New Eclectus baby (hoping!)

[sidech]

oooo - what a great Christmas gift that would be!! I'm all for careful consideration - what would be the down-side of going w/this closer breeder?

I'm just like you Jenny. That's what I'm trying to weigh right now. I have written to the first breeder, whom I respect very much, and asked for her opinion. She doesn't know this person, because she is a very small scale breeder, and occasionally has babies. She has referred me to someone who might know her, so I wrote to her as well, and I am waiting for the answer. Here are the differences that I see between the two breeders :

Number 1 is in Alberta, shipping required
Very knowledgeable about Eclectus diet - feeds 100 % natural
Doesn't clip the babies or adults
Raises them from 6 weeks on (parent raised before)
From the pictures, babies look absolutely gorgeous, with bright colors
Has pictures of the parents - parents are her personal pets
Specie is Solomon Island, my second favorite - ready end of march
You can't find anything about her on the internet, but I trust my own judgment, she is fantastic
Very small scale breeder (had not had a clutch in 3 years)
Will provide me with assistance all throught the brird's life
Would take the bird back if need be, but shipping required

Number 2 is 2 hours away, no shipping required
Knowledgeable about Eclectus diet - feeds 70% natural
Clips the babies gradually after they have fledged only, 4 or 5 feathers, for security reasons
Raises them from 3-4 weeks on (parent raised before)
From the pictures, the babies look ok, colors look a lot paler than breeder 1, even though Red Sided arre supposed to be darker green than SI
Parents are not pets, so she can't really take pictures, they hide in the nest when she goes too close.
Specie is Red-Sided, my favorite - ready end of december
What is read on the internet about her, on parot forums, is very positive. I have not found anything negative yet. She seems to be active in the parrot community too. I don't like her as much as breder one, but it might just come down to personal preference, which doesn't mean she isn't a good breeder.
Medium sclae breeder
Will provide me with assistance all through the bird's life
Would take the bird back if need be, no shipping required

So this is where I am... Pretty touch decision.

Here is some pictures of the babies from breeder no 2. I figure if they are pale because of their diet, changing that would solve this. Also, it's probably just because of a bad camera.

[Shani]

If breeder no. 2 is only a couple of hours away, you could always drive out there when you have a day free and take a look at the youngsters. I'm sure if breeder no. 2 is a competent breeder he/she wouldn't have a problem with you meeting the babies

I know very little about photography, but looking at the 2nd breeder's pictures vs the first breeder's pics, I'd guess it's the camera, not the birds themselves being paler.

[sidech]

Thanks Shani,

I'm glad you think it's the camera, that's what I'm hoping, too.

Yes, the breeder is very open to me going to visit the boys. I just don't know if I have time to go twice before the end of the month, and I have to give a deposit if I want to make sure I get one.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I really wouldn't try to judge color from photos FWIW. So many things can alter the natural colors in a photo -- lighting, the response of the CCD itself, exposure, post-processing either in-camera or on a computer...

From your description it sounds as if you have two good choices!

[sidech]

I really wouldn't try to judge color from photos FWIW. So many things can alter the natural colors in a photo -- lighting, the response of the CCD itself, exposure, post-processing either in-camera or on a computer...

From your description it sounds as if you have two good choices!

Thanks Entraced. What is a " CCD " ?

I have emailed Breeder No 1 to let her know I am considering Breeder No 2. This person is so great, she is telling me she doesn't care if I buy from her or not, she will still guide me with my Eclectus, because she care about the well being of these birds, whether they are bought from her or not. This is pretty reassuring as well, because I truly respect her as a knowledgeable Eclectus person.

I will probably call back Breeder number 2 tomorrow.

Oh, and I bought a cage and some toys today... Just need food now and we're ready !

Bye for now !

[sidech]

Update on my baby.

I have chosen the breeder near Ottawa, and my baby will be coming home (granted all the decontamination work is finished in my house, don't want to kill the poor thing) on december 30th !

There are 2 brothers, and if I'm lucky, she won't have a deposit on the second one, which means I can even choose !

I'll make sure to post pictures when he comes home. Cage has been ready for more than a week, I ordered the food and got it. I still have to cook and freeze some food in advance and get a few toys more and perches, and I'm all ready !

[entrancedbymyGCC]

Cool!

I think I forgot to answer your earlier question! A CCD is a "Charge Coupled Device" which in a modern digital camera means it is the thing that stands in for film and records an image. The light falls on an array of what amounts to tiny detectors and each responds to the light in a way that captures both color and brightness information (I am way over simplifying this). Then the signals get read out one by one and assembled into a data file that becomes your picture. Every such detector has its own quirks and funnies, and cameras have software on board that can also affect how the image looks when you read it out from the camera. You can then, of course, alter it further using applications like iPhoto or Photoshop... I could accidentally or on purpose make a photo of Scooter look either drab or very technicolor, do it is hard to judge those kind of qualities in a digital image.

[sidech]

Oh, you mean " that " CCD ! Just kidding, I knew nothing about that... Thanks for explaining.

[Jenny]

am sooo looking forward to your baby pics, sidech! How about names? Got any that you're thinking about??

[sidech]

am sooo looking forward to your baby pics, sidech! How about names? Got any that you're thinking about??

His name is " Jazz ". I read about an Eclectus or other parrot, can't remember named Jazz somewhere, it stuck to my mind and I decided that would be it. I love jazz (the music). My son made fun of it at first, saying it was a girlie name, but he got used to it, said he liked it, and he now says almost every night, looking at the empty cage " How are you Jazz " ? My son is almost 13. They're funny sometimes...