Black Capped Conure

[BirdNewbie]

Hey everyone! I'm going to buy a Black Capped Conure at Petco and I wanted to know...How can I tell if he/she is in good health? I don't want he/she to die in like a month.

[loyallyroyal]

I really couldnt suggest buying from Petco, especially for your first bird.
I would look into a good breeder who has lots of time to socialize their babies, and that are syringe or spoon fed, not gavage fed.
Pamperedpeeps Aviary-* Eclectus, Solomon Island Eclectus
Plus Petco/Petsmart are often WAY overpriced.

To make sure its in good health you take it to an avian vet and have it tested.

[BirdNewbie]

They have a "Bird Specialist" so I hope its in good care. How do I get him tested before buying it?

[kali]

their 'bird specialist' is probly someone that's read a few books and has a badge.

[guest1717171]

yeah there are no true 'specialists' at a pet-co
at the petco back where i lived in texas there was a small animal specialist that always sold people cedar or pine bedding for their rats and hamsters and also recommended that they be fed the premixed food they sold there

im sure some employees know quite a bit about what theyre talking about but thats not because they are a specialist...

i have to second the recommendation to go through a breeder
youll probably pay less and will definitely end up with a better socialized bird

you can not, however, be sure that you bird will not die in a month.
you can take it to the vet and have all sorts of tests run to see if it is in good condition, but you can not be sure about the lifespan of any bird

[Bellco]

for the store by me the specialist is just the person who manages and orders the stuff for that area. They only know the basics if even cause our local petco specialist thinks foot toys are a waste.

[guest1717171]

Originally Posted by Bellco

for the store by me the specialist is just the person who manages and orders the stuff for that area. They only know the basics if even cause our local petco specialist thinks foot toys are a waste.

is that because they dont sell them at the store?
LOL

[Monica]

I'm not entirely sure about Petco but with Petsmart, if you are hired you learn to take care of ALL of the animals the way the store wants *YOU* to take care of them. If the store is doing something wrong, you could make a suggestion but it doesn't mean that it can be changed because they have policies of their own they must follow. It's because of this training that there is no "true" specialists unless you really know your stuff!

Petstores should have a health guarantee, usually 7-14 days. You'd have to ask them. However, it would be cheaper going through a breeder, and if you find a reputable one, they too will have health guarantees. In order for them to take best effect, you need to take the bird in for a full workup, which includes fecal and a blood panel to ensure their health.
BirdBreeders.com - Bird Breeders Directory of Availability and Parrot Breeders

Also, be sure to find an avian vet near you!
http://www.birdboard.com/forum/get-h...-vet-here.html

[Syaoransbear]

Chain pet stores are useless. You aren't taught anything about animals, everything those employees know is knowledge they learned outside of the store or things they heard on the job. You aren't trained to know everything about every animal, and it's silly when customers get mad because you aren't sure why their dog has been puking for 2 weeks and you don't have anything to make it stop.

I don't think anyone understands that it's not a pet store, it's a retail store that sells pets. Employees last under 3 months there and they all quickly learn that customers get angry if you say you don't know, and it's easier just to guess. They are normal people making minimum wage but are expected to know everything, and deal with the fact that they can be making $2 more an hour to flip burgers at mcdonalds! They work there because they like pets, and it's likely that they may only like a certain type of pet and know absolutely nothing about others. Their bird specialist probably knows the most about birds out of the employees, but I remember owning birds for years and barely knowing a thing about them until about 2 years ago. What's basic knowledge to us is probably the only thing about 90% of bird owners know. Some people just aren't obsessed with birds enough to learn more than they need to know.

The bird probably is in good health and there should be a 14 day guarantee. I can understand not wanting to get a bird from a breeder; I don't fall in love with breeds of birds, I fall in love with THAT bird at THAT store. Make sure it has bright, clear eyes and isn't puffed up or sleeping a lot. Check the poops in the cage to make sure they aren't runny. Depending on the store, birds usually don't die. I think in the entire year I worked at petsmart, there was only 3 dead bird returns. One was a budgie and we weren't sure how it died, and the other two were finches that the customer put in with an aggressive, larger bird that killed them.

If the bird is expensive and it dies in like 30 days when the guarantee is for 14, a lot of times they'll let you return it anyway.

[alwaysontimneh]

I actually do not think that it is silly for someone to expect a person who works in a store no matter what store it is to know about what they are selling. I work retail on the side and I know a lot about what I sell I wouldn't be selling it if I didn't. I am one of those people that will ask a million questions and expect you to help me and guess what I WILL get angry if you do not. If I do not know an answer to a clients question I am sure to find the answer or get someone who knows the answer. I understand that no one can know everything but that doesn't mean that they can be rude or guess.