Questions to ask an RB2 seller?

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
Hello there,

For the past six months I've been researching parrots and caring for them and, in the course of this, I have been visiting a local pet store which has a large collection of birds. For the last four or five months one of those birds has been a Galah which I've gradually been getting to know and I've become very attached to this particular character. It's an 8 year old bird, the store manager thinks female although 'her' eyes are medium brown so I suspect it might be one of those where a DNA test is needed to be sure. She's pretty quiet amongst the other birds, but will come straight to the front of the cage if I talk to her and I've been able to take her out of the cage a couple of times. She has some ruffled looking feathers right where she would tuck her head in when asleep, but I can't see any obviously evidence of plucking - no bare patches, no feathers in the cage. The manager felt she didn't have any major issues but he thought she was a bit on the shy side and a bit of a cage potato. It seems like a decent store, and I've spoken to a couple of parrot owners who speak highly of them. All the birds look healthy and lively, seems to be mainly young birds but a few older rehomes.

So, I've been in to see her again today and am planning to to go back and speak to the manager at the end of the week with a view to making an offer - but wanted to canvas opinion with the experts to consolidate what I need to ask and if there's anything I've missed?

- She's been there a while now, and I don't know if this has implications, that perhaps she's not selling for a reason I can't see? I've no frame of reference as to how quickly a pet store would expect to turn over their stock but they don't seem to be turning over a large number of birds a month. Anything to worry about?

- What information should I expect from the retailer: obviously I'll be asking why they have an 8 year old bird and what family she came from, but should I expect vet's references in terms of previous health record? The shop has a regular avian vet who visits on a weekly basis - is this a good basis for a clean bill of health or should I insist on an independent assessment? Is it reasonable to request a DNA test if they can't tell me the gender beyond an educated guess?

-One particular worry - one of her wings has been partially clipped, leaving the first four primaries and last couple of secondaries intact - I know this is has health implications with a Galah and would not intend to clip her after her next moult, but if it turns out she has always been clipped is there any risk that damage has already been done - and therefore something I need to get assessed by a vet?

Well, congratulations if you've made it to the end of this post! Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I feel pretty confident I've done my research for once I get the bird home but must confess to being pretty nervous about taking the plunge with an individual bird: so talking it through with people who know what they're doing is a great help.
 

U2gal

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I'd ask about her vet history. Diet. How she is with other people. Other birds. And make sure to observe her from afar and observe how she behaves. Sometimes store owners lie so its great to observe too.
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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Thanks for your reply: I've spent a fair bit of time in the store - they're pretty 'hands off' in there, sometimes annoyingly so when you need help although the manager is very easy to deal with. She seems a little subdued compared to the other cockatoos, conures and macaws. The grays and amazons in there are a little more laid back and I guess she's closer in temprement to them.

When other people are in the room she doesn't fuss to get attention and I've never seen her interacting enthusiastically with anyone. She seems to respond best to someome coming up close to the cage and talking softly, which has always been my approach, and she quickly comes out of her shell with a little persistance but I've never seen anyone else put the time in. When we had her out of the cage the other week it was pretty busy and she didn't seem particularly nervous, just shot up my arm and busied herself trying to undo my ponytail!
 

Featheredsamurai

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she sounds so sweet! my galah is also quite and has a calm personality, she loves to trick train and dance.

Even if her wings are weakened, galahs have a good chance to relearn to fly as long as they are not obese. They have a huge tail, and huge wings compared to their body. They are also a light bodies parrot. All of this gives you a good chance to get her flying again because it's easier for them to fly. If they are obese it will just take longer.
In comparison I have a African gray who cannot fly, and I will never be able to teach him. He is a heavy bodies parrot with a tiny tail and short wings. I may try to teach him one day, but I don't believe he has any chance.

It took me around 6 months to get my galah fit enough to fly well

Main questions are
Her history(if known)
What she has been eating
Any known past injuries
If they have a warranty.
 
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aether-drifter

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She sounds super sweet! I'd snatch her up.
I wonder what they are asking for her? All the galahs I've seen in bird shops have been significantly more expensive than what breeders charge, which could be one reason she's still there if people are finding better "deals" elsewhere. I can't think of any more questions to ask that have not already been asked, but I think if you feel confident that she's not ill, the rest of the issues (diet, weight, being clipped) can all be worked on.
 

Featheredsamurai

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I do feel she should be considered a adoption, rather than a buy. A 8 year old bird should not be $1,000+. Realistically I could see them asking for $700-$800 for a older parrot, only because they are a pet store and they want to make money. Unless they are asking for $400- try to talk them down!
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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The price is comparible to the price I could find a newly weaned bird direct from a breeder, which I was thinking seemed optimistic to ask for an 8 year old. It's a difficult thing to consider: if it were a second hand car I might simply raise an eyebrow and move on to the next dealer, but then a second hand car wouldn't wrap its toes around your finger and look at you with big, hopeful eyes... at the end of the day I'm only planning to do this once and as long as they're prepared to work with me a little on the asking price I don't mind if it ends up a little more expensive than my head tells me it should be.

