is it bad if i get a macaw from a breeder????

So I have been to parrot rescues and seen all these unwanted birds everywhere especially the bigger guys like cockatoos, amazons, macaws, greys... but I got to hold a just weaned baby macaw and play with one and omg i fell in love it was so different than an adult one and I loved it! And I feel really selfish even thinking about it when there are so many needing homes But I would love to one day get another macaw and I would love a Shamrock Macaw baby from a really good breeder to raise and trian myself with no bad history or bad habits yet.... Idk I will probably get a rehomed one when I do get another one day but I would love a baby..... just wanted to know everyone elses thought about it. please no rudeness in the comments I know this can be a controversial topic.

Half mine I got as babies and half are rehomes . I love having them ALL! The babies have given me the confidence and understanding . To be able to handle some of my misunderstood rehomes. To me birds are birds [they cant take care of themselves ]. So I choose to go with if the situation is right for me .

If you ask me, there will always be breeders, there will always be birds in pet stores, and there will always be birds available(quite easily) to the general public, whether they are bird educated or not.
The best thing you can do when you get a bird, be it a baby, a pet store bird, or a rescue, is to be his/her forever home.
Some people say they buy from pet stores to make sure somebody less experienced doesn't come along to get it, same with breeders.
Others will say they prefer to only adopt, as like you said, so many birds need homes.
I get my animals from craigslist most of the time. Some people don't like to, because of the health concerns and general craigslist weirdos, but I haven't had any issues thus far and have 3 happy healthy fids.
So many people will tell you about how their most bonded fids are their rescues, and there are so many happy endings for rescue birds.
Honestly, whatever you choose, as long as you're willing to provide a forever home, I don't think there's a "better" thing. Who knows, maybe you'll find a bird at a shelter and he/she will "choose" you. You never know until you meet the bird you're supposed to be with.
Sorry if I rambled a bit, but that's just how I look at it. I know whichever way you go you'll be giving a bird a great forever home, so expect nothing but support and excitement from me.

I think that everyone can & should make their own decision about the best place to get their bird. There are a lot of birds in rescues, but those babies from breeders need homes as well
Getting a rescue isn't for everyone, although I preferred getting adults and missing puberty

If this is a good breeder, I don't see why not!

My first cockatiel, although a gift, did come from a breeder! (friends of the family bought her for me from a breeder friend of theirs) All the rest of my birds have been rehomes, even though my bourke hen was bred at her previous home. (not a breeder, just a pet owner that allowed their pair to reproduce - the bourke was 5-7 years old when I got her)


I've had birds for 14 years, and I've *never* purchased a hand raised bird from a breeder! The majority of my pets have been rehomes! Someday I do want to have a hand raised bird. I'd love to experience a young, hand raised parrot growing up! Likewise, I also want a young parent raised medium sized bird! I want to see the differences in behavior and training between hand raised vs parent raised.


As you can see, I've got no problem with it!

thank you so much for these answers i cant tell you how much better i feel reading these and how happy i am to be able to get such great answers from great people here!

We all know how pro rescue I am.... and I don't see me ever buying a breeder baby again. But we have purchase babies, all smaller guys, but with the bigger guys I would feel wrong not taking a shelter baby. But that doesn't mean you should feel you have to adopt...

Big question.... where are your current birds from?? Are they rehomes, adoptions or birds that were in need?? If so, then you have already done your part. Its not fair for anyone to deny you having a baby, much like human variety..., plenty kids need homed and if you adopt one and have one of your own, isn't that wonderful!!!

My advice, when the time comes and you're ready.... Visit shelters, if the right bird is waiting for you, then adopt!! If not, then a baby to raise is totally fair!!

You don't strike me as one who can only love their own... but that doesn't mean you HAVE to only adopt.

I got one lovebird from a breeder and two rehomes from Craigslist and one adopted from a rescue, my BCC was a rehome who's owner died, Lorikeet a friend of a friend gave me they couldn't keep him anymore, Macaw was a rehome from a person with too many birds to care for and it had gotten out of hand, and my U2 I'm fostering til he finds a home his previous owner had allergies.

Of course it's a personal decision pros and cons of both.
Personally, one of my reasons for going with a weaned juvenile from a reputable breeder is that if I'm looking for a certain species, especially something uncommon and specific I'm looking for, you kind of have to go to a breeder to find it. (please don't think I sound like a collector here! Lol Robin and Raven can tell you I'm not!)... I know I may have an unpopular opinion here *hiding my head* but I don't think anything is wrong with me wanting and getting 'specifically' a Bronze Winged Pionus, Ruppell's parrot (coming), and very likely Dusky Pionus in the future. Same as you wanting the Shamrock Mac

No matter where they're found, I figure as long as we know what species we can realistically handle and how many birds we can personally handle, and provide the utmost love and care... That's ultimately what matters most IMO

Knowing that I am very active with a bird shelter and would love everyone to consider adoption.... you have already!! I would love know ing a macaw in need gets a wonderful home with you, but you have a right to raise a baby!! You are a sweet heart for helping all those babies you took in... adoption, rehome or whatever!!!

