Awwwwww

Nine is not at all bad for a budgie; you've been good to your Bluey!

We've had some short timer birds and some long timers; one 'tiel was over 25 when she finally left us.

At our peak population we had 13 birds in a single cage in our living room. Two of our budgies got amorous and we gave them a nest box and they managed to produce a couple chicks who were the subjects of a 5th grade genetics report.

We also had a pair of male cockatiels who were quite amorous, but no one wrote a report on them; in our conservative town that would have been a failing grade at best and an abomination at worst.

Avian vet care has been (in my experience) caring, sincere and well meaning, but stressful for birds (and their people) and not particularly effective, especially for the smalls.

Best to you and your feathered ones!