1.) Where to Buy Your Bird:

There are generally 4 options available, and I have rated each of them as follows:

1. A Pet Store (#3.)
2. A Bird Show (#2.)
3. An Independent Breeder (#1,)
4. A Friend, Neighbor or an Acquaintance (#4.)

Let us explore each of these 4 options in turn:

1.) A Pet Store:

Generally speaking, a Pet Store is O.K., but I would not recommend a Pet Store for the beginning bird owner. Jeanne and I have bought birds from a pet store, like Petco and PetSmart, but some of the results were disappointing.

• I would rate a pet store #3 out of the 4 choices.
• "Jobbers," which are people who buy baby birds directly from the bird breeders, buy birds which are "barely" out of the nest boxes. This is dangerous to the birds and often disappointing to the new bird owner.
• The birds may not be strong enough physically to withstand the anxiety of unfamiliar circumstances.
• It is best that you become throughly familiar with the reputation of the pet store and its owner or manager before buying a bird from a pet store.
• Some pet stores, like PetCo, have a 2 week return policy, but if the bird was sickly or injured when you bought it, I don't believe that the pet store is going to buy back a sickly or injured bird.
• Besides, the bird may not live long enough to return it!
• Or, the bird will live just over the 2 week period, before it dies or shows evidence of illness or injury.
• These are the reasons why a reputable bird breeder will not sell baby birds "barely" out of the next box! (See the section below on An Independent Bird Breeder.)
• If there is anything "wrong" with the bird, an extended stay in the bird breeder's cages should be sufficient to determine what the problem is, BEFORE the bird is brought to the pet store or bird show!

2.) A Bird Show:

• I would rate a bird show #2 out of the 4 choices.
• Again, you are most often not familiar with the bird breeders, who most often treat the birds strictly as a commercial venture to make money.
• The exception to this rule, expressed above, is the bird breeder whom you get to know and whose reputation for breeding and selling superior quality birds is well known.
• Jeanne and I have been buying birds from several reputable bird breeders for over 11 years and have been very happy with the quality of our birds.
• Many reputable bird breeders, like Mr. Carroll Myers, will guarantee their birds for upwards of a year.*

3.) An Independent Breeder:

• I would rate the independent breeder #1 out of the 4 choices,
  for the reasons I have mentioned above.
• Jeanne and I have driven to New Braunfels, Texas on many occasions to buy birds directly from a reputable breeder BETWEEN the 2 semi-annual bird club events held in San Antonio.
• Periodically, Jeanne and I call one of our reputable bird breeders in Navasota, Texas IN ADVANCE of a bird show in order to "special order" an English Budgie with respect to color and gender.
• HERE IS THE REASON WHY: Mr. Carroll Myers will NOT sell outright or bring ANY bird to the bird show, UNLESS his birds are AT LEAST 8 MONTHS OLD!
• His birds are healthy;
• He personally knows their parentage (the cock and the hen).
• Since Carroll Meyers "shows" birds professionally in major bird shows, he is an "expert" on the quality of his birds.
• He passes on his expertise to his customers to make sure that they are buying a superior quality bird, and
• He stakes his reputation on the quality of his birds.
• Jeanne and I have NEVER been disappointed in the quality of his birds and will recommend him to anyone!

You can contact Mr. Carroll Myers at (936) 825-6544

His E-mail address is: myerscl@worldnet.att.net.

4.) A Friend, Neighbor or an Acquaintance: 

• I would rate this option #4 out of the 4 options.
• Jeanne and I attend the Alamo Exhibition Bird Club in San Antonio, Texas and have been members for about 12 years.
• Generally speaking, you don't really know the quality of the bird, unless you have been around the bird at your friend's, neighbor's or an acquaintance's home.
• The best advice that I can give you is: "Would you buy a "used vehicle" from that person? If not, why would you buy a "used bird" from him or her?
• Keep in mind, that Jeanne and I were asked to find a good home for "Precious," a very beautiful and loving Quaker Parrot. We  did not just hand the bird off to anyone!  Jeanne had a good friend at work who wanted to buy "Precious" and who would give her a good home.
• But this is an EXCEPTION, and NOT the RULE!
• Ask yourself these questions:
• A.) WHY IS THE BIRD BEING SOLD?
• B.) Is the bird healthy?
• C.) Does it bite?
• D.)Does the bird get along well with family members?
• If you do NOT obtain decent and honest answers to all of these questions,
• THINK "TWICE" about buying the bird!
• You MAY be buying some one else's headache!

