Oh, Di, this is so exciting! Woot!
This is such a smart group and I know you'll steer me in the right directions.
Hope your blatant flattery works! lol
I got Pudgie from our local Petsmart, and I have no complaints whatsoever. Her health has been excellent, she's smart, she's affectionate. Some Petsmarts seem to be on the ball and others are horrible, so I guess you'd have to check your local one out with an eye to their bird care practices...
Given the heart-breaking number of birds in rescues/shelters, I want to say: adopt a budgie who needs a loving home. I warn you, though, judging from my experience with Raina, that adopting an adult bird with "issues" is nothing like adopting a younger budgie. You would have to decide how much patience you have, how prepared you are to see only tiny increments of learning & trust develop, etc.