Can someone or all help?

[paulhanlon]

I'd would for sure avoid the online ads as i was scamed into buying a bird that was way over the age I was told and also extreamly untame also as the other guys said stay clear of any breeder who trys to sell you an unweaned baby these people don't care for the baby's there in it for the money and only the money

 

[Lintini]

Hey congratulations on your degree!!!!

Everyone here has given you excellent advice (I too would stay away from a breeding pair and a chicky) I hope that CAG you are going to visit next month is the one for you!

Be careful on craigslist if you return to it, I was scammed with my pomeranian on there.

 

[Remy]

Congratulations on your degree!

It sounds like the bird you are going to look at is a good situation. I always prefer to adopt rather than buy from a breeder, if possible.

 

[Pookamama]

The best thing with considering a rehome is to ask lots of questions about the bird:
what is the bird fed?
what is the bird's personality like?
who is the bird's favorite person? does he get along with others (if that's important to you).
Health history? vet visits?
out of cage time?
favorite foods?
Is he around other birds, pets, children? how does he do with all of the above?
where did he come from? breeder, pet store, etc?

Those questions will give you a good idea about both the person selling and the potential bird. A phone call is often much easier than email to get a vibe or not. They should be asking you questions too-their concern over where the bird goes will help clue you in on their heart towards their bird and how cared-for he's been.


If after the phone call you have a good vibe and do want to meet him, go for it, observe, talk to the bird, see his personality in person, watch him interact with his owner. You don't have to make a decision right away. Especially if you need to supply yourself with his cage, food, and accessories, that can give you as much time as you need to think about it. Sometimes people rehome because the bird has been too much to handle and he's having behaviours that they don't know the proper way to deal with and as a result he's been in a cage largely ignored. Talking with the owner and visiting him in person will help you think it over properly. You don't have to make the visit your final decision. Some birdie behaviour issues can be dealt with but you'd have to decide if you want to deal with them (if the bird has issues.)

Not all rehomes come with huge emotional baggage. Mine was from a lady whose life had gotten busier and she didn't have as much time to devote to her flock so wanted to place some of them in homes where they could get their needed attention. Pepper was well cared for and socialized with a family. Upon phone conversations I knew her owner really cared for her birds and she filled me in on hundreds of details about Pepper so we decided to visit. Upon visiting everything rang clear with what she'd talked about. Pepper was shy with us but I knew that was normal for greys. She was a love bug with her owner and stepped up for us after being with us for fifteen minutes. We visited for a good hour and a half and left with our bird.

So some of it is research before you go, but a lot of it is going with your gut. You'll be a great bird owner, there's sometimes quite a bit of trecking around to find your bird, though!