If you buy a macaw baby do not let anyone guilt you.... all birds need a good home!!!

Hugs to you and your band of rehomes!!

I believe there are pros and cons to both adoption and purchasing from a breeder, my only concern is to remind you, just like with any pet, that a baby only stays a baby for a little while, and then it is an adult. Of course with parrots they also go through what can be a rather nasty "teenage" phase during which they may seem to hate you no matter how nice they were as a baby. If you understand that and are prepared to deal with it then by all means take home the baby you have fallen in love with, assuming it is from a responsible breeder and you are prepared to care for it for the rest of your life

There are pros and cons to both. Some rehomed birds can adjust easily to a new home. However, if I remember there is a statistic that a lot of rescued parrots end up being returned to the rescues. Anyone that gets a baby bird needs to accept the responsibility of taking care of the bird and spending time with it daily. A baby bird never stays a baby forever. Everyone has different views on this (some even complexed views). For example the owner of the pet shop (in town) has flat out said adopting smaller birds is one thing but large parrots are another matter and you do not know how that adult macaw was raised. I got a green cheek conure from craigslist, and as a child my mom bought me a cockatiel from a friends pet store. Both were fine birds. I did buy Captain Jack from a breeder and I think he is the sweetest bird that there can be (but he is only a year old). I only will end by saying do not consider a breeder if they do not have the philosophy of waiting to send the babies to their new home after they are weaned.

I'm all for adoption every week I go down town and volunteer at a bird shelter. That is where I found Wesley. Not all rehomes are nasty and have special needs. For example, Wesley came from a loving family and when he changed from a cuddly baby to a teenager I think they gave up on him. I knew what I'm getting with him.

In the end you have to do what's right for you so you can give them a forever home.

Their are certain species you just don't see so much in rescues . I would have gotten a rescue Rosebreasted [but couldn't find any ].

Why you selfish, selfish person, hahahahahahahaha, just kidding of course. I don't believe you have a selfish bone in you and agree that some times it would be nice to get a baby and raise them yourself and the only bad habits the bird would have is the one's you teach it and not someone else I'm all for adopting a rescue from a shelter under certain circumstances. But if you have a time frame and are bird specific, then considering shelling out the cash and buying one from a breeder is the way to go. Look at it this way, if you don't buy it someone else will and don't let people make you feel guilty for giving an animal a home by what ever means.

I will offend many with this comment, but we have a policy of not supporting breeders, puppy mills, etc., and yet we have the most awesome pets.
They are all rescues.
Our birdie girl came from someone who knows how conscientious we are about animals, and despite never having had a bird, we would do the right thing and I think we are. We love her.
If I get another bird, it will be a rehome or rescue. I won't encourage breeding.
I am not judging anyone, this is just my philosophy.

The only bird I own that came from a breeder is my Red Fronted macaw. Because I really wanted one, and they were hard to find... that's why.

No apologies necessary. Just because other people don't always take care of their responsibilities, doesn't prevent you from getting the bird you really want...

We need breeders. We need breeders so that there is no demand for wild caught parrots. (even though wild caught imports has been banned since 1992) We need breeders that will breed species that are potentially rare out in the wild, so that future generations of captive raised parrots could be released back into the wild. We need breeders to help raise awareness of the various species.

You cannot love that which you do not know or care about. The more you love and care about something, the more you might be willing to help out with conservationist efforts.


If parrots did not exist within captivity, then they'd be just a pretty bird out in the wild! And the plight to save their natural habitat would go unnoticed!



It's ok to not support breeders! But they are still required. We, as a community, should only support good breeders!

I agree with the need for RESPONSIBLE and experienced breeders to establish and propagate certain species in captivity.

What I hate is when every mom and pop backyard "breeder" get a pair of a common and overpopulated species and purposely breed more, and more, and more... for selfish reasons or feeling like their poor birds need to procreate to be happy. All with no regard to disease transmission or the horrible overpopulation problem, not to mention lack of knowledge and mixing of subspecies.

I also hate to see SO MANY juvenile large white Too species being sold at bird stores. Ugh... Makes me sick. We all know it's because they're good sellers and consistently make the stores money! :53: .....then probably half or most of them end up with behavior problems and in rescues already overcrowded with these species!!

MonicaMc said:

We need breeders. We need breeders so that there is no demand for wild caught parrots. (even though wild caught imports has been banned since 1992) We need breeders that will breed species that are potentially rare out in the wild, so that future generations of captive raised parrots could be released back into the wild. We need breeders to help raise awareness of the various species

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This makes me think about the GRAY Cheek parakeet .... which in the 90's when my Red Bellied was young, there were as popular and plentiful as the Green Cheek conure is today. Also Mustache parakeets. They're uncommon nowdays, but 20 years ago they were 'a dime a dozen'.

I've heard that these species which were common then were wild caughts, and were so plentiful that most breeders did not have the foresight to captive breed them. Now that exportation has stopped, they have become rare.

Not sure about these species status in the wild, but especially with those species that have lower numbers in their wild habitat, it's nice to see when serious avicultirists step in to help 'save' a species.