Help! maybe adopting young parrot!

[Serena344]

I got in contact with a harlequin breeder and he want's to sell me one of his birds for 1400, he says it's 6 weeks old and needs another 6 weeks of hand feeding.

I don't know how to do this and I want to know if this plays a role in making the parrot tamer.
Im still thinking about his offer since he needs to sell it before next month and currently I don't have the funds, I might soon though.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Firstly no you should not do this and it doesnt make the parrot tamer. As an inexperienced person feeding a parrot you risk injury, illness or starvation to such a young parrot. Put yourself in his/her shoes, frightening! Say you do scrape the money together and hit problems, you would need to take him/her to see a specialist Avian Veterinarian which is very costly, how would you do this. Don't take it and the baby could die. If you are struggling with the purchase money, how do you feed and house the parrot, buy perches, food dishes, toys etc, etc?

Secondly this has all the bells ringing S C A M! Check and double check.

No responsible breeder should release a bird this early. I think I would be looking at who I can report this person to!

Some info FYI http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/why-you-should-never-take-a-bird-home-before-it-is-fully-weaned/

 

[Jottlebot]

Yes to all above!

I was just wondering why you titled your thread "adopting"? It seems an odd choice of word because you're not adopting, you're buying.

It may be a language issue, or a mis-chosen word, in which case I apologise! I was wondering though if the breeder has told you anything that makes the bird out to be in some way in need and that you would be rescuing it (for 1400!!!)? If so that says scam even more to me.

Getting in touch with a breeder before you have the money to buy even a discounted macaw might have been premature. Don't rush into this and don't be rushed. Something doesn't quite add up here. I'd suggest you stay wary of this breeder.

 

[adz1984]

Good chance you will hand feed incorrectly even if you read/watch videos and risk injury/sickness/death also macaw weaning time is more like 16-20 weeks sometimes longer not 12.

A story written from a breeder;
I've had parrotlets and Indian ringnecks turn on me literally the very day they wean. Turn very aggressive and wanted nothing more than my blood; but they were complete sweethearts with everyone else in my family and to strangers. Doesn't happen with any particular frequency and I haven't figured out what I do different (if anything) with these babies.

The first time it happened to me was w/ a little parrotlet. I thought that I wouldn't be able to sell her as a pet, but she jumped straight onto the person who came to see her and was a complete perfect little lovey doll.

So, absolutely handfeeding is not necessary for bonding.

 

[Kiwibird]

I see you are in the Netherlands. I am unsure how these transactions work in Europe, but in the US, typically a prospective buyer will put down a deposit (part of the money) for the bird to hold it and pays the rest at the time they pick the fully weaned baby up. It is very important the breeder gives the bird as much time as it needs to wean naturally, which can be shorter or longer depending on the individual. A baby bird weaned before it is ready can have behavioral problems for life. It is also a high likelihood an inexperienced new owner could harm or kill the baby trying to hand feed it themselves. It takes an experienced breeder to do this properly. Baby parrots are very sensitive. It makes NO difference in the ability for the parrot to bond to it's new owner if the baby comes home fully weaned from the breeder.

I can't help but wonder if there may not be a communication error here. Are you certain the breeder is not suggesting they hope to sell the bird by next month (i.e. have someone commit to buy it, give them a deposit etc...) but will not be sending it home for another 6 weeks/until it is weaned or do they actually want to send it home with you as soon as you buy it, still needing hand feedings? You need to clarify this with them. NO reputable breeder sends unweaned babies home with people who have no idea how to hand feed. That may even be illegal in Europe, as you have tighter laws regulating the sales of parrots. Otherwise, keep looking for a more reputable breeder who would not put a baby bird in danger by sending it off unweaned to an inexperienced new owner.

 

[Christa]

Hello Serena, please do not buy a macaw so young. The risks of hand feeding a macaw are big. And it is not true that your macaw will be much tamer if you handfeeded it. My macaw arrived with me when it could eat on its own and is very tame. On the internet you can read about all the things that can go wrong hand feeding a bird.

I'm also from the Netherlandsand and since 2016 there is a law here that a breeder may not sell birds that are not eating on their own. The breeder must know this! If he sells you a bird so young he is violating the law!

I wish you all the luck in finding a beautiful macaw!

Groetjes Christa

 

[sonja]

I agree with everyone else - don't do it. The chances of something going wrong are so high, leading to life-threatening consequences for the bird and heartache for you. If money is so tight that you are scraping up the initial purchase price, you will not have money for the relatively expensive treatment from an avian vet that handfeeding mistakes can cause. How would you feel if you scrape up $1400 to buy a bird that ends up dying, leaving you with no bird and out $1400? If you are going to take on such a life-changing thing as getting a parrot, do it right - when you can afford to do it right.