bird-brain
03-14-2010, 01:21 PM
Okay, so I went to a bird fair in the Atlanta area yesterday and though I know at least one other member on the board went and found what he was looking for, I was a bit disappointed. :( Yes there were some good toys at great prices and some nice cages at even better prices but I guess the lack of variety in birds is what disappointed me. I had hoped that because it was so well advertised that there would be some of the less commonly seen birds present but I found very little I can't walk into pet stores and see. Finches and Canaries abounded. There were only a few grasskeets one indian and one african and one lutino ringneck. Green cheek conures must secretly rule Atlanta Georgia because they were everywhere. Lots of beautiful Eclectuses. Several of the breeder pairs displayed were pluckers. AND (and I understand traveling with a lot of animals is a nightmare, we haul about 18 horses to shows every week starting in April) but travel cages were dirty, cramped and in disrepair. Perhaps it is just my ignorance in not understanding what all goes into doing one of these so breeders here, PLEASE feel free to point these things out to me so that I can feel better about the next one I attend. Selling unweaned babies at a fair? Is that cool? 3 lovies or parrolets in a 6"x3" acrylic carrier for 8 hours with no water source? There were some VERY nice booths with VERY nice birds. But so many just seemed like birdie mill types. I saw a few limited examples of the birds I own and it just struck me that the birds were "dirty" for lack of a better word. My birds do not bathe everyday but they both have a certain iridescence to their feathers that can be blinding even in poor light due to healthy diet and proper exercise). So many of these birdies were just dull.:( The exotic bird fair I last went to was just nothing like this (in Columbia). The displays were huge and clean and you could handle all sorts or birds. It was set up with natural habitat exhibits etc. I just expected something similar especially given that Atlanta is so much larger than Columbia.:(
Again, not all were this way in fact probably fewer than it feels like but you know what they say about one bad apple. Wayne and I just seemed to say so often, why would you bring out a bird that looks like that to try to use as a lure to sell babies? On the plus side, got a great shower perch at a really price cuz Wayne hasn't the time right now to make us one! Got some pellets, egg food nutriberries and avicakes at great prices!
Again, not all were this way in fact probably fewer than it feels like but you know what they say about one bad apple. Wayne and I just seemed to say so often, why would you bring out a bird that looks like that to try to use as a lure to sell babies? On the plus side, got a great shower perch at a really price cuz Wayne hasn't the time right now to make us one! Got some pellets, egg food nutriberries and avicakes at great prices!