Re: Caged birds

Yes - for every bird sold, unfortunately there will be another to replace it waiting to be sold and so the misery continues.
Unlike you Mart I do think things are likely to change. People are gradually becoming more educated and concerned about these sort of things and I believe people will eventually turn away from it in the same way as circuses and performing captive animals became unacceptable. Zoos are also becoming fewer with greater emphasis on the conservation of endangered species and all this is good.

Your last sentence makes no real sense to me - the trade needs to stop - this means cutting off the profit in it for the traders by not buying and making it unacceptable - preferably illegal.

Re: Caged birds

If breeding is made illegal, the supply stops and the birds will indeed become unavailable. However, it could take years for the breeding of birds to become illegal (if at all) and until that happens, there will always be birds in cages that could well be better off being cared for in people's homes.

Not buying all the time they are being bred doesn't solve the situation, nor does it do the birds any favours that I can see. We just end up with birds in small cages that people won't buy because of those encouraging them not to do so. What lengthy misery and ultimate fate might those birds suffer then?

Re: Caged birds

If breeding stopped I can only see more taken from the wild, you'll never stop people wanting them and if you have the money someone will provide it, we already see that with reptiles and monkeys etc

Re: Caged birds

This is Charlie. He liked a bath. I'd spoon up water from the bowl and tip it slowly over his head. He loved that.



The Cockatiel we had used to like a proper shower in the bathroom.

Re: Caged birds

Gorgeous little chap Mart, I love budgies.
I believe he would have been called a 'Pied' with that colouring?

Re: Caged birds

I'm not sure about the colouring Mups. His nose went a bit more blue but maybe that's because the water wasn't warm enough.

Re: Caged birds

The very young birds are flesh coloured around their nostrils, then as the weeks go on, they start either turning blue for the boys or brown for the girls.
Young budgies also have no white ring round eye pupil, that comes as they mature as well - as do the black cheek spots.
So it is really easy to tell a young bird from an older one if someone tries to sell you an old bird and tells you it is only a youngster.

Re: Caged birds

Yes, he was young at the time we got him and knew his nose would go more blue.

We bought him from a caged bird show. He was in a small cage along with another budgie. He'd probably have been returned to the aviary until the next show if he hadn't sold but who knows?

Anyway, we gave him a home for a while and let him have as much freedom as we could. Fed him all the things budgies like, bathed him and played with him.

..But well, I realised we were leaving him on his own too much (with the cage door open) and it was with some sorrow that we gave him to a young lady who had a few other budgies to keep him company as they flew around her room. That was years ago and he lived pretty much full-term for a budgie.

Re: Caged birds

The whole business of having pets is an emotive issue. I agree that keeping animals in captivity goes against nature, but most humans need animals in their lives. I have had many pets over the years, dogs, cats, etc. and have always done my best for them. I do feel guilty about buying animals and keeping them in an unnatural environment, but at the same time they do fill a need in my life. Very selfish of me.
I think the practise of selling any pets in shops should be banned. It should only be possible to buy things from breeders or rescue centres.

Re: Caged birds

Really, well I certainly don't see it that way. The human animal has dominance over the rest who are there for human use, like food, clothing, medical experiments etc. One of course shouldn't be unnecessarily cruel to any animal, they should be dispatched in as humane a way as possible.