What happens to babies that are not sold?

[Nir]

Either from breeders or pet stores. What happens to them? What I am trying to understand is what's worse for the baby birds. Letting someone new who might or might be ready for a bird buy a baby bird, or the babies never being bought?

[LemonLover]

Im sad to tell you, but many are "humanely" put down in horrible ways. Like puppy or cat mills, which Im sure you've heard of. If you havent google it, and be warned. Some pictures might be graphic.

[Michael]

Either from breeders or pet stores. What happens to them? What I am trying to understand is what's worse for the baby birds. Letting someone new who might or might be ready for a bird buy a baby bird, or the babies never being bought?

This is not a long term concern. If baby birds go unsold, then the store buys less from breeders and breeders breed less. Yes, a few birds get screwed if unbought but it's much worse if they are zealously bought and replenished!

[marie83]

The stores in the UK seem to hold onto the birds indefinitely until sold.

I can't speak for all breeders but Ollies breeder keeps hold of them until he can sell them, no matter how long that takes. He won't rehome any birds if he doesn't approve of the people he is selling to, even if it means he ends up keeping them.

[Michael]

The point is don't buy a baby parrot out of pity cause that just encourages stores to abuse them on purpose and order more to do the same. If you do buy from a store, make sure it is a good one that you can be proud to support and never because it is terrible to the birds. The more people that are aware of this and follow this rule, the less bad stores can get away with it or even do it on purpose to sell birds on pity.

[Sheila88]

There is a red bellied parrot in a local Petco that is two years old, marked down from $599 to $174. So, I am sure that bird has moved thru a few stores. I just hope someone with knowledge and patience buys her. At this point, why don't they just give to a rescue? I know that where I volunteer, she would be welcome. But, they are not going to purchase her.

[Michael]

There is a red bellied parrot in a local Petco that is two years old, marked down from $599 to $174. So, I am sure that bird has moved thru a few stores. I just hope someone with knowledge and patience buys her. At this point, why don't they just give to a rescue? I know that where I volunteer, she would be welcome. But, they are not going to purchase her.

This is terrible, but the good news is that they will probably stop buying parrots from breeders for sale cause they only end up losing money on them. It's best that people get parrots from rescues or quality stores/breeders to avoid encouraging poor standards.

[Natacha]

There is a red bellied parrot in a local Petco that is two years old, marked down from $599 to $174. So, I am sure that bird has moved thru a few stores. I just hope someone with knowledge and patience buys her. At this point, why don't they just give to a rescue? I know that where I volunteer, she would be welcome. But, they are not going to purchase her.

Proper rescues are already overflowing - the last thing they need is more parrots straight from the pet stores. Pet stores need to stop carrying birds the way they do, period.

[Ursibear]

There is a red bellied parrot in a local Petco that is two years old, marked down from $599 to $174. So, I am sure that bird has moved thru a few stores.

Shame she isn't in europe
I am looking for a little friend for my Sisu and i would love to give her a good home

[liz]

There is a red bellied parrot in a local Petco that is two years old, marked down from $599 to $174. So, I am sure that bird has moved thru a few stores. I just hope someone with knowledge and patience buys her. At this point, why don't they just give to a rescue? I know that where I volunteer, she would be welcome. But, they are not going to purchase her.

Offer them $50 to take off their hands. They will have a great loss but you would be saving it from an impulse buyer who does not know how to care for it. If you can't keep him then you will have controll over who gets him.