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Cost of Owning a Parrot

Off topic discussions that are unrelated to parrots and other parrot discussions that don't fit anywhere else.

Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby zazanomore » Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:51 pm

I think this topic needs a bump.

I wish I had taken note of all the money I've put into my birds. They really are expensive companions. but of course, they are worth every dollar.
Bonnie - :budgie2:
Clyde - :budgie:
Einstein - :greycockatiel:
Alyssa - :thumbsup:
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zazanomore
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby Chris&Akilah » Fri Jan 14, 2011 11:31 am

Also consider that buying parrot toys is extremely addictive and possibly more fun for the human than parrot.
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby TheNzJessie » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:23 am

Chris&Akilah wrote:Also consider that buying parrot toys is extremely addictive and possibly more fun for the human than parrot.



so true
Qwil-:budgie:
Jango-:rainbow:
Jessie-ME
:)
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby kaylayuh » Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:13 am

I would agree with everything in the post, and I spend a lot of my birds. But some of these items really depend on your preferance for certain things.

For instance, I don't buy normal cleaners anymore. For lysol wipes, it's about $4. That would last me about a week with all the mess the birds make. I'd be spending about $20 every week on cleaning supplies alone if I wasn't smart about it. And besides the fact that lysol and the like are expensive, they're also not particularly good for birds. Now, I buy a gallon of vinegar for roughly the same price and it lasts me two months or longer.

Buying your food in bulk also reduces the cost of the food. I buy a combination of food for my birds because I'm trying to get them from seed to pellets. Roudybush pellets on their website are about $40 for a 10lb bag. That lasts me, on average, about 4 months. I buy a homemade seed mix on Ebay from Alta Loma Seed Company in 20lb bags for $40. I freeze what I won't use in a month and refrigerate the rest.

Toys are more addictive for me to buy than my birds play with them. My budgies aren't really players, but they love to chew and shred. I could give them nothing but newspapers and they'd be in heaven. They like to pull on rope, so they have a lot of that. And the gnaw on their playstand a lot. Now instead of spending $5 on a toy at PETsMART, I buy $5 of bird safe rope, some plastic beads, some bird safe bells, wood blocks, and leather strips for what I was spending on toys in one month. And I mean really, who buys just one bird toy when they go to the pet shop? I know I don't.

The costs of owning a bird are a lot, there's no doubt about it. But I really don't think it needs to be as expensive as everyone makes it out to be.

And since I got a little preachy there (sorry about that!), this is what I spend on my birds every 6 months or so.

Food: Alta Loma Seed Company - 20lbs custom seed mix: $40
Roudybush Pellets - 10lbs crumble sized pellets: $45
Toys: Bird Safe Rope - Ebay - $5.95 / 25ft.
Bird Safe Bells - Ebay - $3.50 / dozen
100 Multishape Beads - Ebay - $0.99
Steel Rings - Ebay - $4.50
12 Wooden Beads - Ebay - $2.50
Veg-Tanned Leather Strips - Ebay - $6.95 / 25 ft.
Cleaners: Vinegar - 1 Gal. - $4.00

For six months, my expenses are $113.39

Once a year, they go to the vet. This year when we go, I'll have three birds. My vet charges $62 for a well bird visit. I'll spend $186 on the vet visit.

For one year, on average, I spend $388.39. I reuse my toy supplies and switch them as needed, so I only have to buy supplies once a year. I buy some premade toys in between then, but I don't have to so they won't be included in that total.

For cages, my GCC cage is 17"W x 25.5"L x 52"H (includes base). I bought this cage for $99.99, again on Ebay. My parakeet cage is 20"W x 32"L x 53"H (includes base). I bought this cage for $119.00, again on Ebay.

My parakeet playstand was bought for $27.99 at PetCo. My GCC will have a playstand made of rope and other t-perches and toys. I anticipate spending about $30 on this.

My total, to date, $716.37 which includes the bird rescue donation for the GCC and the pet store cost of two budgies.
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby zazanomore » Sun Mar 13, 2011 3:26 pm

Listing the entire price of everything I've bought for my birds...

