Ill-looking macaw baby?

[Pixiebeak]

Looks like a baby to me , and still in the range of hand feeding.
He is barbering his chest, belly and between legs himself. The back feathers look normal for a baby and I don't see stress bars , or discoloration, or evidence of rough play on those .

As for the open band , I don't know why. Could be had a health issues as chick and they delayed, minor stuff happens.

To me looks bright and active, but perhaps a little under weight. If his clutch mates are weaned , his delay if is even a delay can be due to a minor health issue. The regurge could be like a yeast crop infection which is relatively common in hand raised , or a minor bacteria imbalance in crop . If I was going to guess, I think a crop yeast infection could explain, slightly lower weight , feather destruction behavior and regurge. In my adult birds , ( non behavioral ) regurge has always been a yeast infection . In babies regurge can also be yeast imbalance.

Babies can play around and practice regurge as well .
Being still hand fed and in a pet store situation is stressful to babies and individuals handle that stress differently, so could also be an explanation for barbering,( tho aweful young to have started this) and (if ) lower weight .

My first parrot, was A GCC that was darn right tatty , head bald but with pin feathers coming back , pretty much all her feathers looked aweful. They were very upfront with me about this , has aspirated as chick during hand feeding, and put back with parents to raise and mom plucked her head bald and rough on the rest of her feathers. They showed me her complete medical file , treatment, and being cleared by vet afterwards and they would have the vet check her before I brought her home and I could be there for that ( they had routine vet checks while at pet store until sold .) I was told she might or might not have sinus issues for life as some scaring in one nostril. Je feathers all cane back glorious ( but she has never been barbering) and she lived a happy healthy life for 17 years , tho she did have occasional sinus infections for life that were easily treated she wasn't sickly or anything like that , maybe six infections in 17 years a little flush and antibiotic all good . The sweetest best girl !!!

Nothing in yours tells me run for the hills , but I would investigate, definitely getting a thorough a visn vet exam.

 

[BrianB]

A bare enclosure would make for a very bored baby. The store should know better. The 72-hour health guarantee seems pretty standard. It's what we use at the store I work at.

I knew one of the parents was a military macaw, and miligolds can have a range of colors. Miliquins are just as pretty.

 

[~Drini~]

I have set this Wednesday (May 15th) as pick-up day as it was the soonest date that my avian vet had available. I purchased health insurance for the him as well through Nationwide but it won’t take place for another 2+ weeks.

I called the bird store to ask about details regarding the 72-hour health guarantee and was immediately given a run-around about how the macaw is perfectly healthy and how the needle pokes at the vet can stress the baby out. My alarm bells are all going off. I probed further about whether there is a contract or anything, and was again given a non-answer. I think they said I have 72 hours to bring him back? I could never do that.

In the case that the baby is sick, what can I do? Can I hold the bird store responsible somehow without giving him back? Dispute my credit card charges? What happens? Can I ask them for a contract?

Currently building an aluminum enclosure for him (frame for bottom half)…

 

[April]

I have set this Wednesday (May 15th) as pick-up day as it was the soonest date that my avian vet had available. I purchased health insurance for the him as well through Nationwide but it won’t take place for another 2+ weeks.

I called the bird store to ask about details regarding the 72-hour health guarantee and was immediately given a run-around about how the macaw is perfectly healthy and how the needle pokes at the vet can stress the baby out. My alarm bells are all going off. I probed further about whether there is a contract or anything, and was again given a non-answer. I think they said I have 72 hours to bring him back? I could never do that.

In the case that the baby is sick, what can I do? Can I hold the bird store responsible somehow without giving him back? Dispute my credit card charges? What happens? Can I ask them for a contract?

Currently building an aluminum enclosure for him (frame for bottom half)…
View attachment 446511

That sounds quite suspect to me. I don't wanna sound paranoid but if I were you I'd really reconsider getting this baby from them unless you have some type of offically made and signed document. They had no reason to give you the "run around" for asking a perfectly normal question. I really worry that this baby is sick and once you buy him they will drop you like a hot potato and you'll be liable for all the vet bills.

