Post by marleen4 on Dec 11, 2012 7:29:32 GMT
I'm so sad and angry so I though to share this with you. 
In New Zealand we have a great system where pet shops buy their birds of local breeders, who in turn buy their birds there, etc. These shops are typically family businesses by people who care about animals.
A large Australian company is now flooding the pet shop market. They set up shops in every suburb and have done their market research. They have a large selection of profitable stock, thus pushing the family businesses out of the market.
Large problem: they contract their own breeders for the animals they sell and will not buy from local breeders. It's become battery breeding, where animals are bread for profit and in large quantities. I assume the budgie hens are killed when their time is up, just like poultry hens on egg farms. I wonder about the conditions of these birds in their first few weeks. It's too dreadful to even think about.
And now the pet shop I have sold my birds to for years is closing its doors. This is the third shop in my local area I'm aware of.
I have to seriously think about whether I can continue to breed budgies, Chinese button quails and diamond doves. The latter 2 are not even sold in these large stores. What will come of them if they are only sold in say two surviving shops Auckland wide???
I feel miserable and very concerned. What am I to do???
I'm curious to find out what is happening in other parts of the world, and your creative solutions!
In New Zealand we have a great system where pet shops buy their birds of local breeders, who in turn buy their birds there, etc. These shops are typically family businesses by people who care about animals.
A large Australian company is now flooding the pet shop market. They set up shops in every suburb and have done their market research. They have a large selection of profitable stock, thus pushing the family businesses out of the market.
Large problem: they contract their own breeders for the animals they sell and will not buy from local breeders. It's become battery breeding, where animals are bread for profit and in large quantities. I assume the budgie hens are killed when their time is up, just like poultry hens on egg farms. I wonder about the conditions of these birds in their first few weeks. It's too dreadful to even think about.
And now the pet shop I have sold my birds to for years is closing its doors. This is the third shop in my local area I'm aware of.
I have to seriously think about whether I can continue to breed budgies, Chinese button quails and diamond doves. The latter 2 are not even sold in these large stores. What will come of them if they are only sold in say two surviving shops Auckland wide???
I feel miserable and very concerned. What am I to do???
I'm curious to find out what is happening in other parts of the world, and your creative solutions!
to the commercial stores! 
.
