Birds are one of the most attractive types of pet but also one of the more fragile in terms of health. Infections spread rapidly in groups of birds. Making sure that any new birds are in good health and from good stock is imperative.
Through a simple process one can make sure that the best steps have been taken to safeguard against potential problems.
If building a flock of birds with the intention of breeding, sourcing from different breeders is useful to ensuring more robust stock.
If planning to show birds in exhibitions, it is best to initially buy small numbers of high-quality breeding pairs rather than larger numbers of lower-quality stock. In this instance, pedigrees are also important.
References and General Pointers
References from other satisfied customers of the breeder are useful. A few references should be checked before making a purchase.
If the breeder attends shows, it is worth checking that the returning birds are quarantined before returning to the rest of the stock.
Birds housed outdoors will be more hardy to different environments.
Diet and Feeding Methods
One also needs to ascertain how the baby birds have been fed. The diet should be balanced with fruit, vegetables or pellets as well as seed to avoid possible nutritional shortcomings.
Ideally they should also have been hand-fed at least occasionally to help tame them and increase their socialization.
Changes to bird diets should only be made gradually, especially if also being rehoused, so their previous diet should be continued for at least two weeks as a further safeguard.
Condition of Birds
By looking at the breeder's housing of the baby birds, as well as observing how clean and well-watered they are one can observe whether there are toys present. Toys are a big help to baby birds' stimulation.
The birds should also be alert and well-groomed and sufficiently strong-coloured, where that is relevant to the type, for one to be able to judge their wellbeing.
If allowed to handle the birds, by feeling the breastbone one can ascertain if it is too prominent in relation to the flesh on either side of it that the bird may not be in the best condition.
If a singing bird such as a canary or a talker is required, then these attributes should be apparent in the birds in the breeder's stock, and ideally already present in the bird you buy.
Finding a good breeder can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship enabling one to buy new birds in future with confidence.
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