Where is the best place to get a bird

[SomePeopleHaveBirds]

So I've been lingering on this question for a while and I read about it on like one or two websites and also on another forum. Should I get a bird from a private breeder or from the rescue?
I think they are both good options but if I go to the breeder I would feel bad that I didn't go to the rescue. Is a breeder good to go to altogether? Or is it not? This is a tricky question, at least to me.
Can you adopt from both?
And is a breeder a good option too?
Or can you only go to the rescue?
I met a bird owner who was completely against going to a breeder. Is she right?
What if this was a good breeder (or is there such thing?). I just needed help on that question thanks.
Not deciding to get a bird now, I was just thinking about it, going to volunteer first (Can't wait to get choosen)

 

[noodles123]

If you get an adult bird from a rescue, you diminish your role in raising it improperly as a baby, which means that you sort of have an idea of what you are getting...I mean, yes, there is often baggage, and all birds will be different at home than in a store or a rescue......BUT with babies, it is easy to make mistakes that haunt you forever...cuddles etc can lead to a hormonal/aggressive bird...So, if getting a rescue, at least you know that someone else made the mistakes (or didn't make them) ahead of time.....
Getting a bird that is past puberty is often helpful due to hormonal shifts and changes in alliances that can accompany hormones...
Baby birds are so sweet and people get lulled into a sense of security and do things like over-cuddle/carry them everywhere (thereby creating a jealous monster).
Don't get me wrong, a person could easily adopt a well-adjusted rescue and screw it up as an adult, but a major issue that confuses people tends to be the transition from baby-hood to adulthood.


It all takes a lot of patience and research either way.


There are a million birds who needs homes though, so adoption is my preference. I just think that with so many parrots in need of a home, if you want to take on a bird at all, it is most beneficial to the cause if you rescue, but I don't condemn people who buy from breeders....I just feel bad for the overflow of neglected/homeless birds out there in need of forever homes.

 

[SomePeopleHaveBirds]

Ok, so you can still get young birds there but not as young, hmm. Yeah I was thinking that too, like why get a bird from a breeder when there are so many at a rescue that need homes, but there is also the baby birds too.
So I don't know which one. I know either way you make mistakes but at least from rescue it won't be as impactful when really young. It still is sorta a baffling question, but thank you for making it easier to understand.
I'm with you, I'll go to the rescue to adopt instead.
I do hope I can find a good rescue though.

 

[SomePeopleHaveBirds]

Just a quick saying I'm not getting a bird yet, so I'm not here to judge on size. I'm sorry if I have. How awful of me if I have done that.

 

[EllenD]

This is a very good question, and there is really no right or wrong answer to it, it simply depends on what you're looking for in a bird. Obviously if you go to a breeder you're going to buy a young baby bird, or sometimes a juvenile bird, and usually these young birds have been hand-raised by the breeder, instead of being parent raised and not tame. When you go to an avian Rescue to adopt a bird, they are typically not baby or young juvenile birds, but rather adult birds that have been surrendered to the rescue by their prior owners for one reason or another. That's not to say that you don't occasionally find very young birds at rescues, but typically you will only find adult birds at rescues, some of which are not tamed and we're not hand raised, some that are tame and were hand-raised. You typically will not adopt a bird from a breeder, because most breeders are doing just that, they are breeding young birds to sell the potential buyers. The only birds that you could potentially adopt from a breeder would be retired breeding birds that they no longer want, or potentially young birds that did not sell right away and are a bit older; however, the still is not really adopting because you're going to end up paying the breeder for the birds. Adoption typically means that you are taking in and providing a home for a bird that is in need of one because their prior owners could no longer keep them.

There are literally tens of thousands of adult birds in rescues across the country who need homes. There are more birds in need of homes then there are dogs in shelters and rescues and a lot of states. So essentially adopting a bird from a rescue is no different than adopting a dog or cat or any other animal/pet from a shelter or rescue. Many people believe that with the number of birds in need of good homes, that people should never go out and buy baby birds from private breeders or pet shops. This is a personal opinion, but it does have merit to it obviously. So there is no right or wrong answer as to whether the person who told you that you should only adopt a bird from a rescue was correct or not, it's just personal opinion. Is it better to adopt an adult bird in need? Yes probably. However, you have to do what is right for you, your family, and your situation.