Good news on the wing clip - she seems if anything on the slender side but I don't have the experience to judge so I'll get a vet's opinion early on.
 

aether-drifter

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Sounds good. :)
I wouldn't worry too much about the clip -- you said it's a light one, right? Boris is a strong flier, because the breeder didn't clip him until she sent him off to his new home (me). She took off a few flights on each side, but it doesn't slow him down much. I didn't ask her to do it, but I guess she did it as a safety precaution since he was being shipped. Not that there was much point, considering he can still fly (he just has to flap harder).

iFaV6jT.jpg


As long as it isn't severe, she should be able to glide and won't hurt herself. And if you give her plenty of out of cage time and encourage her to flap her wings, then she should become fit again.
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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Just wanted to add I've spoken to the store again and it's a one owner bird - the store sold the bird originally and previous owner was a regular customer who has had to downsize a collection of pets. I guess you can read things into that, but at least it suggests the bird has not been moved from home to home because of a major behavioral issue.

I've also spoken to a local avian vet who can give her a 'well bird' checkup, and found a friend who grew up with a relative who bred parrots who's willing to come with me for a final meet with the bird before decisions need to be taken.

So, I'll keep you posted...
 

Featheredsamurai

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Wow! I'm stunned they are asking such a high price! They better have a good warranty then, if there is anything wrong with her they better pay for it! If she's underweight and needs special food ask them to buy the first bag.

I hope they are willing to work with you, she sounds like such a sweet girl. It seems she is begging you to take her home with those big eyes.
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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I know, it's not good is it? Part of me thinks it's stupid to be considering paying this much when it's clearly well over the odds, but there's also a big part of me that thinks it's not such a bad thing to pay the ransom as it were and give this bird a second chance of a happy life. However well a store cares for its birds I can't imagine it's a great place for a bird to spend months and even years, and I don't see this one going anywhere fast without someone gritting their teeth and doing a deal with them.

But, I'll see how things go at the weekend. I have the breeder prices as ammunition and I'll make sure a successful vet visit is to be factored in.

Thanks again everybody for taking the time to advise, and fingers crossed for a successful outcome: shouldn't be long before I have news.
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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I have an update!

Went in to see the manager today, spent a long time discussing the bird and had a bit of a play with her again and I decided, even if it's financially not the best move to make, I'm going to go ahead with it. Setting aside the price issue, the manager seemed extremely well informed and experienced with the birds, and it put my mind at rest with regards using the store for support in the future, and I feel confident it was the right thing to do.

I got the lowdown on her background, and it seems a believable story. She's never plucked, is fairly quiet vocally but a bit on the mischievous side when she's out and about (well, she is a parrot, right?) and she was very content to step up and settle on both myself and my friend.

So, she comes home in 10 days! I'm a little nervous - I know it's going to to be a challenge - but very exited to finally be at this point. Full picture thread to follow, but here she is in the meantime...

WP_000515.jpg


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Wdlodge

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Just wanted to add I've spoken to the store again and it's a one owner bird - the store sold the bird originally and previous owner was a regular customer who has had to downsize a collection of pets. I guess you can read things into that, but at least it suggests the bird has not been moved from home to home because of a major behavioral issue.

I've also spoken to a local avian vet who can give her a 'well bird' checkup, and found a friend who grew up with a relative who bred parrots who's willing to come with me for a final meet with the bird before decisions need to be taken.

So, I'll keep you posted...

How exciting, I hope it all goes well for you. Keep us posted.
 

Featheredsamurai

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What a pretty girl! Did you find out what the warranty was? Also, where was she priced? Probably the best priced galah I've ever seen at a pet store was 1,200 in SF right on the edge of china town bordering little Italy. That's less than most breeders would ask(most breeders $1,500-$2,500)

You must be very excited to be bringing her home :)
 

Pinkbirdy

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macaw,LS2,congo grey,2Blk Hd caiques,Hawkhead,yellowstrk lory,Blue frnt amazon,sun conure ,Yellow sided greencheek ,Goffin ,Rosebreasted Cockatoo,Greenwing Macaw,Blue and Gold Macaw,Nanday conure,Ecle
Shes beautiful :) Whats her name ?
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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What a pretty girl! Did you find out what the warranty was? Also, where was she priced? Probably the best priced galah I've ever seen at a pet store was 1,200 in SF right on the edge of china town bordering little Italy. That's less than most breeders would ask(most breeders $1,500-$2,500)

You must be very excited to be bringing her home :)

Warranty was 24 hours health, 25 days return policy. They have a weekly vet visit where all the birds are checked and he's going to go through diet and weighing with me when I collect her. It also turns out they use the same vet I was intending to go to for an independent check up.

I'm actually in the UK - the price was 1200 GBP including a medium sized Montana cage, travel carrier, a couple of toys and a first month's food. They quoted 13-1400 for a newly weaned RB2. I've seen them elsewhere in a UK petstore for 1200, and breeders quoting 6-800. So, not the greatest deal, but she's lovely and I couldn't imagine leaving without her for the sake of a few hundred pounds.
 
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Jayyj

Jayyj

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Alice - Galah cockatoo
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Shes beautiful :) Whats her name ?

She's been without one since January and no record of her original name... so I'm going to start a clean slate and call her Alice. A bit of a nod to Lewis Carroll, and a bit to Arlo Guthrie. I think it suits her!
 

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