The finch handbook

[lovezebs]

w.l.

I've heard both good and bad, about ordering birds from these places.
It seems that some people have a good experience, and others have terrible experiences with sick birds, dying birds, etc.

If I want to order birds, I can do so through my Pet Shop here in town. That said, I have never ordered any. I guess it has something to do with the old adage about , " Not buying a cat in a bag..." I like to see what I buy before I buy it, when it comes to animals (birds included).

I may at some point have to break this rule however, if I'm ever to get a mate for my Diamond Firetail, which may be problematic as well, seeing that the place where they order from, does not guarantee sex, and the fact that I'm not sure if my bird is male or female... )

[w.l.]

I pretty much never order birds unseen either.
Even for picking up a single one, I am prepared to spend a day and night traveling myself.
Indonesians are the opposite. They are so lazy, often want birds delivered even if the seller is just 1 or 2 hours away, then complain if they get sick, plucked birds or those of the wrong sex!

[Nerine]

lovezebs

If you decide to, why not order three diamond firetails? After quarantine, put them together and see if a pair is formed....just an idea. Or maybe get 5 if you can swing it; I'm not sure how expensive diamonds firetails are. Maybe you'll get a pair for sure then.

[w.l.]

I think diamonds are quite aggressive so after pairs are formed, she'd need to house each pair separately. Or sell the surplus birds.
DNA sexing is the surest way to get true pairs but also seems pricey in your parts.

[lovezebs]

Nerine w.l.

Diamonds, are around $140.00 and up, so it would get expensive to buy a small flock of them . Plus, you may end up with off numbers anyway, as in 5 males and 1 female, or 5 females and 1 male (a very happy boy ).

The only way to be sure, is DNA, or buy from someone who 'knows' that he has a male or a female, or a proven pair, which there again would not help my unsexed little one

As W.l. mentioned, they can be fairly aggressive (which is why I ended up with this little one (who was being bullied and plucked by his cell mate at the Pet Shop).

A DNA test runs at around $40.00 or $50.00 bucks per bird, and don't quote me on that (it's just what I think someone at the Pet Shop told me a while ago).

And so..... here we are with my one little he/she all alone and lonely, sigh....

[w.l.]

isobea

This guy goes on and on about mixing Canaries and Lovebirds to come up with these colours, and that the young are fertile, blah blah blah ...
Then on the next page, you find out that it's an April fools day joke

Well, these are not jokes - I took these pics for you on my local birdmarket this morning:

FB_IMG_1481610727530.jpg

FB_IMG_1481610738227.jpg

[lovezebs]

w.l.

I have seen similar pictures before..... and you are right, this is def not a joke.
I really hope that it's just plain food dye that they use, but I wonder how many drown during the process.

In the Canary video on top, it's just computer colour manipulation, so the actual birds were not coloured.

[w.l.]

I know the canary video was manipulated which is why I pointed out the birds here are dyed for real. Don't know how many die in the process, most survive.
Sadly most of these are sold as toys to kids to be tortured to death, but they could survive the dying process itself. I obviously never buy such birds but have kept a few such spices that came to my aviary trying to get in somehow after escaping despite having plucked wings - it's standard procedure to pull the long wing feathers of living toys. I usually keep them till their feathers grow back then release them in the country. They behave perfectly normally and lose the color with the next moult.

[lovezebs]

w.l.

I think you mentioned this once before, and it hurts me to think about it.

I am not naive by any means of all the horrid things that go on in our world, but thinking about it, and being able to do nothing, is hurtful on some deep level at the very core of my humanity.

I often wonder, why as people we feel that we are within our rights to hurt, and destroy other creatures that we share this world with.

Cruelty is cruelty, and cruelty to the helpless and the innocent, is inexcusable and can't be justified by ignorance. When people hurt something or someone, they know deep down inside that it's wrong, unless one is dealing with a sociopath.

[w.l.]

Well, because animals are seen as mere objects, this is not seen as cruel.
We in the West are raised to view animals as living creatures with feelings that deserve respect (which might be conveniently waived when dealing with farmed animals or pests) while people in many (most?) other cultures see them as mere objects that can be used any way for man's pleasure or benefit, and actually see our treatment of them as ridiculous - perhaps like you might view someone telling you that cutting flowers for your vase or digging up carrots and potatoes to chop up and eat is cruel.

[Sally]

At the recommendation of one of our members, I will move this topic to the Resources forum, so it will be available to all.

[Chihuahua]

lovezebs - Elana, you have a nice colletion there. I'm with you: I love books! I have one shelf dedicated to books on birds, one about dogs, one about gardening, one about orchids and another about plumerias. Then are shelves filled with books in the guest room and in the our bedroom. And, oh I almost forgot, boxes full of books in the garage... Unfortunately, my son is one of those book-less 25 year-olds. Loved books as a child and then entered the world of electronics.
Iso

PS: Along with one or two Javas I asked Santa for the "Prachtfinken Australien, Ozeanien, Suedostasien" book. A huge, heavy and very expensive book which is - unfortunately - only available in German. I already have the one on African waxbills and this one on the birds in w.l.'s neck of the woods (kind of) would be amazing.

I am 23 and at that point too and I am trying to go back!! I miss books.

[lovezebs]

Chihuahua

Glad to hear that.

I know that one can get so much information on line now days, but there is nothing like curling up with a good book for an evening . There is something almost magical about it, and a tablet, or a lap top, can never replace it in my heart.