Locate and interview an avian vet before you purchase your Quaker. Avian medicine is specialized. You want to feel comfortable with your choice and you should schedule a well bird check up with your vet that will coincide as closely as possible to the day you bring your Quaker home, so that the at least 72 hour health guarantee you will be asking for from the seller can be honored.There is a state by state vet list on the RAPP & RAPP Support web pages, under VET LISTINGS. If the store or breeder claims to have had a vet check, vaccinations, microchipping, or sexings done for the Quaker you are purchasing, you are entitled to proof which you can then bring with you to your vet in the form of a health certificate..
Visit as many reputable breeders and pet stores, preferably, avian exclusive stores, as you can before selecting your Quaker. How a baby Quaker has been raised will be its foundation for its behavior in the future. Try to visit each place more than once and at different times.Do listen to people that refer a reputable breeder or avain related retail store to you, but go with your gut feeling about whom you would like to purchase your Quaker from. Write down any questions you might have before you make your visits and carry your questions with you. No question is silly. If someone cannot answer your questions adequately, move on. The breeder or avian related pet store which asks you a lot is trying to ensure that the bird is going to the right home and will be cared for and loved. Allow them to ask questions. They may be able to supply you information you did not know or inadvertently answer a question you might have forgotten to ask.
Look for a handfed, but weaned Quaker. Do not let a breeder or store personnel talk you into handfeeding an unweaned bird. Handfeeding is an art, requires proper equipment, time and patience and can be stressful for both baby and handfeeder. It is not something that can be learned in a few lessons. Even those expereinced in handfeeding lose babies to problems arising during handfeeding. Handfeeding does not, contrary to myth, ensure a bond between handfeeder and bird. A reputible breeder or store will not sell an inexperienced person an unweaned baby.
Look for clean conditions and healthy looking birds. Look for bright and inquistive eyes. Look for the bird that comes to you not with agression, but curiosity. Check for any obvious malformities or health problems.The nares, or nostrils, should be dry, not wet looking, and open. Birds have no saliva glands, so the mouth should look dry. Very young bird's tail feathers don't always look great, but the rest of the feathers should look healthy and sleek and there should be no bare spots to indicate plucking activity. The vent area should look clean.
Don't impulse buy. You've waited this long to own a Quaker. A little more waiting won't hurt and will help you make an intelligent and objective decission. If one particular bird tickles your fancy, return to visit him or her numerous times to make sure your initial feelings are the same. If the bird you are interested has not been weaned, ask the breeder or store if you can visit, and how often.
Check to make sure that the bird is close banded. You can read more about leg banding and its importance on the Ferals and Legislation page.
Some Questions You May Want to ask:
How long have you been in business? To a store: where do you get your birds from, and/or, who raised the bird?
What proof of purchase and written health guarentee is offered? How long does the guarentee last and what are the conditions?
Will the seller be available to offer advice and support in the future? Do they suggest particular books, clubs or other support resources?
How old is the bird? If the Quaker is an older bird, you may want to include some additional questions, such as why are you selling it? Where did you aquire it from? Do it have any habits that you know of that need to be addressed? Do you have any knowledge of the bird's previous history?
Has the bird ever been sick or injured?
At what age do you wean, how do you wean, and what diet do you wean your Quakers to?
Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me, the buyer?
All Quaker breeders and pet stores which sell Quakers should be aware of and forthcoming with the information that Quakers are illegal to own in some states and that some states carry restrictions for Quakers. Please, please. please visit the Ferals and Legislation page to obtain a listing of these states and their laws to make sure that the state you reside in, or that you might reside in, in the future, welcomes Quakers.
|
