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the first parrot blog |
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Casual Sex
We often have buyers inquire about getting a pair of unrelated weaned babies. They like the idea of having a male and female of the same species. The birds can entertain each other while the owners are away, they can display both sexes and if they breed later in life, well..."we'll deal with it when we have to".
We breed and feed. On one hand, it is nice to sell two birds to the same family. On the other, it is important to educate the buyers in the implications of their purchase. A buyer that buys an unrelated pair (we won't sell a related pair to the same family) is becoming a breeder. They may deny this but, given the biology involved in their decision, breeding is inevitable.
Best Case. In three to seven years the pet pair will have bonded and remain friendly to their owners. The owners will have purchased a nest box because the female has layed eggs on the floor grate of the cage and the eggs are perishing. The pair produce fertile eggs and feed the hatchlings for three weeks.
The owners have properly educated themselves in the care and feeding of baby birds and take over feeding the babies five times a day in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. After three months of handfeeding, the chicks are happy and healthy. The owner places a classified ad and sells each baby to a loving home in their community.
Worst Case. Within a year the pair has bonded and one or both of them becomes hostile to all humans. Because they are no longer handled, they drift farther and farther away from human interraction. A nest box is placed on the cage when the famale starts to lay eggs. The owner has inquired about hand feeding and feels comfortable giving it a try.
The new pair does not do a good job of feeding the first two clutches and the babies are lost. The third clutch has one baby survive and the owners pull the baby at three weeks and begin a five-times a day feeding routine. The baby fails to thrive because the temperature in the makeshift brooder is too cool to allow the baby to digest its food.
One of the owners is ready to sell the breeding pair because they can't stand the thought of any more babies dying. The other can't stand the strict routine and limitations on family activities. They put an ad in the newspaper and dispose of the birds.
The Point...is that breeding happens and if you wish to purchase a pair of birds of the same species they will breed and you will have to deal with the demands of breeding. We prefer that buyers make this decision when they buy the birds rather than wait and deal with it later.
- posted by J-Birds @ 9:40 AM |
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