Questions to ask a breeder BEFORE buying a bird.

[Love My Zons]

There isn't a right or wrong answer to this question and each person is going to answer it differently. I think there were a number of great questions to ask and you'll have to sort out which ones you think are most important to you.

Exactly my thought too. It's common sense and gut intuition here as most of us do with many things we buy. I think the most valuable information you will find is this board and it's members advice or past purchasing experience(s).

Some of the basic questions I asked were diet, what they were weaned onto and allowing them to be flighted. most breeders will be reasonable and not clip a baby.


I didn't buy my parrots to be shipped to me, I went to where they were and saw how/where they were raised so I had a choice to either take my baby or decline. I was fortunate to find breeders within reasonable driving distances.


Birdbreeders.com has many breeders listed with ratings by those who have purchased from. And I found both of my birds on this site.

 

[Joey]

i wish the majority of people in this region would know what these questions even mean.
the only thing they care about is if some birds are tamed, and if the parrot in question talks or not.

 

[Big.Green.Chicken]

i wish the majority of people in this region would know what these questions even mean.
the only thing they care about is if some birds are tamed, and if the parrot in question talks or not

This is very true of everywhere if someone doesn't know better. If they come here just because they are considering a bird, perhaps they will see this post. Seeing a lot of questions to ask breeders, perhaps they will realize that buying a bird takes a lot of thought. It is more then just picking the most pretty one or the one that will talk.

 

[thebirdistheword]

great information everyone definately shed some light on me buying a grey in the next few months

 

[ParkersMom]

If I may ask...why is flight so important...I have a baby 8 month old BF zon and I requested he be clipped...I have 3 big dogs and 4 cats....not a safe environment for an unsupervised bird...ie flying out of sight or to a dog or cat...Also I love to take him outside with me and don't want him flying away...Haven't found a harness I like yet...does this mean he won't be as healthy... can I not just let him learn to fly later in life...

 

[suncoast]

Birds are designed to fly. Clipping a bird is like cutting the toes off of a human. It is critical for food independence and it is critical for good health as it provides exercise, especially for Amazons, who are known to be perch potatoes. Also if a bird has it's wings, it's not a sitting duck for a predator. It has the ability to get away.

Ginger

 

[ParkersMom]

but i've stories about them flying into things and getting hurt...also when I had keets they could fly and it made to dogs and cats more interested in them

 

[Noob]

Love the and a husband, he's your biggest pet huh lol , something my wife would say

 

[AmberMuffinz]

I would start a new thread about it so you can get lots of feedback. By the way I wouldn't take your bird outside without a harness or travel cage, even clipped birds can fly away. In fact, my aunts cockatiel flew out the door - clipped. Luckily she was recovered a couple hours later but she's also very very lucky she didn't get killed by a predator while being grounded.

eta: Birds that are not properly fledged when young may never truly fly, even if you give them the chance later in life. If they don't learn to fly when young they miss out on a lot of crucial learning skills and will never fly for the shear joy of it, only when they are startled or are forced to.

 

[Callista15]

I really can't add much to this but to listen to your intuition. If something seems off, it probably is. And watch how the birds react to them. If they aren't respectful of the bird, or the birds dislike them, than it's probably a good indicator that there's some dirty laundry somewhere you haven't uncovered. I learned that the hard way with my first bird, Yoshi. Don't be afraid to walk away.

 

[MenomaMinx]

I'm surprised not to see my number one warning sign that a breeder is unethical.
"They're all the same"
"It doesn't matter which bird you buy from me(of from the current clutch "insert species here")
You can thank
Red Factor African Grey For Sale
for reviving this particular pet peeve of mine.
When my Valentino was murdered, I originally was going to buy only from a breeder willing to disclose temperament and thus far displayed intelligence in an effort to get the best suited CAG.
Their hype online:
"depending on quality, age, origin, history, temperament, vocabulary and genetics/Red Factor of the parents. These African grey babies starting to talk and mimic sounds already."

Which can be found on this page
Red Factor African Greys For Sale
yeah, it's still there, and yeah I'm still pissed: because calling them on the phone produce that set of quotes about all the babies being exactly alike in every conceivable way.WTF!
I repeat
WTF!
If the breeder can't tell you anything at all unique about any specific bird, they're lying about knowing anything about the birds they are selling. That breeder even came recommended on a couple of message boards I glanced over.