How can you tell a good parrot breeder from a bad one? This is the question that every potential parrot owner should ask themselves when researching which particular species of parrot will suit them best as well as the best place to get the parrot from.

Obviously one of your early decisions will be whether to use a parrot breeder or not, the alternative choices being the local or not so local pet store, an animal rescue center or a private advertisement. If you weigh up the advantages and the disadvantages of each option above you should come to the conclusion that a parrot breeder is indeed a better option when it comes to selecting your feathered friend. The main advantages that a reputable breeder has over the others is the experience of hand rearing the parrots on a daily basis, having close personal interaction with the birds and therefore being able to know the parrots a lot better for it. A pet store or rescue center will not have the same experience as a breeder and the people who work there will certainly not be as close to the birds as a breeder, to the extent that you may come across a relatively ill-informed employee when you come to ask questions about the parrots upbringing.

I am certainly not generalizing that all pet stores and rescue centers are inferior to parrot breeders but it is an inescapable conclusion that you as a potential owner of a parrot would be better equipped to care for your bird straight away if you had as much knowledge about them as possible, which more often than not would be possible from a parrot breeder.

However the important decision for you once you have chosen to go down the parrot breeder route is whether the parrot breeder you have chosen is actually any good and able to give you a happy, healthy and well adjusted young parrot. So what exactly make a good parrot breeder, someone who is able to provide you with the parrot you are hoping for. It is a good idea to arrange a visit to your selected parrot breeder and look to see that the nest boxes are clean, the breeding birds are housed in spacious birdcages with plenty of toys. Obviously each breeder will have a slightly different routine but you should ask how often the babies are fed and how they are fed. Well cared for babies should be fed up to 4 times daily either with a pipette or a spoon, the human interaction helping them become familiar with human contact.

Also a reputable breeder should offer a contract to be signed when you purchase a bird from them and they should also offer a certified proof of your birds' particulars. This does not include the sex of you bird and this would normally have to be requested by you and there would be an additional charge involved, somewhere around $30 should be expected.

More recently there have been many parrot breeders advertising online, with their websites often giving you the information that I have mentioned above. If you choose to go down this route, read the website thoroughly, ask to speak to previous customers, especially if the breeding website has any testimonials on it and check how the breeder intends to ship your parrot to you. A reputable breeder will insist on the shortest and most comfortable travel time for the baby parrot regardless of cost, so you should be　encouraged if they insist on either collection by yourself or alternatively the baby parrot being flown to you.

When you put all of these questions together and are satisfied with the answers you will have found a parrot breeder that you know will provide you with a healthy and well behaved baby parrot. It shouldn't be too much to expect that the breeder would make themselves available to answer any questions that you may have over the following weeks after you purchase as an added piece of mind measure.