So, I'm thinking of getting a new bird...
Should I buy from a pet store or from a breeder?
Generally handfed babies directly from a reputable breeder are much easier to tame, much friendlier, and less prone to being ill when you buy them than a pet store bird.
Pet store birds, even if handfed, revert to being 'untame' if they're not handled regurlarly by store staff. It's very rare that they're handled.
A lot of pet stores also keep their birds in substandard to downright dangerous conditions as well.
Then, there's the initial cost of the bird aspect.
As an example: One of my cockatiels is a cinnamon whiteface pied mutation. In a pet store that mutation goes for sometimes over $200. I got my baby from a breeder for $80.
Breeders, especially if local to you, are usually more willing to let you come to them for help and advice..most pet stores will only give you advice if they think they can make you buy more from them.
Pet stores are also generally much less knowledgable about birds as well.
Examples:
- Most pet stores will tell you that 'starter kit' cages are large enough for a cockatiel; they aren't.
- Most pet stores will tell you round cages are okay. They aren't.
- Most pet stores will tell you a cockatiel or budgie 'needs grit'. They don't, in fact grit can cause health problems, including crop impaction and death.
- Most pet stores will tell you walnut shell, corncob litter, or kitty litter are all okay for cage bedding. They AREN'T! All can cause death. Corncob litter and kitty litter swells in the crop and can cause crop impaction. Corncob litter also aids in the growing of molds and fungi. Walnut shell litter can literally shred the digestive system of the bird if ingested...the shells are jagged.
- Most pet stores will also tell you that a "healthy cockatiel diet" consistes of a "good seed mix". This is also not true, and part of the reason why they tell you the lifespan is only 5-8 years...they die that young mainly from poor diet and lack of proper vet care.
A "healthy diet" for a cockatiel includes a good pellet(Most here recommend Harrisons of Foundation Formula), fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and cooked foods...so you can't just simply dump seed in a cup and go if you want a healthy bird.
Good breeders will wean their babies onto a variety of foods, including pellets, vegetables, cooked foods, and some seed.
Pet stores generally feed seed only.
Mo Cahill, a longtime breeder on the upatsix budgie board suggested I add this little bit:
"You might mention that a $20 pet shop bird is probably missing something- like vet care. Many times these bird are raised on the cheapest available feed and a survival of the fittest philosophy. People should expect to pay a little more for a real quality bird. They cost more to make. "
Also remember that there ARE good pet stores, they're just hard to find...and that there ARE bad breeders; a good breeder should be willing to answer ANY questions you have about their breeding birds, their babies, the way they raise the birds, etc...but keep in mind a lot of breeders don't allow outside people into the breeding area for fear of spreading disease to the chicks or breeder parents, but they'd tell you that up front and not be 'shady' sounding about it.
If a breeder you're looking at gets angry or sounds annoyed when you ask questions, find a different breeder; it'll be worth it.
I have had tiels from pet stores before.
The one that I ended up having to give up(the story of that is on my website) was a pet store baby, and it took him 4 months before he'd even hop onto my arm.
By the time I had to give him up, he'd sit on my shoulder for hours and hours on end, and climb all over me, but he would still bite, hiss, and run away from hands.
My late boy Rommel was a pet store 'rescue'; he was surrendered to the store by the backyard breeder who owned him and his mate when she decided to get out of breeding. The store was going to let me have him for free because, "nobody wants to pay money for an old bird"; I paid for him anyway, as there was nothing wrong with the store, and I wanted to take his old toys with him so he had something familar in his new home. Rommel was a sweet, tame, well adjusted bird.
Panzer was right from a breeder. She came home as a sweet, loving cuddlebug, and aside from her first hormonal period, has remained so. Owl came from the local PetCo here. I had no qualms buying from them as the store here is run extremely well; all birds are socialized and kept socialized, are on a varied diet, have safe bedding, and are kept clean. All of the other animals in the store are kept in wonderful condition as well. All but one of my birds (a budgie hen) are tame, and know "step up", "no", "down", and a couple little tricks..but the handfed direct-from-breeder cockatiel is MUCH cuddlier and loves to just sit with me. She also lets me scritch her head and neck. The pet store birds would prefer to sit near me, but not have me touch or handle him unless I'm having him step up. They will screech and hiss or bite if you try to give him scritches, or get your hand too close without saying "step up".
All in all, for a first time owner, a pet store bird would not be your best bet. They are tameable and trainable, but it takes longer than a handfed baby directly from a breeder, and for a lot of people it can become so frustrating when after a month your baby still won't let you touch him...that they just give up on the bird and it becomes a "cage only" bird. :(
I've seen a lot of posts on various messageboards, and on email lists of people who are VERY frustrated that their bird hisses at them, runs from them, bites, and is "impossible to tame" even after 2-6 months and the first question most people ask is "Was the bird from a pet store or breeder". I can only recall one person saying the bird was from a breeder.
If you're getting your first tiel, and ESPECIALLY your first bird, GO TO A BREEDER! It'll be more than worth it, and will generally start you off with a very positive experience.
What if there aren't any breeders in my area?/I don't know where to look for a breeder in my area.
First, check this site to see if there's a breeder within a reasonable distance from where you live; I travelled two hours to get my Panzer, and it was more than worth the drive.
If you absolutely can't find a breeder, and need to buy a bird from a pet store here are a few things to watch out for.
DO NOT buy a bird from a store that has any of the following!If you notice any of the above, do NOT buy your bird from that store! Try to resist "pity buys" too; they'll only show the store that they can stock sick/injured birds and not treat them and someone will buy them anyway. Many stores don't see their animals as living beings, they see them as merchandise. As long as they get their money, they don't care.
