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Your Ideal ''Parrot Shop"

BeakyBird

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Forgive me if this is in the wrong area; not entirely sure where it would fit better!

All of us have or aspire to have parrots. That's why we're here, right? So whether you have had your companion for a number of years, you're brand new, or you want one they all need STUFF. The best part is, a lot of sites cater to parrot STUFF. Which is awesome for those of us who like online orders, or who don't mind waiting till it arrives. But in those dire situations, when we need to wander into a Petco or a Petsmart, or even some local specialty shops.. why is it that you usually don't find exactly what you want? Why are some staple items that every parrot owner should have not available to us? And even more so, why do they still sell products that are even questionable?

With this in mind, I ask the community; what would be your ideal "local parrot shop". What items would you find in it? What brands of food? What cages? What would you like to see a store do better, or do that hasn't been done before? I'd love to hear some feedback.
 

gibsongrrrl

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Not having birds in residence would be my first want. I generally won't buy anything that isn't wrapped up, so that really limits anything beside food unless it isn't porous like hardware, acrylics, bowls, etc. and I'd like to be able to buy toys locally sometimes. Better quality food also. I can get harrisons at one vets office here, but the hours available aren't always ideal. Also no tiny cages, so people couldn't put their bird in too small of an enclosure based on false claims on packaging.
 

Peachfaced

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Food: Harrisons, Roudybush, TOP pellets, Lafaeber's stuff (nutriberries/avicakes), sprout mixes...

Fun toys from different vendors, acrylic toys, varieties of perches and platforms. Maybe bundles of toy parts?
 

lexalayne

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I have a favorite one I get beautiful toys, food, and supplies from and they sell, babies also. In the past 10 years I've only seen one baby w/o a sold sign. They give classes on training, what to expect, encourage visiting until the baby is fully weaned. The store is spotless, well stocked and all questions are encourage and answered courteously and they go the extra mile. I came home with the baby they had available a few months later. They are very concerned about nutrition and have consulted with Avian Vets in launching their own products. Their nuts are Amish grown, no pesticides. They are about as perfect a pet store as I have found. A far cry from the macaw I have who came from a pet store where not one employee remembered him arriving or any history of him whatsoever. The longest employee had been there 5 years at the time. And they told me to leave him alone he BITES HARD AND WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE AS WE WATCHED 4 teenage boys poking their McDonalds straws at him to get him to swipe while the employees did nothing. My daughter was 8 at the time and made them stop.
 

lexalayne

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We went back to get him a few weeks later. His vet check consisted of looking at his poop and the manager hacked his feathers awfully far down and ragged. We couldn't get him out of there fast enough.
 

painesgrey

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Toy making supplies all day long. I'd love to go to a store and be able to pick out bits and pieces and know that they're non-toxic and safe. I don't mind ordering from bird-specific online retailers, but sometimes I would like to be able to see and feel the toy before ordering them en masse (and paying for shipping to boot). Yes, I know I can run down to the hardware store and buy stainless steel quick links, bolts, washers, and wingnuts. I just hate spending so much for one-per-package quick links and having to research what they're made of.

Also, a variety of foods. Or, in the very least, a willingness to special order foods. The local mom&pop shop used to special order anything they could get from their distributors for no markup, which I loved... until they closed. It's not always practical for stores to use shelf space on the seldom-bought expensive brands, and I'd much rather have to wait a week or two to get a product that hasn't been sitting on the shelf for the last six months.

I love stores that are constantly rotating their stock and trying new products. I'm far more likely to just go in to look if I think I'll be seeing something new and interesting. It gets boring going into stores that have the same toys, same foods, same treats for a year. Lookin' at you PetSmart.:shifty:
 

Ankou

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Basically if MSBS had a physical shop. :lol:

No actual birds and almost everything else a bird could ever need and safety considered for all of it. (I mean, we have to use our own judgment like with all toys but I have yet to find anything unsafe for all birds, nothing like toys made with dubious metal from China, chemically treated things, and antiquated unsafe things like mite poison.)
 

clicketty

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I would feel best if there were no birds. Maybe the owner's bird could pop in and welcome guests hehe! If there had to be birds for sale, they would need to be responsibly bred and hand fed and socialized with big cages.

