PH> Yes, but there are pet stores that don't care where their birds
 PH> come from, and breeders who don't care about good solid breeding
 PH> stock, and there are potential buyers who are completely clueless
 PH> about the whole thing.
"Pet stores" are not in the business of selling breeding stock. Their 
focus is on the pet trade market...good companion birds.
 PH> I certainly wouldn't buy a bird from a breeder who wouldn't let me
 PH> inspect his/her breeding operation. An ethical breeder should welcome
 PH> the chance to show off a good, clean aviary with strong breeding stock.
 PH> If I owned a pet store, I'd want to know about my suppliers.
I allow very few people to come to my avairy. It has to be someone that I 
have 
known for a long time and someone that I know for a fact to have a clean 
avairy. NO ONE is ever allow here during breeding season.People buy from me 
because they know that the birds that I sell them are clean and healthy.
The proof is in the pudding. 
 PH> owners. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a bird from them as they do allow
 PH> you to have the bird checked by an avian vet before the sale is
 PH> final. If a pet store will do that, then I think it can be trusted
 PH> some. From what I have heard about bird shows, I don't think I would
 PH> be foolish enough to buy a bird there.
Any reputable pet shop will encourage you to take the bird that you purchased
straight away to a vet for the check up...BEFORE it enters your environment.
There are a lot of people that buy birds that want to blame breeder and pet 
shop if anything happens.
There was a man that came in and bought a Grey where I worked. He wanted it..
his family did not. But, it was weaned and sent home with him. Several weeks 
later the bird suddenly died. The family was all over the pet shop about the 
dead bird. After a neocropsy it was discovered that the mother-in-law had 
burnt a teflon skillet and it killed the bird.
... 
--- PPoint 1.92
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*             Birdsoft Poster Record for Area: PARROTS              *
*         Messages received by BirdSoft Online (1:135/907)          *
*               Sat, Jun  1, 1996 - Tue, Jun  4, 1996               *
*********************************************************************
     Posts                Name           Average Size      Address
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  15                       KATHY JOHNSON      1245       1:2410/400
   7                        Pete Hopping      2230       1:261/1165.0
   3                      Barbara Howell      1877       1:270/631
   3                            Sue Turo      1877       1:129/112.0
   2                        Sue Hathaway      1792       1:100/205.0
   2                        Fran Warwick       640       1:382/92.5
   1                    George DeStaffan      1024       1:2608/20
   1                   Dennis Lafontaine       768       1:114/299.0
   1                        Jerry Rudoff      1280       1:135/5.0
   1                     Joseph W. Mack       1536       1:3648/101.9
   1                          Paul Casey       512       1:343/117
     Total = 37   by 11 authors.
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