# Thoughts on buying/selling un-weaned chicks



## Rossco! (Jul 17, 2011)

Following on from another topic, I wondered what people views are on the buying.selling of un-weaned chicks?

A buyer asked me if I would sell one of my babies un-weaned so they can rear the chick themselves. I refused and they looked elsewhere. There is also another member on here that has admitted to buying an un-weaned chick just this week and I find it disgracefull that there is sellers out there willing to do this.

Im sure this can lead to long term problems with babies as there is a strongly held belief that says that hand raising and weaning a baby parrot will insure that it bonds to the hand feeder and will make a wonderful, loving, tame pet for life. As this is the only possible reason I can understand for a person wanting to buy an unweaned chick, I'd like to point out the falsehood of this myth. A baby parrot is raised for a certain amount of months by its parents in the wild. During this time it is fed and taught to eat, drink and socialize properly. 

When the rearing is complete, the juvenile parrot will branch out on its own, searching for other juveniles to socialize with and eventually for a mate. The bird leaves its parents and bonds strongly with another bird. The new relationship does not leave any room for the parents. When you hand feed a parrot, you are its parent. When it reaches maturity, more likely than not, it will choose another person in the household to bond with because its instincts tell it that's what it should do. 

So clearly, if you want a parrot to bond with you, you should not be its hand feeder. The idea that hand feeding a baby parrot will create a strong bond between the feeder and the parrot is false. It is much better to allow a good breeder to hand feed and wean your baby correctly. This insures a healthy, happy baby who will be free to bond with you. My opinion is to let the breeder be the person the baby abandons when it is ready to move on!


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## Kay (Aug 11, 2011)

It's irresponsible for breeders to be selling unweaned chicks, and it's irresponsible for people to be buying unweaned chicks.

Well actually it's more than irresponsible, it's illegal. I'd rather have a healthy, confident happy bird.


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

You have said it just right.

I won't sell an unweaned chick. There have been enough studies to show that the notion of the chick being handfed by the person who will own it will make it bond "better" is completely false. I have seen it with my own chicks, my hand feeding does nothing to make the chick bond to me more. Several of my tiels prefer my best friend over me and will literally fly away from me and yet sit for hours with her. She never fed them yet they will fight each other to be the center of her attention.

As a breeder, I take full responsibility of my birds until they are old enough to leave the nest. I see too many people see selling an unweaned baby as a way to make a quick buck and get out of the commitment of time and energy to make sure that baby is properly raised. 

I also never understood the phrase "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". Its like they think as long as we feed something, we are showing that we love it and the expectation is that it will love us back. I wish people would understand that the bonds between living creatures are not just about the feeding schedule.


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## Rossco! (Jul 17, 2011)

I think that the buyers of un-weaned babies are just as foolish but the breeders should know better!

I know of a local seller offering babies with syringes and formula to "_help with the bonding process_" and I want to report him. I have contacted him but he insits its perfectly legal. 

Who can I report this to?


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I haven't even been able to bring myself to re-home my oldest baby who is 3 months old and has been completely weaned for a long time. Too many worries. Couldn't even imagine thinking of letting a baby go that was NOT weaned. It's not even just the whole bonding issue, but rather there's no way I would be able to sleep wondering if the new family was doing everything they needed to be doing just to keep the baby healthy and alive. It makes me wonder how many poor babies have died at the hands of inexperienced hand feeders because of being sold too young. I understand that some people, including myself, have experience with hand feeding but if your (Rossco) explanation is the case, then these breeders/sellers are just contributing to the unwanted pet population when that new owner gets frustrated with the bird for not wanting to bond with them. (BTW, my male Tiel Gibbs agrees...he's listening to me mutter. lol)


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i quite agree with you 
i like your anology too


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## Rossco! (Jul 17, 2011)

DyArianna said:


> I haven't even been able to bring myself to re-home my oldest baby who is 3 months old and has been completely weaned for a long time. Too many worries. Couldn't even imagine thinking of letting a baby go that was NOT weaned. It's not even just the whole bonding issue, but rather there's no way I would be able to sleep wondering if the new family was doing everything they needed to be doing just to keep the baby healthy and alive. It makes me wonder how many poor babies have died at the hands of inexperienced hand feeders because of being sold too young. I understand that some people, including myself, have experience with hand feeding but if your (Rossco) explanation is the case, then these breeders/sellers are just contributing to the unwanted pet population when that new owner gets frustrated with the bird for not wanting to bond with them. (BTW, my male Tiel Gibbs agrees...he's listening to me mutter. lol)


I think if a baby is feeding entireley on its own for about 2 weeks, then it is ready for re-homing. Perhaps the first few days in its new enviroment might take it a step back but not to the extent of needing hand fed again.


