Yes, they have a backstory. But I take full responsibility for the stupidity of my actions, and hold myself partially accountable.
Before I start, I'll just let you know I'm an ex-medical student (I had to pull out due to chronic illnesses) - the relevance of this statement will be made known shortly.
Here's the story:
Where I come from, the sale of exotic pets from civet cats, binturong (bear cat), various types of parrots, finches, doves and birds (peacocks, pheasants, fowls etc.), otters, asian leopard cats, flatheaded cats, slow lorises, snakes, lizards etc. often occurs via private trades online. This mostly because most of the animals in the exotic trade require a license by the forestry/wildlife department, and the license fee is mostly unaffordable and in most cases, impossible to get, unless some form of bribery or 'influence' is involved (sorry for throwing it out there, but that's the reality of it).
I'll start off with Julian first. Julian was a standard grey pied cockatiel that was being advertised online via a popular exotic forum locally. Even though I'd done a lot of researching and reading beforehand on different types of parrots (I'd set my mind on a Sun Conure primarily), there was something about Julian that appealed to me. My luck appeared to be good since Julian's breeder was located very close to my home, and even offered to meet me up at the mall for me to see Julian up close. This breeder received a lot of positive feedback from locals and was even dubbed as a 'sifu' or 'otai' (which means 'Master') by the local exotic animal keepers, so I trusted him. Red flag number one that I missed.
I bought a small transport cage to hold Julian and we (the breeder and I) met up to negotiate the deal over the pricing. Since the deal was done in the middle of the night in a parking lot with virtually nil light, I could hardly see the bird. All I did see was the breeder capturing the bird forcefully from his cage (red flag number two) and putting it into mine. He then said that the bird is 'tame' and knows how to 'step up'. Of course I knew what step up meant, having read about it before. But Julian appeared very frantic in my cage and I asked the breeder what was wrong. He just said the bird's not 'behaving' today, took my money and left.
Both my parents and I were slightly disturbed, but we shrug it off. The next few days was difficult because Julian hissed at anyone and everything, refused to come out of his cage etc. I quickly rang up the breeder and he assured me that it is normal and it takes time for Julian to get used to my family and his new surroundings. In the meantime I managed transfer Julian (sheer dumb luck) to his permanent home cage of 2' x 2' x 2.5'+. I sang to him, spoke to him and never gave up on him. My family whistled to him, fed him through the cage bars and eventually he grew to love us.
He also began to learn to 'love', 'kiss' and 'step up' again. I gave him toys and a lot of attention - and that's when the crap hit the fan, literally.
Julian arrived to me wing-clipped, but began to lose both primary and secondary feathers. Less than three weeks after I received him, I had feathers covering the lids of my marine tanks, my stand fan, my art table - it honestly looked like he had exploded. I once again asked what's up with the bird, and I received another - 'Don't worry. Birds do that (molt) sometimes.' (red flag number three)
As I've mentioned before, I was still looking for a Sun Conure - and I get a message from the same breeder that he has some baby hand-fed conures. I told him specifically I was looking for a 2-month-old hand-fed conure or even the older, the better. Instead he gave me a so-called '1++-month-old' (he lied and I was so stupid that I fell for it) baby in a cardboard box full of hamster bedding (cedar shavings). (Red flag number four) He also told me to feed the baby 20cc of Kaytee's baby bird formula three times a day maximum, using a syringe with a rubber tube at the tip.
When I brought the chick home, I had my dad examine him over (my father is a doctor - not a vet), and my dad himself said that there's no way that bird is 1-month++. I named the little bird Phoenix and I concluded my father was correct. We've been raising wild robins and sunbirds every year for the past six to seven years, and even those chicks had more plumage at 1-month-old.
So I finally sms-ed the breeder and confronted him, and demanded the real age of the chick. He dodged my questions but eventually said it's almost 3-weeks-old. I nearly had a heart attack then and there. Then I googled up this guy - I went through his FB connections, his pages and contacts and what do I find? He's an ex-COP! In other words, in my country, I couldn't touch him. He was more powerful and influential than I'd thought.
So I tried a different tactic. I said I want leg bands and a license for my conure. I was willing to pay for it - even though I knew the fee was going to amount to a few hundred. He finally confessed and said, I don't have a license - I'm just a seller, not a breeder.
By this time, I was furious at myself and my mother yelled at me for being irresponsible (I deserved it). To make matters worse, I was stuck with a 'molting' tiel and a poor baby bird who came from God knows where. So remember the ex-medical student thing I told you about? My skills were rusty, but I told myself I could do this. I can still save Phoenix.
I fed Phoenix as per the seller's instructions since I had no one else to turn to. I was afraid of approaching forums because I knew I'd receive a lashback so severe because of my actions. So I kept feeding Phoenix 3 times a day using the tube attached to the syringe, and I trusted my rusty medical skills, until one dreadful morning - around 3 to four days after getting Phoenix - he bit off the rubber tube attached to the syringe and swallowed it.
Three seconds later and I screamed like hell for my mother to come downstairs because I knew Phoenix might die at any moment. Five minutes later and we're packed in the car and I told my mum I might as well bring Julian along since he had lost almost all the primary feathers of his right wing.
Our nearest vet clinic was closed. The second one turned us away because they only treated cats and dogs. The third vet at the third clinic said he wasn't confident enough to treat birds, and directed us to a vet surgeon located in the middle of the city in a place where we've never been before.
For the next thirty five minutes, I was trapped in the car with a crying chick, a screaming tiel, a yelling/cursing mother and my father on my mother's phone telling me to prepare myself that my chick was most likely going to die while I was using the Waze app on my own phone to navigate towards the avian vet's clinic.
When we finally arrived, we received treatment priority and I received a huge lecture from the avian vet (who told me I was irresponsible - I agreed - and demanded to know who this seller/breeder was - I told him partially because I didn't want to get messed up in any politics). He said everything the seller told me was wrong.
Phoenix was supposed to be fed 10cc five times a day and was given several laxative shots which I later administered myself at home over the next few days to get him to pass out the tube - he eventually did, about a week later. And Julian wasn't molting. Julian was infested with bird mites, which did not originate from my house but from most likely the seller's property.
After incurring a nice little vet bill, a lot of consultation and advice, I went back home and broke down. I felt so shitty and down and my mother apologized for yelling. We observed both birds carefully and it's been slightly more than a week - and they've both made excellent recoveries (Julian is no longer dropping feathers and itching thanks to the anti-mite bath spray, and Phoenix is growing a lot - packing on both feathers and weight).
I now receive consultation over the phone, and will be probably taking Julian for another check-up by the end of this month. Phoenix on the other hand will be fledged and when the time comes, will get his wings clipped because I live in the tropics where the weather is scorching and we have fans on in every single room almost everytime everyday.
So there you have it, my stupidity and ignorance and sheer gullible foolishness all rolled up in one sushi of disaster.
And that seller I told you about? He's still selling birds and making a nice little profit. And I can't even say anything about it because he has a nice little 'gang' of 'Masters' to back him up, plus the connections to get me fined for allegedly having a non-licensed pet.
So right now I'm focusing on getting a license through PERHILITAN (our wildlife department) for Phoenix, so that he can travel with me and will not be seized in any raids, exhibitions or public events. I'll be damned if I don't do things the legal way around here.
So this is my story. Sorry Wolf, but you asked for it.
