Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!encore!maxzilla!kaufman
From: kaufman@maxzilla.Encore.COM (Lar Kaufman)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: It's all your fault! (was Re: Hookbills)
Message-ID: <4169@encore.UUCP>
Date: 11 Nov 88 16:15:41 GMT
References: <599@dinorah.wustl.edu> <4120@encore.UUCP> <1282@inuxd.UUCP> <4148@encore.UUCP> <1284@inuxd.UUCP>
Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu
Reply-To: kaufman@maxzilla.UUCP (Lar Kaufman)
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Organization: Encore Computer Corp, Marlboro, MA
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In article <1284@inuxd.UUCP> jla@inuxd.UUCP (Joyce Andrews) writes:

>> I have to say I miss Vashon, as he is now "put to stud" and is no
>> longer a companion bird. 

>I was thinking of finding a stud for Madeira, but I'm afraid
>she'd nag him to death.                                 
>	Joyce Andrews King                      

I am not yet a parrot breeder, although I have had some success with 
finches, so this information is second-hand: 
  I am told that many parrots of the Amazona family become "debonded" 
with humans after selecting a partner of their own species, and while
they may or may not become averse to human company, they will no
longer be the warm, loving "pets" they once were. 
  In the case of Vashon, who earlier this year (in an apparent
adolescent hormonal surge) suddenly became much more vocal and
rambunctious, I just said goodbye to him and wished him a fullfilling
and prolific life. This was less traumatic than, say, a divorce, but
it was an emotionally wrenching experience. I had acquired Vashon as
an imported bird at a pet store, and he was never what you would call
a "loving" bird, although he was friendly enough. We certainly had
mutual respect and affection. Vashon is a bird of great personality
and charm. I just want to caution you to be prepared for emotional
storms of your own if you choose to breed your pet parrot. 
  Bluefronted Amazons are not yet endangered, but at the current rate
of destruction of their environment I predict that they will become so
within the next 5-8 years. In that case, you may want to consider
whether you have a responsibility to help perpetuate the species. As
conservationist parrot-lovers, we have some tough decisions to make.
Personally, I hope to be able to set up an aviary within the next two
years with the intention of breeding endangered species. I will limit
my companionship relations with birds to the more easily bred,
unthreatened species.
 -lar
 
 PS Is Madeira named after the place, the product, or what? Vashon and
Elliot are both named after places in Puget Sound - green and
beautiful as it is. (Actually, Elliot is named after a little boy of
prankish and precocious personality, too, but the dichotomy was
intentional. I'm not really sure of the spelling of Seattle's Elliot
Bay.) 

 Lar Kaufman   <= my opinions          Fidonet: 1:322/470@508-534-1842 
 kaufman@multimax.arpa    {bu-cs,decvax,necntc,talcott}!encore!kaufman