Frequently Asked Questions
Where are you located?
I am located in North Central Florida (Gainesville, basically).
I live in Florida! Can I come pick out my baby in person/do in-home visits with my baby?
As much as I would love to honor requests like this, it is simply not something I am willing to accommodate. First, it's a security risk to myself and my birds. Second, it's an environmental risk especially if you already own birds. Rest assured, you will get an overwhelming number of pictures and videos via text along the way (or email, if that's your preference).
Do Parrotlets (or Kakarikis) Talk?
Parrotlets and Kakarikis have been known to talk on occasion. In most circumstances, males are more likely to talk than females, but females can and do talk as well. I would characterize their talking ability to be very similar to that of Budgies and Cockatiels. With any bird, the ability to mimic is highly situational and dependent on the individual bird. Even species that are well-known "talkers" have birds that never speak a word in their life. This should not be a deciding factor in what species someone decides to bring into their home as a pet. Anyone who is looking to own a pet bird should research as much as possible into the behavioral and personality characteristics of a species before making a decision to purchase. This way, you know whether the bird's needs and demeanor will fit in with your family and home-life.
Which are friendlier, males or females?
Friendliness is not at all dictated by the sex of the bird in question. Friendliness is ultimately a product of socialization and interaction with their human owners. The more time you spend with your bird, the friendlier it will be. So, it would make sense that if you barely interact or spend any time socializing and bonding with your bird, it will be on the timid/shy side, and this will be true regardless of the sex chromosomes they possess. When it comes to personality - I would say that female birds tend to form stronger bonds with individual owners or people within the household, whereas males can be a bit more gregarious. On the flip side, I have found males may be a bit more territorial with their cages and toys once they reach sexual maturity than females. So it's a give and take, and as above, every bird is an individual and there is simply no way to predict the personality of a bird. Socialize, socialize, socialize and TRAIN. Birds are sentient, intelligent animals who LOVE having a 'job' to do, even if that's just learning fun tricks! Spend time in the early days exposing your birds to different stimuli, noises, people, and experiences to desensitize them to the daily comings and goings of your home and you'll have a more well-rounded companion as they mature into adults.
Can I visit your aviary/the babies to pick one out in person?
I operate a closed aviary. This means I do not allow outsiders to come to my home/property to see my birds. This is for several reasons. One, it's a safety concern. With the recent string of thefts in the state of Florida, inviting a stranger to my home is an unnecessary risk that I will not take. Two, it's a health concern, especially for individuals that currently own their own birds. Although I trust that everyone has an impeccably healthy flock, I will not assume the risk of someone potentially bringing pathogens in on their clothing/shoes that could affect my flock negatively. I understand how important it is to make the right selection so I provide photo and video updates of the chosen babies almost daily to individuals who reserve babies from me. Otherwise, babies are photographed regularly and pictured on my website.
How much do your babies cost?
My prices are based on the mutation of the bird. I take pride in the birds I am producing, and hand-feeding is time consuming and expensive. If it is important for you to have a healthy, happy, handfed baby, then you need to understand the work and effort that goes into it and appreciate that this is a factor in their cost. With the newly imported spangle and misty Kakariki mutations these more expensive birds are generally going into the hands of other aviculturists for the time being. It will take some time to produce enough numbers of these birds in the US to bring their price point down and allow them to trickle into the pet owner market.
A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost of the bird (or birds) can hold the baby of your choice until they are weaned and ready for their new home. During this period, I am more than happy to accept payments along the way, but the baby will not be delivered until the balance is paid in full. This is especially true when shipping - Cargo will not be booked until the balance plus shipping has been paid in full. I require all babies to be paid in full and picked up or shipped within 7 days of me communicating that they're ready to fly off to their new homes.
Can I have multiple Parrotlets as pets?
Yes. However....
I would always recommend that anyone who is hoping to have multiple Parrotlets as pets be prepared to house them separately if they intend to keep them tame and pet-quality. Parrotlets can and will quickly form strong bonds with other birds and lose interest in the human in their life. Obviously, with everything, there are exceptions to the rule! Plenty of people have a multi-Parrotlet household and do just fine! But it does take a lot of work! Be aware of the possibility of birds becoming increasingly possessive of the other bird(s) and potentially aggressive as a result. This can lead to the bird(s) becoming aggressive not only to the human in their life, but also possibly to the other bird, simply out of frustration (this is particularly true if the birds are the same sex). If Male/Female, there is a chance they will bond and begin to breed, which is not something you should undertake lightheartedly.
What do you feed your birds?