There definitely is such a thing as a good breeder and a bad breeder when it comes to birds, just like there are good and bad breeders of dogs, reptiles, rodents, etc. It is absolutely crucial that you do your homework if you are thinking about buying a bird from a private breeder or from a pet shop, you need to look at reviews, comments from experienced owners who have purchased baby birds from the pet shop or breeder you are looking into, and you need to do your research to know what questions to ask any private breeder you were thinking of buying a baby bird from. For example, you need to ask them at what age do they pull their baby birds out of the nest box and away from their parents to start hand raising and hand feeding them. You need to ask them at what age do they start weaning the birds onto solid food, and whether or not they practice full abundance weaning, because if you end up with a breeder who knows nothing about breeding birds and simply decided to put their two birds together to make some money, that's when you can get yourself into serious trouble. An experienced breeders of birds very often and up Force-Weaning their babies simply because they don't know any better, and this typically results in birds who have severe neurological issues throughout their entire lives. So it's very very important that you research any breeder or pet shop who breeds their own birds, and make sure but they are an experienced and reputable breeder of birds, and you know the correct questions to ask at the time you're ready to go and look for a bird.

Now the upside to adopting an adult bird from a rescue is that you get to spend ample time with a bird who has already developed their personality, and you get to see whether or not you are a match for the bird and the bird is a match for you. You don't get to do this when you go to a breeder or a pet shop and buy a baby bird; you simply get what you get. I have worked at an avian Rescue for over 8 years, and typically on average a perspective adopter spends at least three or four visits with any bird they are thinking of adopting, with each visit lasting at least 3 to 4 hours. So by the time you're ready to make a decision about whether or not to adopt a bird from a rescue, you have a very good idea as to whether the bird is a match for you and vice versa. Very often people find that birds in a rescue end up choosing you, not the other way around. More often than not people come in to the rescue to look at a specific bird but they saw online, and they end up adopting an entirely different bird that they would have never considered prior to coming in to the rescue, because the bird simply chose them. So this is a very very important advantage that you have when you adopt a bird from a rescue that you don't have when you buy a young baby bird from a pet shop or from a breeder.

 

[noodles123]

I mean, you can get young birds at a breeder, but it is going to cost more and it won't help the older birds without homes. I mean, if a baby is born, it will need a home, but the whole supply-demand issue determines whether more breeding takes place.

There are many people who swear by baby birds...I just feel like it is better for the cause to adopt. Bonding can be easier with a baby, but again, nothing is certain with a baby, as they often change preferences at puberty.
You can train a baby more easily because you can start exposing it to your lifestyle early on...so it isn't cut-and-dry...
It is just that birds live for so long and there are so many in need of homes. Sometimes, you can find a rescue who isn't really in bad shape (often times, the owner died etc) and in those cases, you will still need a lot of patience (as birds tend to mourn and pick who they pick)...but if you find a rescue that tolerates you, then you can often build from there...
Rescues tend to move VERY slowly, so it can seem like you aren't making progress (when in fact, you are). Babies tend to be gratifying initially, but often push away at puberty and this can feel like a betrayal to owners.


There is no right or wrong answer.

 

[ChristaNL]

If you can find one: get a rescue!
(if the bird chooses you..you are so lucky)

All my birds have had multiple owners and they are absolutely lovely.
(as well as insane in the membrane - but that is parrots for you )

So I am always cheering on anyone that will give one of those a loving for-ever-home.
There are waaaay too many babies bred, sold and discarded each year.

it is the same with kittens, puppies etc.etc. - no-one can resist that trust, dependence on us (when taken away from the parents) and the super-adorable clumsiness of life just starting out.
And when they grow out of that relative short phase...the attraction is gone and so is their "new" family...


