This is an opinion type question and there are many answers. I suggest that
you get as many opinions as you can and then make up your own mind. This is my opinion. If you are buying a pet, then I would buy a hand-fed well-socialized baby. Hand fed means
they were pulled from the nest at a young age and fed by a human and are used to humans.
This alone does not make a good pet, the bird must be socialized also. The more
socialization the better. My babies are handled every day in every way that I can think of that a new owner might. They go to the breakfast and dinner table to learn table manners, they are out with us when watching TV to learn to go from play area to us for those cuddle moments.
They ride my shoulder while I'm doing my household duties to learn how to hold on and
they are allowed to explore the areas that I'm in. I had a new owner tell me once that her
bird gave the typewriter bite (a fast nibble type bite not grabbing the skin at all but
rubbing it) and went nuts every time she touched her feet. So now besides the head scratches and back stroking there's feet rubbing during those cuddle moments.

If you're buying a breeder then you may want to buy a parent-raised bird. There are also
many opinions that hand raised birds aren't good parents. I have not found this out to be
true. Some of my best daddies are my previous pets.

 

Kathy Greaser
http://members.tripod.com/~KGKAT/Aviary.html