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Attention prospective parrot owners!

Buying an unweaned baby bird is no joke.

Let's rule out the myth...

Buying a bird which needs 'finishing off' will not make your bird 'bond' better with you. This is total and utter rubbish.

Although this message is unfortunately portrayed by some foolish individuals claiming to be 'experienced' and 'advisors'.

If you intend to buy a baby bird it is far better for you and the bird to wait until it is TOTALLY weaned.

The bird will be healthier, more able to cope with life. 

YOU in turn will have a healthier, happier bird, and no worries about hand feeding. Which is not easy even for the most experienced.

Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Most birds (including AFRICAN GREYS) are NOT TOTALLY WEANED at 12 weeks old.

Why would someone think that a bird of 16 weeks was too old to buy? These birds should live up to 50 years. Each bird is different, some might wean at 12 weeks, depending on the way they have been reared, some may take a lot longer. What is all this nonsense about birds being 'past their best' when a few weeks older? If these prospective buyers actually knew what goes on to get these birds to wean early, they would surely think again. People are too easily lead.

Buying a bird that needs 'finishing off' is unethical, immoral and above all cruel and stupid.

If you are not yet convinced read the following passage:

Taylor is Gone....

Taylor was a 14 week old Grey sold by a pet store to a man who had never handfed a baby bird. At 15 weeks, he had a burn hole in his crop and chest. At 18 weeks he was dead. He died in the arms of the man who bought him, snuggled under his chin and finally free of pain.

Whose baby bird was this?

Who took this precious Grey, fat and fuzzy, from the nest and sold him into death?

Did the breeder give a thought to the future of this baby when he handed him over to a broker or to this pet store? Did he care?

How many babies were in the shipping crate? Where are they? Are they alive?.......or dead like this little one sold into the hands of a buyer who had never handfed a baby bird? Taylor will have lots of company from other baby birds sold into death. The Rainbow Bridge is getting crowded..

I had a very hard time getting to sleep last night. I thought of my Grey baby sleeping and safe in his brooder. My dream will live. No client of mine will ever hold one of my dreams as he dies from a burned crop. Never.

This has got to stop. How many babies have to die before the sale of unweaned babies stops?

All of these sellers of unweaned babies transfer the risks - the health problems and the deaths - to the buyer.

The only way this can be stopped is for the buying public to refuse to buy an unweaned baby bird and to refuse to patronize pet stores and breeders who sell them.

Please buy your new companion fully and bountifully weaned from a quality pet store or from a breeder who sells only weaned babies.

Above article only by © 1998 by Bobbi Brinker

Permission only given to use this text, or the banner, to any site that wishes to assist in the endeavour to stop purchases of unweaned babies.