My new birds 0 let's call it stress relief for working hard!

fincher · Post by **fincher** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:05 am

hi there nice bird i really like the purple greadiers and would like a pr but unfortunatly were not aloud them in Western Australia Perth cause of the stupid wa goverment department that controlls the conservation and land part of side. we are not aloud to keep alot of birds that the eastern states can keeep like melbourne, sydney and that which is real stupid. maybe one day we will be allowed to keep them
thanks chris

gomer · Post by **gomer** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:21 am

i like the purple greadiers aswell.they are a beautiful bird.I have not seen them in real life before.

williep · Post by **williep** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:34 pm

Gomer and fincher. What is up with the oz regulation on some African finches? How is it that all of you (well almost) have Blue Caps or St Helena’s but you guys aren't allowed Grenadiers and Twinspots? Or is it just the import regulation issue again?

As for the grenadiers, they are quite expensive in SA terms as well at around USD150 per pair but they are rapidly becoming one of my favourites. They are very lively and busy birds and I can spend hours watching them zip around the aviary.

ShaneW · Post by **ShaneW** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:29 am

Yip, those grenadiers are beautiful birds!

Willie, I saw them in a local petshop for R1200pp but apparently there's a guy here in EL that sells them for R450 pp.

Have you got them in their own aviary or are they with any other birds, I read that they can be a bit aggressive.

They definitely on my wish list, and If I can get them for R450pp I should have a pair in a month or 2

fincher · Post by **fincher** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:18 am

hi williep the govt thinksd that if they get out they will become pests and destroy the crops and that and will become pests but when they are around $2000aus dollars who will be purposly letting them out. most of the top breeders in western australia are trying to push the govt to let us keep em but we are slowly getting a few more in we have been only allowed the yellow winged pytillias in the last 2-3 yrs and a couple of the twinspots like peters and dybowskis. then there arnt many around so that why many people havent seen them before.
thanks chris

mickp · Post by **mickp** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:44 pm

the govt lets us have them in south australia. hopefully in time the west aust govt will change the laws.

williep · Post by **williep** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:32 pm

Shanew, if you can get them for R450pp I'd buy all of the stock he has. My pair are imported from Tanzania and cost me R1200, if you can source them privately they go for around R800pp so R450 is a really good price. I specifically bought the imported birds for clean bloodlines most people around here source their birds from 1 or 2 big suppliers and I believe the bloodlines are not so pure anymore. My Blue Caps were also imported and I bred them quite easily, hopefully I would have the same success with the Grenadiers.

I understand the crop risk the Aus gov have but what is the difference between a grenadier and a BCCB or a twinspot and a St Helena of african silverbill? Did your local stock of the more "common" african finches just breed better that they are more readily available?