Still up in the air...

[BraveheartDogs]

Doesn't look too good. I swung into the Petsmart after class last night to see the little birdies. The Sun remembered me and did a contact call!
I asked the Manager what they could do for a price. Told them what I had found out on the websites for a price range on these birds, explained I would be willing to adopt them together because they were bonded and that I was aware the Sun had been returned previously, and that I believed it had a lot to do with the bond it had with the Jenday. I also explained that I was an educated pet owner who had two conures at home that were from the same genus, and that I was well-versed in their care requirements (or well, as well-versed as we can be, right? I'm always learning new things on this forum and that they would be in an excellent home environment with me. I went so far as to explain that I could potentially get the little Sun to stop plucking his tailfeathers and making himself a duckbutt, if I was able to isolate what was causing this in the first place and eliminating it, if it wasn't already done so by NOT being in a giant glass case on display for thousands and thousands of people to walk by and tap at.
I offered a starting price of $500, for both of them, and I could tell that didn't go over well. He just sort of blew me off. I insisted that he figure out what was the lowest he could go, and even mentioned that the Sun would probably continue to be returned and have issues. He told me for $500, I could have just the Sun and then told me he would "look in to it" and to stop by and he would let me know about the price, but he wasn't going to be able to make a commitment on the price now. Considering they are a percentage-of-sales company, I would assume that this was just to get me out of the way without telling me flat-out No and sounding like a jerk

I think that's better than a "no" so I would keep at him. If you could get an employee or two on board to help push him that would be good too.

 

[ferdinand]

I will go in and offer him 400 - (so your offer sounds good), if you want me to...

Doesn't look too good. I swung into the Petsmart after class last night to see the little birdies. The Sun remembered me and did a contact call!
I asked the Manager what they could do for a price. Told them what I had found out on the websites for a price range on these birds, explained I would be willing to adopt them together because they were bonded and that I was aware the Sun had been returned previously, and that I believed it had a lot to do with the bond it had with the Jenday. I also explained that I was an educated pet owner who had two conures at home that were from the same genus, and that I was well-versed in their care requirements (or well, as well-versed as we can be, right? I'm always learning new things on this forum and that they would be in an excellent home environment with me. I went so far as to explain that I could potentially get the little Sun to stop plucking his tailfeathers and making himself a duckbutt, if I was able to isolate what was causing this in the first place and eliminating it, if it wasn't already done so by NOT being in a giant glass case on display for thousands and thousands of people to walk by and tap at.
I offered a starting price of $500, for both of them, and I could tell that didn't go over well. He just sort of blew me off. I insisted that he figure out what was the lowest he could go, and even mentioned that the Sun would probably continue to be returned and have issues. He told me for $500, I could have just the Sun and then told me he would "look in to it" and to stop by and he would let me know about the price, but he wasn't going to be able to make a commitment on the price now. Considering they are a percentage-of-sales company, I would assume that this was just to get me out of the way without telling me flat-out No and sounding like a jerk

 

[Cliffy4ever]

i will go in and offer him 400 - (so your offer sounds good), if you want me to...

do it!

 

[Archiesmom]

I will go in and offer him 400 - (so your offer sounds good), if you want me to...

Hehe, do you think they will know we are in cahoots? Just to be spiteful, watch him accept your offer. (Which if he does, I'll fund the cash for the birds! Whoohoo!)
I'm going back in tonight after my yoga class to see if I can get a confirmation on the price or not. I must act quickly, Ella was having a screaming fit last night, which set Archie off into a screaming fit as well, and Paul was just rubbing his temples and muttering something about losing his mind if we seriously got two more....

 

[Archiesmom]

Update:
Ok, so went back into the store last night. Pluckybutt Sunny is getting his tailfeathers back and leaving them alone, but the condition of the Jendays feathers really make me nervous...I think something is going on...they are very ratty and ragged-looking. And its on his back, over his wings, even up on the back of his head a bit, which would lead me to believe its not him destroying. He also has lots of dander? My conures don't have this...He fluffed up his body a bit, and a little cloud flew off of him. I've heard of dusty parrots before, and conures being considered dusty, but is that normal for a Jenday? Or do you think the bird may be sick?

 

[TikiBird]

The places that you describe he could be looking ratty because they picked him up put him in a towel and clipped his wings nails etc. That sounds like how my birds look after being handled for grooming.
I don't believe you mentioned the condition before so this all of a sudden look just reminds me of that.

BUT if it's a continuous thing I wouldn't even risk it. I mean they aren't being very courteous to you in the first place, they should be practically begging you to take the birds for 500$, and then one of the birds looks sick. There is just too much going on.

Also the dust could be from being preened by a person or another bird, perhaps the two were out together not long before you walked in??

I don't know what could cause the dust.

Does he have alot of pins?

Did he look bad the other times you visited?

