Pixy, NCDR question

sarahtoledo

My sister is planning on getting a parakeet and can't find a young one, nearby, in rescue. Is buying very bad? How might you go about finding a decent breeder? And are the pet stores terrible, like they are for cats and dogs? Tia for any help you can give.

pixy_stix

The bird breeder market isn't as regulated as other breeding programs, as you know.  If she is to get one from a breeder, I'd just make sure it was a small breeder who isn't breeding on a large commercial scale.  Sometimes local bird shops will breed their smaller birds in house.  From there it's just checking the facilities (the condition of the breeding birds, how the birds are kept, etc.).

I would not, under any circumstances, buy one from Petco, Petsmart, or the like.  Those birds come from birdmills.  Large breeding facilities that do not take care of their birds, and keep them in horrible conditions.

yodasmistress

my company does work with wild animals and now i am super curious about what you do.

pixy_stix

yodasmistress:

my company does work with wild animals and now i am super curious about what you do.

Me?  I'm just a plain old admin assistant with a passion for animal welfare.  Birds are a bit of a hot topic for me because we have two, and the trade (buying/selling/caring) for them isn't very widely known.

hairpasta

i'm not pixy obviously, but i just want to say i know first hand that ones that are poorly bred can have major health issues down the road. i got one from a petstore and it had to be put down due to a tumor in his gut at age 3.

where ever you do get the bird, it will benefit from a check-up and regular vet care.

and if you are looking for a bird in need, you can check craigslist too.

astroMom

May I butt in?  Not sure if it is the same as for dogs, but usually I would just try calling your vet and see if they have connections.  They generally know which breeders are legit.

you could try here, too

https://market.rescuenetwork.org/index.php?cat=4

sarahtoledo

Tyvm!! She won't go to a chain store now, thanks for the advice.