Choosing a bird breeder can be difficult if you are not familiar with some important questions you will want to ask a breeder before deciding. Here is some of the information you will want to know.

Avian breeders are sometimes an individual or a family with a pair of birds. Usually though, most breeders care for many pairs of varied species. Naturally, you could have in your area, a breeder with thousands of different species of bird, with many employees and an Avian Veterinarian on payroll as well.

Without breeders, there would not be enough birds to legally supply the demand. Most bird breeders care and love their birds and do their best to provide the best nutrients, food, clean cages, or nest boxes they can, to have healthy happy birds to sell.

Many spend hours educating themselves in new procedures and belong to the different bird clubs or associations to help keep informed.

Choosing a bird breeder requires research. Buying a bird can be a costly investment. It is best if you can buy from a local breeder and physically see for yourself the environment, but this may not always workout. There isn’t a guarantee that you won’t meet up with some unscrupulous seller. Choosing a bird breeder must be handled as any other major purchase with questions prepared in advance.

Ask the breeder for references of buyers, the formal name of their business and how long they have been a breeder of birds. Have they always been in the same location? Ask for the number of birds and varieties. How many do they sell?

Are the aviaries inside or outdoors? Is there daily upkeep? What methods of socializing, and weaning do they use? Is the bird handfed? What vet do they use? Get the paperwork signed by the vet stating the shots, if any, and the condition of the bird you wish to buy. If this sounds like a lot of detail, it is best to buy a happy, healthy and content bird. You do not want to be stuck with an ill or handicapped bird that would be costly to keep.

Check out the references and call pet stores to be sure the breeder is legitimate. If everything seems to check out, do the same thing with a second breeder if you can. Just a suggestion here, but that way you can also compare, and get the best price.

Choosing a bird breeder can be time consuming but very much worth it. Having a wonderful healthy bird to love for many years to come is priceless.