Rehoming birds from people so I can breed them

[will0072]

Just wondered if it is legal as I don't want to get in trouble for me to buy or take a bird that needs to be re-homed so I can use it for breeding. I have a few females right now and I would like to get a few males for them to breed with. So many people are looking to re-home birds that I thought this might be a good and not so expensive way to do it. I would let them get used to each other first and then put them into a breeding box together. I see so many breeders on here and they have so many birds and I'm wondering if that's how they got the adult birds.

Thanx

[xafsmom]

I would not say it's illegal but if you're lying to them and saying they'll be pets and not breeders, it's unethical. I would at least tell the people you're getting the re-home from that your intent is to breed and then let them decide.

[Phenomenon]

Originally Posted by will0072

Just wondered if it is legal as I don't want to get in trouble for me to buy or take a bird that needs to be re-homed so I can use it for breeding. I have a few females right now and I would like to get a few males for them to breed with. So many people are looking to re-home birds that I thought this might be a good and not so expensive way to do it. I would let them get used to each other first and then put them into a breeding box together. I see so many breeders on here and they have so many birds and I'm wondering if that's how they got the adult birds.:thumbup1:

Thanx

I doubt it.

Breeders like myself, for example, got hatchlings and raised them ourselves so we could be sure they were healthy and without defects. Purchasing an adult animal for breeding has built in (yeah, don't feel like trying to remember to spell inherient) negative issues that can usually be bypassed by buying them younger so that you know their health history, and know that they aren't already worn out breeders that someone is trying to unload.

[ThreeX]

Sometimes i can't help but think that breeding birds in itself is the most unethical thing, considering the amount of annual re-homings.
On the other hand some people flat out won't buy anything but a chick..
Catch 22.. *sigh*

[Abby]

I guess the thing is why are the birds getting rehomed to start with? If it's a species that does seem to be commonly getting put on the rehome merry go round then is it really ethical to be contributing by breeding more? Is the bird capable of being part of a functioning pair? Example, when we decided enough was enough with our BE2 a friend looked after her in the short term. He put her in with a male then had to promptly pull her off as she started beating him up and would have killed him if allowed to go on.

I've gone out and spent good money to get good quality birds so I should get good quality babes at some point. Those of us here who are serious about breeding ethically and properly have spent quite a bit of money over the years to acquire our birds and to get our set up. My lot are still a money pit as I keep looking to improve things.

[Monica]

Originally Posted by will0072

Just wondered if it is legal as I don't want to get in trouble for me to buy or take a bird that needs to be re-homed so I can use it for breeding. I have a few females right now and I would like to get a few males for them to breed with. So many people are looking to re-home birds that I thought this might be a good and not so expensive way to do it. I would let them get used to each other first and then put them into a breeding box together. I see so many breeders on here and they have so many birds and I'm wondering if that's how they got the adult birds.

Thanx

It certainly isn't illegal... but there are a lot of people who would prefer to not see their birds in a breeding situation. If these are pet birds, they might not even be interested in breeding and may outright refuse to breed. If I had to rehome every single one of my birds right now, I know that I *WOULD NOT* want any of them in a breeding situation.

By breeding, you are creating even more birds out there in the market in need of homes. It may seem like a good idea now to give a home to birds that need a home, but what if there comes a time when you have so many birds that you become overwhelmed, and you cannot easily place the birds in new homes? What if the birds that you did place all of a sudden needed a new home again? What would you do?

If being rehomed, why are they being rehomed? Are the birds screaming? Plucking? Mutilating? Are they aggressive? Non-handable? Some are in the belief that if you set up a bird with behavioral problems, you'll get offspring that are more likely to have behavioral problems. Such as setting up a pair who pluck themselves and eachother. Chances are, they will pluck their offspring, and in theory, the offspring will grow up and be pluckers. No one wants an "ugly" bird...


Like I said, it's not illegal, and people have done, but are you prepaired? If you want breeding birds, you should probably buy breeding birds instead of pet birds.

[will0072]

Thanks for all the replies. The adds for free or low fee birds I have been looking at seem to just want a " forever " home. The person looking for a new home for the bird either can not keep the bird any longer due to illness or the owner thinks the bird is lonely and wants the bird to be around other birds. I would be offering a forever home to the bird but also breeding them with the ones I have now. I read on a different post on here that if I take the bird to my vet right away and get a chip put in that the owner can't come back at me later and say I did anything wrong. Is that correct. I don't want to find myself in court because I didn't tell the owner that the bird would also be used for breeding.
Like I said I would take care of the bird and still be giving it the forever home they are looking for.
Thanx

[jenseits]

If someone is looking for a "forever home"... I'm pretty sure they don't mean a breeding situation. You really have to let people know your intentions before you take their pets. It doesn't matter whether they would have a legal leg to stand on, it just wouldn't be ethical to lie to them. (And whether it's legal or not has nothing to do with a microchip)


If you honestly don't think you're doing anything wrong, then tell them the truth and let them decide. If you feel you have to lie in order to get the birds... you already know that this wouldn't be ethical. Would you seriously consider keeping your intentions from the people you buy birds from?

[ThreeX]

Originally Posted by jenseits

If someone is looking for a "forever home"... I'm pretty sure they don't mean a breeding situation.
<snip>

If you honestly don't think you're doing anything wrong, then tell them the truth and let them decide. If you feel you have to lie in order to get the birds... you already know that this wouldn't be ethical. Would you seriously consider keeping your intentions from the people you buy birds from?

Amen to that. I wouldn't have the gall to aquire birds under false "flag"

[Jan]

Ideally, most birds are happier if in a breeding situation or at least with a mate. Not all get along though. So proper introduction is a must and offering a nest box when the time is not right is not a good idea.

For the most part doubt if it is illegal, you can tell the person your intentions and go from there. However, if they are "giving" you the bird then that maybe an issue... if you are actually paying for the bird then that is your business. I had one gal who tried to make me promise not to breed her male bird that I "bought" from her... well you just do not sell your bird to a breeder if you are afraid of it being paired with another bird... because I made no promises and I did pair him up with my female eventually when the time was right to do so.