-=> Quoting Patti Jones to Pete Hopping <=-
 PJ> Pete,
 PJ> Don't go to the bird shows for a bird, go to a private breeder for
 PJ> your  bird.  But going to a bird show WILL put you in touch with
 PJ> breeders, and also 
 PJ> numerous supplies and contacts with others that raise and care for
 PJ> birds.   Things you should ask, is the bird vet checked, and if so who
 PJ> was the vet  .  Actually contact the vet and talk
 PJ> with them about the  bird, to know this is for real.  What IF the bird
 PJ> should die within what  period of time might I expect a refund or
 PJ> replacement.  Bird shows are FILLED 
 PJ> with diseases, I wouldn't go for getting a bird if my life depended on
 PJ> it.
I'm becoming aware of how communicable some of these bird diseases
can be. I do figure on buying from a reputable breeder if I do decided
to buy a parrot. My ex-wife and I used to breed and show purebred
Siberian Huskies, and of course there were equipment dealers at the dog
shows with books and crates and stuff like that for sale, and I sorta
figured bird shows would have dealers also. According to the calander
in the copy of Bird Talk I bought, there are not any shows close enough
to me to make a trip worthwile, but I will keep an eye out.
I figured that I would not finalize a sale on any parrot without having
it checked by a bird vet first. A reputable breeder shouldn't object
to that. When we had a litter of puppies available, our vet would look
at them, and if someone wanted a puppy, we would allow them to have
their vet look at it before finalizing the deal. We had nothing to hide,
and the dogs always were in fine shape...and when we bought a puppy, we
had it check and only bought from breeders that we knew had good show
stock from dogs we knew were good show dogs. 
I don't plan to breed...too much work involved. :)
... I'm too sexy for my modem, too sexy for my modem (boom boom boom boom)
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