GCConure & Budgie

[TurquoiseMel]

Figure I'd ask here before I do anything.
Loqui needs some company but I can't afford another 300 somethin dollar conure right now, so I wondered how you guys think he would get along with a $20 baby parakeet lol?

Anyone here have a budgie & a gcc that get along well enough to maybe share a cage?? I can manage two cages in my room temporarily but not forever. (not that my bird spends all that much time in his cage anyway, it's mostly just for sleeping and eating)

&also are there any serious health risks in doing this? high chance of diseases or whatever?? The parakeet would be from a Petco if that means anything.

 

[Ratzy]

That would probably be a VERY bad idea.

The chances are that the conure would injure or kill the budgie. Plus, you wouldn't be able to quarantine is one room, which puts your conure at risk of disease, and if you can't afford $300 for anothr conure, then you probably couldn't pay the vet bills if he catches something from the budgie.

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Hey, thanks for the reply.
I would definitely quarantine the budgie for at least a month, probably in the living room, my bird stays in my room. & I remember reading somewhere that gcc's get along well with different types of birds.

I know parakeets aren't always nice to each other even, mine in the past have had nasty fights, but the budgies I saw at Petco were very young & I figured if it was a young baby, he could learn to get along with my conure,& my conure's still pretty young.

& of course I would never put em in together to share a cage unless I knew 100% that they weren't gonna fight.


The only reason I'm thinking any of this tho is coz when Loqui's lose in my room he's always trying to get to my dresser to look at his little friend in the mirror. I don't want him developing unhealthy habits, so I figured a little friend would keep his sanity?

 

[Spiritbird]

I agree with Ratzy. In my home my conure does not like other birds except a GCC which visits every once in a while. Why do you say Loqui needs some company ?

 

[sabrecat666]

I think you would have better luck with a 'tiel. My Jenday conure seems to get along fine with at least one of my daughters 'tiels. The other he "pesters" but not in a real agressive way.

When we went away for a few days for Thanksgiving we actually had my daughters 2 'tiels and Guido all in Guido's cage so that they wouldnt be lonely. It worked out well for us. Everybody was still in full feather with no injuries at the least

 

[roxynoodle]

I'd say it depends on your conure. A lot of people told me, oh just go get a cheap parakeet when my Blue Crown died and the Nanday was depressed. I said, oh geez, Rowdy would dominate the poor little thing so badly it would be scared to death. It would be so intimidated I'd probably never tame the little thing.

Now my Blue Crown was the least parrotlike parrot I've had! She just never had any "parrot attitude". She probably could have been fine with a budgie.

 

[Customcasket]

I'm so afraid for my 2 budgies with my conures. My one parakeet LOVES everybody and wants to be friends with my conures. I'm afraid he'd lose toes at the very least if not his life. The two conures aren't fond of each other either. I originally had just one budgie (spooky the overly friendly one) and Kayak (my dusky) and they were in separate cages and just being able to talk to each other kept them sane enough when I wasn't home. I'd come home to the two of them singing. Next thing I know Spooky is making noises that sound exactly like Kayak. Then came Carlisle the sun conure and then Meister the other parakeet that's scared of humans but love Spooky.

Overall I wouldn't suggest putting them in the same cage. The conures are so much bigger than a little budgie. The beaks and feet are such a huge difference. Parakeet bites don't hurt and conure bites can draw blood.

 

[birdybabies]

My gcc is a 'bully' to the budgies and to my previous tiel (I now have another tiel that will not be meeting gcc, base on the past) The gcc never physically attacked the others, only because I was there and removed gcc immediately when I saw him running towards the others. But the gcc and quaker are buds and I think that is because quaker is much bigger. They do not share a cage (a cage for each species), they only get supervised out of cage time together - its still a very new relationship.

 

[Remy]

I don't think it would be a good idea to cage a conure and a budgie together, just in case. If the conure decides to bite or attack the budgie, it wouldn't stand a chance. They might enjoy company as neighbors though.

It might be a good idea to wait until you're in a place where you can afford another conure.

 

[roxynoodle]

No, I definitely would never put them in the same cage. And anytime you have 2 birds you must be careful to let them out at the same time, at least if one or both is flighted. Until you know for sure one isn't going to attack the other, you must protect the smaller (or submissive) bird.

It was probably 2 years before I could trust my Nanday not to attack my Blue Crown. The BC was physically larger but she just didn't have it in her to attack or even defend herself.

I know the Nanday would hurt or kill a budgie. I also knew she would scream and even cuss at one, no matter what. Honestly, it couldn't even be a consideration. She is doing very well with the Amazon though. I don't know if that's because she was just that happy to have another bird here after losing her friend, or if for once she realizes she is out powered. She will go after the cat though if the cat acts too assertive. So I suspect it's the former.

