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Buying a bird online

Eggburt Dobson

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I have no plans of buying another bird and definitely not online, but I did come across this website called "the finch farm" while I was looking through bird images. They have a huge variety of different birds, both big and small, that they can ship out to your local post office for you to pick up. I was just wondering, has anyone ever ordered a bird online? Is this a safe way of purchasing a bird? It sounds a little sketchy, but I could be completely wrong.

Here is their website in case anyone is interested
www.thefinchfarm.com
 

Princessbella

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I have no plans of buying another bird and definitely not online, but I did come across this website called "the finch farm" while I was looking through bird images. They have a huge variety of different birds, both big and small, that they can ship out to your local post office for you to pick up. I was just wondering, has anyone ever ordered a bird online? Is this a safe way of purchasing a bird? It sounds a little sketchy, but I could be completely wrong.

Here is their website in case anyone is interested
www.thefinchfarm.com
Bella was bought from a breeder online but there was extensive questioning by both parties and although I had the choice of sending her through the mail I chose to have her shipped via airplane, which cost more than the bird. The problem with shipping with the post office is that no one guarantees the health of the bird. So you may wind up collecting a dead bird.
 

Zara

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I personally wouldn´t but I suppose if you were after a certain species of bird that is not avail. locally then it is an option.

When I was searching for a chow, many ads were pups to be sent via courier and I did not like that. I drove two hours to collect him in persno¡¡on.

Edit; sorry, Sydney decided to delete what I wrote :facepalm:
 

Fuzzy

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No idea about costs for the smaller birds, but how come the Amazons are so HUGELY expensive and all the same price (except for the last one), when Orange-wings should be the least expensive?
 

Eggburt Dobson

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Bella was bought from a breeder online but there was extensive questioning by both parties and although I had the choice of sending her through the mail I chose to have her shipped via airplane, which cost more than the bird. The problem with shipping with the post office is that no one guarantees the health of the bird. So you may wind up collecting a dead bird.
I'm glad it worked out for you and your Bella! And yeah, I'm not sure I would trust the stops my bird made between the breeder and me. Some of the birds I saw on the site were pretty rare and expensive, so I'd be worried someone at the post office might steal the bird too
 

Eggburt Dobson

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I personally wouldn´t but I suppose if you were after a certain species of bird that is not avail. locally then it is an option.

When I was searching for a chow, many ads were pups to be sent via courier and I did not like that. I drove two hours to collect him in persno¡¡on.

Edit; sorry, Sydney decided to delete what I wrote :facepalm:
I would definitely prefer to drive too. When my neighbor was looking for a naked guinea pig, she drove 5 hours there and back to pick it up so it wouldn't be shipped. Driving feels safest
 

Eggburt Dobson

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No idea about costs for the smaller birds, but how come the Amazons are so HUGELY expensive and all the same price (except for the last one), when Orange-wings should be the least expensive?
I haven't bought any big birds, so I didn't notice, but it seems like if they were good breeders, they would know what to price their birds at
 

MahaSarah

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I also second hearing bad experiences with that place. I would proceed with caution.
 

Eggburt Dobson

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I also second hearing bad experiences with that place. I would proceed with caution.
Yeah, I'm not home to get one online. It sounds to risky and I would prefer to be able to speak to the breeder in person and see the conditions the birds are raised in
 

HolliDaze

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Finch farm is a mass breeder and overcharges for all of their birds, from society finches to macaws. They claim to have free shipping but charge $100 for a shipping box, they charge $100 for dna as well iirc. I got Dexter online, from delorce’s bird barn, which, at the time, I was unaware was generally considered a bad breeder and whose aviary has since burnt down in a fire. Shipping anything besides chickens in the mail is actually illegal, it’s just the postal system won’t check to make sure you’ve got chickens and not flighted birds. I know about the site because I like to fantasy shop for birds, I’ve never bought from them. Their reviews seem extremely positive because they curate their reviews and won’t post anything even a little negative.
 

