Written by Ross Livingston, Advantage Research
Susanne Cochran is an entrepreneur and a parrot’s best friend. Susanne has been a resident of Loveland since 1976 and she is also the owner of the Avalon Aviary. An aviary is a special type of building used for keeping many birds. Before Susanne went into business she was saddened by the irresponsible behavior of other parrot breeders who did not put the needs of their birds first. This inspired Susanne to start her own parrot breeding program based on compassionate values, continuous improvement in bird raising practices, education and a commitment to conversation and parrot rescue.
The parrots who reside in the aviary originate from Central & South America, Africa, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands. The species of birds range from large Macaws to petite-sized parrots with outgoing personalities and vivid coloration. Captive parrots lay an average of 2-3 clutches of eggs per year. Baby parrots are eventually transferred to the “nursery” where they receive special care and gentle handling. When the baby parrots are ready to leave the nursery, they are placed in special baskets draped with towels. Baskets are used because they resemble a parrot’s nest and the draped towels offer the young birds a sense of privacy and security. As the birds mature they eventually learn flying and landing skills. During this process the juvenile parrots are exposed to common household items and socialized by aviary staff. This helps the parrots make a smooth transition from the aviary to their permanent homes.
Since the birds come first, anyone who wants to purchase a parrot from the Avalon Aviary must be approved through their home-qualifying process. Many parrots are loud, messy, destructive and demanding therefore prospective bird owners should know what to expect before they say yes. On the other hand, parrots are beautiful, interactive, comical and playful companions that can live 30-100 years. Since most of us are not parrot experts, Susanne offers educational seminars for new bird owners.
Finally, Susanne sends a portion of her profits to the Gabriel Foundation which is one of the leading bird rescue and rehabilitation programs in the United States. The Avalon Aviary also supports international organizations which have a proven track record of preserving and expanding wild parrot populations.
