For those of us who are against breeding, I want to make sure that everyone understands the importance of supporting this issue fully. If we are opposed to breeding, then we should not be supporting any product that is connected to breeding and especially not Mass Breeding. I discovered that many were unaware that Kaytee Products and Kaytee Preferred Birds were one and the same company. If you are purchasing Kaytee Bird Foods, then you are helping to pay for mass breeding.
Large-scale “parrot mill” breeding operations (such as Kaytee Preferred Birds, which supplies PETsMART), produce thousands of chicks each year, with a goal of producing even more! They have a network of breeders that mass-produce both parent-raised and hand-fed birds, which are transferred to hand-feeding facilities and stores at an early age.
Here are many links with references to Kaytee Preferred Birds, if anyone is still questioning the fact that Kaytee not only supports, but is involved in mass breeding.
Editorial: Kaytee Preferred Birds & Petsmart
Bird Mills Production Breeding for Trade
The Problem from BirdAdoption.org
Rescue Report: Introducing the Column from Holistic Bird
KAYTEE MASS PRODUCING PARROTS?
The Sad Reality by Pamela Clark
A Bird Mill Exposed from Project Perry
Please pay close attention to the sign at 0:04 on this video, it clearly states “Independent Field Research Farm for Kaytee Products”
As the song says…. “Open up your Eyes”
Deborah
Copyright © 2011 Deborah FeatheredAngels
All rights reserved
(My articles are free to repost, just do so in their entirety)
Feathered Angels 
I will also state that I have bought things for my Fred from Avian Fashions.. Then this week they posted pics of babies from a breeder… I will no longer support them…
Yes Julie, I noticed that too and have taken them off my friends on facebook. When it comes to breeding birds, I just can’t go half-way.
Thank you thank you thank you! I only just heard a few weeks ago that Kaytee was the producer or birds for PetCo and PetSmart, and I was wondering if it was the same company. A shame that I will have to stop buying their supplies. I’ll contact them to let them know why I am doing so.
As someone who has worked at Kaytee I can assure you they are not breeding or shipping birds of any kind. They have not been involved with Preferred Birds for years. Kaytee Preferred Birds is no longer a company and hasn’t been for years. Kaytee, the manufacturer, produces pet food, and that’s it. (And there is definitely a great deal of misinformation out about that on the internet.) They definitely do not promote bird milling and are strong supporters of conservation, rescues as well as responsible aviculturists. In fact, Kaytee donates a great deal of money via the Kaytee Avian Foundation to parrot conservation. To sum up, they are very dedicated to responsible parrot stewardship. It is a shame that this is not more known in the parrot community and that only old information is what is being circulated.
I thank you for this information, and promise I will do some more research on the matter.
Sarah, show us the proof. It is hard to believe that there is no mention of Kaytee Preferred Birds being disbanded, when there is so much conversation around it.
Sarah? Oh, Saaaaraaaah? Crickets. hmmmm…. Sarah must work for Kaytee Preferred Birds. How can she sleep at night?
I have to agree with Sarah, I did some checking into this awhile back and from all the info I was able to gather this company no longer exists. It was sold off and dismantled in 2007 (not positive on the year). This company does not exist and from what I understand, hasn’t for several years. I guess the best way to know for sure would be to just call Kaytee and ask.
In April 2012, Kaytee recalled five lots of parrot handfeeding formula due to excessive vitamin D (which was causing kidney failure). This was acknowledged on the Kaytee website [1] as well as through emails with some customers. [2]
Kaytee Preferred Birds branding raises and provides young birds to many pet store chains in the US, such as Petsmart [3]. Oklahoma State places externs with Kaytee Preferred Birds [4]. Kaytee Preferred Birds has since closed, it was dismantled and closed in 2007.
Wikipedia
I looked this up on Wikipedia. And this is what I found. I bought my cockatiel from Petco and tryed searching her band ID. I found a blog that informed me of perferred birds in F.L. The stories are really sad, However I belive Sarah now that I have done my own search. Thanks Sarah.
And thanks to everyone who has posted. It helped me learn to NEVER buy a pet from a pet store chain (Petco, Petsmart) again…
I still LOVE my cockatiel Bali.
I just purchased several birds from pet supplies and they cannot tell me anything about the birds other than they get their birds from a breeder. My question is about a conure. He has a red band on his left leg. We don’t truly know if he is a male or female. Can anyone tell me how to find out by the leg band if possible that way.