BIRDS, PARROTS FOR SALE-Beautiful Hand Fed Pets
HELLO from, "WELLS BIRDS "R" US".
Looking for a pet parrot or talking bird for breeding purposes?
We raise parrots , conures, amazons, african greys, cockatoos, macaws, parakeets, cockatiels, eclectus, parrotlets and more. We have beautiful hand fed babies that will become your best friend. They only say what you teach them. They never ask to borrow the car, they are loyal, loving friends that don't argue or fuss with you. They never chase cars, scratch the furniture or bark all night. They show lots of love and are marvelous companions for children, the elderly, disabled, or just plain pet lovers. Best of all they don't eat much as your teenager.
BE WISE & REALIZE
There are many things that one should consider when buying a bird. The exact concerns will vary depending upon whether one is buying a baby or an older bird. Requirements for a pet are different than for a breeder bird. But whatever the purpose, the FIRST concern is to determine that the seller is reputable. The SECOND is to ensure that the bird is as represented and that there are some guarantees with remedies available if anything is wrong with the bird purchased. Most reputable dealers give you 48 hours to have the bird vet.checked after you receive it.
Some con-artists don't own any birds, but will offer to sell one at a very inexpensive price or will claim to have a very rare or hard to find bird. Once you send a deposit, you may never hear from them again. You don't receive the bird and you can't find them to get your deposit back.
The best safegaurd is to buy from a breeder.
NEVER, BUT NEVER purchase a bird while listening to a sad, sad story. The first story I fell for was that", my house burned down and all I have left is this pair of congo breeders". He was selling out of a rented storage building and both birds later turned out to be males. He sold them to me as proven breeders. I of course could never locate him to tell him of his mistake. They were most likely smuggled into the country. I learned a good lesson. .
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
If You are not buying from a Breeder......
Ask for some background information. Get a feeling about the seller's business. Write down what they say and refer to it as the conversation(s) progress. Do later statements conflict with earlier ones? Is information being changed or corrected as you speak? Inconsistancies may be signs of trouble. You can always locate a Breeder if something is wrong. Not true of crooks.
If You Are Buying From A Breeder...
Ask how long they have been in business - . How many birds and species do they own - What handfeeding, weaning and socialization methods do they practice? You would want to know these answers anyway, but it will also help you determine if the seller actually is a breeder or broker. Will they allow you to visit? Some breeders don't allow visiting by strangers for fear of disease and/or they may be casing the place for theft.
For security purposes, some legitimate breeders use a PO Box as their address. This is understandable. However, as the conversation progresses and a purchase becomes likely, you should be able to obtain the actual address. If not, then proceed very carefully. If you can, visit the Breeder.
Ask for their business name, address and telephone number. You can call information and ask for the number for John Jones on Madison Ave. When they give the number, you can ask them to confirm the Madison Ave. If they don't match, this may not be a legitimate business, don't send money!
WHATEVER YOU WANT, I HAVE IT
Ask questions of someone who claims to have 'every' species of bird. You may be talking to a legitimate breeder or a broker. But you may also be talking to someone who doesn't have any birds at all. Raising many birds takes lots of space and requires a large operation. If it is legitimate, then a facility of this size will be known by others. If it is a broker, ask to talk to some of the breeders that s/he buys from on a regular basis. Then try to check them out.
PRICE
Do you think that the price is 'too good to be true'? If it seems that way, then it probably is. Remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Good Birds are not cheap. The first thing to do is to determine the fair market price for the birds. Call a local breeder or pet store that you trust and ask what the going price of these birds is locally. The birds can be shipped in the US for about $200 (airfare, carrying case, health check etc). This method gives you a 'ball park figure' of what a breeder/broker could expect to get for the birds. Then try to determine why the price is so low. If it is too good a price, WATCH OUT!
Sometimes you will find a seller who is going out of business or has too many babies and needs to make room for more. In that case you may be getting a true bargain, but try to find out if these claims are true.
However, unscrupulous people ask a low price for some of the following reasons:
They don't really have any birds and are trying to get a deposit or the full price of the bird before 'shipping' it to you. Once they have your money, they may disappear or continually find excuses for not sending the bird. Or more often, they will go find a bird that is for sale cheap and buy it for you. The bird may be ill, handicapped, unable to breed or have behavior problems. Many are wild, not hand fed and make dangerous pets.
A baby bird might be falsely represented as hand fed, weaned and hand tamed, all of which have taken the breeder's time and should raise the cost of the bird.
A bird purchased for breeding, may be unable to breed or might have aggression or nesting problems. A pair advertised as proven, may not be proven at all or not even a male/female pair.
Vet checks, vaccinations and/or sexing all of which raise the price of the bird may not have been done as claimed.
In the case of a broker, it may be that she/he has never seen the birds. Some of these people buy in one state to sell in another without ever handling the birds personally. They may not even know that a sick or handicapped bird is being represented as a healthy one.
Will the seller agree in writing to a period for you to have your vet check the birds health? Will s/he agree to take the bird back and return your money if the bird isn't healthy or develeops problems in the next few days caused by pre-shipping conditions? 48 hours for a vet check is normal. What is the process if the birds are not healthy or of the wrong sex?
BREEDING CLAIMS
If you're looking for a breeding bird or pair, ask about their history. Proven pairs are very valuable. You will want to verify that they are truly proven. Answers to these questions may also help in determining if the seller is also reliable. Don't think that when someone tells you they have a bonded pair that it means proven. It just means they get along. It could be two males or two females. Or, once good breeders, who are too old or burned out.
SUSPICIOUS
If you are suspicious then pass. Better safe than sorry.
If there is a legband, get the number. You can often trace the band to find out if this is a stolen bird or at least trace its source.
Don't be embarassed. There is more than money involved. If you end up with a sick or handicapped bird and can't find the seller, who will care for the bird? And pay the vet bills?
We are Breeders and we have beautiful hand fed birds. We seldom have Breeder Birds for sale but occationally we do.
Lynn Wells
We'd love to hear from you. Email us at: doodop@swbell.net
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Send E-Mail to: doodop@swbell.netCopyright © 2003 Lynn Wells. All Rights Reserved