at work who is a little cuddler, knows step up and gives kisses. I'm hooked. My husband is adamantly, absolutely opposed, but can be won over, I think. He is right, from a strictly rational point of view, that 2 dogs, a Quaker and a pair of finches is enough in an apartment....

So, here are the questions: how noisy would you expect my house to be with the addition of a parakeet? would the birds (caged and kept separate, of course) be any company to one another, or would they most likely be in competition? And most importantly: WHAT, AM I NUTS TO BE THINKING ABOUT ANOTHER BIRD?????????????????????

No Your not nuts! I don't think Kirby would be to happy.Espically if he is very attached to you. Good luck.

I really don't know much about parakeets, but let me say from a person who has 3 birds...2 of which are HUGE..thinking of another bird DOES NOT make you crazy If it did...then lock me up in the looney bin

Hi, I don't think your nuts either but there are pros and cons to getting that budgie. We have four budgies and a Quaker. Casey our Quaker doesn't seem to like the budgies, she will be in the same room as them (when they are all caged) and couldn't even care less that they are chattering in the background, but then when we let them out and they fly past her, she kind of tries to bit the air to get at them, so we have never let them together.

Budgies aren't too loud but they are especially chatty in the evening (especially when you are trying to watch t.v.! ) The males sing quite nicely to each other though.

Only one out of the four is actually friendly and likes to spend time with people, the other three like each other but will step up when they need to be rescued from the floor. (the others- two males are housed together and the female used to be a breeder and she is old and a little grouchy!)

We bred them in the past and keep in touch with one of the ladies that bought one of the babies and we babysit him sometimes and he is an amazing little budgie. He tries to talk, but it is too quiet to understand and he makes a few different whistles. The difference with him though is he is in a house with someone who stays home all day with him and talks to him and there are no other birds in the house. They can be nice companions, but it seems like they learn more when they are the only bird in the house.

As for the little albino that you are thinking about, do you know if it is a male or female? Males are much better companions and are the nicer of the two sexes as budgies go. If they talk at all, females are less likely too.

They are different than Quaker in my opinion, they are definitely aren't as calm, I don't think they would just sit on your shoulder of long periods of time like a Quaker would, they are more flightly, but they do make nice pets.

Good Luck in your decision... and working on the husband!

Here is a pic of our budgies, the white one is our friendly one, he was one of our babies that we raised a couple of years ago. He is friendly to us but still likes to visit the others, since two of them are his parents and all!



Charile again with Kipper

No you're not crazy- however...

I would think about it for a while. With pets, the 'one is good, more is better!' isn't always true. If you're in love with your Quaker, why not spend more time with him? I'd at least wait on it. I mean, you get to visit with birdies all day at work, ne?

i have (2) parakeets and just added a quaker. my quaker is a baby so this may change as he gets older but my parakeets chatter a lot more than the quaker. my quaker has "loud moments" but is mostly quiet where the parakeets are a constant background noise.

Thanks, everyone. At least you've made me stop and think - which is a good thing, right?

Yep, it is a good thing Just make sure you are wanting a bird for you. Think of the added vet/food bills plus the added amount of time spent on cage cleaning and bonding with the keet. If you are really wanting another bird, then go for it!! So long as you are making an educated decision then I don't see any reason not to add another bird.