CandoAviary wrote:My biggest goal in the bird world is educating bird owners...the reason I do it comes from my passion of birds/animals.
I agree with Sally, It really comes down to research... and I must add, establishing a relationship with the vendor...whether on line, bird fair, pet store, or small hobby breeder in sales. I have known vendors that know nothing about the birds they sell, I have known small hobby breeders that have had birds dropping like flies, I have had healthy birds shipped that got delayed/chilled and developed problems after arrival....
I myself do not ship but may in the future and even though I personally may have 400 birds available for sale does not mean they aren't healthy... on the contrary, I would stack my birds health against any breeder out thereIf breeders had the facilities, time, and desire they may would end up producing lots of chicks also, possibly even developing a business that has monetary rewards besides the reward of being surrounded by birds and bird lovers
I also consider this breeder a great friend. Many small breeders get frustrated because large output lowers the price of the market price making it harder to get the high prices that some finches use to command. Don't get caught up in a few being offered is better than a lot being offered...all depends on the breeder, amount of birds they own, facitity and the time they dedicate to them. It is all about supply and demand, if there are a lot of a species then of course the prices drop and vice versa, strawberries are an excellent example... few available so prices extremely high. I happen to like the gouldians and enjoy them tremendously... just happens that there are many to buy from but I think that is all the more reason to breed super quality birds
As Cindy pointed out, there are many scam artist out there. Unfortunately scams seem to be in every business out there... so this means the buyers need to be even more vigilant than ever in securing the best purchases. It is nice to hear peoples opinions on vendors but remember that is what it is, opinion. Nothing is better than establishing an ongoing relationship with your sellers, whether it's the breeder next door or a vendor across the country. If I can't develope an ongoing, honest friendship with my suppliers/buyers... then I don't continue to buy nor sell to them. Also, if I have a problem, I have established the avenues to talk openly with the seller about my problems and I might would share the problem publically but never naming the names.
Q, I hate to read that you have had such a loss. I do not know this vendor but seems he's not very popular here. Sounds like he's been around for a while. Hopefully new finch keepers/buyers will take the time to get to know buyers better. Also I hope that buyers will take what they hear, or read from people's opinions with a grain of salt... sometimes vendors will cut others just for cut throat competion. That is why it is so important for each buyer to build that relationship between buyer and seller.
On another note, I personally have had a great relationship with a vendor that I have seen trashed here in this forum. I still have a good relationship and have received nothing but healthy birds. I don't doubt that others have had problems but I also realized that they were shipped further, during the summer molt, and went into places that had had other bird dying even before those birds arrived ... I also have received terribly sick birds come from a seller that many sing praises about (although I bought birds that were not bred by but were brokered through) so you will always have different opinions and there will always be different outcomes when it comes to living creatures... they aren't like shipping a non living commodity across the country. Sometimes, due to a lot of factors... _hit happens... at some time or another.Unfortunatly.
Very well said - Candace. Thank you for sharing the thoughts.
I am waiting to see some of your canaries photos from Dean
