Problems With Overbreeding Parrots

The overbreeding of parrots to meet both buyer and seller demands has resulted in a production ethic call poultrification. The techniques used in such commercial production of parrots do not promote the physical and mental health of the parrot or parrot chick. In fact, many techniques used in the breeding and rearing of parrots adversely effect the health of the breeding parents and pet potential of each parrot.

  1. Health Risks

    • As of 2009, there are over 60 million parrots in homes and rescue centers across the United States.

      There is a decline in the number of actual healthy chicks that come from parrot breeders. Most birds are fed by a mechanical (not hand) process called gavaging, which feeds each of the chicks with a metal tube, and slower maturing chicks are not given extra time to develop, resulting in chicks with little or no eating response. Many of these parrot chicks are stunted in size.

    Parrot's Mental Health

    • Parrots in the wild carefully select their mate and rear chicks in dark, quiet enclosures. (See References 1)

      Overbreeding parrots has also led to behavior problems in adult breeding birds as well as chicks before they leave the hatchery. Many parrot hens are forced to breed with incompatible males to produce up to ten times more clutches of eggs per year than natural. Overbreeding creates mental stress that results in self mutilation, depression, and aggressive behavior.

    Housing Problems

    • As of 2009, over 2 million parrots are sold in the United States each year.

      Large scale parrot breeders typically house breeding pairs in cages that do not meet the minimum requirements for optimal health. They are generally not large enough for birds to stretch their wings, which results in wing muscles deteriorating from lack of use. The lack of toys and daily interaction with flock behavior results in boredom and self mutilating behavior.

    Mortality

    • Many breeders do not provide birds daily baths to keep feathers neat and clean.

      Overbreeding parrot hens depletes the physical breeding capabilities of the hen and results in malnutrition. Hens that breed more than what their diet accounts for lose so many minerals and vitamins that female parrots suffer from broken bones. The reproductive glands of overbred females also become over-exhausted. Hens that are bred too many times a year can die because their bodies cannot replenish the nutrients lost through producing young.