Selling Birds

The somewhat frustrating issue of selling birds.

I both loathe and enjoy selling birds at the same time. Pet shops only offer a low amount of a bird worth so it forces me to list my birds online for sale to recoup some money for my hobby.

Some of my pet peeves are

- Asking questions that are clearly stated in the ad
- Asking for a discount. Even though the bird is listed at a more than fair price to begin with; I don't list a bird for sale at certain price to be bartered down price that I actual want to get...
- No shows. Why organize to pick up and bird and not turn up? You either want the bird or not.

I do enjoy chatting with other bird owner however and I have found that bird owner a generally very nice people. 

I have had the most success with Gumtree but I have also used Petlink in the past.

Pests - Rats & Mice

A downside of keeping birds is the fact that the seed will attract rats and mice. They carry disease, can hassle bird during raising of young and even attack birds as I have just found out with my female Gouldian finch. She was attacked through the aviary mesh and greatly damaged leg and succumbed to injuries this morning. The rat returned last night to try and finish her off, knocking the finches water supply off the side of the aviary.

I have managed this in the past by keeping my seed in plastic sealed bins in the shed and keeping an open packet of Ratsak if the rodents feel the need to snack on something. I also concrete any entry holes in the aviary that mice make. I now have the need to take a more proactive approach to resolving this. 

Aviary reconfigure

Time has come to move on this seasons young. My three Indian Ringnecks have already been sold and two out of the three Red Rumped Parrots are sold (one going to my neighbors).

I have also decided to cut back a bit a reconfigure. Galah's are up for sale and I'll be moving my Princess Parrot pair into their space and my Green Cheeked Conures will also go with trio of Indian Ringneck Parrots (Turk, Milly & Bo Bo) going in their space in hopes of developing another breeding pair with "Bo Bo" laying a egg this season and not hatching it.

This will allow me to move my Red Rumps and other Ringnecks (Boe and Tommy) into my silver aviary and I may even look at placing my hand raised Cockatiel "Tishi" in the aviary too and pairing her with mate.