Hey everyone! I haven't posted in a while... still no bird. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a hand-raised budgie (that is not on an all-seed diet) or linnie around here.

Anyway, recently my mom and I went to some dollar stores and I got some great stuff for making bird toys!

I threaded some straws through holes in plastic hair rollers, and then sliced the straws up so they're more fine (I couldn't curl them for some reason) and voila, instant toy!

I also got a small kid's feather boa and a plastic headband with holes in it. I threaded the boa through the holes in the headband and made it into a cozy swing, hehe!

Using some of the curlers, I tied some plastic "string" stuff (for beadmaking) and put pony beads, popsicle sticks, and some new plastic toothbrushes on them.

I got a great plastic basket with lots of holes in it, so I'm planning on tying some simple toys to it and to hold the toy-making stuff.

I also made perches for the cage with my dad. We went and got safe branches, I then cleaned and cut them to size, and he put in the hardware stuff. They look great! And I picked some long grass (free from spraying), took the leaves off, ziptied them together, and then ziptied them to the cage bars as perches.

I love making this stuff! Sorry I don't have a pic yet. Now all we need is a bird... My brother says he wants to just catch a crow!

Cool, it sounds like you've made lots of toys for your upcoming bird!

I wouldn't worry if the only budgies you can find is on an all seed diet, I don't think you'll be able to find a budgie on all pellets. Budgies need seed as they are much flightier/exercise more and aren't prone to fatty liver disease like Quakers are. Our budgies eat seeds, they also have a bowl of small pellets they munch on too but they need the seed, IMO.

Good luck in your search!

Yeah, that wouldn't be as important as being well-socialized, it's just that it makes it easier. I know of budgie breeders in my state that feed their birds well-rounded diets, but ironically none of them have birds available now. And a really good pet store that has hand-fed, pretty healthy birds, and also healthy fish, feeds their birds on an all-seed diet. They also don't sell any pellet diets, and I didn't see anything to tell me that the birds get fresh fruits, veggies, and other people foods... I was so surprised! How can a store that recognizes the value of having a hand-raised bird not know that all-seed diets aren't incredibly healthy? It wasn't just the 'keets that were on seed though, it was all the birds (a sun conure, a quaker, 'tiels, and ringneck parakeets). It's just weird.