2.) Bringing Your Bird Home to Meet Your Family:

1.) In most cases, unless you bring a cage to transport your bird from the Pet Store, the Bird Show or from a friend, neighbor or an acquaintance's home, you are already starting out on the "wrong foot." A baby bird or a mature bird is going to be terrified of being placed into a cardboard box to be transported from the Pet Store to your home. Although the box has ventilation holes, it is STILL "dark and foreboding!" Would YOU like to be put in a dark box, if YOU were a bird?

• Do you already have an adequate lead-free or zinc-free cage?
• an adequate number of feeding cups, so that you can rotate them around? 6 cups is a good round number.
• an adequate number of "Lixit" water bottles? 3 bottles at least!
• some "safe" toys for the bird BEFORE you bring it home?
• Would you even think about bringing a new baby
• home from the hospital, without first buying a bassinet, crib, baby formula, baby clothes, etc.?
• Why then, would to treat a baby bird or even a mature bird any differently?

2.) Do you know how to safely clip the bird's "flight feathers? You will need to "clip" the bird's "flight feathers" before you take the bird out of the box or out of its cage for any reason. Otherwise, your "money" and your "bird" may just fly out of the window, or it may become severly injured or killed! IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SAFELY CLIP THE BIRD'S FEATHERS, DO NOT EVEN TRY! TAKE THE BIRD TO A PET STORE TO HAVE ITS FEATHERS TRIMMED SAFELY AND PROFESSIONALLY!

3.) BEWARE of Ceiling Fans! If there are any ceiling fans in your home, this is yet another reason to clip your bird's wings. ONCE AGAIN, If you do not know how to clip a bird's wings, call a local pet store, like PetCo or PetSmart and arrange to take your bird to the pet store to have this very important procedure performed safely and professionally, without injury to the bird.

4.) Unless you know a bird breeder, as Jeanne and I do, I would recommend that you take your new bird to an reputable Avaian Veterinarian to have the Vet examine the bird. In San Antonio, Dr. Bill McGehee is one of the best Veterinarians in Texas:

Bill McGehee, D.V.M.
Castle-West Animal Hospital
11105 West Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78213
(210) 344-8259 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (210) 344-8259      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Clinic Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. Friday: 7 A.M. to Noon.

Closed Saturdays and Sundays.

For a list of Avaian Veterinarians in the United States,

• Click on "Finding a Local AAV Vet" at the bottom of this page for a sample listing. (You can return to this site, after looking at the sample listing.)
• Paste aav.org, which stands for Association of Avarian Veterinarians on your browser.
• Go to "Public Areas," which is the second from the top left
  side.
• Search by City, State, Zip Code, Province or Area Code
• Refer to a copy of the site, directly below this block!

5.) You "SHOULD", or should I say, "MUST" QUARANTINE your bird for about 60 days to INSURE that the bird is healthy and free of infectuous diseases, ESPECIALLY if you have children or other pets, ESPECIALLY, other birds!

6.) Do NOT "integrate" or bring in a new bird and put it together with your other birds!

7.) Allow your bird sufficient time to "acclimate" or to "adjust to" its new surroundings, especially you and other family members.

8.) Remember the cardinal rule: "GO SLOW" when approaching, touching or handling your bird. "MOVING FAST" FRIGHTENS birds.

9.) "Make a FRIEND" of your bird and try to see and comprehend everything from the bird's perspective! If something startles or frightens you, it most surely will startle or frighten a bird. Think about the relative size difference between you, a child, a teenager or another adult and the size of your bird.

10.) Make absolutely certain that the bird has adequate and clean  food, adequate and clean water and an adequate and clean cage. You would do nothing less than this for a new baby!