I try my best to feed my birds the closest thing to a raw, whole food diet as I can. I began following the C4AW nutrition guidelines and using their products, which prompted me to reach out to the collaborating companies to partner with them in order to offer my customers the highest quality products currently on the market for our avian companions. Offering diverse, high quality foods is important not only for enrichment purposes, but also for long-term health benefits. Offering a raw, whole food diet means offering your birds foods that are primarily fresh - including sprouted seeds and beans, soaked raw tree nuts, select fruits and plenty of vegetables. Dry seed and pellets make up the remainder of the diet but should never comprise more than 40-50% of what your bird is eating in a day. The pellet of choice would be TOPs pellets. TOPs are one of the few (if not only) cold pressed pellet currently on the market for birds. Cold pressed is essential for maintaining nutrition and differs entirely from the extruded pellets offered by other commercial manufacturers. To read more about diet and nutrition click here.
Is there a difference between handfed and parent-reared/"handled" babies?
I guess it depends on what exactly you're asking. If you're asking because you've been told/read/heard that handfed babies are inherently weaker, more prone to health problems, or smaller as a result of being handfed, this is categorically untrue and not backed by any peer-reviewed research. I actively weigh my babies for several reasons - the most important being that keeping track of weights is the easiest way for me to track that my babies are actually growing and are healthy. It's also an important consideration for me when it comes to determining which babies I have that would be suitable for me to keep back as potential breeders, or which babies I would offer to others who are looking for something that is breeding quality. It also helps that my birds are on an incredibly good diet. I don't know that I'll ever understand the reason for perpetuating this myth that handfed babies are smaller or weaker than their counterparts, except to try to undermine those of us who choose to handfeed and attempt to make non-handfed birds somehow superior.
What about as far as tame-ness is concerned? Yes - there is sometimes a difference between handfed birds and co-parented or "handled" birds. Birds that are co-parented or simply "handled" may never have the same temperament as a baby that has been handfed from a young age and is completely desensitized to human touch and interaction, and in fact, sees humans as a source of comfort and food. Even babies that I have chosen to pull at a later age are markedly different in their personalities and toleration of human interaction than when pulled at a younger age. It doesn't make one better than the other, and not all babies are cut from the same cloth. There are plenty of breeders that co-parent and socialize the HECK out of their babies and you'd probably get a super tame baby as a result! The key is communicating with that breeder and truly understanding the amount of time they spend handling and socializing these babies.
You can often tell from pictures alone the difference in handfed vs. 'handled' babies. With handled babies that are not properly being socialized, when they're photographed, you will almost always see them in a braced, defensive position, you'll see head feathers raised (an aggressive warning) and the baby braced trying to push away from the contact. With handfed or well socialized handled babies, they will be relaxed, not braced, and not posturing in a defensive manner. Obviously, every bird is an individual! Can a "handled," non-handfed baby be a perfectly friendly, tame pet? Absolutely! Can a handfed baby be a demon hellfire raptor bird? Absolutely! Again, doing your due-diligence and communicating ad nauseam with your potential breeder is key to any success with a new bird. Make your expectations clear and understand what you're looking to get out of a companion to help make that decision.
My babies are raised in an environment where they are accustomed to barking dogs, cats meowing, music playing, the television, the occasional unwanted attention of a very goofy cockatoo, and my terrible karaoke skills. So it's safe to say they'll be rather bombproof to most new environments. They also come from a non-smoking home, and I prefer they go to a non-smoking (at least no smoking indoors) home.
Is shipping birds safe?
Yes! I have been breeding and raising birds for over 13 years and have shipped birds using both United and Delta airlines. In the 13+ years that I have been shipping birds using these airlines, (both sending and receiving!) I have never once lost a single bird. This is in direct contrast to the numerous people I know personally who have received DOA birds electing to risk shipping them through USPS.
I would like to reiterate that shipping exotics through USPS is against federal regulation. It is against government regulation to ship exotics, including finches and hookbills, through USPS. Why do people do it? Because they get away with it. Is it worth risking a life to save a little money? No.
What are the 'bracelets' on the birds' legs? Does it eventually fall off or can I take it off?
These are the closed bands that I use to identify these babies as having been produced in my aviary. It guarantees the breeder they came from, and also the year they hatched. The bands contain the initials of my aviary (FTA currently, or for prior babies, my initials TP), the state in which the babies were bred/hatched (FL), a two digit year (19, 20, etc) and a unique numerical number that is like a fingerprint to that bird. This helps me trace my babies so that in 5 years if someone winds up with one of my birds along the way, they can contact me and I would be able to look back in my records and tell them the parentage and genetics of the bird they have in their possession. It also guarantees that when someone places a deposit on an available baby, they're getting the exact baby they see and want! As a result, these bands should not be removed unless they have somehow posed an immediate threat to the bird's safety and well-being. In the event of injury, the band should only be removed by a professional veterinarian to avoid any potential injury to the leg.
