BUYING A BIRDBefore taking on a new parrot, consider it carefully. A Parrot is for life, and that may not only mean the life of the bird but perhaps your life and even beyond. Compared with other pets they are generally far more intelligent, with the mental age of the average 4 year old child. They require just as much care and attention as the child, BUT they never grow up. Parrots require just as much love and attention and care as any other member of the family. If you are convinced that a parrot is for you, please consider the following points very carefully: 1. Read up as much as possible about psittacine birds generally and more specifically about the species you have selected. 2. Do not rely on shop staff they may be poorly trained, misguided, and remember they are going to gain a profit out of making a sale. Choice of species Pet birds need company. If the house is empty during the day, a parrot is generally not suitable. Have you really got enough time, energy and all the attention which the bird will seek. Do you have sufficient room for a suitable sized cage and play station, not only now, but once more children come along etc.. Consider noise levels with certain species (especially Macaws and Cockatoo's) and the proximity of your neighbours. Your current neighbour may be old and deaf, but in time he will move on and be replaced by younger neighbours with better hearing, and no time to catch up on lost 'early morning sleep' during the afternoon. Which parrot If buying a parrot or cockatiel for a pet, ensue it is CAPTIVE BRED and hand reared. Hand reared birds bred in captivity make much better pets than those that have been wild caught and imported, or even parent reared. It is no exaggeration to state that hand reared captive bred birds are as different as chalk and cheese in comparison with others. Wild caught and parent reared birds rarely become as tame and easily handles as hand reared birds. Furthermore by buying a hand reared bird you are minimising the stress that the bird has undergone prior to you gaining ownership, and hence reducing the likelihood of it arriving already suffering from a disease or illness. Where to find the hand reared bird of your choice Make as many enquiries as possible and ensure that you are buying from a reputable breeder or retailer. A personal recommendation is often useful. A good breeder will keep you informed of the birds development, up to when it is fully weaned, which is the stage at which it can leave home. A baby parrot should never be sold before it is fully weaned. Most reputable breeders will fit a closed ring to the babies leg in the first 10 days of life, (after which time the birds foot is too large to get the ring on), this is simply to indicate that the bird was in captivity at that stage of it's life, which in turn tends to indicate that it is captive bred. Alternatively a microchip may be implanted, although this can be inserted at any stage of the birds life. We would suggest that any reputable breeder should agree to us (your avian vets) performing an examination and blood test within the first 48 - 72 hours of your ownership, such that if any irregularities are discovered, the bird may be returned for a full refund from the supplier. If they will not agree to this we would suggest you find a different supplier. Paper work Ensure that you receive a detailed receipt for your purchase. This should include the exact description of the bird you are buying, including it's origin, captive bred or not, hand reared or not, it's age, sex if known, what species and if possible the Latin name, the price paid, and whether or not is has undergone a veterinary health check by an avian vet, to ensure it is free of disease. If it has undergone a health check, this is meaningless unless the bird has been kept isolated from other birds since then. Breeders should also issue you with instructions on the birds current food type and volume intake. Should you consider buying an older bird ? Care should always be exercised in buying an older bird. They may well have uncertain or even untraceable histories and health status. The vendor may be selling in good faith, but was he or she told the truth when they acquired the bird. Why is it being sold, is it wild taken, previously stolen, mate to a bird which has died of an infectious condition. In particular beware if it screams or bites, such behaviour may relate to it's previous keeper or it may be an indication of being wild caught, and as such the behaviour may bot readily resolve. For an experienced trainer, with a great deal of time on their hands, almost all birds can settle down, but this would not be a bird for a beginner. The birds health status This is typically very difficult to tell, except that a very sick bird generally appears to be so. Over the thousands of years, birds have developed an ability to hid the fact they are unwell, until they are on deaths door. They have done this because it is always the weakest bird which is selected and caught by the predator. In view of this many birds have either moderate to low grade or latent (ie hidden, lurking in their system) disease hiding in their system at the time of purchase. A bird should be bright eyed, with round shining eyes and should never appear to be dropping off to sleep on it's perch during the day time. It should have a good appetite, and should be maintaining it's body condition, by ingestinga normal amount of food. The birds droppings should be normal and consitent (although will be looser if more than usual fruit or vegetables are fed). The bird should not have a prominant breast bone, it should rather be surrounded but not obscured by muscle. There should be nasal or ocular discharges and the breathing should be regular, even and without undue effort. Plumage should be clean and tidy, with no significant damage or feather loss. However, we would be insistent in stating that no keeper however experienced is able to tell if a new bird is fully well, or might in fact be harbouring an infectious disease. New bird check We belive that all new birds should have a full health check. It is important that this is performed before the bird has an opportunity to mix with any other birds, or for your husbandry to adversely affect it's health. If there is a health problem with the bird this needs to become apparent within 2-3 days of purchase, if retribution for the vendor is to be sought. At a time later than this, redress is unlikely. A new bird check should include a physical examination, a blood test for infection, chlamydia and psittacine beak and feather disease, a faecal examination for parasites and abnormal bacteria or yeasts. At the same time we will discuss with you any relevant aspects of the birds training, development, nutrition and general well being. A range of different levels of new bird screenings are available, a suitable selection may be made depending on the source and value of the new bird (see below). All new bird checks are given as a 'package discount cost'. Identification Although your bird may arrive with a closed ring, it is generally preferable to replace this ring with an identichip. Even correctly applied and sized rings can on occasions lead to injuries later on. Such eventualities can be avoided if the ring is removed and an identichip implanted instead. If this is done and certified by a vet, then the reassurance of the bird having been captive bred is not lost either for yourself or any future owner. If sadly your bird were to be stolen, the first action of the thief would be to remove the ring, once done there is no proof of ownership. Conversely if the bird is chipped, it can still be proven to be yours. What happens when you are not able to look after your parrot? Have you considered what will happen to your bird when you are away on holiday. Generally it is preferable to have an experienced parrot handler come and stay in the house rather than the parrot go away to board. If your bird boards somewhere, then it is likely that other birds also board there. There is inevitably a risk of cross infection. Have you made provision in your will for the bird. Is the person you are leaving your bird to reliable, do they really want the bird or did they just find it awkward to decline. Ensure that you have contingency plans in place. Cost of veterinary care Because birds get so sick so quickly, a precise diagnoisis needs to be established as soon as possible once they reach the vet. We make no apology for the fact that such diagnostic tests are expensive, but they are sadly essential if one is to give the bird the best chance of recovery. With this fact in mind we would respectfully suggest that you insure your bird against veterinary fees, as well possibly as theft, which is sadly an increasing problem. A range of suitable insurance policies are available. Apart from the new bird check we would suggest that all pet birds should have an annual health check including a blood sample. Cheap birds are not bargains There is no such thing as a cheap bird. Such birds are generally ill, stolen, or the remnants (and hence poorest specimens) of a batch of imported birds. Always avoid bird auctions, they are a wonderful place for anyone to pass off a sick or stolen bird, as well as a good place for birds to become infected at, only to develop disease later on once the bird has arrived at home. |
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