 

[Emma&pico]

I don’t know how it’s works but my friend bought two rats from a pet shop where I use to live
After a week all her rats were sneezing and had discharge from their nose the pet shop said they would either pay for vet bills or would take all her rats and keep them at shop while their vet treated them all not just two she bought from them
This is a really good pet shop family owned not a chain and they actually care

but I don’t know how legally it works what pet shops are liable for or how willing they would be to stick to it

But if he’s poorly I would take receipt and get your vets to right a statement what’s wrong with him and politely says they need to pay vet bill if he’s seen within there 72hour period and then see where you go from there

 

[~Drini~]

I will see what I can get in terms of a written contract but otherwise I may just have to suck it up and hope he does not test positive for any potentially fatal condition.

 

[flyzipper]

I think they said I have 72 hours to bring him back? I could never do that.

Can I hold the bird store responsible somehow without giving him back?

It sounds like you've committed yourself to the bird regardless of the outcome (I'd feel the same).

Can I ask them for a contract?

Given the above, if you could create any contract terms you wish, what would make you comfortable?
This thought experiment may help feel better about the current situation or uncover a specific ask to the other party.

FWIW, I didn't have contracts when I adopted Jericho and Oscar (but they we re-homes and not from a breeder), but I did get them vetted immediately and fortunately didn't have any concerns.

 

[Pixiebeak]

I don't like their attitude, and pre padded excuses about babies being stressed by vets ...which also feels like their babies haven't ever seen a vet ...which is crazy these are expensive birds and to protect their investments and the bird stock they already have st their store ..all incoming babies should see a vet and any babies or birds under there care with symptoms should see a vet .

The chain pet stores here , do that for even their cheap Budgies thst sell from 20 dollars to forty dollars! Let alone a bird that sells for hundreds , or even thousands! And my recent bought at pet store quaker Phoebe came with a health certificate and what testing had been done and a health guarantee. Granted if their has been a health issue they take the bird back, refund price , they don't offer to pay vet bills .

 

[Toy]

When I bought JaKhu from a parrot store in Ohio I got a health contract stating they'd replace or refund if the vet found any major health issues upon a visit in 72 hours of purchase. They actually gave more time, as it was during COVID. I also got a DNA report, a paper listing diet, toxic foods, heath issues to watch for, etc.

I'd ask for a health guarantee. Stating they will replace or refund if vet finds major health issues.

 

[~Drini~]

I have spent the last few hours relentlessly researching the issue. Turns out that I do not even need the health guarantee because the state of Virginia has laws that protect me as a consumer. In fact the protection period is not 72 hours, but 10 days + 3 days after veterinary certification of illness. I am allowed to choose one of several options, one of which consists of me keeping the animal and the store has to pay the veterinary fees up to the cost of the animal. I do not know how difficult it would be to enforce this law through a small claims court, but I feel better knowing that there is legislation in place for situations like this.

Law 3.2-6514:
Consumer remedies for receipt of diseased animal upon certification by veterinarian.
A. If, at any time within 10 days following receipt of an animal, a licensed veterinarian certifies such animal to be unfit for purchase due to illness, a congenital defect deleterious to the health of the animal, or the presence of symptoms of a contagious or infectious disease other than parvovirus, or if at any time within 14 days following the receipt of an animal a licensed veterinarian certifies such animal to be unfit for purchase due to being infected with parvovirus, the pet dealer shall afford the consumer the right to choose one of the following options:

1. The right to return the animal or, in the case of an animal that has died, to present the veterinary certification, within three business days of certification and receive a refund of the purchase price including sales tax; or

2. The right to return the animal or, in the case of an animal that has died, to present the veterinary certification, within three business days of certification and to receive an exchange animal of equivalent value from the dealer, subject to the choice of the consumer; or

3. In the case of an animal purchased from a pet shop or a USDA licensed dealer, the right to retain the animal and to receive the reimbursement of veterinary fees in an amount up to the purchase price of the animal, including sales tax and the cost of the veterinary certification, incurred up to the time the consumer notifies the pet dealer of the intent to keep the animal. Such notification shall occur within three business days of certification. Veterinary costs incurred by the consumer after such notification shall be the responsibility of the consumer.

B. The refund or reimbursement required by subsection A shall be made by the pet dealer not later than 10 business days following receipt of a signed veterinary certification as provided in § 3.2-6515.

C. Any violation of this section shall also constitute a prohibited practice under § 59.1-200and shall be subject to the enforcement provisions of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act (§ 59.1-196 et seq.).