Gulf Coast Finches

Bands

Whether closed bands, plastic open bands or the 2-color plastic open bands, L&M Bird Leg Bands has them.

http://www.lmbirdlegbands.com/

Medications

All Bird Products is my favorite. They have the largest selection and the service is excellent. They have several other products you might be interested in, as they keep expanding their catalog. Thanks to Karl Lieberman for letting me know about ABP.

http://www.allbirdproducts.com/bird_medication.html

Egg Food Supplemental Ingredients

Sometimes I get the 12 oz. bottle of orange-flavored emulsion Cod Liver Oil from Walmart. I was getting the Wheat Germ Oil and Horsetail Shavegrass capsules from the Vitamin Shoppe, but I have found a new source I like. And while you’re visiting their website, you might also look for any vitamins and supplements you regularly use. They have a starting $3.99 shipping cost and there is a chart to let you calculate before ordering. It's reasonable. The prices are the lowest I’ve found. They are NutroVita and very good. I use Viobin Wheat Germ Oil and it is $13.15 for a 32 oz. bottle, which is cheaper than some brands' 8 oz bottle. While the 12 oz. bottle of orange-flavored emulsified Norwegian Cod Liver Oil at Walmart is only $8.00, the Twinlab brand at NutroVita is $10.31. The Solar Ray brand of Horsetail Shavegrass 100 ct. capsules is $5.11, quite a bit cheaper than the $7.50 I pay in a pinch at The Vitamin Shoppe here in town. They are a California-based operation and charge a 9.75% sales tax to residents of the Golden State. The rest of us go tax-free. For Californians, you might consider http://www.vitacost.com the one I used before finding NutroVita.

http://www.nutrovita.com/

Seed

Most people find a seed they like and have been using same for a number of years. Plus, there are regional seed companies many use. Shipping costs have to be considered, as they often match the price of the seed itself. I have found Jones Seed Co.in Lawton, OK to be great on service and the 400-Finch Blends I buy is terrific. The millet size is smaller than the previous blend I used and there is less waste with it. I set up a couple of bowls with the previous blend I used and the Jones blend. My birds prefer Jones 2-to-1. The other seed I use comes from Walmart and has the smaller, oily seed. Some of my birds get both, but since the smaller seed costs me more, I’m pretty stingy with it.

http://www.jones-seed.com/c-3-finch-and-canary.aspx

The Green Day Diet

Since it is all fresh vegetables and egg food, it’s up to you to find a grocery store with good quality produce at reasonable prices. My local Walmart provides both. Sometimes I use another store and the regional chain, H-E-B, is where I shop for things Walmart doesn’t have. I also buy my Apple Cider Vinegar at the grocery store. I put a teaspoon of it in one gallon of water, 2 teaspoons during the hot, humid summers, and that's the sole addition I make to the finches' drinking and bathing water. It keeps yeast at bay and does a few other good things.

High Protein Mix

During breeding times some of the birds need a protein boost. This is when I use Meadowlark Farms' Gouldian Pro-Mix, not only for Gouldians, but any species of finch. The stuff is dynamite--promotes breeding, evens out the sexes and gives the chicks a great sendoff from the nest. Kristen Reeves is the proprietor of MF and turns out beautiful Gouldians. She's a science dweeb like me and I trust everything she does or recommends.

http://store.mfgouldianfinches.com/mefaown.html

Finches

Well, my starting breeding stock has to come from somewhere! I have tried a handful of sellers with mixed results. That’s not to say I’ve dealt with a lot, and I’m sure there are many reputable people selling birds-—as well as the other kind. I’ve settled on one person to do my bidding for me. Karl Lieberman. Anyone who knows me, knows this to be true. And most of the people I know in the finch world have dealt with Karl. It’s difficult to find someone who is trustworthy, one of the most knowledgeable people in the business, has many resources for finches and several other species, is fair, agreeable and charming. He is in San Diego, CA and can be reached by telephone at 619-255-5683.

His email address is karl_birdcrazy@yahoo.com and his current list is usually published on the NFSS group and a couple of others.

There you go. It’s not a long list, but the essentials. I don’t do toys, don’t hand feed, don’t use mealworms and am pretty efficient, not to mention frugal.