Having a hard time researching breeders/rescues

kyva

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Apr 23, 2014
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Doylestown PA
For the last week or so, I've been trying to look into breeders and rescues in or around my area of Pennsylvania.

There are a few rescues, but most are too far for me to drive. I realize that some breeders ship, but I'd prefer not having the crate cost on top of whatever new fid I may get.

As for me, I recently lost my tiel of around 10 years to an unexplained cause (I'll post about it in the appropriate thread once I feel ready to do so). I was sure I'd be done with birds as it hurt too much and I still question what went wrong. However, the more time passes, the harder it is for me to ignore the empty space in my living room or how eerily quiet it is (I work from home).

So, I've started looking and reading whatever I can find. Thing is, I'm not sure what kind of bird I'd like. I love tiels. I've had them since I was 7 and think their crests add so much expression. However, other species such as lovebirds, linnies and GCCs are also grabbing my interest.

Sweetpea (my tiel) was hand-raised by myself and my husband for a few weeks after bringing him home from the store. I admit I purchase from a chain because it was easily available, which I know isn't the best of ideas, which is why I'm trying to find a rescue/breeder in my area.

I'm also watching our spca and Craigslist ads, but finding birds on either one is fairly rare.

I have checked birdbreeders.com as well as petfinder and so on. If you could suggest any other possibilities, I'd really appreciate it.
 

riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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What area of PA are you? It's a pretty big state!
 

riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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AH I go to Delaware Valley College:)

A Helping Wing is about an hour and twenty from you. I volunteer there and we have adopted two birds from them now (Folger and Max). If you want a baby then Amys Aviary is about 3 hours away (my one Green Cheek Monster is one of her babies). She just had one of her old baby suns returned to her if you are interested in an adult bird. Birdie Brains Aviary is about 5 hours in VA but thats where I got my sun from and he is an awesome little guy:)

Birds Paradise in NJ (about an hour away) also sells babies at their store and there are consignment birds in the store too.
 

goalerjones

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Oct 24, 2011
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Hahn's macaw, RIP George, Jenday Conure
Although I'm not a PA native I'd recommend speaking to the local avian veterinarians regarding this issue. They treat birds and do the initial workup for the rescue birds.
 

riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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Ah I just remembered Fins, Feathers, Paws, and Claws located at the Quakertown Farmers Market has a lot of babies that are well taken care of even though it's a petstore. We have seen the lady caring for the birds there manipulate people into birds more suitable for them or just plain refused to sell them one of the birds when they obviously don't know anything and don't care to learn.
 
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kyva

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Doylestown PA
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Riddick, I actually have been to Bird paradise a few times in the past. We actually were going to get a GCC from them. Spent hours in the bird room one day just holding her. However, when we went back, our file had been mixed up and someone got the baby we'd put a payment on (she wasn't quite weaned).

I wasn't sure if Bird Paradise was an acceptable area anymore or not. I haven't been back in years, and many folks here seem against all stores. Of course, I'm not sure what Bird paradise's background is.

However, I did just send an application into A Helping Wing, after reading your (or a family member's) review post about Foldger, actually :)

Del Val is a great college. It's no more than 15 minutes away. My little sister-in-law is about to graduate High School and she's applying there for veterinary skills.
 
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kyva

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Oh, I didn't even think of checking the Q-Mart. I vaguely remember that store, though like Bird paradise, I haven't been there in some time.

One small store we have here is Osbaldeston's Pets of the World. If I couldn't find a breeder or rescue nearby, I was going to check in with Julie at the store. I've known her for years as we used to go for crickets for hubby's geckos. I actually got my rabbit from them early last year, and he's so sweet.

I see her hand-feeding/raising babies all the time behind the counter.
 
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riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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My mother actually goes through the application process with people these days so you should be talking to her soon enough most likely:D
 
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riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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Yeah the store is way different then it used to be...the bird section exploded a year or so ago. And actually Fins, Feathers moved in there after taking over the old petstore. Can't remember the name of the old one.




EDIT: Hopefully it was obvious that I didn't mean it literally exploded:52:
 
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kyva

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Feathers everywhere, oh my! :)

It's so cool you and your mom volunteer at the rescue. I'd love to do something like that if there was such a place close enough to me as to not cost me a gas tank every few days.
 

riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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Blue & Gold Macaw (Titan) & Yellow Naped Amazon (Kelly)
I've heard about a lot of people transferring when they went to DelVal for vet because there wasn't enough extensive courses but that might be changing since they are becoming a University. I go for Accounting with a minor in Criminal Justice but one of my old friends went to DelVal for vet but transferred out pretty fast. I think she went to Harcum(?) after and then Penn for a bit for the vet program.
 
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kyva

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I'll have to wait and see what my SIL says. She has scholarships, the only downside is she has no transportation unless it's local (family drama). She could take the bus in town to Del Val or even walk. I'm sure if she wasn't so limited, she'd apply to other areas as well.

She's a major home-body :)
 

riddick07

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Dec 22, 2011
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PA
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Blue & Gold Macaw (Titan) & Yellow Naped Amazon (Kelly)
I am too:) Commuter! Yeah DelVal is pretty good with the scholarships and financial aid. If you talk with the financial aid director, Joan Hock, she will usually do whatever she can to help especially if it is obvious you aren't transferring out after the first year. She has helped me a lot with the aid over the years!

It's a lot of fun volunteering at the rescue but a bit of work too! We had lunch there last time and it ended up being play with the macaws time instead of cleaning after we ate:54: When you go in to adopt you get to meet a lot of different birds! So if you aren't sure what you are looking for then it is a good way to see if you click with anyone particular. They have plenty of cockatiels to choose from and quite a few conures. Amazons too for that matter and there is a red belly there (I don't think that one has an adopter). Mini macaws... big butt macaws...

They don't have gccs right now but if you really want one of those then Fins has a lot of them and so does Bird Paradise. The problem I've noticed with Bird Paradise is that not a lot of their babies are eager to play. The amazons were really curious and were hanging all over me when I was there but the conures ran for the hills when I came up. The conures at Fins come right up to the glass to see what you are doing and while follow you and roll around showing off and playing.
 
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kyva

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Doylestown PA
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I noticed that as well regarding Birds paradise. It's funny. Hubby tried to get me to play with the blue and gold babies, but I was so intimidated by their large beaks. I was such a wuss back then :)

The GCCs were hand shy. However, once the one we'd wanted hung out for us a bit, she sort of calmed down.

Great to hear about Fins birds being so outgoing.

Right now, I don't know what we want. Hubby still isn't set on getting a new fid for a while, whereas I miss mine so bad that I have to fill the quiet in my home. I guess it's different since I sat next to Sweetpea's cage (I work from home). Still, I don't want to rush hubby. I want him to love/want the fid as much as I do.

ETA: obviously he does want one and will love it, he just isn't ready yet. I guess he's at the 'I don't want to replace him' stage. It was his first tiel and the first bird aside from a budgie he'd ever had.
 

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