11.) Make sure the bird is "safe" and that the bird "feels safe" at all times, with all things and in all places! I encourage you to read the story of Jeanne's "Buddy,"which can be found on this web site.

12.) If you have young children, WATCH YOUR CHILDREN, AS WELL AS YOUR BIRD! If the bird feels threatened, it may "run away, try to "fly away," or attack and bite to defend itself!

13.) Take the necessary time to SLOWLY work with your bird. Do not attempt to do too many things at once. Birds ARE intelligent creatures, BUT remember that your bird is just like a new baby. It must learn "Baby Steps!"

14.) Always "praise" your bird and offer it "treats" as a reward for performing well.

15.) NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!" scream at," "scold," "hit," or "punish" your bird by tossing the bird into a dark closet!

16.) If the bird bites you, say "NO BITING!" BUT DO NOT SCREAM AT THE BIRD! GENTLY place the bird back into its cage and give the bird some "quiet time!" to readjust. And then give it a "treat" and bring it out of its cage and play with for a while, to give it a time to readjust and to NOT consider YOU as IT'S ENEMY!

17.) ALWAYS BE PATIENT and LOVING towards your bird. Remember that it took you many years to grow and to mature. What makes you think that a bird can grow and mature in 3 days, 3 weeks or even 3 months?

On December 10, 2008, a close friend of ours gave us a "Peach-Creeked Love Bird," which he and his daughter found near a busy street and which was about to be eaten by neighborhood cats. The bird was terrified and bite us so hard that she drew blood. It took us about 4 months of loving, feeding, bathing and gently petting and softly talking to the bird, before it lost its fear of us. She is now a beautiful, healthy, and loving little bird. (To read more CLICK HERE!)

18.) ALWAYS treat your bird as you would want to be treated yourself!

19.) If you will observe and act appropriately on these 18 pointers, you will raise a bird who is a loving friend and a truly great companion. Please read the comments from bird owners which I reprinted in the "TOP 10 Countdown" found on my "Raising Birds-1"

                                                                      (The Editor.)

To return to the INDEX, CLICK HERE!

3.) Making Your Bird Your Friend: Working With Your Bird

A trained bird is a loving bird who wants to please you. BUT, you need to "invest" some time to train your bird. "The returns" are more than worth the investment!

MAKE A "GAME" OUT OF THE TRAINING, FOR "BOTH OF YOU!

• Use simple, one syllable, commands
• Use the "A-B-C" method.
• Teach only ONE COMMAND at a time and reinforce the command often, with love and praise
• Do NOT spend more than 30 minutes at a time per day in training. Birds are like young children, who can tire easily!
• Teach the bird to "A" come to you,
• Teach the bird to "B" sit on your shoulder.
• Teach the bird to "C" "eat" a bird treat out of your hand
• Repeat the "A" command, then teach the "B" command and then repeat the "A" and the "B" commands together
• Proceed to the "C" command and teach the "C" command to your bird.
• Repeat the commands several times daily to help the bird remember the command and associate the command with the appropriate action.
• Be gentle, understanding, compassionate, and
• TAKE YOUR TIME!
• Praise your bird with a treat and sincere words of praise when your bird performs well.
• Give your bird some "quiet time" after the training.

1A.) One of the "FIRST" commands to teach your bird is to come to you. Depending upon the "size" of your bird, when you stick your finger, your hand or your arm into the cage, your bird should climb upon your finger, hand or arm and NOT fly all over its cage.
1B.) Jeanne says a simple, three or four letter command, like "Come" or "Come Here," should be sufficient to get the bird to come to you!
1C.) Another aspect to "Come" or "Come Here" is to get your bird to come to you when the bird is on the floor or on a piece of furniture, or any where but in its cage. This aspect is important if there is any possible danger to your bird!
2.) Another simple command is "Sit" to get the bird to sit on your shoulder.
3.) Beyond the basic commands, everything else is a game!
   a.) Buy some "light weight" plastic balls for your bird to play with. 
        We used to watch our "Little Bits" carry her plastic ball in her
        beak and "slam dunk" her ball into her water cup!
   b.) Teach your bird to "play ball" with you!
   c.) Teach your bird whatever tricks you wish, but remember
         to GO SLOW and BE PATIENT with your bird. Praise your
         bird when it performs well & keep some "treats" nearby!

