Buying birds from pet store chain

[Scubajen]

There is a new pet store here in my town, and it's apparently a chain. Some of you may have heard of it....Petland. Well, if any of you have visited one, you know that their prices are outrageous! There is a Goffin's cockatoo in there, sweet as can be, for which they are asking $1,600!!!! I would buy it so I can give it a loving home, but I can't spend that kind of money, not to mention, I really don't have room in my house for another bird. Oh, and my husband would have my head on a platter, too.
Why are they so expensive? It's a real shame for that sweet little bird to be sitting there growing accustomed to that environment. I'm not bad-mouthing Petland. Everytime I've been in there, the place seems real tidy and clean. And they sell dogs like crazy. I wonder what they do with animals they don't sell in a certain amount of time. I like to visit this little guy (or gal) to give it some attention and a little love. Oh, and there is also a beautiful Medium Sulphur Crested (Eleanora) in there. That one has a little bit of an attitude, though, but sweet overall. I play with him/her, too. I can't resist. I think they are asking $1,600 for this bird, too. I know their animals come with a "warranty" of some sort, but it's not worth twice the cost of the bird from a reputable breeder. Has anyone had an experience (good or bad) from buying a pet from this store? If so, was the warranty worth it?

P.S. I'm new to BB.com, so if I'm posting this thread in the wrong place or not following etiquette, I'd appreciate a little constructive criticism.

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by Scubajen

I would buy it so I can give it a loving home, but I can't spend that kind of money, not to mention, I really don't have room in my house for another bird.

Even if you had the money, the best thing to do is not buy the bird. All that would tell Petland is that they can make money selling Goffins!

If people stop buying animals from places like that, they would stop stocking them.

[Lori L]

Where I live $1600 for a goffins is very high but certainly not double. I paid $900 for my goffins directly from the breeder. You are always going to pay more at a store. For instance, I bought my Pionus from my favorite bird store for $800, he is a blue head, Petco has a white capped for $799 ad the WC usually are much less than the BH. Most exotic bird stores don't make that much on the bird, they make more on the toys, cage and food. A CHAIN marks up the price on birds because obviously they are trying to make money on the animals as well

[MandysBlackRoses]

They have changed hands so much, from the breeder to maybe a handfeeder, and then a broker,to the pet store, and then you, the buyer gets charged whatever they think they can get from you.

I do NOT recoment buying from a large chain store. If you want to know why .I went right into it on the thread under budgies & parakeets called "My visit to PetCo"

[jamieo]

Originally Posted by felisdomesticus

Even if you had the money, the best thing to do is not buy the bird. All that would tell Petland is that they can make money selling Goffins!

If people stop buying animals from places like that, they would stop stocking them.

That sort of thinking is kind of a double-edged sword. Some people view keeping a bird in a situation like that as more harmful than paying the retailer & giving the retailer the impression that they are making money selling expensive (and inexpensive) birds. In this area, birds more than a few hundred dollars will sit in a pet store anywhere from a few months to a few years. I think that these retailers are fairly smart and can realize that if they keep an expensive bird around for a long time it is not often worthwile to keep stocking them. Especially if it is a bird that requires a special diet or a lot of human interaction in order to keep it tame & well behaved. Many pet stores do feed their animals a decent diet but many do not. So if you really care about the bird's welfare then buy it.

I am of the opinion that if you want to buy a bird from a pet store then go ahead and do it. Chances are that you will give it a better home than the next person to come along and chances are you will give it a better quality of life than it has at the store. If you don't buy it, eventually someone else will or it will become a "store pet" or whatever.

Pet stores often charge more than breeders, but there are exceptions, but that's the way things go. Many breeders raise birds because they enjoy it and do not expect to make a living doing it. Pet stores, on the other hand, have to make a profit or they have to close their doors.

As I said earlier, it's really up to your own personal opinion as to whether or not to purchase from a large retailer. If it makes you feel better to avoid them and only buy from breeders, then that's the right decision for you. Like Ghandi said "whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it".

[FeathersNFur8]

If people stop buying animals from places like that, they would stop stocking them.

