Since these birds are not treated or tested, they frequently harbor diseases including psittacosis. After leaving quarantine, birds are usually purchased by large distributing operations. A distributor may have hundreds or thousands of birds at any one location. These are then sold to bird breeders or pet stores. At each distribution point, birds come into contact with large numbers of other birds.
Conditions are often crowded, allowing diseases to spread quickly.
The incidence of psittacosis, which is probably an uncommon disease in the wild, is thus greatly increased. Several steps are suggested. The stool is usually dark green, with some white portions. Eyes and nostrils should be free of any discharge. Healthy birds are well-fleshed in this area, and the breast bone can barely be felt.