handicapped green cheeked conure

[pi77]

i saw this ad for a conure in the charleston sc craiglist today....

"This is a turquoise greencheek conure. He is a DNA bloodtested male and still a juvenile. He was born with an abnormal leg/ankle/foot and he doesn't stand normal. However, he gets around just fine, can perch, etc. and has a great personality. He is in need of a loving home! Adoption fee applies to help cover expenses and to help assure a good home. For pictures or more information, please email. "

i think that was posted by a breeder who supposedly is selling off all her birds do to a medical condition. with so many people who lie on craigslist. who knows for sure. she is about half an hour from where i live.

my question is... what kind of issues would i be looking at. could there be other medical problems going on? i dont want to bring home a bird that has a desease. what kind of scam or con could this lady be playing. hopefully it is not any kind of scam but just a bird that needs a good home.

any feed back would be appreciated.

i will email her and let her know i am interested. i am almost deaf myself and have no problems giving a needy bird a loving home.

i just dont want to bite off more than i can chew or find out there are other issues. the last thing i need is to get attached to an animal and have it die on me. i do NOT handle those situations well at all.

thanks
pi

[Lori~D]

Doesnt sound like a scam or much of a problem at all. I simply inquire about the bird, and ask to come see. The only way I buy anything off CL is to talk to the person ON the phone and go see. I have had birds with deformed feet/ legs and even an amputee. If he is perching there is probably no problems other than making sure he has comfortable perches wide enough to support him and a few flat resting places. If its a breeder he may not be tame at all. I would not give her more than $50 if he is not tame and not more than $75 if he is really tame. But thats just me. If she is a breeder then she knows Green Cheeks healthy go for $150 handfed now as babies. The older they get the lower the price unless they are a proven breeder - He probably cannot breed due to his not being able to mount and grasp the female effectively so you can use that as ammo if she tries to say he is a good breeder/ proven? If in Fact she WAS trying to breed him with a BORN in deformity she is WRONG but maybe not - lots of questions.....but I dont see him being a medical expense or even dying on you. I gave my friends one of my Baby blue parrotlets who had lost her toes due to a cage accident. She is doing so well its very hard to tell she only has one toe on that foot.

[pi77]

much thanks.

valuable info.

[AberrantSpirit]

Wow, I responded to this ad too! I've been tempted to get a friend for Gecko, but I'm not committed to that idea yet.

I don't think this is the same woman who's selling off all the other parrots due to illness. The poster's website says he (I guess Marshall = guy) is a vet tech who breeds parrots: Home I was told this bird is around 9 weeks old, just weaned, and the foot is bent so he puts pressure on the side of it.

Best of luck if you decide to buy him. It's very tempting. :) I hope I'm not breaking rules or anything by sharing what I was told.

[hollyhawkz]

I'm thinking maybe it's not so much of a birth defect as it was an accident in nest.

[perchingbird]

... the Turquoise GCC's go for a lot more than $150 everywhere I was looking in August. O.O More like $300-450.

[Lori~D]

Sorry I was think of Normals.

[pi77]

i got an email back from the guy this am.

he has somebody coming to look at the bird and will get back to me.

i am currently looking at another bird to rehome. i will say more if and when it happens as i dont want to jinx it. i am really psyched so i need to not get too excited should it fall through. what is meant to be is meant to be.

i would prefer to rehome a a bird than buy from a breeder. no offense to the breeders but in my opinion birds are going to join dogs and cats in the shelters soon in abudance.

[parrotsatplay]

This is not a scam, I know this guy and he even writes articles for Bird Talk. His birds are all healthy and he takes excellent care of them - I have several of his babies. :-)

[LovelySydney]

I wonder if perhaps the bird has splayed leg? ALthough I guess he probably would have said that as people who know birds know what that is. Keep us posted, Im curious to see what happens!!