Now, had my situation been reversed and it had been the BC who lived longer, I think she not only would have been ok with a budgie, but would have welcomed it.

 

[roxynoodle]

And yes, let's talk about disease as well. You would be right to quarantine the new bird. But this also means you must shower and change clothes and even shoes after being with the new bird before you go near your conure.

This is the advice my vet gave me as well: he said a bird older than 3 that came from a private home with no other birds is the least likely to infect my current bird. He said one exception is a cockatiel, which apparently can carry some diseases that kill other parrots, but don't affect them necessarily. He felt the 28 year old Amazon that I adopted recently, who was in a one bird home, and the same home for all that time, was the best choice I could make for bringing a new bird into my home.

There are nice birds out there that you can obtain for free. The original owner of my Amazon just gave him to me. However, they often don't have good cages. He had a nice cage, but it was much too small for him. I already had a large cage, so that was not an expense I had to make again. I did buy him all new perches and toys. That cost me about $100. The vet check cost me about $150 I think for his portion. So any new bird will have some expense involved.

 

[copps321]

they can get along but i would never put them in the same cage as they have different food

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Thanks everyone! I wasn't sure you know so asking is always best. I had seen some videos of gccs getting along with smaller birds & such (parakeets & parrotlets)
Sabrecat has a point about the teil's, they'd be more size compatible than a gcc and a budgie. Maybe I'll look into that. It would really be easier if they could share a cage, but if that's not a good idea then I probably will end up waiting until I can get another gcc sometime in the future.

 

[Bobioden]

Why do you think Loqui needs company? I have thought of adding another GCC for Maxx to have some company, but I have read that 2 is WAY more noise than one, and I am not willing to add that.

 

[everdusk]

It's very hard to decide on what to do, in the end it is up to your discretion. My only worry is what will you do with the budgie if they don't get along? Then you have two separate birds and you might feel your budgie is lonely and needs a friend (I've always had this problem with budgies! I'm finally down to my last one and it's hard to resist getting her a buddy).

I have 3 cockatiels and a budgie and my own conure doesn't pay them the slightest of mind, she'd rather be with me or in her cage than with them. I've heard that they usually get along with different species if they were raised together, so it's hard to know. :c

Sorry I'm not much help!

 

[roxynoodle]

You will have a lot more noise with 2 birds. When one starts, usually the other will, too. I like the noise, but I am long divorced with no children. And live in the country so outside noise is pretty minimal as well.

 

[Customcasket]

You will have a lot more noise with 2 birds. When one starts, usually the other will, too. I like the noise, but I am long divorced with no children. And live in the country so outside noise is pretty minimal as well.

I get the 7am wake-up call... but only on days when I can sleep in. My budgies start chirping to each other (they're in separate cages) which in turn wakes up my Dusky who begins screaming "WHAT?!" and next thing I know the Sun is saying "hello? hello? hello? HELLO CARLISLE!" and if I don't respond he'll start screaming. I enjoy the noise. It makes the house seem more alive and friendly. Right now I'm in the family room and they're in the bedroom singing and playing with toys. As soon I go in there to put them to bed they'll start battling over who gets my attention. I enjoy having more than one bird. They keep each other company and make the house seem alive. (better than the fat cats who do nothing more than sleep)

 

[CRASH_CONURE]

i have
1 GCC
1 cockatiel
1 IRN
2 bugies
and they all get along just fine and it they dont (very few times) they just dont go near eachother.
hoped this helped

 

[roxynoodle]

You will have a lot more noise with 2 birds. When one starts, usually the other will, too. I like the noise, but I am long divorced with no children. And live in the country so outside noise is pretty minimal as well.

I get the 7am wake-up call... but only on days when I can sleep in. My budgies start chirping to each other (they're in separate cages) which in turn wakes up my Dusky who begins screaming "WHAT?!" and next thing I know the Sun is saying "hello? hello? hello? HELLO CARLISLE!" and if I don't respond he'll start screaming. I enjoy the noise. It makes the house seem more alive and friendly. Right now I'm in the family room and they're in the bedroom singing and playing with toys. As soon I go in there to put them to bed they'll start battling over who gets my attention. I enjoy having more than one bird. They keep each other company and make the house seem alive. (better than the fat cats who do nothing more than sleep)

Ha, ha, sounds exactly like my house! Yes, first I hear Rowdy saying, "Ok?" Then if that doesn't work I get, "Audrey, helloooo!!" From there it can turn into screeching.

And much worse when I also had dogs. One of them howled and the others also learned to howl. So first the birds would go off, and then I'd have 3 howling dogs adding to it!

 

[StRiNgROCk]

I know parakeets aren't always nice to each other even, mine in the past have had nasty fights, but the budgies I saw at Petco were very young & I figured if it was a young baby, he could learn to get along with my conure,& my conure's still pretty young.