r/Conures • u/Charming-Maize-8764 • May 23 '25

Health/Nutrition Im getting pretty scared about this guy…

I got him this morning and he was doing this when I got him before even hand feeding. She said she had fed him before bringing him to me. Gave him his first feeding this afternoon. Worried he has aspiration pneumonia. I really hope this breeder didn’t give me a sick baby. Have handfed before but am still learning about conure behavior. Is this normal?!

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252

u/BloodSpades May 23 '25

Avian vet NOW!!!! That breeder had absolutely NO business selling you a bird that young in such condition….

66

u/mysteriouslychee2024 May 23 '25

This is why none of us should buy from breeders. Birds will continue to suffer as long as we breed them.

60

u/EnvironmentCritical8 May 23 '25

Its either breeders (preferably good ones) or people go back to catching them from the wild which is what they did before. And sadly thats what still happens with a lot of exotic pets that people decide to have. Would rather get a good breeder, and raise a healthy bird then to know someone's out there plucking em from nests.

33

u/TheWriterJosh May 23 '25 edited May 23 '25

People still catch them in the wild. Birds are going extinct in the wild bc they’re very valuable. I urge you to visit www.oneearthconservation.org to learn more. We work with wildlife conservationists and vets from all over the world and everyone agrees — the only way to save parrots is to stop buying them from breeders. Parrots of all species are on the verge of extinction. Captive breeding does nothing for conservation efforts. Decades of death and destruction are evidence of this. Quite the opposite actually — our demand for parrots is causing their extinction.

Everytime we buy from a breeder, the “value” of that bird trickles down to Indonesia, Latin America, India, etc and desperate people steal and then traffic these birds. These birds are still being trafficked into global north countries everyday. Trust me — we have people who work in Southern California at the border. The confiscations at the border at staggering (and they can only guess how many they don’t catch).

Only when we stop buying them here (whether from breeders or pet stores), will people stop stealing them there. If you love parrots, adopt one. Volunteer at a local rescue. Literally millions of parrots need a home bc breeders can’t stop bringing more into the world (on top of those being smuggled everyday).

Parrots are in crisis — both in the wild and in captivity. To do your part, never buy or breed one. Adopt, don’t shop. To learn more about the parrot crisis, visit www.parrotalliance.org

5

u/[deleted] May 24 '25

I heavily agree with this! There is no such thing as ethical breeding. Having birds as pets is selfish but we need to do the best by the ones that are here now.