Advice please for hand reared birdQuestion:Hi everyone this is a long story so i will try to make it short. We have just started breeding companion parrots,i had a young lady come to look at some hand reared green cheek conures that were weaned and ready to go,(we sell them for $100 less than most breeders as we do it for love not money) ayway she thought they we too flighty and asked me if i could especially rear one for her(i had a new clutch aged 7days)I said yes....regreting it now anyway she wanted it to be extreemly socialble,use to going outside and fast movements etc... So i spoon fed her baby bird each day it was left out on a play stand and handled by everyone...i have 4 children aged 3-16 years,my neices and friends and family it was a lovely little bird i was tempted to keep it myself... Anyway 5 weeks into rearing she emails and says she thinks she might want a more playfull bird being an eclectus well needless to say we breed eclectus and also have 2 as pets i informed her that are not very playfull and need a special diet that i didnt think she would have the time to supply and asked her do you want this baby or not?She said yes.......week 8 the conure was weaned in this time this bird has come to the supermarket with me in the backyard etc...she says she will come thursday morning .....she rings late in the afternoon cant make it ask's me if i can take it into work with me on the friday i said yes but it must be picked up in the morning i work until 6pm and i dont want the poor thing there all day(i work in a shed)needless to say i could of sold it 20 times everyone had a hold...friday afternoon she rings again she cant make it again...can she pick it up sunday? Needless to say while trying to give up the cigerettes this girl wasent making it easy...sunday she came and got the bird...at the time it was on my mother inlaws shoulder while she was vacuming ..she played with it before she took it she was given advice etc..... today she rings and says it bites she want to return it... I cant believe what im hearing this bird was SUPER Tame she says it is taking chunks out of her and savage,i can not risk taking the bird back into my home as she has other birds and they might have feather and beak she is sending me text messages i know my babies really well and i think she has just changed her mind as unless she has done something extreem to this bird it wouldnt bite...advice please Answer: Hi Well I'm sorry you have such a difficult customer :((( I'm not a breeder but I think I would've got some sort of deposit down for 'personally' hand rearing to be sure she doesn't change her mind. I DO own an eclectus & handreared they're over playful at times & hyperactive. What you've said about the diet is correct & an ekkie is a parrot I would definately stear her away from. She sounds a bit rough or hard. Not good for any ekkie even if they're used to everything. I also would've made sure there is NO guarentee she will get exactly what she's asking for. No matter how well reared & well socialized, a bird is like us, they have their own temeraments, behaiours & minds as indeviduals. I personally don't like the sound of this woman & wouldn't be one bit suprised if the conure does bite her. I'd give her the money back, get the conure happy & comfy again & sell it to someone who cares & don't have any future dealings with her. She really sounds like trouble & I'd be feeling sorry for the poor bird. Keep the bird in a seperate room for one month is all you would really need to do for quarenteen. Still socialize with it, take it out seperately to any others & clean up after where it's been. Answer: I missed out a bit "I also would've made sure there is NO guarentee she will get exactly what she's asking for." is menat to be "I also would've made sure SHE KNOWS there is NO guarentee she will get exactly what she's asking for." |
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