Since Pepper passed, I have had a huge hole in my heart where he used to be. And his absence is something I notice every day. It doesn't feel right without a 4th bird, and I feel that both I and the flock need a 4th bird to be truly happy again. But I feel like getting another budgie would be like replacing Pepper, the light of my life, so I don't want to get another budgie (if that makes sense?) because I would be painfully reminded of Pepper every time I looked at it, and I wouldn't be able to give it my full love for that reason.
So I've been looking into canaries. They seem like a good fit for me and the flock. Generally have the personality of a budgie (curious, not too skittish, etc.), and their average lifespan is about the same. They're fairly tame-able, and they have HEADFULFFIES (I must get another bird with headfulffies). Of course, the bird would free roam, just like the others, and eventually would be trained to go into a sleeping cage for the nighttime, or to let me put it in it's cage for nighttime. I'd have an extra food bowl, as canaries can be food-territorial, and I'd add a bit more seed to the canary bowl, plus give all the birds some wild grasses (which I've wanted to do for awhile) when the avian influenza isn't nearly as widespread or fatal. The idea of a canary, so commonly kept in a small cage, being able to free-roam, is hugely appealing to me. Just seeing a canary not being kept in a cage, and knowing that mine would never be kept in a cage, especially not a small one.
I wouldn't be getting the bird for at least a month, so I have time to think about this, and you guys have time to respond, but I'd love to be a somewhat-pioneer in canary keeping, plus be a role model for others looking to keep canaries, plus give a canary what it needs to thrive. What are your thoughts/tips?
So I've been looking into canaries. They seem like a good fit for me and the flock. Generally have the personality of a budgie (curious, not too skittish, etc.), and their average lifespan is about the same. They're fairly tame-able, and they have HEADFULFFIES (I must get another bird with headfulffies). Of course, the bird would free roam, just like the others, and eventually would be trained to go into a sleeping cage for the nighttime, or to let me put it in it's cage for nighttime. I'd have an extra food bowl, as canaries can be food-territorial, and I'd add a bit more seed to the canary bowl, plus give all the birds some wild grasses (which I've wanted to do for awhile) when the avian influenza isn't nearly as widespread or fatal. The idea of a canary, so commonly kept in a small cage, being able to free-roam, is hugely appealing to me. Just seeing a canary not being kept in a cage, and knowing that mine would never be kept in a cage, especially not a small one.
I wouldn't be getting the bird for at least a month, so I have time to think about this, and you guys have time to respond, but I'd love to be a somewhat-pioneer in canary keeping, plus be a role model for others looking to keep canaries, plus give a canary what it needs to thrive. What are your thoughts/tips?