Eggburt Dobson

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Finch farm is a mass breeder and overcharges for all of their birds, from society finches to macaws. They claim to have free shipping but charge $100 for a shipping box, they charge $100 for dna as well iirc. I got Dexter online, from delorce’s bird barn, which, at the time, I was unaware was generally considered a bad breeder and whose aviary has since burnt down in a fire. Shipping anything besides chickens in the mail is actually illegal, it’s just the postal system won’t check to make sure you’ve got chickens and not flighted birds. I know about the site because I like to fantasy shop for birds, I’ve never bought from them. Their reviews seem extremely positive because they curate their reviews and won’t post anything even a little negative.
I'm glad Dexter has a good home now! I thought the finch farm seemed a little too good and positive with their comments, so I'm glad that's being confirmed. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who fantasy bird shops :smuggrin:
 

iamwhoiam

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My only "mail order" bird is Jaden, my Dusky Conure. I purchased him from a reputable breeder. Found her online and then talked to her a few times on the phone and also exchanged several emails including photos of Jaden and his clutchmates. You have to be very careful, though, when purchasing without having direct contact (face to face) with the breeder. Ask a lot of questions and do your research. If any red flags pop up then pass. Jaden was shipped via Delta.
 

Eggburt Dobson

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My only "mail order" bird is Jaden, my Dusky Conure. I purchased him from a reputable breeder. Found her online and then talked to her a few times on the phone and also exchanged several emails including photos of Jaden and his clutchmates. You have to be very careful, though, when purchasing without having direct contact (face to face) with the breeder. Ask a lot of questions and do your research. If any red flags pop up then pass. Jaden was shipped via Delta.
Thanks for the tips. I'm glad you were able to find a god online breeder for Jaden!
 

hrafn

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My pionus, Aurélie, was shipped to me by overnight air delivery from a small hobby breeder on the other side of the country. Before I even considered buying Réy, her breeder and I chatted back and forth for ages, with her sharing photos and videos of the clutch and me sending photos and videos of my setup. The potential risk of being scammed was always there due to me not being able to meet face-to-face, but I was able to contact her regularly and also speak directly to others who had purchased birds from her aviary.

The difference between that and online stores like The Finch Farm is not only the general lack of communication, but also the sheer number of birds; it's insane the variety of species you can (supposedly) buy on that site. No genuinely caring breeder is going to be breeding 40+ species through who knows how many pairs, or sending their chicks to "middle men" like bird brokers. Not to mention the incredibly inaccurate pricing.
Add to that the fact that their 'About Us' pages explain literally NOTHING about their breeding program or their birds, and the whole site just sends sirens blaring through my head.
 

Eggburt Dobson

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My pionus, Aurélie, was shipped to me by overnight air delivery from a small hobby breeder on the other side of the country. Before I even considered buying Réy, her breeder and I chatted back and forth for ages, with her sharing photos and videos of the clutch and me sending photos and videos of my setup. The potential risk of being scammed was always there due to me not being able to meet face-to-face, but I was able to contact her regularly and also speak directly to others who had purchased birds from her aviary.

The difference between that and online stores like The Finch Farm is not only the general lack of communication, but also the sheer number of birds; it's insane the variety of species you can (supposedly) buy on that site. No genuinely caring breeder is going to be breeding 40+ species through who knows how many pairs, or sending their chicks to "middle men" like bird brokers. Not to mention the incredibly inaccurate pricing.
Add to that the fact that their 'About Us' pages explain literally NOTHING about their breeding program or their birds, and the whole site just sends sirens blaring through my head.
The more I hear about it, the more I'm sure I definitely I won't be purchasing from this site. It's sad to think about what kind of conditions those birds are probably in
 

Eggburt Dobson

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Monica

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If I'm not mistaken, Sylphie, my ARN probably came through TheFinchFarm. Now, I haven't confirmed this... but what I do know is that Sylphie is a wild caught African Ringneck. She was imported May of 2013. There are only two (three?) companies that sell wild caught or imported parrots. She did not come from Bird Express. From what little I know, TheFinchFarm does sell imported birds.


