Orange-cheeked Waxbills $33 each at PetSmart

[finchandlovebird]

I saw a pair of Orange-cheeked Waxbills at PetSmart today; $33 each. Is that a good price? Should I get them & after a quarantine, would they be good to put in a 30" wide flight with my RCCB & pair of canaries? I'm a little tempted, and I don't think they looked the greatest, but I'd like some input. Thanks in advance.

[DanteD716]

Yes, that is a good price! They are usually 39.99 here. I have three, two male and a hen, they may be going through a molt but I think you'd like them. I don't know about the canaries, though they do fine with RC cordon bleus

[cindy]

If I remember correctly Pet Supermarket can get them in at $17.99 each. I have also seen the OCW at shows for less as well as our PetSmart had them for 10.99 once.

[finchandlovebird]

Thanks; I am really intrigued by them. I'll set up a cage to "have ready", but first I think I'll attend our local bird fair Feb 4 & see if they might have some. I'll check w/my local Pet Supermarket & see if they can order any; and if not successful w/all of this; I'll check back at PetSmart to see if they are still there. I'm trying really hard to control myself & do the right thing

[bugaboo5]

If they don't look great, I would not get them. Regardless of the price, you should never settle for less. I've gotten birds from Petsmart in the past but I usually discourage myself from actions beyond just looking. I have learned in life that sometimes, you get what you pay for. Cheaper is not always better -- though I'm sure we can all agree, we all love a good bargain. Definitely check out the bird marts first. Good luck!

[Jeff McKee]

I concur, I'd rather pay $30 for a Zebra finch than $5. Now, that said, I do look carefully at every Zebra that crosses my path! I want the right birds!

[managermania]

Me and my daughter first bought Orange Cheeks at Petsmart for 33.99 over a year ago. They were my first finches and got me started on the path to finch addiction. They have done great. I have not bred them yet, but they are very lively and healthy. I have always had them in my mixed flight. Last week I moved them to a breeder cage and they are currently nest building.

[DanteD716]

Chase, what kind of nest do you give them?

[managermania]

I gave them 2 choices. 1 is a large stick nest and one is a stick "hut-style" nest. They picked the large stick nest right now.

I also moved my Goldbreasts in to a breeder cage. With in a week, they built a nest and laid one egg so far.

Most of my luck in breeding has come from mixed large flights/aviary. I will be interested to see how some of these smaller waxbills do in breeder cages with no one to bother them.

[ikhom]

Last year I've bred OCW in a 30 inch breeding cage. They started with a wicker nest and then they started to build nests at the bottom of the cage.
They've used coconut fibre.
I have two galleries of OCW here.

[finchandlovebird]

ikhom: Loved the photos of your orange-cheek and gold breast waxbills. Lots to dream about