I agree, it's such a bad double edged sword. Usually puppies that are sold in the big chain stores, have come from puppy millers. Purchase that cute pup, for whatever reason, and you have sentenced it's mother to live for a few more litters in a puppy mill. Supply and demand, you cut off the demand, the supply should close their doors. But, it doesn't seem to work.

I know what's considered right and wrong with breeding, selling and purchasing dogs, but I have no idea when it comes to birds. But, it seems to me if the bird sells quick, it will be replaced with another as soon as possible. Any store would want to restock a good selling item. Is that a bad thing in birds? People that would sell their birds to a big chain store, are they considered bad breeders or reputable breeders? Are there bird guidelines as to what's right or wrong in the business?

[felisdomesticus]

Originally Posted by FeathersNFur8

I agree, it's such a bad double edged sword. Usually puppies that are sold in the big chain stores, have come from puppy millers. Purchase that cute pup, for whatever reason, and you have sentenced it's mother to live for a few more litters in a puppy mill. Supply and demand, you cut off the demand, the supply should close their doors. But, it doesn't seem to work.

In this day and age of "I want what I want and I want it now", although people KNOW where the cute little puppies come from and they KNOW that they shouldn't buy them, they can't stop themselves from buying them because they just can't wait to put the time into researching reputable breeders or looking into rescues.

If they could let go of the need for instant gratification, they would stop buying the puppies and pet stores would notice that the demand just wasn't there. They would realize that it wasn't profitable to stock them and they would stop--or at least stock less! That one dog whose life may be sad could save dozens of others.

It sounds like I'm cruel and cold-hearted to condemn a puppy, kitten, or bird to life inside a tiny cage. I'm not. It's no secret that I am very involved in animal rescue. I am the one who takes in these unwanted dogs and cats when they outgrow their cutesy baby stage. I am the one who gets up in the middle of the night to let out babies bought as Christmas presents who turned out to be just too much work.

[Vega]

My *personal* guidelines for purchasing a new fid (furred or feathered):

Check with local rescue groups (if looking for a specific type/breed)
Check with local shelters (when looking for a "mutt")
Check with breeders

If what I'm looking for isn't found (haven't run into that problem yet) I wait. Eventually they'll come along.

[The Outlaw]

If you had never had a bird in your life, nor knew anyone else that had a parrot, how in the world would you know who a good breeder was? How would you even get to SEE birds?

I don't like seeing big birds in pet stores anymore than the next guy, but I've seen some lousy breeders, too. The petstores like Petsmart at least vet their livestock and innoculate them. You get hatch papers and know what HAS been done.

Also, they have banded birds so you can actually track them down to their actual breeders.

Secondly, RARELY do older birds show up in the chain stores. These are birds that have been returned or bought from people that wanted to sell their birds quickly. Most small pet shops DO buy second hand birds for almost nothing and re-sell them, sometimes over and over again. They don't vet them, either.

So, I ask you: for the shopper with no experience whatsoever, are they better off with a bird that has been vaccinated, vetted and weaned, and not in a half dozen homes or from a breeder who may or may not vaccinate or even have them vetted?

Frankly, its really up to the buyer. Educate yourself as with every other purchase and you're less likely to get burned.

As for large pet chains: usually if a bird doesn't sell in one store, they will send it to another store and try that location. If the bird doesn't sell there either, they usually wind up back into the breeding program.

[MandysBlackRoses]

I have wondered the same thing before... Is it wrong to pair up birds for breeding if you don't have people waiting for babies?

I can not imagine handfeeding a baby for months and then not caring where they went, but im sure thats the case with pet stores. For me the money they are asking is not really the issue, its everything else. From the way they are transported to the stores, to the way they are taken care while waiting to be bought for the "big bucks".

I just don't think its right to leave a baby over night in a store, with no human contact for months at a time. Not to mention the other birds that come and go,(prob from multiple breeders) I can imagine sooner or later disease WILL be an issue. Though I don't think anyone would notice in thier short 8 hour shifts if a bird was to become sick. Can you imagine the breeders selling at what must be low low prices to supply the pet stores? Mass production, I dought with these kinds of money making concepts, that good veterinary care for the breeding stock is a priority.