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The Finch Farm

Monaco

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I was looking through their site for finches yesterday. I also got the sense they're a broker since you can place an order and some ship in 1 week, some 3 weeks etc. I'd rather find a breeder than a broker.
@Emeraldxo your story is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your loss.
 

Lady Jane

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This breeder is now retired and has no budgies.
 

mythic55

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The finch farm is not a 'breeder' but a broker.
They contacted me to actually be one of their breeders last year, which obviously I declined. Their network is massive, some are just an old woman with a single breeding pair, others are massive compounds/mills, and im sure there is many wild caught mixed in.

What they successfully did is become a 'portal' for people seeking companion birds. Their platform is based of of volume with low overhead (like ebay or etsy). The problem with the model is that there is no real quality control, but they do have 'some' ethics as to the age of the birds sold, etc. Of course almost any document can be fudged.

I would keep checking places like BirdsNow, etc and start emailing breeders... just begin a dialog with as many as you can find. Breeding is controversial, and breeding practices are up to scrutiny. You might also consider adoption.
 

Beatlesfan

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Hello all and apologizes in advance if I'm in the wrong thread, this is my first forum and i'm first time owner of a pineapple green cheek conure purchased from the finch farms. The experience turned poor for me during shipping and I was left with a heavy stomach upon the birds arrival and trying to get basic information about such as his/her hatch date and feel they were disingenuous overall. I feel for @Emeraldxo and their experience. Was told the bird was hand fed and could tell this conure has had very limited human interaction. As for trying to get a hatch date/certificate of any kind they just replied with "exactly six months old" and they do not keep exact records due to clutch size. I'm a new owner and only have some expierience with conures from working petsmart years ago, but even they had more documentation about their birds than this place. I have poor feelings toward petsmarts practices and did not want to purchase from them and felt I was buying from a reputable seller.
 

Monica

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@Beatlesfan Sorry to hear of the poor experience you've had!

If what others say is true, they may not have the hatch date of your baby because they didn't get a hatch date from the breeder... which isn't them. It honestly sounds like they are a broker of birds...
 

Mockinbirdiva

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I discovered on Pinterest... of all places... a photo of a pair of yellowsided green cheeks I owned. This was last year I believe. I clicked on it and found a link to the finch farm. Poked around there and located my personal photo of my birds. They have a chat message so I started a conversation with one of the representatives and called them out on it and told them to take my photo down as they were misrepresenting their birds with mine. For me, it was a fun conversation... I really dogged them and I haven't seen that photo on their again. How did they get my photo? Probably from photobucket.
 

Monica

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I discovered on Pinterest... of all places... a photo of a pair of yellowsided green cheeks I owned. This was last year I believe. I clicked on it and found a link to the finch farm. Poked around there and located my personal photo of my birds. They have a chat message so I started a conversation with one of the representatives and called them out on it and told them to take my photo down as they were misrepresenting their birds with mine. For me, it was a fun conversation... I really dogged them and I haven't seen that photo on their again. How did they get my photo? Probably from photobucket.
Google.... cause apparently, if it's on Google, it's a "Free For All".... had that discussion with someone. Didn't take the convo very far though.. but essentially said that if the photos aren't there's, they shouldn't be using them. Their website designer got them off of Google therefor it was "Okay".... ugh...

Don't remember the website now but I do remember they were/are selling Voren's Black Caps... think they were also brokers, too...
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Google.... cause apparently, if it's on Google, it's a "Free For All".... had that discussion with someone. Didn't take the convo very far though.. but essentially said that if the photos aren't there's, they shouldn't be using them. Their website designer got them off of Google therefor it was "Okay".... ugh...

Don't remember the website now but I do remember they were/are selling Voren's Black Caps... think they were also brokers, too...
No, they said they used Shutterstock for their photos. I told them my photos were never on shutterstock. Here's the conversation:

(09:28:30 PM) Andrea: Hi, I came across your website via Pinterest. Googling for photos of sun conures and I see a photo of mine used on your website advertising Conure- Yellow-sided Green Cheek. Those two birds are my birds, I have the original files on their photos taken years ago and I don't recall you or any representative asking me for permission to use this photo. You.. Your Company The Finch Farm are misrepresenting birds that you sell by using MY PHOTOS of MY BIRDS. I expect you to remove this image from your website Quickly. You need to use photos from your photography and birds you currently have for sale.

