Nervous about ordering lavenders online

[France81]

I'm in search of a companion for my lavender, but I am having no luck whatsoever. I contacted so many stores and people and all I hear is not available or that they are so hard to find. The only place that I can find is finchfarm.com or az birds. I never ordered birds online and I feel a little concerned for their well being, I really did't want to go this route but I am beginning to think that it will be my only choice. Can anyone tell me their experiences and thoughts about it? It would definitely help me make up my mind. Does anyone know a breeder that I can trust to ship them? I'm so confused!

[Sheather]

I used finchfarm a few years ago. All of the birds came in good shape, including some orange-cheek waxbills, a cutthroat, and a society, except for the Gouldians. I had terrible experience with Gouldians; I paid for a male and female and got two females. Both arrived sick and one died almost immediately. I was sent a replacement male, which also died, before getting a refund for him. The other sick one did recover, but the process wasn't a good experience and has put me off ordering online again.

[Ricardo Ronsini]

Yeah, I also had a bad experience buying an albino cockatiel online, the bird came sick and died within weeks, since then I decided to never buy another animal without seeing it first.

[France81]

That's what I'm afraid of, maybe I'll just get a different type of waxbill until I come across another lavender. My lavender right now is all alone in an aviary, so I guess it wouldn't hurt.

[Ricardo Ronsini]

If it is just for companionship matters, i think that there is no problem buying another specie of waxbill, or even societies.

[w.l.]

Lavenders have a very different character and behaviour from Societies and even most other waxbills so those species might not be much of a companion for a solo Lavender. Perhaps better than nothing, of course.

I also avoid ordering by shipping whenever possible.
But Lavenders are rarely bred and most come from importers and if none is near you, ordering might be necessary.

[isobea]

France81 - I also would not like to have birds shipped but sometimes there seems to be no other way to get what you want.
Do you have any importers on the east coast? Maybe in NY? I'm thinking if it was close by, maybe you could buy directly from them or if you have to have your bird shipped, the distance (and with hope the time it would take) wouldn't be so great.
Good luck,
Iso

[France81]

ISO, I can't find any breeder around here, the ones that I talked to stopped breeding them. I'm trying to see if I could locate someone in FL, my mother is going to visit my sister and can bring them back if I find any.

[France81]

W.I, what kind of waxbill would you recommend? I located a pair of orange cheeked waxbill and a lonely shaft tail.

[w.l.]

As a companion for the Lavender, I'd definitely recommend another Lavender.
Otherwise, orange-cheeks are cute, and I also like Common/Helena waxbills a lot.
Don't mix the shaft-tail with waxbills.

[Jen]

France81
I've ordered from the Finch Farm a couple of times with no problems at all. I would not recommend ordering Gouldians because in my opinion they are more fragile than other finches. (I know I'm going to catch heck for referring to Goulds as fragile).....but I have about 75 Goulds that I've raised and breed and feel they are "different" than other finches when it comes to breeding and raising them.

I ordered Gold Breast, Red Cheek Cordon Blues. Senegal Fires and Orange Cheeks with no problems at all. My experience with The Finch Farm is that they contacted me before the birds shipped and again when they shipped showing much concern about their birds.

Hope you find a mate for your Lavender....keep us posted!

[France81]

Jenny,
Thank you for the encouragement, I'm beginning to think that ordering them might be my only option. Did you have to pick them up or they were delivered to your house?
Ana.

[Jen]

Frances81

I picked them up at the local post office. I was able to track them from the info the shipper gave me until they arrived. The post office called me when they arrived and I picked them up, all in good condition. I didn't ship in very cold weather or when summertime was in full swing. Maybe I "lucked out", I don't know, but I was very happy with my birds. Best of luck and let us know how it works out for you!

[Dave]

I haven't bought from these sources, but I've looked at their websites and thought about it often enough!

Use some dollars and have them sent by air, rather than through the post office. First of all, it is against the USPS rules to send finches via them. And, when you ship by air the birds are shipped and you receive them all the same day.

http://www.theexoticfinchesofnaplesflorida.com/store/

http://www.mdexoticbirds.net/Birds.html?1015.PCI=100261

[isobea]

France81 - Ana, I just followed Dave's link to mdexoticbirds and then calculated the distance: it's a 5 hour drive which wouldn't be too bad if you could spend the night (do you have friends/family in MD?). That would be a lot less stressful for the birds than being shipped. Just an idea...
Iso