4.) Teaching Your Bird To Talk:

Like any other "trick," teaching your bird to "talk" requires lots of time and lots of patience. Birds actually "mimic," their owners voice as well as other sounds. If you only have the one bird, and you take the time to work with your bird, the time will come when it will begin to talk. However, in most cases, if you have more than one bird, like we do, they will "talk" bird talk to each other!

4.) Keeping Your Bird Healthy!

A healthy bird is a great friend and companion who depends completely upon you to maintain its good health! Just follow these steps to keep your feathered friend healthy and strong:

1A.) A clean cage, clean food and clean water are a MUST!
Be careful not to place an open food cup close to a perch, where the bird's droppings may contaminate its food.

1B.) Jeanne and I recommend "stainless steel" food cups and cup holders, which can be cleaned easily. Since I do most of the dish washing for our birds, I use a little bleach OR Melaleuca Bio-Guard in the soap water to sterilize the food cups and holders.

1C.) Jeanne and I recommend "Lixit" water bottles, which are the old fashioned glass "pint-size" milk bottles with a stainless steel spout and a rubber stopper. These "Lixit" bottle should be available at any pet store, but please feel free to E-mail Jeanne at JJfaulk@stic.net or rfaulk@stic.net or rdfaulk2007@yahoo.com  or call us at (866) 456-9936, and we will E-Mail you back a list of suppliers.

2.) Choosing The Right Veterinarian For Your Bird:
As I have already mentioned, a good Avaian Veterinarian is the best option for helping you keep your bird in good health. Jeanne and I recommend Dr. Bill McGehee in San Antonio, but I have incorporated an AAV or Associated Avaian Veterinarian web site for you to go to in order to find the closest Bird Vet in your area.

You should ask the Vet if he or she subscribes to Holistic Alternatives to the Conventional Prescription Medicines which he or she may prescribe and recommend. On one occasion, some years back, Jeanne took one of our birds to Dr. McGehee. When he diagnosed our bird's condition and advised Jeanne that there was NOTHING that he could do for the bird, Jeanne asked Dr. McGehee if there were ANY Holistic Alternatives. It was almost as though Jeanne had turned on a light bulb over Bill McGehee's head, like they do in the "funny papers!" Bill started naming various Holistic Alternatives which Jeanne could buy at any "Sun Harvest" in town. Needless to say, the Holistic Alternatives worked! Since that time, Jeanne, who is a Registered Nurse, has purchased numerous books on the subject of Holistic Remedies. I believe that her research led her to "The Avian Medicine Chest," (which is now The Canine Medicine Chest) from which she has purchased dozens of different Holistic Remedies, like the ones described in the above paragraphs.

3.) Available Bird Magazines:
Jeanne subscribes to several bird magazines, like "PET SOLUTIONS," but the one with which I am most familiar is "BIRD TALK," from which I have gleaned many articles for these web pages. You may wish to go to pet stores and bird shows to inquire as to any other available bird magazines. 

4.) Finding Available Bird Clubs 

In San Antonio, there is the "Alamo Exhibition Bird Club," to which Jeanne and I belong. There is another bird club in San Antonio, but Jeanne was told that the "Alamo Exhibition Bird Club"was the better of the two. For the names of other Bird Clubs in your area, please log onto "GOOGLE" or ask your Veterinarian which bird clubs that he or she recommends. Generally, the membership fee is very affordable, and the information available, as well as the benefits of association with other reputable bird breeders and bird owner are well worth the membership fee.

To return to the INDEX, CLICK HERE!

5.) Finding Your Local AAV Veterinarian

The AAV Website veterinarian-search site is intended to assist individuals wishing to locate a local veterinarian-member. No portion of this list is to be reproduced or published in any format. Veterinarians who have paid their current annual AAV membership dues are listed on the site, no other warranty or endorsement is given or implied by said listings.

 

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