Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Soltia Aviary

I figured that it was time to share with you some information about the breeder I emailed back and forth a little while ago regarding a possible Red-bellied baby.

She now has her aviary website up and running and you can visit it here:

Soltia Aviary

She currently has four Brown Head babies ready for good homes, I recently got a picture of the cuties.



I actually saw those babies back in May and if I wasn't entirely set on getting a female Red-bellied at the time, I would have put a deposit on the following little guy. I mean, come on, how can you resist this face?



This little one spent a lot of my time there on me.

Now why go with a bird from her over another breeder?

Well, first off Barb was always willing to answer any questions I had. I got frequent updates and as we conversed more and more, I even got to see pictures of her other babies (which I always enjoy), including some of her baby Bronze wing Pionus (such gorgeous birds, this would be the Pionus for me if I ever went down that road) which one of whom is going to friends of mine. My visit over to her house in May wasn't exactly planned and gosh was her house clean when we got there! Her breeder pairs have quite spacious cages and are provided with good food and toys. All of the above were things I was looking for in finding a breeder and I wouldn't ever hesitate to bring a baby of hers home with me (fate decided otherwise with the RB by putting Pixel on my road..)

So yeah, if you are in Canada and are considering a Red-bellied or Brown head parrot, a Dusky or Bronze-wing Pionus, please consider going to Soltia Aviary.

5 comments:

Simita Elgaly said...

Hi Natacha, I am considering purchasing a parrot from Soltia Aviary, and have also researched other breeders, such as Parrot Farm. What I find is that unless, breeders, or pet shops for that matter,provide health certificate guarantees, there is no way of determining the health status of the birds, unless the buyer takes the purchased bird to an avian vet for blood work. What has been your experience with Soltia Aviary or other aviaries with respect to helath guarantee?
Simita Elgaly

Natacha said...

Some breeders will tell you if they have their breeder couples tested for diseases and which, some breeders don't.
Ultimately, it is your responsibility as a buyer to ensure once the baby is home that it's healthy. Most breeders will issue a health certificate, clauses may vary, but it generally involves having a certain amount of days to get the baby checked and if anything is discovered, provided that the baby had been kept separately from other birds, there is some type of compensation. This varies from breeder to breeder and it's best to ask each one about their policy. Oh and some breeders may offer to bring your baby to their vet for the check up and testing of diseases, but this will be made at an extra cost.

My feelings when I visited Barbs aviary - the parents looked quite healthy, they were being fed a good diet, had proper installations and lighting, everything was clean. All things that were important to me.

I have found that if you take the time to find a breeder that goes the extra mile to keep their birds with the utmost care rather than piling them in tiny cages in less than ideal condition, you are on the right path. I'd also steer clear from getting a bird in a pet store if you can avoid it.

Sylvia S. said...

Hi Natacha,
I, too, am looking at possibly adopting a parrot from Barb, and am glad to read, on your blog and others, of the wonderful experiences people have had with her. I am thinking about getting a male Brown Head, and am glad that Barb has them DNA sexed included in her price. Here's hoping that her Brown Head pair have chicks soon, and a male too.

Sylvia S.
a.k.a. - Lovebird Lady

Natacha said...

@Sylvia: Hoping there is a clutch of BH soon for you! She seems to luck out with getting males too ;)

Sylvia S. said...

Thanks, Natacha, I so hope Barb gets some males. The B.H. babies on her 'Success Stories' Section are very cute. I'll keep you posted.