I have gotten two birds "online".... through bird forums. The first is Charlie, my mitred conure. This was back when another bird forum was around (since extinct). A member lived 2.5-ish hours away and had, what she thought, was the same species as my first conure. She offered him to me because she figured that he would do better in a home with a bird his size and despite being one of her smaller parrots (she had/has macaws and amazons!!!) he was the loudest! Plus, he was a foster, taken in temporarily to get him out of a pet store that was also "fostering" him. They thought he was about 10 years old then, but he was actually 12. Well, he's 25 this year and he's first gen captive bred! His parents were (are?) wild caught imports that his breeder only bred once. (considering noise - no surprise! LOL) I actually took a bus down, stayed for a night or two, then had a friend drive us back up.

The second? Jayde, my little red throated conure. She came from another member of this forum and was shipped Delta. She was supposed to get here within a day but it actually took longer than expected because she got delayed in another state due to the heat. I wish I could have picked her up but back then it was out of the question to drive all the way to where she was at. Heck, even though Jayde is no longer with us, I'd still would love to make that drive! I really do need to get out that way, for at least a couple of reasons! Like Charlie, Jayde was taken in as a foster. Also like Charlie, she was a noisy little thing!!! Charlie still louder, though! ;) Jayde was the first bird that I could physically see have a clear preference for one gender over another... and not only that, but also an age thing! She preferred older women (aka "grandmotherly" type) over young ones. I'm 'young'. She didn't care for any of my (female) family members (including my grandmother) but then they aren't bird people. Jayde did fall for "Auntie K", a member of the local bird club. She definitely has the 'grandmother' look to her! After Jayde bit her on the nose, she decided that "Auntie K" was the bees knees! And screamed at me on the ride back home after having to separate Jayde from her! But once home, she was fine with me again! Miss the little booger! :)

Jayde Update | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
 

Eggburt Dobson

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If I'm not mistaken, Sylphie, my ARN probably came through TheFinchFarm. Now, I haven't confirmed this... but what I do know is that Sylphie is a wild caught African Ringneck. She was imported May of 2013. There are only two (three?) companies that sell wild caught or imported parrots. She did not come from Bird Express. From what little I know, TheFinchFarm does sell imported birds.


I have gotten two birds "online".... through bird forums. The first is Charlie, my mitred conure. This was back when another bird forum was around (since extinct). A member lived 2.5-ish hours away and had, what she thought, was the same species as my first conure. She offered him to me because she figured that he would do better in a home with a bird his size and despite being one of her smaller parrots (she had/has macaws and amazons!!!) he was the loudest! Plus, he was a foster, taken in temporarily to get him out of a pet store that was also "fostering" him. They thought he was about 10 years old then, but he was actually 12. Well, he's 25 this year and he's first gen captive bred! His parents were (are?) wild caught imports that his breeder only bred once. (considering noise - no surprise! LOL) I actually took a bus down, stayed for a night or two, then had a friend drive us back up.

The second? Jayde, my little red throated conure. She came from another member of this forum and was shipped Delta. She was supposed to get here within a day but it actually took longer than expected because she got delayed in another state due to the heat. I wish I could have picked her up but back then it was out of the question to drive all the way to where she was at. Heck, even though Jayde is no longer with us, I'd still would love to make that drive! I really do need to get out that way, for at least a couple of reasons! Like Charlie, Jayde was taken in as a foster. Also like Charlie, she was a noisy little thing!!! Charlie still louder, though! ;) Jayde was the first bird that I could physically see have a clear preference for one gender over another... and not only that, but also an age thing! She preferred older women (aka "grandmotherly" type) over young ones. I'm 'young'. She didn't care for any of my (female) family members (including my grandmother) but then they aren't bird people. Jayde did fall for "Auntie K", a member of the local bird club. She definitely has the 'grandmother' look to her! After Jayde bit her on the nose, she decided that "Auntie K" was the bees knees! And screamed at me on the ride back home after having to separate Jayde from her! But once home, she was fine with me again! Miss the little booger! :)

Jayde Update | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
I haven't handled any birds that were wild caught or even second generation wild caught. It seems like they would be harder to work with. I'm glad your birdies found a good home with you :D
 
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