breeding birds for a living?

[tassie]

Hello everyone,

Now before I get started I would like say that I understand that this could be a very controversial subject for some people. I understand that bird breeding is serious not fly by night and not for everyone.

I have been considering going into bird breeding in the near future and I have been doing research and just trying to learn as much as I can 1 so I can decide if it is right for me and 2 so that I have a basic understanding of birds and their care before I begin. I have great love for bird and animals in general and the more I learn the more interested and excited I am about the idea of breeding birds and raising them. So to other bird breeders what advice would you have for a beginner? All advice will be appreciated! Thank you in advance!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Welcome to the forums.

No, I'm not a breeder, but I can and will tell you that 'breeding birds for a living' sounds somewhat like a pipedream. All the reputable breeders I know (and that list is not short), do so for the love of the species they are breeding, and the money they get in return is minimal at best.

 

[tassie]

I am mostly interested in breeding because of my love of animals. I realize that is might not really be something I can do full time. But if I can live doing what I love then I would like to give it a try. I have always loved animals and my dream is to have and care for them. Making money as a means to continue caring for myself and them would merely be a plus but not the main reason for me wanting to breed them. Whether or not I actually decide to become a breeder, I want to have animals.

 

[Scott]

I know just a few breeders, but the most ethical derive their incomes from other sources. Consequently the focus is on propagating endangered species AND matching them with good homes. There is always an open-door policy for an unsuitable or unhappy owner to return the bird for refund rather than attempting to re-home in a possibly unsavory manner. Keeping the bird's well being before revenue is the most noble philosophy!

 

[sonja]

I have been animal-crazy since I was born. And used to think how great it would be to grow up to be a Siberian husky breeder and also breed parrots. But when I grew up and really started to learn more I realized the best way to help the animals that I love is to NOT breed them. A 20 year "career" in rescue work tells me that I was right. And those 20 years in rescue have given me more opportunity to work with animals of all kinds than anything else I could have done.
Look for a rescue to volunteer with and you will learn so much about a wide range of parrot species as well as their care, personalities, medical needs, and see the other side of breeding. You may decide your love of parrots has a different purpose but if you still decide to breed you will have had an excellent broad education to get you started.