- Overcrowding in the cages. The birds should always be able to spread their wings & move around and not bump into another bird.
- No toys in the cages.
- Corncob, walnut shell, kitty litter, or cedar bedding in the cages. All are dangerous and can be fatal. Ideally the store will use black and white newspaper, plain white paper, plain brown paper, aspen shavings, carefresh, or pine shavings. There should also be a grate between the bird and the cage paper.
- Inappropriate toys. By this I mean a budgie sized bird should not have an amazon sized toy, and vice versa.
- Sick and/or dead birds in the cage. That sounds disgusting, but it's very common.
- Dirty cages
- Stacked cages(without a shelf between them) or cages on the floor. The one exception here is for floor model cages on stands.
- Empty/dirty food and/or water bowls. Some birds do dunk their food in the water, but it's easy to tell if that's what's going on or if the water is just plain filthy.
- Too few food/water bowls for the number of birds in the cage. I've seen small cages with 30+ budgies and only one small food and water dish. Not good.
- Grit in the cages. Grit can be dangerous for cockatiels and budgies.
- Sandpaper on the floor of the cage.
- A 'dirty' or 'barnyard' smell.
- Birds on a seed only diet.
- Vitamin drops in the water.
- Staff who can't answer your questions or can't direct you to another staff member who can.
- Staff who seem unconcerned or hostile when you point out a problem, sick, or dead bird.
In addition to that, while it's great that you want to help a sick or injured bird, keep in mind that vet bills can run into the thousands of dollars.
Here's quick test I use to determine if the store even has hope of being good: Ask a staff member "What cage size is appropriate for a cockatiel/for a budgie?" If they direct you to a 'starter kit' or one of those tiny 11"x11"x11" type cages, take your business elsewhere. The correct answer would be "the largest cage with proper bar spacing that you can afford". Alternately, you could ask what proper bar spacing would be for a cockatiel or budgie, and if they say something akin to "what?" or "it doesn't matter", take your business elsewhere.
Some things to look for in a good store
- No overcrowding; cages are large and birds have room to move and play without tripping over each other.
- No sick or dead birds in the cage.
- Staff who can easily answer your questions without giving a sales pitch.
- Staff who are friendly and straightforward in answering your questions.
- Well lit.
- Ample food and water bowls with a variety of foods in them.
- At least 3 or 4 appropriately sized, safe toys.
- Perches of different sizes and textures.
- Nothing on the list above. :)
What's this quarantine I've been hearing about?
If you have ANY other birds(even finches), your new bird should have no contact with them for at LEAST 30 days; preferrably 45-90 days. This means a seperate cage in a a seperate room, and you washing your hands and arms after dealing with each bird.
Birds are masters of hiding illness up until the moment of death in some cases. Quarantine helps reduce the risk that a new bird could infect your current birds with something, or vice versa.
Regardless of where you got the bird from, what kind of health guarantee you have on it, or what your vet says, a new flock member needs to be quarantined.
What should I ask a breeder?
Well, a few things come to mind off the top of my head:
- What types of foods do you wean your babies onto? If the answer is "seed", go elsewhere. A good breeder will wean their babies onto a wide variety of foods, including seeds, pellets, vegetables, fruits, and cooked foods(rice, beans, peas, carrots, birdie bread, etc...). A good breeder will also generally give you a baggie of the main type of food the babies eat, or tell you the brand and type before you take the baby home. This makes things a little less stressful for the new bird.
- Do you give a health guarantee? Any good breeder will give a health guarantee with their bird. Keep in mind that most health guarantees are void if you don't take your bird to an avian vet within 2 weeks of purchase. Some breeders will also void the health guarantee if you fail to follow proper quarantine proceedures.
- Ask if you can either see the breeding area, or see photographs of it. A lot of breeders have "closed aviaries"; this is to help prevent outside disease from coming in. Some breeders will allow you to see the breeding rooms, or will take pictures for you.
- How often are the nestboxes/cages cleaned?
- How do you disinfect?
- How many birds are kept in a cage, and what size are the cages?
- How many times per year are the breeders allowed to have clutches?
- Can I see the parents? Some breeders allow this, some don't. If they don't, they should be straightforward with you as to why, and not skirt questions or give vague answers.
- Are the babies handfed, parent fed, or parent fed and handled? Handfed babies tend to be the friendliest, parent fed the wildest, and parent fed and handled are tame and friendly, just not as tame and friendly as handfed.
NEVER buy an unweaned baby!! No reputable breeder will sell unweaned babies!
"Why would anyone *want* to sell unweaned babies unless they couldn't be bothered with the responsibility of rearing their babies properly and were really only interested in profit. I could never part with an unweaned baby because I want to make sure the job was done properly, that it was weaned when it was ready, that it was not sold before it should be. I also want to know who buys my babies and so don't sell to pet shops at all. Those who shout the most and loudest about it being fine to sell unweaned babies are those who will never have my respect, and IMO look upon birds as *things* to be sold to make as much profit as possible in as short a space of time. I call them 'bird farmers' or 'bird mills'.If you want to ask her something about the above, be sure to remove "your teeth" to use her email address.
Take offence if you please. If the cap fits, wear it. No amount of your protesting about your honourable intentions will convince me otherwise.
The Meaning of Rescue, Author Unknown
Now that I’m home, bathed, settled and fed. All nicely tucked in my warm new bed, I’d like to open my baggage, lest I forget, There is so much to carry — So much to regret. Hmmm... Yes, there it is, right on the top, Let’s unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss, And there by my perch hides Fear and Shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave — I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, But I wasn’t good enough — for they didn’t want me. Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things — And take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, to never repack? I pray that you do — I’m so tired you see, But I do come with baggage — Will you still want me?