Budgies - 40$ for both
Their first cage - 50$
Einstein - Was given to me, but I think he probably cost about 150$
Cockatiel Starter kit - Given to me, but cost 100$
Harness - 32$
Flight Cages - 400$ for both cages with shipping
Carrier - 20$
Perches - Honestly, I've spent probably 200$ in perches, all sizes and varieties
Training supplies (clicker, skewers, basketball set) - 10$
Toys - 200$
Vacuum for the birds - 35$
Millet - 5$ a month
Nets, Ropes, Swings - 75$
Toy making supplies - 100$
Vinegar for cleaning - Free from my parents
Roudybush Pellets - 40$ for 10 pound bag
Cockatiel seed mix - 8$ a month
Budgie seed mix- 8$ a month

Total: 1072$

Plus 16$ a month
Plus 40$ every 3 months-ish

Damn. And this has been 1 year.

I guess that about half of the money I've spent I was given from Christmas, birthdays and various other holidays.

Then some of these items like toys, perches and food have been paid for by my parents.

I guess the average teenage girl spends money on make up, clothes, phone bills, gas and car insurance. If you add up the cost of all those other things, I guess it would be a lot too.
Bonnie - :budgie2:
Clyde - :budgie:
Einstein - :greycockatiel:
Alyssa - :thumbsup:
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby patdbunny » Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:39 pm

Ewe, I have a lot of birds so I have spent literally thousands on food and supplies, not even counting the birds.

I'll give my estimate for, say, one sun conure:

-Suitable cage: $50 on up. I've picked up decent used cages at yard sales and thrift stores.
-Playstand: Free on up. I've made my own out of safe branches from my yard with plastic storage container lids as the base.
-Perches: Free on up. Again, branches from my yard.
-Toys: Free on up. For the last many, many years I've rarely bought bird toys from stores. I'm big on safe children's toys from thrift stores and stuff from the 99 cent store. I also really prefer new foods as "toys" like entire broccoli stalks, half apples, unique seasonal fruits & veggies.
-Initial supply of food: $20 for a 5# bag of seed; $15 for a 4# bag of kaytee pellets. I think that will last one sun conure about a month.
-Initial supply of treats: minimal on up. Ok, I do buy Ducky Nutriberries which is about $10 for a 12 oz bucket ; otherwise I'm big on the fresh stuff and cooked mixes for treats.
-POH, Parrot Operators Handbook, a book about your species: Library. I like to preview before I buy. Some of them really suck in my opinion. Our county library has where you can request books from other library systems. I've been able to request some excellent books that were in college libraries.

Some additional optional items may include:

-Carrier: $5 I make my own out of storage containers
-Water bottle: $5
-Vitamins: Hmm. . . zero unless your vet recommends it. New buyers of my birds I don't even mention vitamins. If they're feeding the pellets and then the fresh foods, cooked mix, sprouts, then I don't want them over vitaminizing w/out veterinary advice.
-Nail trimming scissors:?? I use human nail clippers. I've seen the little curved cat claw clippers at the 99 cent store.
-Quickstop (should really be in required list): $5-$10. I prefer a product called Clotisol. You can't use quickstop for general wounds to stop bleeding, you can with Clotisol. I ordered the stuff online. It's supposed to be safer and less caustic than quickstop.
-Training aids and materials: ?? depends what you want to do with the training.
-Cage cleaning sprays: $2-$5 for a gallon of bleach. I take my cages outside and hose down. Then disinfect w/ dilute bleach solution. Given the spectrum of stuff bleach kills, the safety of bleach, and the cost it's what I use. Since I breed birds, I've researched disinfectants big time. Bleach keeps coming back the winner.
-Spare perches and toys: whatever you want to spend.
-Additional food bowls: less than $10. Thrift stores, 99 cent stores, yard sales. I love ramikins.
-Initial vet check up: Hopefully where ever the bird came from gave a free initial exam. Then the testing can run a couple hundred dollars through the vet. Or if you feel like you're a competent person to do some sampling yourself you can get quite a gamut for less than $100: http://www.avianbiotech.com/Pricing.htm
Roz

There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are only consequences. Robert G. Ingersoll
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patdbunny
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby Dave » Mon Mar 14, 2011 10:15 pm

Dang you guys are killin me!
If I had know all this I would never have gotten in to this bird stuff! :lol:
Dave
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Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby patdbunny » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:51 pm

Dave - Sounds like you need to go pilfer some manzanita in your area!

Way back my husband and I went up towards your neck of the woods and had a picnic and "found" some manzanita "not" in the protected state park areas. . .
Roz

There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments — there are only consequences. Robert G. Ingersoll
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patdbunny
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Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: sun conure, parrotlet, cockatiel, african greys, eclectus, sun conures, jenday conures, indian ringnecks, parrotlets, bourkes.
Flight: No

Re: Cost of Owning a Parrot

Postby Dave » Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:01 am

My yard is full of the stuff!
Dave
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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