On the subject of cages, the store should only sell adequately sized cages. I'm sick of seeing this silly 'starter kit' cages, theres no room for the bird!! The smallest cage sold should be the absolute minimum size for a bird.

A wide range of quality toys and toy parts! Lots of things for birdies to shred into and play around with. Lots of different perches as well.

Only the best foods like Lafebers, Mazuri, Harrisons and Roudybush. None of those silly bargain brands or foods jam packed with dyes and other unneeded chemicals.

The store should definitely have staff who actually know what they're talking about and help to educate new bird owners!
 

Chihuahua

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i would like bulk bags of bird food. 35 lb bags of zupreem and such
 

BeakyBird

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I really appreciate all the input! I'm mulling through and pulling out a lot of important bits, so feel free and add more input. Everyone's opinion matters!
 

mekat

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I want a local place just for birds that will trim nails and board them TBH. I had to send my birds to dog/cat vet to board when my house was flea bombed; The vet looked directly at my budgie and said "Ah! A cockatiel!" Yeah, since they only had them for the day it was fine but I would love a place I could overnight my birds and be reasonably sure the person taking care of them had basic knowledge. As far as supplies I would mainly be looking for specialty items that you can't get at the local Petsmart or Petco type place. That means lesser known foods, toys and cages that I can't get elsewhere locally. I would also like a store that tracks what the customer buys so it is easy to place reorders for pick up or have them shipped/delivered for a fee. I think a store that works with local bird breeders would also be cool.
 

blackivory

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It is my dream to have a bird store like what everyone here wants. I have a very small online business and hope to grow in to my dream one day.

I love being able to supply my state with items that aren't purchased anywhere else here as shipping to Western Australia can be really expensive by normal post.
 

BeakyBird

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It is my dream to have a bird store like what everyone here wants. I have a very small online business and hope to grow in to my dream one day.

I love being able to supply my state with items that aren't purchased anywhere else here as shipping to Western Australia can be really expensive by normal post.
Exactly! I just got an opportunity to buy an already establish parrot shop. It's a good price, and something I've dreamed of doing. But I want to offer unique items/services. Need to find a few parrot toy online stores that want to be in a store. ;P
 

Tanya

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A store that sells toys and toy parts, big cages, and bird-safe materials for building indoor and outdoor flights/aviaries. Lots of options for foods... Including maybe a freezer section for "human" foods that birds can eat... Like peas, mixed veggies chopped small and fruit medleys. Also frozen bird goodies like sprouted mixes.

Partnering with local bird shelters appeals to me. Customers could use a reward punch card (small, medium, or large bird) and when it's full they pick one of a few inexpensive toy options appropriate for their size bird. They get to take home that toy and another exactly like it is sent to a local rescue. Also a "sponsor/adopt me" wall of local rescue birds and volunteer opportunities.

I would want to have a seminar room as well, with separate entrance from the store but maybe a window to look through. Invite area bird clubs to come and meet in that space for a low rent, bring in behaviorists for seminars and have paid classes in cooking for birds, bird safety, building simple foraging toys and advanced toy building.
 

karen256

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The best bird store I actually go to is Jo's Exotic Birds in Racine, thought unfortunately, they're far enough away that I only get there once a year or so. The store is just crammed full of different toys, toy parts, gyms, perches, foods, and cages (all decent sized cages) - just a great selection. The main downside is that it's a small store so it's really crowded.
They also do have birds there - one of the owners brings her GW there. And they sell a very small number of babies which are kept in a nursery room away from customers most of the time - basically only people who are interested or have deposits on babies get to visit with them, which probably is a good thing as they don't have random people teasing birds. At least they clearly care a lot about their birds and also give out info on some local rescues and avian vets.

Now a perfect store, to me, would have an even larger selection - especially of playgyms and stands. And it would have nice boarding facilities and perhaps offer some training or behavior classes. Actually, quality, flighted-bird-friendly boarding facilities would probably be my #1 requirement.
 
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