Reasons Why Unweaned Babies
Should Not Be Bought Or Sold
Should Not Be Bought Or Sold
2. The failure to recognize subtle or obvious signs or symtoms of illness or distress. Often these problems show up when it could be too late. When babies are being fed by inexperienced handfeeders all kind of problems can erupt. Most buyers just don't know.
3. Weaning is a stressful time and the experiences during that time will stay with a bird it's whole life. Far too often the hand feeding done in many stores is done by the inexperienced people working there and this lack of knowledge only adds to the weaning problems. Farr too often the babies never receive adequate amounts of formula. Often not enough to grow to their full potential. Most buyers just don't know.
4. A baby bird will eat scalding hot formula and can have it's crop either burned right through or end up with serious complications that may not show up in the beginning. I've know of such cases. The buyers were stuck with very high vet bills and lost the bird in the end. Most buyers just don't know.
5. A weaning baby can starve to death with food sitting right in front of it. Once again there is a lot to know on how to properly wean a baby bird and this knowledge just isn't available to most people working in pet stores. The whole feeding experience take years of hands-on training to learn. It is not a crash course. Most buyers just don't know.
6. Water drinking is a learned behavior. Eating solid food is also a learned behavior and there is a time table called the learning curve. When babies are not provided with the proper foods at the right age this learning curve can be missed and then there are many problems trying to teach the baby how to eat. It is made worst when there are no other babies that it can copy from. Most buyers just don't know.
7. The expiration date on each container of handrearing formula should be checked before purchase. Spoiled formula can have a disastrous effect on baby birds. It could introduce toxins into their systems and even make them sick enough to die. Most buyers just don't know.
8. Pressure, by the syringe, on the beak of a handfeeding baby can and will deform the beak. Once again this is part of learning hoe to hand feed the right way. It takes year to learn how to do all these procedures correctly. Most buyers just don't know.
9. The internal organs of a baby bird can be bruised by picking it up incorrectly. If done often enough, it could set up a condition that would make for and early death of the baby. There may be no evidence of these problems when the buyer is seeing the baby before purchase. Prober handling is very important and the larger the baby the more important it get to be. Most buyers just don't know.
10. Feeding utensils must be cleaned and disinfected after each use. When babies are being fed in a store by the inexperienced they usually use one syringe to feed every baby in the place. This practice passes bacterial problems to all the babies. Most buyers just don't know.
Baby birds can be forced weaned - they are simply refused handrearing formula. The babies learn to eat or die. This happens often in pet stores because they don't want to be bothered feeding that extra month or more and it cost money as well. Inexperienced buyers who fail to understand how to bring a baby bird it's independence can permanently affect a birds life - FOREVER!!!
Baby birds who are forced weaned are often birds who very soon begin the long sad journey from home to home. Each new home decreases the pet potential of the most special of all companion animals. They can become very anxious biters and pluckers from the constant stress of being hungry.
A baby who is weaned improperly will learn the wrong lessons. A bird is severely impacted regarding issues of trust, love, security and bonding when he is forced to learn to eat before he is ready... if he want to live.
It isn't the controversy associated with weaned vs unweaned that makes this such an emotionally charged issue. What is at stake here is the life and future of someone's baby bird.
As a breeder of some 20+ years, and a bird owner of 30+ years, I know what CAN and DOES happen. I know about babies who are underfed and stunted; babies who are force-weaned at 3 months old; babies who suffer from crop burn, bacterial and fungal infections, chronic begging, food trauma, etc. The list goes on.
There is a window of age, opportunity and development when food-independence truly begins. The experience breeder or handfeeder knows this - most if not all buyers do not. Additionally, the buyer is taking a serious risk because there is no guarantee on the unweaned baby. There CAN'T be a guarantee because no one can tell when a baby suffered a particular trauma; No one can know the state of hygiene the buyer offers; a baby can't be vaccinated until a certain age; the PBFD screen can't be done on babies younger than 5 or 6 weeks of age. How can a buyer tell if an unweaned baby bird is healthy? The financial and emotional stakes are enormous for the buyer.
Weaning and socializing are best left to those who have the experience in both of these areas. Both affect a bird's relationship with humans for it's whole life.
It is a myth - am urban legend - to claim that a bird bonds only or mostly to those who feed it. What about the second, third, forth, fifth or sixth hand birds out there? Who do they love? Do they only love the ones who first fed them? Not Likely.
This practice of selling unweaned babies has got to stop. How many babies have to die before this practice ends? All of these sellers of unweaned babies transfer the risks, health problems and the deaths to the buyers.
The definition of weaned is this: When the baby can eat all of it's food whether it is soft food, pellets or seeds as well as treats, for a period of three weeks without the addition of hand feeding formula and maintain it's weight, then the bird is weaned!
The only way the above practices will change or be stopped is for the buying public to refuse to buy any unweaned baby birds and refuse to patronize the pet stores and breeders who sell them.
Please buy your new companion fully and bountifully weaned from a quality pet or bird specialty store or from a breeder who sells only weaned babies.
If an experienced, caring breeder does it, it usually get done right. If an experienced caring breeder does it, the baby bird will stay in the home the breeder has carefully selected. A well behaved, responsive, trusting, tame bird will be a well loved, intimate and permanent member of the family. That's what we want for all our babies no matter where they come from.
ADVOCATED AND PRACTICED BY
EDNA BRESNAHAN
The Crystal Parrot
EDNA BRESNAHAN
The Crystal Parrot
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