[Tiki]

Jill, thank you for supplying us with this wake up call. Although (hopefully) birdboard members love and cherish their fids, unfortunately not all birds are lucky enough to end up with people like us. I wish birds had some say in who they get to live with. I haven't heard of many instances like those in the article happening in Australia, but they may just not make the news even though they happen anyway. I do know of breeders who "cull" what they consider to be inferior specimans---not sick, deformed or anything serious---I mean the bird is the wrong colour or the feathers don't lie the right way. These birds could be lovely pets but the breeders don't care, they just don't want these "inferior specimans" to breed and ruin the species. I called the RSPCA to report this man who had given a lecture at my bird club, they said that as long as he does it humanely (?!?) it is not against the law. I was so furious! I don't know what to do if the law doesn't protect innocent birds.