-=> Quoting Sue Hathaway to Pete Hopping <=-
.
 SH> Yeah, they do cost beaucoup bucks!  Be careful though
 SH> if you see a tempting ad in the paper. Some people have been
 SH> known to try to get rid of an ill (and possibly incurable)
 SH> bird for a low price. Ask around in your area for an avian
 SH> vet. 
 
Yeah, I considered that possibility when I started looking at the ads. 
I definately will not buy a bird from anyone who will not allow me to
have the bird examined by a qualified vet before the sale is finalized.
 
 SH> Bird clubs are good too; but be careful
 SH> of the "backbiters"... found that in the parrot club in 
 SH> this area, there is a lot of bad-mouthing behind backs
 SH> going on, so it's hard to figure out which are poor 
 SH> breeders and which ones are just the victims of jealousy
 SH> or personality conflicts!
My ex-wife and I used to show purebred Siberian Huskies, and we 
did some small-scale breeding to improve our bloodlines. We belonged
to a specialty club. There was some of that, but we could figure out
after a while which was legit criticism and which was the other kind.
We got our first Husky "cold," knowing nothing about the breed and their
various levels of crazyness and behaviors. In the spring they "blow"
their coats. The underlying insulating soft fur just sheds in clumps,
and we didn't know that and treated the poor dog for mange, quite
unnecessarily. 
They are sweet dogs and can "talk" a little. Our first
dog had sounds for "water" "go wet" and "food," as well as a small
howling sound to greet people she knew when they drove into the driveway.
She also had a hysterical call that she used when our daughter wandered
out of the yard when she was a toddler. (Kinda parrot-like behavior, huh?)
The experience with the dogs is why I am determined to learn first, then
buy a parrot. No sense in making mistakes out of ignorance...
... Don't question authority; it doesn't know either.  
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