All budgies have show faults. Some just have less than others. No one I know has bred an absolutely perfect budgie. No one would agree on what was perfect anyway. So you will not be able to buy a perfect budgie. The better the budgie, the higher the price. I have personally seen a person pay $3000 for two green best in show winners.

You will need to buy the best you can get for what you are willing to pay. I bought my first budgies for $25 to $35 each and bred birds that got me out of novice. Then I bought a couple of $50 budgies and one outstanding hen for $150. They got me into champion. The most I ever paid for a budgie was a champion dark green that I bought for $300. He has small spots but is huge and passes on the size. I rarely buy a bird now. The rule is, if it isn't better than what you have you don't need to buy it. So as your birds get more show quality, you find fewer that would help you in your breeding program. I paid $100 for the bird that produced my best in show winner. This is to give you some idea of where you are going. I would suggest (and I know you are not asking for my advice) that you talk to someone that is winning a lot in a novice division and ask them where they got thier birds and about what they paid for them. Then go to that breeder and tell them that you would like a pair like the novice bought. I don't think you should need to spend more than $100 for a very good pair that can produce possible winners. I was recently beaten at a show by a baby bird from a pair that I had sold a novice for $35 each. They did have show faults but they were from good stock and they produced really good babies.

The preceeding is the property of Rose Lee Begley, please do reproduce without the author's permission.