I went into Cardiff today to do some shopping and popped into the market as there are a few pet stalls to stock up on supplies.

While there I couldn't help but look at all the gorgeous birds, but ended up walking away in tears together with my daughter!

They have 4 cages approx 30cm x 20cm x 30cm, with 8 budgies in each!!

I have just got home and can't get them out of my mind. I keep seeing them all squashed up together, with no room to move.

Are there strict specifications for shops that sell budgies? i.e: cage sizes etc.

I am going to phone the rspca tomorrow morning as surely this shouldn't be allowed.

If I could I would have bought them all home with me, but alas I haven't the room for another.

I just feel so angry that this is being done to animals.

Definitely turn them in.

 

As bad as it sounds (and as hard as this is) it's best NOT to buy birds from situations like this. The last thing you want to do is give these people money for treating birds badly and support this cruelty. I've made "pity" purchases in the past but I learned a great lesson.

 

The very best thing you can do is what you already mentioned: turn them in and hope that they get dealt with appropriately.

I agree too. Put in a complain.

Same here... I visited "Pet Smart" that just opened up here. UG!!! I give them credit for not clipping the birds wings, they all seemed fully flighted, but they were in a cage smaller than what I have for Sunshine and there were 15 birds at least in each one.... rediculous.

 

Then today, we visited "PetLand" and their's was even worse. The small animals are in plexiglass bins with open tops (which means ANYONE can reach in a pet or annoy the animals). The birds were all severely clipped (so they couldn't flap out of the open topped containers) and there were several obviously sick birds in with the budgies... and two cockateils out of 4 or 5 in their bin were bald on top of their heads. They also had a bin with 3 green parrots, while they seemed okay, they were labeled hand fed, but 2 of them were terrified if you reached in the bin. The other one, didn't flinch or even seem to notice. They were in a bin right next to guienna pigs... on one side and a hedgehog on the other... I'm sure they were somewhat unnerved by the critters next to them.

 

I am thinking of reporting them both for not properly caring for their birds.

 

I was ALSO at PetCo today, which is where I bought Sunshine from and where I get my pet supplies. They have a much larger, nicer display for their budgies, it is enclosed in glass and goes up almost to the ceiling with toys hanging down and always seems very clean. The lady there that is in charge of the birds really loves them... they also have a separate room for other birds and have several conures that they raise from babies. There is a Janay Conure named DeDe I'd LOVE to have... if I could have that large of a bird here... she is such a sweetie. I walked in and she flew over to the front of her cage and squaked at me.... and stuck her head against the bars for a scratch... poor thing is in serious mid moult and has a ton of pin feathers, she leaned forward so I would scratch her neck till her head was upside down and her eyes closed in ecstasy.... I think she would have let me do it all day!

 

Risha

im really suprised that markets still sell birds up here in the north i dont think i have seen a pet bird of any description for sale on a market stall for years

Here in Australia budgies are commonly sold at markets and yes they are often in cramped cages. I am troubled by some of the sights, I think it's up to Markets administrators to police this but alas the plight of the budgie is not a priority. I'm sick of being told "they're just budgies". Not all breeders who sell their stock at markets, keep their birds in unacceptable environments I have seen a few with wonderful setups and fully care about the safety and well being of their birds. It pays to support the people who are in it for the right reasons and not just there to make a quick buck. I also get disappointed with the double standards of the pet trade, in all areas, on one hand they expect new pet owners to be responsible and on the other they act irresponsible themselves with the way they house the animals. But I'm sure, being an optimous, the bad ones are in the minority.

This topic seems the perfect place to bring up the fact that my favourite pet shop currently has no birds at all because they are moving their birds to the bottom level where they are getting aviaries built! :yellowhead: I'm very pleased about this!

I hate mistreatment of animals. We decide we want to domesticate them, the animals are totally dependent on us, we should not betray that trust.

 

Once a year I sell my excess birds at our local markets and I rather keep birds at home than cruelly subject them to cramping even if it is "only" for 6 hours. I even question buyers as to their experience with budgies & what housing they will have and explain (my mother terms it giving a sermon) in feeding requirements to new owners before I sell them a bird. I even flat out refused to sell or give my own sister a bird as her family is too irresponsible for avian pets!!!

 

One bird seller at our local markets (Fernvale Qld) has cages approx 50cmW 30D & 30H and puts anywhere up to 30 budgies in there. Most of them have to sit on the wire. He also over accommodates other bird varieties such as 8 Bourke's parrots in a Budgie show cage, 30 finches in a Budgie show cage etc. They are purely in it for the money I am sure. :yellowhead:

I'm not game to say anything as I value my head. :mellow:

no joke but that does sound that far out legally. as long as the bird can spread its wings and turn around its legal. could that cage just be their day cage?

ATD

legal or not still report it. even if it is their day cage, anyone that can squash budgies up like that to sell them and not even bat an eyelid over it is capable of much much worse.

legal or not still report it. even if it is their day cage, anyone that can squash budgies up like that to sell them and not even bat an eyelid over it is capable of much much worse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

thats the point if its legal requirements there is no point in reporting it, they wont look into it.

i would do the right thing and report it anyway. if the rspca get enough complaints they will look into it.

 

why dismiss it if it *might* not be against the law? for all you know the person selling the birds could have been in trouble from the rspca before and under a ban from keeping animals full stop. you just dont know unless you report it. as hath said, selling birds on a market stall is really NOT the norm. i smell a rat.

 

if you report it and it gets looked into then you can rest assured you have helped a lot of budgies. if you report it and nothing is done at least you know that you done everything in your power to try to help.

Not to mention, it's going to do two things even if they don't take any serious action.

 

1) It's going to show them that people DO pay attention to this sort of thing and that people do care.

 

2) If enough people do this, it could prompt stricter regulations in the future.

 

They need to know that just because it's not illegal doesn't mean it's right. And authorities need to know that being able to spread wings and turn in a circle doesn't mean the conditions are humane. If enough people make enough noise things might eventually change. As long as we just sit and think "nothing can be done" nothing will be done.

I read them Pass, and I think you have written excellent articles.

 

Boycott is usually a very effective way to effect change, and it's great that you are able to do that. Was it difficult to get the boycott started, especially if there are few or no other stores around to get supplies from?