Becoming a Bird Collector

It seems that parrotlets are the only "potato chip birds" as defined by Sandee Molena. ("Parrotlets are like potato chips, you can't have just one.") Personally, I think that saying applies to all birds.

Over the years, I've bred parakeets, parrotlets, finches (several varieties), and now lovebirds. My little feathered friends are all near and dear to me, and it is hard to decide on just one species to breed.

I started off with parakeets for those were my first birds. Then, when my husband demanded quieter birds, I moved into finches. Once he had a day job, I had parrotlets, and recently, I've gotten into lovebirds for their colors. If I had to pick my favorite species, I'd be hard pressed to choose just one. To me, all birds are wonderful creatures, with each species having its own high and low points.

So, what happens when you make the decision from breeding one species to becoming a "bird collector." There are a lot of pitfalls to making this choice, and it's one that is filled with lots of discipline. Hopefully, my pointers can help you to breed the best birds possible, no matter what their species.

The most important part of being a bird collector is not to exceed your limitations.

This idea is easy to say, hard to do. Not exceeding your limitations means not exceeding your space, your budget, and your time. It's easy to buy birds; almost too easy for those of us addicted to the hobby. It's harder to take care of them properly.

Each bird, or pair of birds, needs to be housed in appropriate-sized cages. Overcrowded flights and too small cages only serve to stress your birds. As mentioned in a recent Bird Talk article, they may breed, but will they be happy and healthy doing it?

Do you have enough money to care for your existing birds? Vet bills never come cheaply and if you have a bird that requires long term care, such as my baby parrotlet whose parents attacked its band, you can easily have vet bills that run into the hundreds of dollars. Is it hurting your budget to buy bird food? If so, you might want to cut back on the amount of birds you keep.

Finally, do you have enough time? Can you give your pets enough "out" time so that they do not develop bad habits? Do you have enough time to monitor each bird so that signs of illness can be noted and action taken? Do you have enough time for simple chores like cleaning cages and feeding? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you might want to cut back.

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