petland

[Takoda]

you have both made excellent points :) It's the kind of debate I like to see - no slandering, nothing but intelligent, well thought-out responses.

As a breeder myself, I've got to agree that no reputable bird breeder (I don't want to compare to dogs) would sell to a pet store. I've only had one clutch of birds that did not had every single bird reserved by the time they were three weeks old. And I prefer it that way - no impulse buys! They get weeks and weeks of asking for advice and getting ready, so they have a good idea of what they are getting themselves into.

[Roo]

The reason that large chain stores can sell so many birds is that for many people its the ONLY place they even see many species at all. If you were to ask the average person on the street to recommend a good macaw breeder, they'd more than likely respond "What's a macaw?"

Good point. I think the internet has of course helped greatly with this, but I agree that most folks don't have any idea that there *are* bird breeders. Just like lots of folks still think that you go to the "pound" for a mutt and to the mall for a purebred. :eusa_wall