Being a first-time parrot-keeper is a tough enough a challenge without the extra "am I going to ruin this bird for life?"-dilemma hanging over your head.
Of course nowadays there is SO much information availble there is less risk (but the internet is also teeming with outdated ideas and plain old wives tales)

-and I believe almost any bird (not talking extremely traumatized) can be rehabilitated with just a little TLC and a lot of patience by almost anyone dedicated enough.

 

[SomePeopleHaveBirds]

Thanks for the great answers. Most definitely going to be at a rescue to learn from the experience.
So yeah, breeders and the rescue has its pros and cons.
Guess that mean you can choose either choice, as long as you are prepared for that choice.
These answers really helped, thanks.
(Still hoping I find a good rescue and hopes a bird chooses me)
Thanks again!

 

[clark_conure]

Just remember the bird picks it's owner...I never would have gotten my second bird zod even though I was thinking about a companion for clark for literally years...but when I was looking at her through the plexiglass thing she jumped down and was interested in me.

I put clark in the truck with me bought her the next day. The parrot people at the shop were ecstatic that I would be a good owner for her with clark just sitting on my shoulder all calm and looking around like what kind of store is this? Turning and kissy and all that "I'm a parrot but I'm also human too mentality."

I fully 100% think people should use shelters, but sometimes stars align and you see a bird that picks you, I was just there to pick up christmas treats for clark when this happened.

My first thread with zod was the biggest mistake of my life or the best thing I've ever done.

After a month....

Best thing I've ever done.


Also for the record pet shop birds are from the same breeders as you'd buy from a breeder.

The pet shop does not raise their own birds, they just buy from a breeder for resell, they make their money off the cages and food and treats and toys and grooming and stuff. That being said the bir is kind of in isolation for a bit at the store, this may make it more or less likely to bond, I do not know but both clark and zod were from pet shops and I have no complaints. Both are hardy and lovey.......

 

[ParrotGenie]

Also for the record pet shop birds are from the same breeders as you'd buy from a breeder.

The pet shop does not raise their own birds, they just buy from a breeder for resell, they make their money off the cages and food and treats and toys and grooming and stuff. That being said the bir is kind of in isolation for a bit at the store, this may make it more or less likely to bond, I do not know but both clark and zod were from pet shops and I have no complaints. Both are hardy and lovey.......

Yep this is very true. A breeder that I Know that actually gave me a couple of my cockatiels, pretty much supplies all the Pet lands and various other pet stores around the area. You be shock the mark up they have on them. For example a big chain store will buy a Cockatiel from the breeder for $40 to $50 bucks each and then the big chain pet store usually sell a cockatiel each for around $200 each. Even at that price they go pretty quickly as they usually sell them quickly in a couple of days to a week of getting them.

Get a bird from a rescue that needs a home, or a breeder directly.

 

[clark_conure]

I don't think it's that much of a mark up there are still 60 dollar cockatiels in my area, conures run about 400, 350 to 450.

 

[ParrotGenie]

I don't think it's that much of a mark up there are still 60 dollar cockatiels in my area, conures run about 400, 350 to 450.

Here it about $175 to $200 at Pet land currently and Petco about $249.99. I know the lady that bought them. Thankfully he gave me 2 of them from that lot before they when to her, as he knew I was looking for another male. Craigslist about $125 top around $250 the higher price usually has supplies and a cage. Prices has gone way up on them in this and surrounding areas. It use to be around $60 to $75 you could buy a cockatiel for and then the big chain pet stores were only paying about $20 to $25 each for them. The Conures they pay more for but not by much as you would think for what they sell them for. They charge about a $450 to even one place saw they were trying to get $599 for a Green Cheek. I take a picture of the price tag next time I am there.

 

[gracebowen]

I got my conure from Craigslist after his former parront died.

 

[SomePeopleHaveBirds]

Definitely for sure I'm going to the shelter/rescue thanks for the information.
I hope I get lucky and get chose, if I don't maybe I can try again next year and the year after that and so on.