Andrea

(09:28:32 PM) Dee: Hello! Thank you for visiting our store! How can I help you today?
(09:28:37 PM) *** Sales & Support joined the chat ***


(09:28:48 PM) Andrea: Read my message Dee.

(09:29:16 PM) Sales & Support: Thank you! I will let Management know right away!
(09:29:38 PM) Sales & Support: The yellow-sided green cheek?
(09:29:48 PM) Sales & Support: Where was it used?


(09:30:03 PM) Andrea: Yes... the picture with the two yellow sided green cheeks.

(09:30:11 PM) Sales & Support: Right on our site??

(09:30:18 PM) Andrea: It's on your website... yes!
(09:30:40 PM) Andrea: I'm on your page of conures for sale.

(09:30:52 PM) Sales & Support: I will have it taken care of right away, thanks for letting me know!

(09:31:10 PM) Andrea: Will they contact me regarding this matter?

(09:31:31 PM) Sales & Support: Yes we can send you an email as soon as it's been taken care of for you
(09:32:01 PM) Sales & Support: We get our photos from shutterstock as example for a bird species, so it is a bit surprising


(09:32:28 PM) Andrea: Thank you. I will check back and make sure it is removed. These photos were never on shutterstock.

(09:33:04 PM) Sales & Support: You're welcome, I will forward the information and it will be reviewed as soon as possible

(09:33:26 PM) Andrea: Looking forward to hearing back from one of your supervisors.

(09:34:19 PM) Sales & Support: Absolutely!
(09:34:27 PM) Sales & Support: Thanks again for letting us know!


(09:36:56 PM) Andrea: Not the first time people have taken my photos and used them to represent what they are selling. I just manage to catch this on pinterest. I don't like misrepresentation so I always contact the source.

(09:38:06 PM) Sales & Support: It's appreciated! We actually send a photo of the exact bird people receive in the travel box before we send it... but I did send a message to the Marketing Dept so it should be fixed shortly

(09:38:52 PM) Andrea: Thank you. I'm actually very surprised people look at a website and order birds online.

(09:39:32 PM) Sales & Support: Yes we have thousands of customers... I just gave your email to our Marketing Manager who will be contacting you

(09:39:55 PM) Andrea: thanks.

(09:40:24 PM) *** Sales & Support left the chat ***
 

Emeraldxo

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Hello all and apologizes in advance if I'm in the wrong thread, this is my first forum and i'm first time owner of a pineapple green cheek conure purchased from the finch farms. The experience turned poor for me during shipping and I was left with a heavy stomach upon the birds arrival and trying to get basic information about such as his/her hatch date and feel they were disingenuous overall. I feel for @Emeraldxo and their experience. Was told the bird was hand fed and could tell this conure has had very limited human interaction. As for trying to get a hatch date/certificate of any kind they just replied with "exactly six months old" and they do not keep exact records due to clutch size. I'm a new owner and only have some expierience with conures from working petsmart years ago, but even they had more documentation about their birds than this place. I have poor feelings toward petsmarts practices and did not want to purchase from them and felt I was buying from a reputable seller.
Hello - When I got a notification that my name was tagged with the Finch Farm, I turned pale. I am sorry you have had to deal with them. My bird was parent fed. When I received her, she looked disheveled. Her beak was a mess and she looked awful. When I asked about her hatch date, they told me she was between 10 and 12 months old. And the list goes on...I never got the chance to cuddle her or get to know her. She passed away 2 months after I received her. I don’t want to get into all the details of my experience again, (I know some people on this forum have had good experiences with them so I only speak for myself), but have your bird vet checked with full blood panel. One last thing - I wanted to provide a final outcome of my story. Originally The Finch Farm said there was nothing they could do about my bird because I didn’t purchase the 60 day warranty. My bird was going through health issues. I reported them to the BBB. After the BBB contacted the Finch Farm, this was their response: “We would be happy to refund Ms. XXX her money”.
Good luck with your bird.
 

