# where to buy???



## drmarsh (Nov 7, 2011)

hey everybody, can anyone tell me if they know anyone who sells chestnut breasted mannikins/barley birds or whatever you want to call them  im from suffolk so anywhere close would be a large bonus, cheers guys  Joe


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

try viper and vine online they deliver as well


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## drmarsh (Nov 7, 2011)

adamntitch said:


> try viper and vine online they deliver as well


thank you very much, i didnt realise you could buy livestock such as mammals and birds online, one more question, do you know if it is possible to cross breed finch species? thanks alot


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## ljb107 (Nov 16, 2008)

Try getting yourself to the stafford bird show in march, you'll probably find some. Everything on that site suggested is a bit overpriced and the courier is a bit more expensive than i've used.

Some species can be crossed as long as your not going to sell them on


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## drmarsh (Nov 7, 2011)

wicked thanks alot buddy, do you know of any other sites at all? and i shall try and get down there in march, just dont know what days im working as of yet...


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## martyb (Sep 5, 2007)

ljb107 said:


> Try getting yourself to the stafford bird show in march, you'll probably find some. Everything on that site suggested is a bit overpriced and the courier is a bit more expensive than i've used.
> 
> Some species can be crossed as long as your not going to sell them on



You can sell on cross breeds, if you wanted to buy a british finch to cross then the bird has to be closed rung but you can sell the mules you breed from them and they dont have to be rung.


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## carlycharlie (Jan 16, 2008)

If your free this Sunday you could also try the East Mids Bird show at Newark County Show ground - lots of the smaller birds are sold at this event.

Sunday 12th Feb, 9.30am till 4pm - although usually almost over around 2pm so get there early if your wanting something specific :whistling2:
Newark Showground > Map

Its about £5 to get in.


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## Arcadiajohn (Jan 30, 2011)

There was some at Jap koi centre in henlow, not too far from you, 

They have a good selection of both African and Asian finches

Last time I visited I saw

St helenas waxbills
Cut throats
Red heads
Pin stilled whydars
Red bishops
Yellow bishops
Indian and African silver bills
Javas
Hecks
Mollucans
White headed nuns
Black headed nuns
Spice birds
Strawberry finches
Bank mynahs
Green glossy starlings
Cherry finches
Strars
Owl finches
Parsons

Plus all the usual, budgies, canaries, hand reared parrots, celestials, linolateds, 

Good luck

John. 




drmarsh said:


> hey everybody, can anyone tell me if they know anyone who sells chestnut breasted mannikins/barley birds or whatever you want to call them  im from suffolk so anywhere close would be a large bonus, cheers guys  Joe


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## drmarsh (Nov 7, 2011)

cheers guys great help, i work Sunday's so unfortunately i won't be able to go :/what exactly is close rung? i have read it alot recently whilst researching birds... is it much harder to breed different variations of finches? for example, owl finch x mannikin or bengalese x st helena? cheers for all the help guys


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## martyb (Sep 5, 2007)

drmarsh said:


> cheers guys great help, i work Sunday's so unfortunately i won't be able to go :/what exactly is close rung? i have read it alot recently whilst researching birds... is it much harder to breed different variations of finches? for example, owl finch x mannikin or bengalese x st helena? cheers for all the help guys


Its a ring that has to be put on when the chick is 5 days old, its a complete ring with no splits and is impossible to put on when the bird is older. You would normally buy them from the british bird council and they have a number and a year on them


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## ljb107 (Nov 16, 2008)

martyb said:


> You can sell on cross breeds, if you wanted to buy a british finch to cross then the bird has to be closed rung but you can sell the mules you breed from them and they dont have to be rung.


I never said he couldn't, just its not an idea.

Mules and british weren't mentioned, just manikins which are rare enough as it is without crossing them and then them being sold on and possibly being crossed into other birds in turn ruining whatever is still around.

I've only ever kept foreign finches. I don't think i'll ever start messing round with british and all the close ringing malarky.


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## martyb (Sep 5, 2007)

ljb107 said:


> I never said he couldn't, just its not an idea.
> 
> Mules and british weren't mentioned, just manikins which are rare enough as it is without crossing them and then them being sold on and possibly being crossed into other birds in turn ruining whatever is still around.
> 
> I've only ever kept foreign finches. I don't think i'll ever start messing round with british and all the close ringing malarky.



Chill i never said that you said he couldn't.

Normally when you cross a bird and get a mule you will find that it is sterile so there's not a problem with crossing them.

People cross to produce mules as they are great singers, i shall be crossing a green finch with a canary this breeding season and maybe a gold finch when i get one.

It doesn't effect the wild birds has all the birds have to be bred in captivity and not taken from the wild as thats against the law.


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## ljb107 (Nov 16, 2008)

martyb said:


> Chill i never said that you said he couldn't.
> 
> Normally when you cross a bird and get a mule you will find that it is sterile so there's not a problem with crossing them.
> 
> ...


I am chilled. Was just saying. Plus i wasn't talking about british crosses, so the wild has nothing to do with it. I'm on about the captive population of manikins and such which you hardly see anymore due to there being no imports.


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## drmarsh (Nov 7, 2011)

ahh ok guys, the selection at henlow was brilliant, thanks alot for suggesting it mate  i bought a indian silverbill, has a really dark underside and tail though, looks really cool, the indian silverbill is chirping alot (not, as far as im aware, singing) does this mean its a male, also, the chestnut breasted mannikin hardly makes any noise what so ever, so it sounds to me like male indian and female chestnut, any thoughts?


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