Some of the reasons why unweaned babies should not be bought or sold
include:

1) Bacterial and fungal infections that can result from poorly understood or poorly applied principles of hygiene. Most buyers don't know.
2) The failure to recognize subtle or obvious signs or symptoms of illness or distress. Most buyers don't know.
3) Weaning is a stressful time and the experiences during that time will stay with a bird his whole life. Most buyers don't know.
4) A baby bird will eat scalding hot formula. Most buyers don't know.
5) A weaning baby can starve to death with food sitting in front of him. Most buyers don't know.
6) Water drinking is a learned behavior. Most buyers don't know.
7) The expiration date on each container of handrearing formula should be checked before purchase. Most buyers don't know.
8) Pressure on the beak of a handfeeding baby will deform the beak.  Most buyers don't know.
9) The internal organs of a baby can be bruised by picking him up incorrectly. Most buyers don't know.
10) Feeding utensils must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.  Most buyers don't know.

The cautions I list have been from years of hard-learned, painfully-learned lessons by those who bought unweaned babies.

Baby birds can be force weaned - they are simply refused handrearing formula. They learn to eat on their own or they die. Inexperienced buyers who fail to understand how to bring a baby bird to food
independence can permanently affect a bird's life - forever.

Baby birds who are force weaned are birds who very soon begin the long sad journey from home to home - each new home decreases the pet potential of this most special of all companion animals.

A baby who is weaned inappropriately or improperly will learn the wrong lessons. A bird is severely impacted regarding issues of trust, love, security and bonding when he is forced to learn to eat before he is ready if he wants to live.

It isn't the controversy associated with weaned vs. unweaned that makes this such an emotionally charged issue. What is at stake is someone's baby bird.

As a breeder, I know what CAN happen. I know about babies who are underfed and stunted; babies who wean when they are 8 months old; babies who suffer from crop burn, bacterial and fungal infections, chronic begging, food trauma, etc. The list goes on.

There is a window of age, opportunity and development when food-independence truly begins. The experienced breeder or handfeeder knows this - most buyers do not.  Additionally the buyer is taking a serious risk because there is no guarantee on an unweaned baby. There CAN'T be because who can tell when a baby suffered a particular trauma; who can know the state of hygiene the buyer offers; a baby can't be vaccinated until a certain age; the PBFD screen can't be done on babies younger than 5/6 weeks. How can a buyer tell if an unweaned baby bird is healthy?  The financial and emotional stakes are enormous for the buyer.

Weaning and socializing are best left to those who have the experience in both of these areas. Both affect a bird's relationship with humans for his whole life.

It is a myth - an urban legend - to claim that a bird bonds only or most to those who feed him. What about the second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth hand birds out there? Who do they love? Do they only love the ones who fed them? Not likely.

If an experienced caring breeder does it, it usually gets done right. If an experienced caring breeder does it, the baby bird will stay in the home the breeder has carefully selected. A well behaved responsive trusting tame bird will be a well loved, intimate and permanent member of the family. That's what I want for your babies and for all the babies.

 © 1998 by Bobbi Brinker
Permission to use this text, or the banner, is given to any site that wishes to assist in the endeavor to stop purchases of unweaned babies.