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The idea for this thread has been sparked by the ever growing number of threads by people who have bought new tiels. 
With so many options it can be overwhelming when looking for a good source to purchase your cockatiel! Here are some tips that i hope will help.
Pet Shop, Breeder or Rescue
I have cockatiels from all three of the above options, so i hope i can shed some light on where to go for a cockatiel! I will begin with looking at pet shops vs breeders. So many sources will say always go with a breeder, never go with a pet shop. This is easy to say, but in my opinion it shouldn't be taken as 100% set in stone. It is much more important to judge each pet shop or breeder individually.
Many large chain pet stores are undesirable sources of birds. They stock their birds from bird mills which are essentially breeding farms which are solely run to mass produce birds and make a profit. Good breeding and health are low priority. They often put their prices up because the birds are a certain mutation or they are "hand reared". Babies reared at bird mills aren't necessarily tame. It is not the feeding that makes the birds friendly, but the socialising and in a mass producing business they just don't get the time to socialise with the people who rear them.
I have found that smaller, family run pet shops are much better choices. Many source their birds from local breeders or even breed their own birds. They often have a smaller supply of healthier and friendlier birds. I have bought several birds from local family run pet shops with very few problems.
Breeders are often better sources, but while there are lots of responsible ones there are plenty of bad ones too. You should be able to visit a breeder before purchasing a bird so that you can look around and judge for yourself if you're happy with the standard of care their birds are receiving. Obviously if they have dirty cages and sick birds, you are unlikely to be buying a healthy bird.
For me, the BIGGEST warning sign of an irresponsible breeder is if they are willing to sell unweaned babies. A responsible breeder would NEVER do this, ever. Under no circumstance whatsoever. When people breed birds they are taking responsibility to care for the babies until they are ready to go to a new home. Selling them before they're eating independently in not waiting until they're ready. Any breeders i've visited have told me straight up that they DO NOT sell their babies before they're weaned. In many states in Australia (and i'm sure many other countries) it's actually illegal for breeders to sell babies unweaned. It is a MYTH that to bond with a new owner the baby needs to be handreared by them for a length of time.
***will add info on rescues/rehomes asap***
What To Look For
- bright eyed, healthy looking birds
- clean, smooth feathers
- active birds
- knowledgeable staff/breeder
- good diet provided
- clean caging
What To Avoid
- breeders selling unweaned babies
- fluffed up, quiet birds
- dirty caging
- seed only diet provided
- cramped cages
I hope this has been helpful to people. If anyone wants to make a suggestion to anything else that should be added just let me know. I'm happy to add to this over time!
With so many options it can be overwhelming when looking for a good source to purchase your cockatiel! Here are some tips that i hope will help. Pet Shop, Breeder or Rescue
I have cockatiels from all three of the above options, so i hope i can shed some light on where to go for a cockatiel!
I will begin with looking at pet shops vs breeders. So many sources will say always go with a breeder, never go with a pet shop. This is easy to say, but in my opinion it shouldn't be taken as 100% set in stone. It is much more important to judge each pet shop or breeder individually. Many large chain pet stores are undesirable sources of birds. They stock their birds from bird mills which are essentially breeding farms which are solely run to mass produce birds and make a profit. Good breeding and health are low priority. They often put their prices up because the birds are a certain mutation or they are "hand reared". Babies reared at bird mills aren't necessarily tame. It is not the feeding that makes the birds friendly, but the socialising and in a mass producing business they just don't get the time to socialise with the people who rear them.
I have found that smaller, family run pet shops are much better choices. Many source their birds from local breeders or even breed their own birds. They often have a smaller supply of healthier and friendlier birds. I have bought several birds from local family run pet shops with very few problems.
Breeders are often better sources, but while there are lots of responsible ones there are plenty of bad ones too. You should be able to visit a breeder before purchasing a bird so that you can look around and judge for yourself if you're happy with the standard of care their birds are receiving. Obviously if they have dirty cages and sick birds, you are unlikely to be buying a healthy bird.
For me, the BIGGEST warning sign of an irresponsible breeder is if they are willing to sell unweaned babies. A responsible breeder would NEVER do this, ever. Under no circumstance whatsoever. When people breed birds they are taking responsibility to care for the babies until they are ready to go to a new home. Selling them before they're eating independently in not waiting until they're ready. Any breeders i've visited have told me straight up that they DO NOT sell their babies before they're weaned. In many states in Australia (and i'm sure many other countries) it's actually illegal for breeders to sell babies unweaned. It is a MYTH that to bond with a new owner the baby needs to be handreared by them for a length of time.
***will add info on rescues/rehomes asap***
What To Look For
- bright eyed, healthy looking birds
- clean, smooth feathers
- active birds
- knowledgeable staff/breeder
- good diet provided
- clean caging
What To Avoid
- breeders selling unweaned babies
- fluffed up, quiet birds
- dirty caging
- seed only diet provided
- cramped cages
I hope this has been helpful to people.
If anyone wants to make a suggestion to anything else that should be added just let me know. I'm happy to add to this over time!
