FINCHforum

I was at my PetCo the other day. I asked about why they don't have Finches anymore. The gal said they stopped selling them because of so many health issues with them. But they did say I could order certain species of Finches through them if I wanted. It would take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on shipments. I guess they get shipments of Parakeets in every couple weeks or so and always on Fridays and that is when the Finches that people have ordered come in as well. They say they take delivery from a breeder in Missouri and are very happy with the quality of the birds they get.

For the people who order the Finches….the store will call them the day before they come in so they can be there to pick them up. The store just leaves them in the boxes and never takes them out since they don't have a place to keep finches anymore. I don't know if I want to consider that route for hard to find birds or not.


Also….I mentioned that all I ever see are mostly the basic green and blue Parakeet. She said they do get in the special colored ones but they sell out right away. People that want the uniquely colored parakeets know the shipment comes on Fridays between 8am and 6pm and will show up midday and just wait until they arrive so they can get the special colored ones. Well….I guess us crazy bird people will do anything to get the bird we want! So if I ever want a unique colored Parakeet I will have to go there on a Friday and wait with all the other bird nuts till the shipment comes in!

To be honest, if I'm going to order birds and have them shipped I would just go directly through a reputable breeder or broker and cut out the middle-man. The difference between the breeder/broker price and Petco's retail price will probably cover a big chunk of the shipping cost, you will have more choices, fewer "health issues", and the birds will ultimately spend less time in transit.
I've bought finches from both breeders and brokers and had them shipped via air or USPS with no problems.

mayble I see your point about the shipping. And PetCo would not be my first choice. Maybe only as a last resort. Next time I stop in at the store I might inquire further just to see what species they can get and the actual prices.

I am sending you a PM with some further questions.

Petco worked very well for me one time and was a nightmare for me another time. I got a perfectly healthy finch the first time. Then second time all the birds were sick with scaly mites and were nearly bald. I'm still having issues with the bird. It was the best of the lot and I was desperate because my 10 year old male just lost his mate. It was guaranteed for 14 days but I live 75 miles away. Birds are hard to find here also. Next time I purchase birds I want to go through a reputable breeder. I live in a remote area of Maine...so not sure how yet. Good luck!

Corkysgirl Thanks for sharing your experiences. It is sounding more risky to consider getting Finches through PetCo. I could have the same bad experience as you and it's not worth the trouble.

Yes…living in a remote area really makes finch shopping a challenge.

I've gotten some on craigslist before. I'm sure it's also very risky, but was an option for me when I lived in a big city. It's where I got my brother and sister that are now 10 years old. I know that's because they came from an elderly man that bred them well and took great care of them. I've actually gotten many birds that way, and have not yet had a bad experience, but it's a very subjective thing. You would have to ask a lot of questions, be observant, and quarantine. I've parted with many birds via craigslist also to really good homes. A couple situations were... a pair with a hatchling to a teacher for their school room, and 5 others were to a zoo type situation. Where I live now, anywhere I travel...even to a store for food, etc. is a minimum 35 miles and usually 75 for most things, so craigslist isn't feasible for me.