The Problem with Bird Mills Part II
How clean is the store? I have visited stores that look like medieval prisons. I have visited stores that are so clean you could perform surgery in them. I certainly would prefer to get my bird from the latter kind of store. What sort of isolation procedures do they practice? Do they trim the wings of clients' visiting birds right next to a cage of weaning conures? Are unweaned babies kept in a protected area away from visiting or boarding birds? These are important to prevent the spread of disease to vulnerable youngsters. Do they keep food and toys that are for sale in an area of the store that is not filled with cages of birds? I know one store where the open box of millet sits under a row of bird cages. I saw customers picking out their little sprays from among the feathers that had dropped down to the box below. I find this extremely unsettling. I certainly wouldn't want to take these contaminated millet sprays home to my birds. We have to face the fact that birds can harbor deadly, untreatable viruses. This type of practice shows either ignorance or complete denial.
Ask questions. While most stores will not give out the names of their breeders, they will tell you what they consider when deciding to purchase a bird. By testing the knowledge of the store workers, you also find out just how much they know about birds and their care. Beware of stores where the workers don't know the difference between two species of conure or lovebird. At one particular nationwide chain a worker actually argued with me that a particular bird was a sun conure; the bird was NOT a sun conure. These types of stores tend to be more business oriented (chains often have this problem) and do not consider such issues as weaning methods, socialization, and species-specific care. While a pet store does have a right to be a business and earn money from their enterprise, it should not be at the expense of these intelligent, feeling creatures. As pet birds become more popular (particularly larger pet parrots), we can expect to see more stores competing. Economic competition for sales (i.e., cheap prices) often means that birds are rushed to be weaned, sometimes many weeks, or in the case of the largest parrots even months, before they should be. This model does not bode well for the future of parrots as pets, but we as consumers can refuse to participate in any system that does not acknowledge the moral and ethical responsibilities of bird breeding. Simply put, do not think you are getting a great deal just because a bird is "cheap." A more expensive bird from a small, quality operation will be a much better investment in the long run. Their birds often cost more because the sellers spend more time with them and put quality over quantity.
Many birds are a lifetime commitment. Some of the larger parrots live for 60 or more years. Rather than impulse buy the first bird you see, take the time to know your source. Many people have found it is better to buy directly from a breeder rather than a store, but this doesn't have to be the case. I have bought nice birds from both sources. However, in the case of birds from pet stores, I really take the time to get to know the store owners and make sure they feel the same way I do about these remarkable creatures called birds.