I am located in North Central Florida (Gainesville, basically).
I live in Florida! Can I come pick out my baby in person/do in-home visits with my baby?
As much as I would love to honor requests like this, it is simply not something I am willing to accommodate. First, it's a security risk to myself and my birds. Second, it's an environmental risk especially if you already own birds. Rest assured, you will get an overwhelming number of pictures and videos via text along the way (or email, if that's your preference).
Do Parrotlets (or Kakarikis) Talk?
Parrotlets and Kakarikis have been known to talk on occasion. In most circumstances, males are more likely to talk than females, but females can and do talk as well. I would characterize their talking ability to be very similar to that of Budgies and Cockatiels. With any bird, the ability to mimic is highly situational and dependent on the individual bird. Even species that are well-known "talkers" have birds that never speak a word in their life. This should not be a deciding factor in what species someone decides to bring into their home as a pet. Anyone who is looking to own a pet bird should research as much as possible into the behavioral and personality characteristics of a species before making a decision to purchase. This way, you know whether the bird's needs and demeanor will fit in with your family and home-life.
Which are friendlier, males or females?
Friendliness is not at all dictated by the sex of the bird in question. Friendliness is ultimately a product of socialization and interaction with their human owners. The more time you spend with your bird, the friendlier it will be. So, it would make sense that if you barely interact or spend any time socializing and bonding with your bird, it will be on the timid/shy side, and this will be true regardless of the sex chromosomes they possess. When it comes to personality - I would say that female birds tend to form stronger bonds with individual owners or people within the household, whereas males can be a bit more gregarious. On the flip side, I have found males may be a bit more territorial with their cages and toys once they reach sexual maturity than females. So it's a give and take, and as above, every bird is an individual and there is simply no way to predict the personality of a bird. Socialize, socialize, socialize and TRAIN. Birds are sentient, intelligent animals who LOVE having a 'job' to do, even if that's just learning fun tricks! Spend time in the early days exposing your birds to different stimuli, noises, people, and experiences to desensitize them to the daily comings and goings of your home and you'll have a more well-rounded companion as they mature into adults.
Can I visit your aviary/the babies to pick one out in person?
I operate a closed aviary. This means I do not allow outsiders to come to my home/property to see my birds. This is for several reasons. One, it's a safety concern. With the recent string of thefts in the state of Florida, inviting a stranger to my home is an unnecessary risk that I will not take. Two, it's a health concern, especially for individuals that currently own their own birds. Although I trust that everyone has an impeccably healthy flock, I will not assume the risk of someone potentially bringing pathogens in on their clothing/shoes that could affect my flock negatively. I understand how important it is to make the right selection so I provide photo and video updates of the chosen babies almost daily to individuals who reserve babies from me. Otherwise, babies are photographed regularly and pictured on my website.
How much do your babies cost?
My prices are based on the mutation of the bird. I take pride in the birds I am producing, and hand-feeding is time consuming and expensive. If it is important for you to have a healthy, happy, handfed baby, then you need to understand the work and effort that goes into it and appreciate that this is a factor in their cost. With the newly imported spangle and misty Kakariki mutations these more expensive birds are generally going into the hands of other aviculturists for the time being. It will take some time to produce enough numbers of these birds in the US to bring their price point down and allow them to trickle into the pet owner market.
A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost of the bird (or birds) can hold the baby of your choice until they are weaned and ready for their new home. During this period, I am more than happy to accept payments along the way, but the baby will not be delivered until the balance is paid in full. This is especially true when shipping - Cargo will not be booked until the balance plus shipping has been paid in full. I require all babies to be paid in full and picked up or shipped within 7 days of me communicating that they're ready to fly off to their new homes.
Can I have multiple Parrotlets as pets?
Yes. However....
I would always recommend that anyone who is hoping to have multiple Parrotlets as pets be prepared to house them separately if they intend to keep them tame and pet-quality. Parrotlets can and will quickly form strong bonds with other birds and lose interest in the human in their life. Obviously, with everything, there are exceptions to the rule! Plenty of people have a multi-Parrotlet household and do just fine! But it does take a lot of work! Be aware of the possibility of birds becoming increasingly possessive of the other bird(s) and potentially aggressive as a result. This can lead to the bird(s) becoming aggressive not only to the human in their life, but also possibly to the other bird, simply out of frustration (this is particularly true if the birds are the same sex). If Male/Female, there is a chance they will bond and begin to breed, which is not something you should undertake lightheartedly.
What do you feed your birds?
