| About
The Parrot's Perch...
 All
of Tina Usher's baby parrots are hand-raised. "I
let the parents feed them for the first couple of
weeks because they can give them the best start possible.
They can give them antibodies that we can not reproduce
as well as nature. Then right before their eyes open,
I'll remove them and put them in brooders. People
confuse a brooder and an incubator. An incubator
is for the eggs and a brooder is for the babies.
Doing it this way, they have no fear of people, they
were raised by people, they love people. I want my
babies to go from my loving home to their new loving
home."
Tina
Usher advertises through ads in Bird Talk and other
newspapers, "I never sell to pet stores, because
the new parents have to be approved by me. I've turned
down a couple of people when I didn't think the babies
were going to a good home. I'm very particular who
I sell them to. I want my babies raised with lots
and lots of love. I also keep in touch with the people
who buy my babies. Many of my clients have become
my best friends."
As
a private breeder, people have to search me out,
so I normally get people who have done their homework,
done their research, and they know what's involved.
It's not an impulse buy. But I still include the
two hour consultation before they take their baby
home. I cover every aspect from the cage, the perches,
the toys, behavior, nutrition, diet, etc. I also
recommend vets, because avian medicine is totally
different, and most local vets don't know the particulars
about birds.
Services
I provide are mobile grooming, behavioral
consultations and boarding. Seeing the need, I am currently developing
care, training and behavior workshops to help bird
owners mend and/or improve their relationships with
their avian pals. Most people don't truly understand
their birds' deep needs for stimulus, learning and
exercise. These parrots are very intelligent and
energetic, and behavioral problems develop when they
are not continually mentally challenged. My workshops
are designed to teach you how to provide these needs
in fun ways for both of you.
Also,
since many of my clients solely trust me with their
precious babies while they travel, I do provide boarding.
But unfortunately since I am a breeder and often
have babies, I stay a closed aviary and only offer
this service to my clientele.
Most
people are not aware that hand-raised baby parrots
have wonderful personalities. They're very intelligent,
when they talk they do know what they're saying,
and they will say the appropriate thing at the appropriate
time. They have the intelligence level of a five-year-old,
and an emotional level of a three-year-old. They
are up there with the dolphins and the apes.
- As
seen in The Sun: Homer Township - Lockport - Lemont
(IL)
March 2, 2005
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