Bird mills

[Klaery]

Thanks,

How much does a baby galah normally cost. I live in the Chicago area, and everything here is so expensive.

ETA: I see you're from Australia where galah's probably cost as much as a parakeet here. LOL!

They're pretty expensive in the U.S., and Major Mitchells are around $4K here as well.

I hadn't actually checked... but a quick look on gumtree says between $30 and $500.

I'm not suprised Major Mitchells are more expensive. They aren't as common as galahs. Gumtree has them at $250 to $700.

Or you could get both at once with a galah/major mitchell hybrid.

Yes, in Australia, they're far less expensive than here in the States. Likewise, Macaws are far more affordable here, than they are in Australia, where pricing is crazy.

I love rosies, and if I were to ever consider a cockatoo, that would be the one I would get. However, they're price prohibitive for me. I don't mind spending up to $1200, but that's my limit right now.

Do they sell Gang Gang cockatoos in Australia? They are so darn cute. I've never seen one as a pet though.

You never ever see Red Tailed Black Cockatoos for sale in the United States either, and I hear they don't do well in captivity.

Hand raised baby red tailed black cockatoo (Samuli) | Birds | Gumtree Australia Western Australia - Bunbury Region | 1031426602

You can get both here and to be honest Red tailed black cockatoos do a lot better in captivity than the gang-gangs do. As aviary birds they are ok but even then sometimes pluck if not given enough small nuts to constantly chew. As pets I have only ever seen one gang-gang that was in good feather.

 

[crimson]

they look amazing....very different

 

[MonicaMc]

And $1800 for a galah? That blows my mind. I mean, I know there are good reasons for the cost, but still...

I remember when I first looked at galahs here in the USA.... $3,000 was on the cheap end! Apparently, they are pretty good "feathered rabbits", so price has since come down on them.

You never ever see Red Tailed Black Cockatoos for sale in the United States either, and I hear they don't do well in captivity.

I have occasionally, but it's mostly been on websites selling parrots... like Bird Breeders. And not cheap!

Have seen a few in person. Gorgeous birds! One was actually for sale in a bird store/nursery on Hawaii. I think they wanted 14k for him? Although he might be the store pet now? (been a few years!)

Celebrity Photos




Here's one article that talks about bird mills....

No-Fly Zone: Denied Their Natural Habits, Millions of Pet Parrots Lead Bleak, Lonely Lives : The Humane Society of the United States



I agree there are some bad breeders out there! But breeding parrots is nothing like breeding cats and dogs. With mammals, the mother raises the offspring and you just socialize them with humans! Birds? Breeders are rarely ever tame/friendly and you have to steal the chicks away from the parents to get human imprinted chicks. If you allow the parents to raise the chicks then you'll end up with scared and timid birds. No one wants to take the time to tame and train a parent raised bird!!!! (unless it's a budgie, cockatiel or lovebird....) People want the instant gratification of a, essentially, feathered dog! Birds aren't dogs.


The only market for parent raised birds is from other breeders, and other breeders don't always want parent raised birds. The market demands hand raised chicks. Supply and demand. If there is a demand then someone will create a supply. The market demands hybrids, so breeders who wouldn't normally hybridize are now hybridizing so that they don't have to send their customers elsewhere to supply the "need". Make your customers happy and they'll keep coming back!


Sad really... but what we need is more educated breeders who thrive for the health of their birds over the quantity that they can get.