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## YoYo (Nov 16, 2010)

It is actually against the law in nsw Australia and some other aussie states, max fine is $3, 300.00 
People still advertise it though and charge $70 to $80 per bird at 3 weeks old. Its disgusting really 

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## Shotoetoe (May 1, 2011)

Rossco! said:


> A buyer asked me if I would sell one of my babies un-weaned so they can rear the chick themselves. I refused and they looked elsewhere. *There is also another member on here that has admitted to buying an un-weaned chick just this week and I find it disgracefull that there is sellers out there willing to do this.*


Completely unnecessary. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, I'm pretty sure public slander is against forum rules (which might as well be enforced if we'd like a civilised forum). 

As I can tell, it's legal in some places and illegal in others. I personally wouldn't buy an unweaned chick, but then again, neither would I ever buy a gun, and that's legal in places too.

There, I said my piece.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

they are not bashing the buyer i dont think
theyre against the seller

theres countless members whove ended up with an unweaned baby. are they bad people? no. just didnt know or they did know (which is when i get its wrong unless they know what they are doing)

no one is purposely ruffling feathers just a general discussion. its not slander til tthey say a name


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## Rossco! (Jul 17, 2011)

Shotoetoe said:


> Completely unnecessary. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, I'm pretty sure public slander is against forum rules (which might as well be enforced if we'd like a civilised forum).
> 
> As I can tell, it's legal in some places and illegal in others. I personally wouldn't buy an unweaned chick, but then again, neither would I ever buy a gun, and that's legal in places too.
> 
> There, I said my piece.


Erm.......... I never mentioned anyones name on the open forum! So where is the "_public slander_"??????

Please do try and get the facts right _before_ you post in future!:wacko:

The buyer in question was also warned of the dangers of buying an un-weaned chick. Cleary in one ear and out the other though!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Completely unnecessary. Regardless of your feelings on the matter, I'm pretty sure public slander is against forum rules (which might as well be enforced if we'd like a civilised forum).
> 
> As I can tell, it's legal in some places and illegal in others. I personally wouldn't buy an unweaned chick, but then again, neither would I ever buy a gun, and that's legal in places too.
> 
> There, I said my piece.


I believe what is being said here is that people who knowingly (those that do the research first) buy an unweaned bird and don't know what they're doing (i.e. never having hand fed a baby bird before) are the ones that are being mentioned. No names were given, just a general description of the type of person. We have had several buyers unknowingly buy unweaned babies and these babies have died. That's just irresponsible breeding on the breeders part. Its only the buyers fault if they know that the baby is unweaned and still buy it, not knowing what they are doing. Now if its one experienced breeder to another, then that's a different story. Rossco just wants to get the opinions of other people on the forum I think. Nothing against forum rules there.


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## Dreamcatchers (Apr 17, 2011)

And - to answer Rossco - I am not sure if there is a law against it in Scottland. (Your info states this is where you are) But you can try asking with whatever equivelant of the ASPCA, Humane Society and even local veterinarians may have the info you require.


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## Rossco! (Jul 17, 2011)

Dreamcatchers said:


> And - to answer Rossco - I am not sure if there is a law against it in Scottland. (Your info states this is where you are) But you can try asking with whatever equivelant of the ASPCA, Humane Society and even local veterinarians may have the info you require.


It is illegal here in the UK and I have reported a breeder to the Police, SPCA, and the local council. 

I did contact the breeder to tell him what he was offering was against the law but he didnt believe me. When I explained the legaities of it, he got nasty. I warned him he could end up in trouble and he got nastier. Thats the thanks you get for trying to help! So I reported him!


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## pep4uk (Aug 30, 2011)

*its me*

he is ref to me 
i bought a baby and it was nibbling seed and i was feeding it twice a day 
i was going to be buying a baby from rossco but something happened and told him i would not be buying the baby,
and no matter what i post now rossco comes behind me .
anyway all i want is for him to leave me alone.
but sure doesnt look like he is going too.
thanks for reading this 
pep


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## Rossco! (Jul 17, 2011)

pep4uk said:


> he is ref to me
> i bought a baby and it was nibbling seed and i was feeding it twice a day
> i was going to be buying a baby from rossco but something happened and told him i would not be buying the baby,
> and no matter what i post now rossco comes behind me .
> ...


t:t:t:

Ive also given you positive comments and advice since and this has nothing to do with anything from before. All im doing is speaking my mind about your current situation. Im entitled to my opinion on any topic in this forum. 

If you dont want to read my comments then you should have an option to ignore/block anything I post in your settings within the forum.

All 4 of my baby birds are now sold (deposits taken) and will be ready for new homes soon - when they are fully weaned of course - so no skin of my nose, Pep!

This is topic for people to discuss buying un-weaned chicks. Please stick to the topic at hand!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*This is topic for people to discuss buying un-weaned chicks. Please stick to the topic at hand!*

This thread is now *closed*


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