I try my best to feed my birds the closest thing to a raw, whole food diet as I can. I began following the C4AW nutrition guidelines and using their products, which prompted me to reach out to the collaborating companies to partner with them in order to offer my customers the highest quality products currently on the market for our avian companions. Offering diverse, high quality foods is important not only for enrichment purposes, but also for long-term health benefits. Offering a raw, whole food diet means offering your birds foods that are primarily fresh - including sprouted seeds and beans, soaked raw tree nuts, select fruits and plenty of vegetables. Dry seed and pellets make up the remainder of the diet but should never comprise more than 40-50% of what your bird is eating in a day. The pellet of choice would be TOPs pellets. TOPs are one of the few (if not only) cold pressed pellet currently on the market for birds. Cold pressed is essential for maintaining nutrition and differs entirely from the extruded pellets offered by other commercial manufacturers. To read more about diet and nutrition click here.
Is there a difference between handfed and parent-reared/"handled" babies?
I guess it depends on what exactly you're asking. If you're asking because you've been told/read/heard that handfed babies are inherently weaker, more prone to health problems, or smaller as a result of being handfed, this is categorically untrue and not backed by any peer-reviewed research. I actively weigh my babies for several reasons - the most important being that keeping track of weights is the easiest way for me to track that my babies are actually growing and are healthy. It's also an important consideration for me when it comes to determining which babies I have that would be suitable for me to keep back as potential breeders, or which babies I would offer to others who are looking for something that is breeding quality. It also helps that my birds are on an incredibly good diet. I don't know that I'll ever understand the reason for perpetuating this myth that handfed babies are smaller or weaker than their counterparts, except to try to undermine those of us who choose to handfeed and attempt to make non-handfed birds somehow superior.
What about as far as tame-ness is concerned? Yes - there is sometimes a difference between handfed birds and co-parented or "handled" birds. Birds that are co-parented or simply "handled" may never have the same temperament as a baby that has been handfed from a young age and is completely desensitized to human touch and interaction, and in fact, sees humans as a source of comfort and food. Even babies that I have chosen to pull at a later age are markedly different in their personalities and toleration of human interaction than when pulled at a younger age. It doesn't make one better than the other, and not all babies are cut from the same cloth. There are plenty of breeders that co-parent and socialize the HECK out of their babies and you'd probably get a super tame baby as a result! The key is communicating with that breeder and truly understanding the amount of time they spend handling and socializing these babies.
You can often tell from pictures alone the difference in handfed vs. 'handled' babies. With handled babies that are not properly being socialized, when they're photographed, you will almost always see them in a braced, defensive position, you'll see head feathers raised (an aggressive warning) and the baby braced trying to push away from the contact. With handfed or well socialized handled babies, they will be relaxed, not braced, and not posturing in a defensive manner. Obviously, every bird is an individual! Can a "handled," non-handfed baby be a perfectly friendly, tame pet? Absolutely! Can a handfed baby be a demon hellfire raptor bird? Absolutely! Again, doing your due-diligence and communicating ad nauseam with your potential breeder is key to any success with a new bird. Make your expectations clear and understand what you're looking to get out of a companion to help make that decision.
My babies are raised in an environment where they are accustomed to barking dogs, cats meowing, music playing, the television, the occasional unwanted attention of a very goofy cockatoo, and my terrible karaoke skills. So it's safe to say they'll be rather bombproof to most new environments. They also come from a non-smoking home, and I prefer they go to a non-smoking (at least no smoking indoors) home.
Is shipping birds safe?
Yes! I have been breeding and raising birds for over 13 years and have shipped birds using both United and Delta airlines. In the 13+ years that I have been shipping birds using these airlines, (both sending and receiving!) I have never once lost a single bird. This is in direct contrast to the numerous people I know personally who have received DOA birds electing to risk shipping them through USPS.
I would like to reiterate that shipping exotics through USPS is against federal regulation. It is against government regulation to ship exotics, including finches and hookbills, through USPS. Why do people do it? Because they get away with it. Is it worth risking a life to save a little money? No.
What are the 'bracelets' on the birds' legs? Does it eventually fall off or can I take it off?
These are the closed bands that I use to identify these babies as having been produced in my aviary. It guarantees the breeder they came from, and also the year they hatched. The bands contain the initials of my aviary (FTA currently, or for prior babies, my initials TP), the state in which the babies were bred/hatched (FL), a two digit year (19, 20, etc) and a unique numerical number that is like a fingerprint to that bird. This helps me trace my babies so that in 5 years if someone winds up with one of my birds along the way, they can contact me and I would be able to look back in my records and tell them the parentage and genetics of the bird they have in their possession. It also guarantees that when someone places a deposit on an available baby, they're getting the exact baby they see and want! As a result, these bands should not be removed unless they have somehow posed an immediate threat to the bird's safety and well-being. In the event of injury, the band should only be removed by a professional veterinarian to avoid any potential injury to the leg.