Paul,
While I appreciate the feedback I can't help but sense a condescending tone in your post. I'd like the opportunity to respond in hopes of changing your mind. At least a little
As far as having a physical address- I don't find it wise or prudent to advertise an address where I keep thousands of dollars worth of birds and my livelihood for everyone to see. We accept all major credit cards so you would be 100% protected from fraud if that would be the concern. All that being said, anyone who orders will get my address on their confirmation e-mail as well as the return address when the birds ship.
I won't get into a debate on USPS shipping on here because that would likely end in complete derailment as it has on other threads.
I will say, I have never lost a bird during shipping. I have found that by shipping in appropriate temperatures, early in the week, and sending healthy birds there is little concern of an issue. I could have sworn I was reading a thread a while back that you were part of regarding this subject. Weren't you once a postal service employee? I could be mistaken on that... I guess the bottom line is, I have done my research, and have come to the conclusion that if done correctly, USPS is a viable option for those getting birds, especially in remote areas not near an airport.
As far as pricing goes I'm not sure what pages you are looking at. There are a few old out of date pages that are slightly cheaper. But the main larger seller's prices are right about where I'm at, and actually a little higher. I'll use Finch Farm as an example, because I believe they are the largest. Our prices are lower than theirs for most mutations. They also charge over $100 for box and shipping fees while we ship free on all orders of 2 or more birds. Here's another thing to keep in mind. The FF as well as the other big sellers are brokers not breeders. Meaning they often wait until you order to get the birds from their breeders and then re-ship them to you. This results in a lot of stress on the birds. My birds go directly from the aviary to the customer. Usually in just a couple days. Compare that to several weeks with the FF. Also, the breeders often send the brokers old bred out birds they don't need anymore. I only sell young birds I've raised in my aviary. I track all my genetics, don't breed weak mutations together, feed a high quality diet including Higgins brand seed as well as organic greens several times per week. I use large cages meant for cockatiels and small parrots instead of the cramped finch sized cages. The list goes on. I truly care about the birds and strive to breed the best Gouldians money can buy. I actually learned a lot from reading through posts on this very forum.
I realize my birds are not in everyone's budget. Unfortunately when factoring website costs, payment processing fees, seed, supplements, greens, electric, trips to the airport and post office, etc. the prices cant really be much lower. I realize some people have good local breeders (like yourself I'm guessing) and that's great! But for the large percentage that don't I am providing high quality, healthy birds, delivered quickly which I feel is something no one else offers on a large scale.
I know you have been a great contributor to this forum and I have respect for you. I hope I have cleared up any confusion you may have had. Hope you have a great night!
