Hi.
I adopted a budgie about six months' ago. It was being ill treated and was very stressed. Anyway, she's a beauty and now has the run of the lounge and only goes in her cage to sleep. I've put up various perches and toys. She is so good and stays in her own little bit and doesn't venture too far away.

Anyway, I work full time and so a friend comes in at lunchtime to keep her company for an hour. I think that my budgie would benefit from some avian company though.

Does anyone know of any sanctuaries in the Warwickshire area where older birds (eg their owners have died/moved) are taken? I don't like the trade in birds but I am happy to give an already domesticated bird a second chance.

I was wondering if these sanctuaries would allow pets to be taken on a trial basis? I would have to quarantine the new bird for a month before introducing it to mine but if it doesn't get on with 'Bobbi' then it's no good. I wouldn't want two miserable birds when I wanted to make them happy.

Any ideas or suggestions? I don't want them to breed so as I already have a hen, should I get another one?

Many thanks.

you may find that a pair of hens will squabble.

budgies will rarely breed in a home environment anyway, and if they do, just take the eggs from them and replace them with marbles or something similar

if you have an rspca shalter nearby, they may have some birds in, however in past experience it's like getting blood from a stone trying to adopt one.

perhaps try a free ads sight or preloved to see if anyone locally has any to be rehomed

I recently lost one of my two budgies, and advertised on pre-loved for an older one, (they were both 5) and someone contacted me within 3 days that they had one spare that needed a companion. They get on great together now (neither can fly so have to stay in the cage) I would def recommend pre-loved or similar.

Oh and as xdow says, avoid two hens, I remember reading something along the lines of "two hens will sit at either end of the cage and glare at each other" Made me laugh at the time. Two males get on great, or male/female. They won't breed if you don't provide a nest box. Good luck

also, if your bird has been alone all it's life so far, it may not take to another budgie - we got our cock bird louie, a hen to pair up with last year, but he wasn't interested at all.

she was interested in him, but he just moved away from her.

in the end it wasn't fair on either of them so we gave louie his mirrors and whitney went out into the aviary with the rest of my sisters budgies... which also didn't work out.

her and "no tail" another hen bird (with diminutive tail feathers) knocked hell out of each other one afternoon, resulting in one of them having to be put out of her misery and the other (plus another two cock birds) developing coccidiosis through the stress it caused :/
lovely.

not wanting to put you off, but just something to keep in mind - the birds may not take to each other

There's this place in Nuneaton

http://www.nuneatonwildlife.com/index2.html

Thanks everyone for their suggestions and, Wildpumpkin, I will find about more about the sanctuary in Nuneaton.