Finding a Breeder or responcible store?

[Big_Squishy]

Hello I am Big_Squishy. I am in search of a responcible breeder and or store to buy my first AG from In or near San Diego California up to the los Angeles area. I found two places and one looks great and the people are nice but were trying to tell me that I could take a 10 week old grey home and from all 9 of the books i have read not one sugest that a Grey can be weaned before close to 20-24 weeks at the best. The bird is beautiful however. I do not want to resk the Flock/mate bond, by accepting the Grey while it is still in the parental bonding stage. What should I do and am I being over cautious??

[judygram]

If you have no experience in handfeeding a baby bird I do not suggest you get an unweaned baby, too much can go wrong and a reputable breeder will not sell you one either. By waiting until the baby is weaned to bring it home is not going to affect the bonding process as the breeder will be seen as the parent and you will be it's flock member. Most of us here purchased ours after being fully weaned, me included, and they have bonded to us.

 

I would look for breeders of greys and not in pet stores, you never know where they came from and a breeder can be of a lot of help to a new grey owner.

 

For breeders in your area have a look at this website:

 

www.avianbiotech.com

[Guest Skuffy]

{Nature-00020095}Hello Big_Squishy...I'am an 8yr old Grey...Skuffy(Mark)is my Lord and MAster and my best Buddy......You'll learn lots from all these ppl..have fun.

[Acappella]

I don't think it's possible to be overly cautious when you're thinking of bringing home a new family member that will be totally dependant on you for it's, very long, life. By doing your homework you're helping to ensure both you and your grey will be happy. I got Dorian as an adult, but from reading other's experiences here I think that if you can find a breeder close enough to home that you can visit your baby a few times while it's being hand-fed, that would be the ideal situation. Good luck and have fun!

[Big_Squishy]

I believe I found my Bird store! I have been calling for weeks and finally found an all bird store with a staff that makes me feel that they provide the best possible care for Companion birds. I am not sure if I am allowed to put up their link, Will do it anyways, i can always removed it or Admin can I am sure. This Woman Karen spoke with me forever on the phone and in my opinion cares more for the happiness and care of all birds not just those she has for sale.

 

I had mentioned to her that I lived a long way from her store and that I was thinking about buying from a local bird store. She did not get offended or cut the conversation short, instead she offered me things to look for, questions to ask to make sure the store raised the birds correctly.

 

She has a clutch of 3 birds that just hatched and although I will not be able to make more than one or 2 trips to visit the bird, I feel that she will help me in evaluating the babies and make an educated guess on which one might be best for my home and family.

 

Please check out her site and tell me what you think or if you have had any dealings with her positive or negative. I am so excited! Even though choosing to buy from her will delay actually having my new companion in my home for a few months. I feel this is the best way I ccan go about it and now all I have to do is wait and learn everything I can to be best prepared.

 

Here is her site link. http://www.birdsandmore.com/index.html[/url]

[judygram]

Looks good to me too Big_Squishy, she seems to really care for her birds and I like the fact that she won't sell them before they are fully weaned.

 

I am sure she will help you to decide on which baby is the right one for you and do go as many times as possible to see the babies or at least have her send you updates and/or pictures so you can see the growth and difference a little time makes in their development.

 

Congrats on finding a place to purchase your baby and do keep us informed as this plays out, I am excited for you and you will be so anxious for that day to come that you can bring it home and lavish love on it.

[Tari]

Before you plop down a down payment. I would call some of the avian vets in your area see if they can direct you to the local bird club or some breeders in your area. They can help you find other places to check on a new bird.

Good Luck