rickster Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 My wife and I are considering buying a baby timneh.My question is, how young is too young?Is it too much risk to accept a bird that is only two weeks old?What special needs would he have besides formula? We went to http://www.exoticbirds.com/exoticbirdprices.html and were thinking of buying from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave007 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Ideally, a bird should only be purchased after he/she is totally weaned. That in itself is extremely important if any shipping is involved. If there's anyone out there selling 2 week old birds and on top of that, saying that the bird can be shipped, it's either a total scam or being run by an unscruptulous lowlife individual. There's much, much more involved than just hand feeding a 2,4,6 week old parrot which shouldn't be done by anyone who isn't experienced. The whole process of getting a bird ready for sale should be done by the breeder. The best place to buy a parrot is from a breeder or if you have to, a small pet store either of which will include guarantees, warranties, special instructions for caring for the animal, health information, vet information. None of these things are unusual and usually come with the purchase. You should be able to visibly see what you're purchasing. The person doing this type of selling should be drawn and quartered and left outside to be devoured by mosquitos, ants and bees. From a breeder, the price of a Timneh would be approx $650 to $750. From a pet shop, add on about $150. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 YES! It is too young. Don't buy it, wait until it is older and fully weaned. It's chances of survival if you are not experienced in hand feeding them is much smaller. I wouldn't trust anything that breeder says either. But is sounds like that poor baby needs to be rescued by an experienced person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nychsa Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 My gosh, how could anyone have the heart to put an unweaned baby into a crate and ship them off! Unbelievable! They need to be reported for animal cruelty! It's either an unbelievably cruel breeder or a scam. Either way, I'd stay clear of that situation and I'd give that "breeder" a piece of my mind too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickster Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 Well, im not going to buy from him now.But you should know that if you google exotic birds , he is the first link you get.I talked to him on the phone to find out more and he says he sells thousands a year.He has just about everything you can think of.When i asked him about how safe it was he said the bird is in good shape when it leaves here and its guarnteed and insured through the airline...etc, etc etc..Anyways, I think your right.The bad thing is he sells a lot of birds this way just look at his website www.exoticbirds.com and the prices are ridicoulus. Can someone suggest a breeder within an hour or so of state college or altoona pa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Rick, I am glad to hear you are not gonna get one of those babies, I can't imagine shipping out 2 week old babies thru the airlines to people who may or may not know how to hand feed them or take proper care of them. This person is in it strictly for the money, nothing else. I can't suggest a breeder close to you but I can give you the website where you can look for breeders by state. www.avianconnection.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imme Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 To give you an even better idea, the bird should not even leave it's Mother until they are six weeks old and then taken out by a breeder to hand-feed the baby. An Africian Grey is not fully weaned until it is 16 weeks old and during that 10 weeks with the breeder needs lots of attention and careful watching during this time to make sure it is growing up well. So 2 weeks is way to young by far. Like other posters have said, you should get it from a breeder and insist that it is fully weaned (16 weeks old) if you have never dealt with one before. I am just about to get mine on Saturday and I've had to wait 7 weeks (found him when he was 9 weeks old). Hope that helps with the next one you find. Feel free to ask lots of questions, the people here are very helppful so you get the right bird for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyric Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 It's quite unbelievable that this person is shipping babies that young and also unweaned. I'm glad you have decided to go somewhere else. I handfed my baby grey and it was definitely something someone with experience should do. I had experience with lovebirds, cockatiels and parrotlets but the grey was a new experience all together. Just getting him weaned took me much longer than it should have. I suggest you get a nice weaned baby from a reputable breeder and you'll have a much better experience- it may cost more but it will be worth it. Best of luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 :ohmy: My worst nightmare, im sorry but i firmly believe that babies should not be sold until fully weaned.Please look for a breeder that actually cares about their greys & not the $$£££$$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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