Good places to shop for bird stuff?

eunoia93
Hatchling

Posts: 25

Good places to shop for bird stuff? Jun 28, 2015 21:39:13 GMT -5

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Post by eunoia93 on Jun 28, 2015 21:39:13 GMT -5

Since I've gotten my new buddy, Fintan

I've been looking around at what are the best places to shop for bird supplies. There are a few pet stores near me, including big chains like petsmart and petco, but I was wondering if you guys could suggest any quality online sites that you like or rely on? One problem is that, since this is my first pet bird, I'm not sure how much things are supposed to cost--what is considered "cheap" or "expensive" for various foods and toys. For example, I was looking for a good place to get millet from. The pet store near me has some big strands for 3$ a piece.. this seems expensive but at least I can see it myself and from what I can tell, it looks good.. then at petco and petsmart also have bags with an abundance that seem cheaper but the strands are smaller? Also, online I see it selling in pounds for cheap but reviews claiming the quality is not so good.

So yeah, what are some places you like to shop from? Are there any "go-to" sites or well known and reputable purveyors that I don't know about? Could be for anything from foods, treats, toys, cage accessories, etc.

I also wouldn't mind an opinion on that millet situation haha!

Thanks

easttex
Top Bird/Chief Slave

Posts: 2,410

Good places to shop for bird stuff? Jun 29, 2015 5:25:10 GMT -5

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Post by easttex on Jun 29, 2015 5:25:10 GMT -5

My go to place for years now has been www.drsfostersmith.com. I don't think they are necessarily always the cheapest, but the variety is good, they seem to care about what they are doing, and the customer service has been uniformly great. I have not bought any of their cages, but almost everything else bird related comes from them.

The only millet I buy is in 50 lb bags for wild birds, but I would say to watch for the country of origin when you buy it.

Quaker Peppy (RIP my sweet pea), CAG Allie, dogs Wanda and Bonnie, feral kitties Cleo and Antoinette, mice Charlotte and Emily, née Jake and Elwood

cnyguy
Senior Forum Manager

Posts: 2,144

Good places to shop for bird stuff? Jun 29, 2015 20:26:49 GMT -5 eunoia93 likes this

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Post by cnyguy on Jun 29, 2015 20:26:49 GMT -5

Mostly, I buy locally-- there are some decent, independently-owned stores where bird supplies are sold in the Syracuse, NY area (which unfortunately isn't true everywhere). When I do buy online, I always go first to amazon.com. There are a variety of sellers and often a wide range of prices, so it's fairly easy to compare deals and choose the one that looks best. One seller I've bought from fairly often is Pet Solutions, and I've always been satisfied with them. They also put out a printed catalog, and it's possible to buy from them directly and not just through Amazon.

I've tried the packaged millet, and Ralph seems to like it well enough. The individual sprays are fine too, and sometimes the quality is a little better, but it didn't seem to impress Ralph any more than the cheaper millet.

eunoia93
Hatchling

Posts: 25

Good places to shop for bird stuff? Jun 30, 2015 18:06:25 GMT -5

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Post by eunoia93 on Jun 30, 2015 18:06:25 GMT -5

Jun 29, 2015 5:25:10 GMT -5 easttex said:

My go to place for years now has been www.drsfostersmith.com. I don't think they are necessarily always the cheapest, but the variety is good, they seem to care about what they are doing, and the customer service has been uniformly great. I have not bought any of their cages, but almost everything else bird related comes from them.

The only millet I buy is in 50 lb bags for wild birds, but I would say to watch for the country of origin when you buy it.

Thank you so much for always giving me such great replies easttex!! You've been super helpful!

I checked out drfosterandsmith.com and I really like it! And there seems to be some good deals at the moment. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

easttex Top Bird/Chief Slave Posts: 2,410	Good places to shop for bird stuff? Jul 1, 2015 5:30:02 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by easttex on Jul 1, 2015 5:30:02 GMT -5 Happy to help.
	Quaker Peppy (RIP my sweet pea), CAG Allie, dogs Wanda and Bonnie, feral kitties Cleo and Antoinette, mice Charlotte and Emily, née Jake and Elwood

quakerfriend
Hatchling

Posts: 41

Good places to shop for bird stuff? Jul 4, 2015 12:07:25 GMT -5

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Post by quakerfriend on Jul 4, 2015 12:07:25 GMT -5

I like foster and smith as well since they have a nice selection of "make your own bird toys" parts.

mdbirdworld.com is on the expensive side but they have TONS of stuff.

I actually have a list of bird stores I copied down from browsing the ads in Bird Talk, Birds USA. Planning to go through them and see if they're any good.

~Ariel

"The more we understand animals, the more we understand people. The more we understand people, the more we understand ourselves."

Good places to shop for bird stuff?

Post by eunoia93 on Jun 28, 2015 21:39:13 GMT -5

Post by easttex on Jun 29, 2015 5:25:10 GMT -5

Post by cnyguy on Jun 29, 2015 20:26:49 GMT -5

Post by eunoia93 on Jun 30, 2015 18:06:25 GMT -5

Post by easttex on Jul 1, 2015 5:30:02 GMT -5

Post by quakerfriend on Jul 4, 2015 12:07:25 GMT -5