Beatlesfan

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@Mockingbirdiva that is really shady. I found that customer service took longer to get back to me as I was asking more questions and ran into issues with shipping. I was contacted on the 27th that my bird was ready to ship and if I was ready to receive it. I chose usps due to convince(I live a few miles from Boston and Logan Airport is an absolute mess). They put a tracking number on my account and saw it was in Miami a little after 5 hours of shipping...the tracking details stopped there and with a set date/time for the 28th by noon to pick up the bird I was nervous. I contacted finch farms customer service and was told the tracking info isn't complete and wouldn't see anything else until arrival at my post office. That didn't seem right for a priority express order and was then told they ship out many birds and only scan one or two sheets as its sent. They didn't seem to like that I contacted usps support and told me the shipment can take up to three days. Also, they suggested I setup for notifications on the usps website which I already had done. Asked why give customers tracking numbers if they mean little? I was upset that I put aside time for the order for nothing and after this customer service took much longer to get back to me to answer questions. They wanted to know when the bird was immediately in my care and it took them 8hrs to respond. On the plus side, usps support was awesome and put an urgent notice in for my order. I was just became confused when they pushed responsibility on the postal service. Also, Finch Farms do not refund live orders even after they are just placed due to "the complexity of their system". I'm sure this is fairly common but found it strange that there is no way out even after order is just placed. I do agree with @Monica about this place outsourcing breeders as others mentioned too. Was hoping for more transparency.
 

Beatlesfan

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@Emeraldxo. I saw your complaint on the BBB after digging around earlier in the month and that is when I felt uneasy. I find it odd(not in a negative way) I happen to join the same forum and did not want to mention your complaint unless brought up. I read your post last night and remembered indian ringnecks being mentioned. I should have done something similar because I didn't like the fact they could not answer questions straight(softball questions)and saw the no refunds in their policy. I plan to due exactly what you said with the vet. My bird seems very alert but his tail feather are in not so good shape. Thanks for the response and advice.
 

finchly

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One last thing - I wanted to provide a final outcome of my story. Originally The Finch Farm said there was nothing they could do about my bird because I didn’t purchase the 60 day warranty. My bird was going through health issues. I reported them to the BBB. After the BBB contacted the Finch Farm, this was their response: “We would be happy to refund Ms. XXX her money”.
Hah! Good for you. Sounds like your bird was ill from the start. I mean, I myself would not want to give a refund if it died that far out, but then... I wouldn’t ship a sick bird either.

@Beatlesfan your shipping story’s exactly like when @Lady Jane shipped me her budgies. It truly may have been the PO. The tracking means nothing, they lost the birds, it took longer than promised. These were coming from Md to Fl. The USPS also put in an “urgent “ notice, I suspect now that’s their game.
 

Beatlesfan

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@finchly. I suspect a mix of the two for shipping,however, finch farms said they ship many orders with only "one or two pages being offered to scan". It also seemed as I had more questions finch farms customer service didn't want to deal with me. USPS was cool though...I ended up speaking to a bird owner lol. I'm sure people have had good experiences but mine was far from it and felt I could do nothing with the policies they have. They also make it seem like the birds are bred on their property. My little one is "6 months old" and is very skittish and was not "hand fed". Has anyone had any experience with avian insurance? I was looking at a nationwide plan. I was planning to visit a vet in a few days for a check up both from my suspicions and advice from Emeraldxo. My bird's nails were not recently trimmed and his tail feathers are in questionable condition. I asked from them to trim his flight feathers as I get acquainted and that does not look good either. I plan to let him fly after the adjustment time. Thanks
 

Monica

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My little one is "6 months old" and is very skittish and was not "hand fed".
To be clear on something... Just because a bird was handfed and handraised does not mean that you'll take a bird home that is friendly right off the bat. This could very well be the personality of the bird and has nothing to do with how they were raised. Some birds adjust immediately where-as others take time to settle in.


his tail feather are in not so good shape
Many babies end up with broken/sad looking tail feathers. A good soaking bath may help until the bird goes through a molt.


