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Bird Breeder Question

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The Wooden Parrot

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Here is a question(s) for you parrot breeders out there. In the area I live (PA - USA) there was a boom in parrot breeding in the 90's, there where several parrot stores in the area too. Now you don't see many but there are several parrot rescues in the area. I think there was a boom in buying parrots and now many of them are ending up in rescues.
How is the parrot sales in your area? There does still seem to be a market for baby parrots where I live but prices are down for more common ones. Have you gotten out of breeding, breed less, or still have a demand for your babies.
I don't mean to be nosy but I am wondering. I am not a breeder but did let a pair of my parrots raise two clutches in the past. They would LOVE to have more but I'm not sure if I want to.
 

srtiels

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The ecomony ditates the buying of birds and other luxery or hobby related items. Sales are slower when the ecomomy is bad. many shops won't buy then because they just can't afforsd to feed or care for the animals several months. When the economy is good the sales of birds also stimulate sales for supplies, food and caging.

Also when the economy is bad many breeders also sell out, which also tends to lower prices because they ususally sell cheap to move the birds. When the economy turns around it is harder to find many birds, which in turn is a sellers market, which generates higher prices.
 

Jan

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For me, yes, one of the worst baby bird seasons for me where buyers are quite scarce. It is kind of scary. So many jobs lost and some trying to make it from day to day so the avian world is not always on the top of the list. Although in the back of their minds perhaps but the money is not there for that type of expense. A lot of stores have closed up due to the hard times, especially the smaller pet stores

I for one am getting out of the breeding scene, 23 years, I've had enough of it. A lot of the breeders who are getting out of breeding are a lot of the older breeders who are just retiring from it. They tire of many things about the business even though they may have a love for birds. There are a lot of people out there who are hard to deal with and can get down right demanding... while they may in return and say the same thing about a breeder but a breeder is only one person while we may have numerous people who are wanting to buy our babies and are just thinking we sit at our PC's all day long or can be on the phone all day long talking to the buyer. It can be really hard to deal with. Plus on top of it, many breeders hold a full time job as well so time is scarce and breeder birds and babies are utmost concern.

The cost to feed breeder stock is getting really down right expensive, it is even expensive to feed the pet birds for those who only have them as pets. So just imagine multiplying that many, many times over. Vet costs are continually on the rise as well. To me, the whole picture is not all that appealing.

I raised 3 beautiful Blue Front Amazons this 2009 season, they talked wonderfully and they were so sweet and at 6 months old, I finally wholesaled them out a long with 3 Maximilian Pionus... now that is really sad. They'll find a new home being that they are in a more populated area and can be sold. I basically worked for 6 months and made about $1,700 - that's not very good at all... considering I should have got more like $3,000 had they sold through my site. I only had sold 5 of my birds through my site at the retail prices I sell them for. I still have like 4 I am hand feeding yet that are almost weaned. Then there are all my breeder birds that will have to be sold off. Oh well, this is the end of it all for me where breeding is no longer going to be a concern to me.

There now I have given a mouth full to go on!!! LOL!!
 
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Jorg S.

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Jan
I'm so sorry to hear about your difficulties :heart: and hope things will get better for you.
I just took on 4 pairs of lovebirds for breeding but it's not for the money but for the hobby of it still I too have had some thought about what would happen if I can't place the babies.
 

Jan

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You're right Jorg, that is what I have ran up against this year was placement for my babies, that is always a concern when raising babies, you might be stuck with hanging onto them for a longer period of time. I do miss the Blue Front Amazon babies that I just took in the other day, they were the life of the party out there in the bird room!!

Well, my whole main reason for getting out of breeding is not the expense, it is really due to my breathing. Babies kill me every year where my breathing is a concern in which it is. I go through a lot in trying to raise these guys and my health is always at risk. I love doing it but when I can not breath properly I do not function very well as most anyone else would not either!!

I think too but not all, some breeders over the years just get worn out from doing the whole thing for 20 years or more. For me, it is only myself that cares for, maintains all areas of the bird related stuff... just everything so when you have no help and plus other stuff to do as normal routine stuff out side of birds, it just wears you out! I am probably giving a negitive side of things perhaps but in reality, some people are way over extended on their time, so something suffers somewhere.

Setting up breeding birds is one thing but raising babies properly is a whole other area and that is to me more of a time consuming effort. When babies are young, I never hardly ever make it into bed before 1 am.

I have so many memories of all my babies I have raised and I can live on that for a long time to come. My website has brought me a lot as it has connected me with the world where otherwise, I would have been dead in the water with no connection of people to speak of. So in order to sell my babies I had to also involve my time into the website updates, people who wanted to buy a baby from me was always expecting to see updates on the pages, and that is how I found it most simple was to update everyone on the site rather than individually through email which is more time consuming. But when taking 30 some photos then having to resize them all, that is a time consuming effort too before they can be placed on the website. I've become quite the so called web designer through it all too... you can teach an old dog new tricks!!! LOL!!
 
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magni

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That's sad but I understand, will you keep any for pets?
 

Abby

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Jan I find your story heartbreaking and unfortunately familiar to the position a good friend of mine is in here in Australia. It's a shame that we're losing some wonderful highly experienced people. People like yourself are the ones that those of us like myself look to for mentoring and support.

I'm on a much smaller scale partly by choice and also due to finances and where we live in inner suburbia. I'm keeping it small so I can spend more time raising quality companions. Still it isn't always easy.

Back 20 years ago I remember taming down GSC2s that were basically wild. It was such a buzz when you earned the trust of these stunning birds. Handraising was still very new here. Nowadays buyer expectations are so much higher. They don't want to do the work with the birds to earn the relationship. They want a bird that will do everything straight away that previously you just took it on the chin that to get there would take weeks of work.

I'm lucky that I have kids that are willing to play with the babies. They're a huge help in assisting to teach the babies basic manners.
 

Bokkapooh

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Many are buying parrots and birds, and many are ging to rescues. For every one boughten at a store 10 more get turned up into a rescue :(
 
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