[appleflowers]

I went to pet store to get B’s vita seed and couldn’t stop myself from looking into budgie cage. This guy just stole my heart. I know its not good practice to get them from pet stores so I left. But I keep looking at the pic. What is wrong with his feather/ wing tips? That is a male, right?

Another pic of him sitting on lower perch. He seems to be missing his long tail feather? He is the bird turned backwards on lowest perch, with yellow color tail

 

[Cody]

None of these birds look to be in great condition, and they are not babies as they all appear to have lost the baby bars on the head, the guy you are referring to is an adult bird, he has lost his baby bars and I can clearly see the iris in his eye. The missing feathers may be a sign of a problem as it does not look like they were clipped, some of the others in the cage have not been clipped and a couple of them also look like they have either been clipped or are missing flight feathers.

 

[appleflowers]

Another pic of him sitting on lower perch. He seems to be missing his long tail feather? View attachment 266085

None of these birds look to be in great condition, and they are not babies as they all appear to have lost the baby bars on the head, the guy you are referring to is an adult bird, he has lost his baby bars and I can clearly see the iris in his eye. The missing feathers may be a sign of a problem as it does not look like they were clipped, some of the others in the cage have not been clipped and a couple of them also look like they have either been clipped or are missing flight feathers.

Yes, he looks like he needs TLC. I think this is mostly why I feel drawn to him. But getting a bird like that would just be a very risky thing…

 

[Cody]

Yes I think they all need some TLC, if you did not already have a bird the risk would just be to you financially if he needed medical care, but I am sure you would not want to endanger Bisbee if this guy is ill.

 

[Sweety's mom]

I got mine from a big box pet store. I definitely would have preferred getting from an ethical breeder, but I had no way of knowing which were and which weren't last summer when I got him. There were some breeders on craigslist but even their pictures seemed sketchy so I just didn't know how to find a good one. I don't know anyone with a parakeet so had no one to ask.

When I finally decided to go to the box store I realized, you know what? These guys also may have come from a bad breeder and who knows what bad things the store may have done to him....so I kind of looked at him like a rescue. He is already alive and needs a good life and regardless that the big store will get my money, this little guy still needs a good home. At least at the store I could see his environment that he had been in and was reasonably assured that he probably wasn't sick (or their whole flock would be sick). Got him home, definitely not sick just very skittish (at first).

Of course I only have the 1 bird so it is different if buying a possibly sick pet store bird and bringing him/her into your home with another bird. Mine was a baby and had no signs of problems with his feathers, etc. and no other birds already at my place, so it was a safe risk I think.

If I were to get a second bird, I would go back to craiglist and look into the ones that are being rehomed. There is always someone who got the bird and didn't realize how much time they actually require and then they re-home them. And if there weren't any available like that on one particular day, just wait a few days or a week and one always turns up.

 

[StarlingWings]

It's always hard to turn away from the little ones at the pet stores.. But it's absolutely true that we can't sponsor the terrible and unethical breeders that supply pet stores by buying budgies from them. My girl was from a big-box store too, since at the time i wasn't able to find an ethical breeder or rescue near me (I lived in a relatively remote part of the US with regard to budgies back then). Every time I have gone to big-box stores since then I always wish I could help those babies..

 

[appleflowers]

I have been to the store a few times and usually can look at the budgies and not be tempted to take care of any of them. This guy just stood out and I would genuinely want to take care of him if not for the fact that he could indeed be sick and could be a risk to Bisbee’s health, not to mention that there are no guarantees they would actually get along.
I was really interested in what was wrong with this wingtips. They looked unusual. Maybe they are growing in?

 

[Cody]

It is so very difficult to not buy all of them, I know the feeling only to well, my husband stops me It is surprising how few breeders there are and/or how difficult they are to find. I have only once purchased from a breeder, all the others I have had or currently have were either given to me or I got from a shelter so I figure they were probably originally purchased from big box.

 

[FaeryBee]

Keep in mind that every time you buy from a big box pet store you are promoting and supporting the birdy mill practices.
You are much better off to rescue budgies from shelters or rehome the ones that people can no longer care for.

 

[appleflowers]

Definitely! I do purchase some food and some toys at the store but my plan is to not support them as far as buying birds or any other animals. Is buying of items like that also discouraged?

 

[Cody]

I think you have to buy the supplies whatever way is best for you. If you want to go to a bird only place try Parrot Stars in Arlington Heights Parrot Stars | So much more than a pet shop

 

[FaeryBee]

Buying supplies from those stores is perfectly fine.

 

[karenblodgett3261]

I got mine from a big box pet store. I definitely would have preferred getting from an ethical breeder, but I had no way of knowing which were and which weren't last summer when I got him. There were some breeders on craigslist but even their pictures seemed sketchy so I just didn't know how to find a good one. I don't know anyone with a parakeet so had no one to ask.

When I finally decided to go to the box store I realized, you know what? These guys also may have come from a bad breeder and who knows what bad things the store may have done to him....so I kind of looked at him like a rescue. He is already alive and needs a good life and regardless that the big store will get my money, this little guy still needs a good home. At least at the store I could see his environment that he had been in and was reasonably assured that he probably wasn't sick (or their whole flock would be sick). Got him home, definitely not sick just very skittish (at first).

Of course I only have the 1 bird so it is different if buying a possibly sick pet store bird and bringing him/her into your home with another bird. Mine was a baby and had no signs of problems with his feathers, etc. and no other birds already at my place, so it was a safe risk I think.

If I were to get a second bird, I would go back to craiglist and look into the ones that are being rehomed. There is always someone who got the bird and didn't realize how much time they actually require and then they re-home them. And if there weren't any available like that on one particular day, just wait a few days or a week and one always turns up.

I'm fortunate that the pets store I got my previous budgie, Vern (RIP sweet boy) and LoVey from, are a privately owned store with people who have been there for years. When I got LoVey, they grilled me up one side and down the other. They even put a post on Facebook defending their policy of making sure the pets go to appropriate homes. When I go in there to buy more toys for my girl 😉, I always show them pictures and they seem genuinely pleased to see how well she's cared for. I would probably put them, in regard to their ethics, more in the category of ethical breeder as opposed to a clasic "pet store" I live in a city that's rampant with drug use and I could easily see some of those people jamming their bugie into a tiny cage that it would never have time out of. I could also picture some of them putting beer in the water dish for a sick form of amusement. I think my Vern might have been relinquished due to health problems. He took many trips to the vet where they sent me home with meds to administer. I can't imagine some of the residents in my city doing that, so I feel like I not only prolonged his life, but gave him one filled with love. He passed snuggled in my neck rather than being found on the floor of his cage. The big box pet stores seem to be staffed with people who are only doing it for the paycheck, and have no interest in learning about proper care. Not to mention, I highly doubt they adhear to proper quarantine when a new flock of birds come in. I've watched videos of how they transport birds to the big box stores and they are truly sickening. So like you I kind of feel like I rescued my babies from what might have been a dismal life. But if that pet store ever closed, I would definitely look for rescues and shelters!

 

[Mr.Birdie]

We got our little friend from a pet store. He is also older and he has been with us a year. No health issues so far. It took him three months to start talking. I think he felt vulnerable because his wings were clipped. He is so gentle doesn’t bite or scream. I am home all day, so he sees me and talk and interact with him. He flies around his cage. He’s still very cautious, but I think that’s because he was in that pet store way too long.
I feel sorry for the little souls and they just want the chance to have a good home - they can’t help they ended in a pet store and were treated bad. I am glad i saved him and he brings me joy everyday.