Still, a great idea to see a vet. I do not have bird insurance but some people do. Others feel it's better to have a credit card specifically for pet care and nothing else.... some people set up a savings account and put money away each month for their birds. There's also Care Credit which can be used for pet care. This I have and use.
 

cosmolove

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I also looked at thefinchfarm when I started toying with the idea of getting birds again. I decided I wanted to look for a bird that needed a home so I checked websites like craigslist, hoobly, etc first. Well an issue I had is that there were HUNDREDS of ads in every city around me from them. Then when I went to their website I couldn't even figure out where they were located. Then the fact that all of the photos were random google images I walked away. Reminded me of a puppymill. I get they may just be a broker but still something didn't seem right to me, reading the responses here I think my gut wasn't lying.
 

Beatlesfan

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@Monica I totally understand where you are coming from but this bird was not handled/interacted with at all...with the orders i took in at the petstore they were stressed but always curious and would be content at studying the surroundings and people while becoming acclimated in the delivery room after a day or so. When told that he was handled well and handfed, I do not believe syringe fed or just placing a bowl in the cage fits the bill for either...They did admit to syringe feeding and little handling in one of their BBB complaint responses. I do apologize if I come off as rude its not my intention, however, when told something I expect exactly that. Not asking for him to fly into my arms right away but to not be super skittish with gentle talking from 10 feet away when told he was given attention. I appreciate the advice about the tail feathers and insurance/credit card...I do some more digging. @cosmolove They are located in Vancouver, WA I saw a two photos and a BBB of around an A, but realize now as long as they resolve complaints a company can keep a high grade. I mentioned earlier to another member that the thing that stung was not having a way out in terms of refunding even just after purchase. The wait time was also listed at 10 weeks so I figured I had some time to investigate further but was contacted in 3 weeks.
 

finchly

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I hate that you went through this, Darrell. I thought they had relocated to Miami, since they ship from there? Maybe the company is in WA but the breeder(s) they work with are in Miami. I don't know, I have never dealt with them and tend to buy my birds from trusted breeders fairly close by.

You are not coming off as rude; you are sharing your experience which is what we do here. BTW I don't have pet insurance on my birds but I do on one of my dogs. So far it hasn't covered anything, but we have spend thousands on her. LOL We got it after our maltese required a $7,000 eye surgery at age 4.

I have a parrotlet I got from a Florida breeder. They too advertise as hand tame, and they advertise everywhere. And their prices are ridiculous. But I really wanted mine to be hand tame. So I bought from them. Spoke with them on the phone and made it clear that to me, hand RAISED doesn't equal hand TAME, and I wanted a very tame baby. I actually got into their vehicle and watched the lady handle and kiss him. Yet he is very skittish, shy of hands, flies away from most people still (I think he's 4 now). He does land on my head, shoulder, and back as long as I do not bring my hands near him. He also obeys a couple of commands. So he isn't at all what I wanted, and I go back and forth as to whether he just wasn't handled, or the handling was too much for him.
 

Beatlesfan

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I'll be checking out "the conure court" to see others little ones. Will post a picture or two soon When Marley settles. Apologizes if I rambled on...most likely leaving the thread soon. I don't need to harp on the subject. It is what it is. Still happy to have marley. @finchly Yeah they shipped from WA but you and others mention that contracting with breeders is more likely. I think the birds are shipped to their business location then shipped to people for purchases. He/she has a good appetite and strange enough did cuddle with me for a bit last night...sure it was exhausted. It was 30 degrees yesterday and think the little one was just cold. I have a K&H heater on and a thick curtain ready if it does get cold in the house. Using the curtain on some of the cage to calm him/her down for a bit. Tell me about the pups and bills lol. Just lost my 14 yr old jack russell early this month due to cancer spreading from her spleen and put her down...still had tons of energy despite age and only showed cancer symptoms when it was too late. She also had a femur ball joint operated on at 1 yrs old due to it rotting/disintegrating. 3,000 dollars and a few months later she was chasing squirrels. oh, and never went to the bathroom in the house. Thanks and will look for you folks in other threads. Still new here and getting used to the forums.
 

finchly

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Just lost my 14 yr old jack russell early this month due to cancer spreading from her spleen and put her down...still had tons of energy despite age and only showed cancer symptoms when it was too late.
Oh no, I am so sorry! It is so painful to lose them. Mine are age 4 and age almost-10, there is a thread here. With pictures!
 
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