local breeder or purchase out of state

[wulfie]

I'm thinking about getting a TAG in the next year or two and was wondering, those of you that already have a grey, did you find a local breeder or did you purchase from out of state and have him/her shipped? Also, for those that don't have a grey, would you try to find a local breeder or would you be comfortable buying out of state and having him/her shipped?

 

[Spiritbird]

Hard for me to answer questions as I bought my TAG from the handfeeder who was local but not the breeder. Breeder is out of state.

 

[Sassy]

I"m in the same boat as Spiritbird... THe breeder was in TN and shipped the 5 week old cag to the bird shop in PA. SHe did well traveling and is now almost 17 weeks and working on weaning.

Sassy

 

[dawnkyung]

I voted for bought locally, since my TAG was purchased from a local store.

 

[Casey]

Voted local. But Mj came from a local exotic bird store. Don't know where the breeder was from

 

[WharfRat]

Obviously I get what was local to me, but my breeder does ship as well. I don't think I'd buy a bird sight unseen UNLESS it came from my breeder only. She is considered family to us. (Wife calls her Mom )

 

[wulfie]

one reason I asked is because there is only one breeder here in Buffalo, NY and her prices are a bit high imo, $1450 for a CAG, dunno what she gets for TAGs or if she even breeds them. There IS another breeder that breeds TAGs for $1200, but he's also about a 2hr drive.

 

[sonja]

I have 2 Greys and they are both rescues from my local animal shelter.

 

[Wulfgeist]

My answer is sort of like Spiritbirds. I got Jasper more or less locally (as opposed to driving a state away) but he came from a breeder in Illiniois. The owners of the store breed birds, just not greys.

 

[ann]

i would buy locally, unless you meet the bird and then its shipped to you. i had my bird shipped and got scammed. I'm not saying shipping is bad, i just wont do it anymore. however, as long as your breeder is trusted and honest, i see no problem with it. good luck

 

[wulfie]

how exactly did you get scammed?

 

[Sassy]

one reason I asked is because there is only one breeder here in Buffalo, NY and her prices are a bit high imo, $1450 for a CAG, dunno what she gets for TAGs or if she even breeds them. There IS another breeder that breeds TAGs for $1200, but he's also about a 2hr drive.

That pricing is about right... Mine is $1500 from the local bird shop that ships in from a breeder to complete the weaning process. I could have gotten one shipped but i would have missed all the visits and watching her grow. I choose to pay a little more for that experience.

Sassy

 

[paulhanlon]

If I was to get a grey I'd get it from my breeder as I couldn't have it shipped to me I'd be to scared I case something happened to the bird so I have to say from a breeder

 

[wolf0994]

I am in a situation where I would have to have one shipped as there are no breeders within 8 hours of me. However, that being said I think I would still travel to whichever breeder location first and meet the bird, check out the breeder, maybe stay for a couple days/weeks (if you can) and go visit the bird. If a breeder were unwilling to send regular updates of pictures/video/whatever it would be a deal breaker for me as well because I wouldn't be able to stay down there. Then I would probably fly/drive down and pick up the bird myself.

 

[4theBirds]

Our first Grey, Paddywack, was bought through a local pet store which was USDA registered. He was 8 mos old and a wonderful bird. We could always count on them for help. Sadly he died at age 20 from an accident.

Our next Grey Bindy was purchased through a handfeeder/broker in Florida and shipped to us in Montana. Bindy is an absolute love, is banded. She was shipped in a very well made "cage" with fruit/veggies and litter. I would purchase from Golden Cockatoo again.

I made the mistake of purchasing from a broker (ExoticParrots4Sale, Laura Owens, in Sandpoint, ID). She lived about 5 hours away and we went to pick up Babu (TAG) in a Parking Lot. She wouldn't let us see where and how he was raised. All I get is stories and half truths after the fact. Don't get me wrong, he's a wonderful bird, but I can't get any information regarding the breeder, and he's not registered. I wouldn't recommend her to anyone.

I guess this points out that you really need to do your homework. Really check out, from whom you're going to buy. Every breeder/broker/pet store has their advantages and disadvantages. Forums like this can help; definitely get a feel of the breeder/broker yourself and then make your choice.

Do be wary of BirdBreeders.com; they'll post positive reviews in their ratings, but marginal and bad reviews are edited or deleted.

 

[Pookamama]

We were looking into a TAG breeder that was recommended from a person on here, Shirley at thebignest.com in Texas. We don't have any Timneh breeders I've been comfortable with in Oregon. So I'd say if you can get somebody you trust who has had a positive experience with a breeder, that could be an option too.

We wound up doing a rehome from an excellent situation and that's been absolutely perfect. I could tell from the way the owner answered the questions on the phone she loved her birds, she knew the proper way to care for them, and I was getting a healthy, well-socialized parrot. I never thought it possible, but it worked out wonderfully. It was a 20 hour drive to get her on top of the $$ I payed for her but I felt comfortable doing it because the vibes I got. So just make sure wherever you get your bird, you can communicate with the source THOUROUGHLY. Ask dozens of questions, and they ought to be asking you questions to in order to make sure their bird is going to a great home. Anybody willing to unload their bird on you without asking some very pointed questions is questionable. Another big no-no we keep seeing is people selling unweaned birds to inexperienced handfeeders-that seems to happen a lot.
Here's a good list of tips to look for in a breeder: finding a good parrot breeder, recommending parrot breeder, exotic bird breeder in Arizna,green cheek mutations, pineapple green cheeks