ISO: looking for Gouldians, Owls, Zebras

[AvianMan]

Hi! I am getting back in to the finch hobby! I used to breed gouldians and zebras until a move made it impossible to continue. Now I have purchased a new home and built an aviary and I want to get some wonderful little birds again!

I am looking for Gouldians (all colors considered), Zebras (all colors) , and owl finches

I am also looking for tanagers and mousebirds, but this isn't the place for those (but if you know of a breeder, let me know!)

You must live within a reasonable distance of the Cleveland Ohio area OR be willing to ship.

Right now I am looking for breeding age birds. Thank you!!
You can reply here, PM or email AvianMan@aol.com

[lovezebs]

AvianMan

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

Glad to hear that you have decied to come back to the bird world.

There are outfits like the Finch Farm http://www.thefinchfarm.com/ (which I believe are willing to ship), but hopefully you will find some breeders in your area.

A good place to check for breeders, is through Bird Clubs and Orginizations in your area.

[AvianMan]

Back in the day, bird shows (fairs) were all we had. How I loved traveling to a new show!
I made a lot of connections but sadly, they are gone

I have seen the Finch Farm... they even have paradise Tanagers!! But I do not know them... I am always wary when someone has such an assortment for sale... do you know anything about them?

[a_gouldian]

Back in the day, bird shows (fairs) were all we had. How I loved traveling to a new show!
I made a lot of connections but sadly, they are gone

I have seen the Finch Farm... they even have paradise Tanagers!! But I do not know them... I am always wary when someone has such an assortment for sale... do you know anything about them?

The Finch Farm seems to have bad reliability with delivering healthy Gouldians. I have read many posts were the birds die within a week of arrival. I have purchased some other birds from them with mixed results, but the other birds did not die after arriving. Fabulous Finch in Michigan has Gouldians that are of breeding age. I would try them. They ship.

[GouldianGuy]

AvianMan When you get things up and running, please post pictures of the birds and aviary to show us what you've got!

[AvianMan]

The Finch Farm seems to have bad reliability with delivering healthy Gouldians. I have read many posts were the birds die within a week of arrival. I have purchased some other birds from them with mixed results, but the other birds did not die after arriving. Fabulous Finch in Michigan has Gouldians that are of breeding age. I would try them. They ship.

That's what I love about message boards - I can get the skinny on breeders. Thank you for the insight and the lead!

[AvianMan]

AvianMan When you get things up and running, please post pictures of the birds and aviary to show us what you've got!

Hi! I will do that! I am still assembling as the weather here is still too unreliable for unacclimated birds, but I am using a metal 10x10 gazebo frame with aviary mesh and a double (safety) entry. I am toying with adding another 10x10 gazebo to make it 10x20...

I will post plenty of pics when it is done.

[GouldianGuy]

Hi! I will do that! I am still assembling as the weather here is still too unreliable for unacclimated birds, but I am using a metal 10x10 gazebo frame with aviary mesh and a double (safety) entry. I am toying with adding another 10x10 gazebo to make it 10x20...

I will post plenty of pics when it is done.

I know the feeling. I'm toying with the idea of a 8'x16' aviary... then I figured I wanna separate males from females... so now its 8'x28'. But then I want a large vestibule (Canada = Cold) so now it has an 8'x4' entry for storage etc... essentially doubled in size without laying a brick or cutting a piece of wood!

[lovezebs]

GouldianGuy

How are you planing on heating, insulation, etc.?

[GouldianGuy]

lovezebs Oh that will all be born out in the post i've been working on, but won't be posted for a while. This is a pipe dream once I get a stable job/location.

But the plan for heating is oil filled radiator heater +/- infrared lamps. insulation will be with 2-3inch thick insulation foam (that pink styrofoam stuff). Ideally I will have a few plugs inside the aviary to plug in all my electronics. I plan on sunsets/sunrises, full spectrum lighting, indoor and outdoor portions.

It will be go big and be at home

[a_gouldian]

I should have mentioned that the Finch Farm is a broker, not a breeder. They get in so many birds they can't realistically keep track of all the birds, their history, and how old they are.

We did get a nice pair of Cordon Bleus from them and we were lucky because those birds just arrived at the Finch Farm. We also got a pair of Greenback Twinspots and the male looked old. They never mated and the male passed suddenly 6 months later, we think from old age. Also, a pair of red-faced Star Finches. They are healthy but try as they do, they do not produce fertile eggs.

We sold a pair of Owl Finches to a woman who lives in our state, and she bought a pair of Gouldians from the Finch Farm and they both died within a week, plus she said they infected her other Gouldians and she lost a few more that she already had.

We think of the Finch Farm as a last resort now, just as we would any bird broker. Would much rather buy from breeders, but for certain birds that is very hard to do.

[lovezebs]

GouldianGuy

Oh my..... that sounds like a wonderful plan.

It sounds like something I would love to have, but highly unlikely that it will ever happen....

Looking forward to your thread about all your plans.

[GouldianGuy]

I should have mentioned that the Finch Farm is a broker, not a breeder. They get in so many birds they can't realistically keep track of all the birds, their history, and how old they are.

We did get a nice pair of Cordon Bleus from them and we were lucky because those birds just arrived at the Finch Farm. We also got a pair of Greenback Twinspots and the male looked old. They never mated and the male passed suddenly 6 months later, we think from old age. Also, a pair of red-faced Star Finches. They are healthy but try as they do, they do not produce fertile eggs.

We sold a pair of Owl Finches to a woman who lives in our state, and she bought a pair of Gouldians from the Finch Farm and they both died within a week, plus she said they infected her other Gouldians and she lost a few more that she already had.

We think of the Finch Farm as a last resort now, just as we would any bird broker. Would much rather buy from breeders, but for certain birds that is very hard to do.

The middle man cares only for his dollar

[AvianMan]

whoops! Mis-posted

[kcdozy]

I have normal $60 and fawn $70 owls available and will ship United $125, minimum order 8 birds. Rich ---kcdozy@yahoo.com