 

[DutchHillAviary]

Another thing with the chain stores, many times they don't really care if the bird sells (mostly talking about bigger birds here, not budgies, tiels). These birds are low profit margins for them - the main reason they have them is b/c they are a draw to get people to come into the store. That is why it isn't surprising to me at all the way the manager is acting to you. Horribly wrong to do, but I thought I'd share that fact with you guys, not many people realize this.

 

[Chicklette]

The places that you describe he could be looking ratty because they picked him up put him in a towel and clipped his wings nails etc. That sounds like how my birds look after being handled for grooming.

I don't believe you mentioned the condition before so this all of a sudden look just reminds me of that.

I agree, this could be the case. Every time I hold Boomer he looks extremely ragged, he could need a bath as well. When you hold a bird the natural oils from your skin go on the bird. That makes them look ragged and when I hold Boomer he looks the same way and he might need a bath.

 

[M.C Bird Rescue]

I would also worry about mites also. There are many birds in these cases that are shipped in continuously. Not saying that they DO have mites. But I would be very aware it is a possibility. Any bird store has the potential to house very sick, infested birds. I HATE literally HATE petsmart for many reasons, and many other chains that do sell birds in class cases. Makes me sick to my stomach.
My Lola was a pet store bird. She is plucking and did IN the pet store until she was placed on clearance. Think about how many times these birds are shipped around.
So sad....

I say..Do not buy it...but what do I know.
Find a sun or jenday that NEED a home privately.

 

[Riley's mom]

Crystal is right. If you get these birds, quaranteen for awhile. And since my daughter works in the pet department at a Petsmart down here, I can tell you that the birds and other animals have to be vet checked, but that doesn't mean anything. Banfield is kinda useless. You should not have been treated that way. Google Petsmarts home office, and call them and file a complaint against the manager of the store. It will do no good to ask an employee for the district managers phone number, because they are all in cahoots with each other, call the actual main office. It has worked down here in several of the stores. There is no cause for rudeness. We had a bunch of people call and it did not go well for the manager, but if it wasn't for customers, these managers wouldn't have their jobs. Sorry! Had to vent. This is a pet peave of mine.

 

[waterfaller1]

The sad part about this is you may think you are doing these birds a favor by getting them away from this store, but after those two are gone, they will get two more.

 

[M.C Bird Rescue]

. If you get these birds, quaranteen for awhile. I can tell you that the birds and other animals have to be vet checked, but that doesn't mean anything.

Sad but true, the illusion of healthy pets being sold with a mediocre check up.

 

[Emmilyy]

The sad part about this is you may think you are doing these birds a favor by getting them away from this store, but after those two are gone, they will get two more.

that doesn't mean that these two birds don't deserve to have homes, though

 

[waterfaller1]

I agree.. but sadly there will be two more though..and it continues on.If they cannot sell them, they might give up ordering them.

 

[TikiBird]

The thing is, if one of us doesn't buy them, someone else will.
It will continue to happen unless there is a large enough movement against it.

They have been selling parrots for years and years I don't see an end to it unless they get busted for some huge liability somehow.

 

[Renae]

The cycle WILL continue, but for the best of the birds.. do they really deserve to be kept in a situation like that?! NO bird does, as sad as it is when you walk away and can't do anything about it.

 

[Archiesmom]

Its very hard for me to see two sweet birds suffering, even if it does mean that other conures and birds are being saved from the same treatment. Its painful to deal with

Despite the conditions of these birds, I don't believe theirs is the worst case scenario. Thank you Crystal, you're absolutely right. There are plenty of other birds out there that come in from HORRENDOUS situations (like that 'Too I was reading about that was kept in a closet where the vent from the dryer blew in That is AWFUL). The worker in this Petsmart is very empathetic to the birds situation, and does take them out to play with them, and care for them. But there is only so much she can do, a lot of what we consider is awful is out of her control, IE the heavy traffic right by the cage, the noise/stress from the other animals around them, animals jumping up on their cage. If she's not there to stop it (and her job requires her to other things besides man the bird cages), its going to happen . I can talk to them about the bathing regimen for the birds and see what they say. I'm still waiting for the head manager to give me a call and let me know what she says, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't going to accept my offer. I very much think that the birds are a draw for customers, as they always have people around their cage. So maybe not like having a huge macaw out for people to see, but to the average customer the birds, especially the Sunnie, are exotic and rare. We will have to see...I just can't believe its gone from being approached about adopting these birds, to having to fight for them. Beaurocracy at work, pfft.

 

[Cassidy]

The thing is, if one of us doesn't buy them, someone else will.

That is unfortunately what keeps the cycle going.

there are much fewer parrots, even little ones like conures, being sold around here in the petsmarts and NONE in the petco's. Not buying does make a difference, even if it takes years. I remember when all the big box stores had macaws like B & G's and Greenwings. Now they just have little birds, and the petsmarts have a couple conures at best.