ShreddedOakAviary
New member
- Jul 13, 2011
- 591
- 5
- Parrots
- M2's, U2's, G2's, RB2's, VOS, RLA's, BFA's, DYHA's, Dusky Pionus, Blue and Green Quakers, Meyers Parrots, VOS, GW Macaw's, Harlequin Macaws, Tiels, YNA, TAG's, CAG's, Blue Crown Conures, Red sided Ecl
One of the hardest things to do as a bird breeder is to say "no". People don't always understand why I won't sell them a bird. Some people get really angry. The truth is that I have been doing this a long time and I try very hard to sell the right bird to the right home. People come to me and say things like "I want a blue and gold macaw" or "I have always dreamed of having a cockatoo" or "My friend has an African grey and that's what I want". Then more often than not I have to say "That bird you want, may not want you". I don't sell people what they think they want, I sell people what they ACTUALLY want. (or sometimes I don't sell them anything at all). I often have to send people to different breeders to get the bird I believe is the right fit for their home. Why don't I just make the money and sell them what they want? Well, because I love my birds and don't want them to suffer in an unsuitable home. I have a Fitzroy cockatoo here that was given to me by a lady who had always wanted a cockatoo. She took on a rehome bird (which is not a bad thing per se), but this rehome is advanced in his lunacy. Kanunu (that's his name) will never leave here. He is dangerous at best, and doesn't tolerate anyone other than myself. If he sees my family members or strangers he screams and throws himself against the side of the aviary repeatedly. He has a long sad story which I may post somewhere else someday. She wanted a cockatoo, but she wound up with the wrong kind of cockatoo. It just so happened at the time that another lady wanted to give me her rather out of control ducorps cockatoo. I know a match when I see one, and the lady that had the Fitzroy now owns the ducorps. Bird and owner couldn't be happier. So, what do I look for when matching a bird and a family? A lot. I have always been really talented at reading people... I'm known for it... at church, at the homeless shelter I volunteer at, and pretty much everywhere else I go. I can almost always tell how long someone's marriage or relationship will last just by watching the two people for about 10 minutes... call it what you want, a gift, another sense, whatever... but it's that same skill I apply to finding homes for our birds. Every bird is an individual, but there are some general rules that always apply. A goffin is going to be a high energy destructive clown. A sulfur crest is going to be an independent overly smart and covertly manipulative. An umbrella is going to need a level headed owner who naturally sees the world in a similar way the umbrella seems to.
The point to this post is that when you go to buy or adopt a bird, you must be honest with yourself about who YOU really are. Then take all that online research and try to get a bigger picture of who the BIRD really is. Step outside yourself and honestly admit that the bird you want may not want you.
The point to this post is that when you go to buy or adopt a bird, you must be honest with yourself about who YOU really are. Then take all that online research and try to get a bigger picture of who the BIRD really is. Step outside yourself and honestly admit that the bird you want may not want you.
