ShreddedOakAviary
New member
- Jul 13, 2011
- 591
- 5
- Parrots
- M2's, U2's, G2's, RB2's, VOS, RLA's, BFA's, DYHA's, Dusky Pionus, Blue and Green Quakers, Meyers Parrots, VOS, GW Macaw's, Harlequin Macaws, Tiels, YNA, TAG's, CAG's, Blue Crown Conures, Red sided Ecl
I was inquiring about a pair of hahns mini macaws that a lady had for sale the other day, and it exploded into a series of insults from her toward me because I asked too many uncomfortable questions.... I was fine with the price, but I had some concerns because the female was thin and I asked about vet records, test results, etc... It reminded me of a few things that people rehoming their birds never want to hear, and clearly don't know. So here is my opinion on the matter, and I apologize in advance if I offend someone...
Parrot owners never want to think about their birds in dollar amounts, so they are not aware of the actual monetary value oof their bird.
The general practice is this..... Up until about 3 years (or breeding age) a parrot is worth only about 75% of the original price.
After breeding age it works like this.... A breeding pair of something sells for about the same price as one handfed baby... (So if I were selling a proven pair of Umbrellas I would ask about $1100 (the same price I charge for the baby). If I were selling one adult umbrella the price would be less than half the cost of a baby (about $400 at most). Quality and health and vet records and tests will help ensure that I get the full market value of that bird.
This is much different if you are selling to another pet home though.... At that point if the bird is still fully feathered and comes with a cage, etc... you will probably get anywhere from 50% to 75% of the bird and equips originally value.
If you are looking at a breeder or experienced bird home with a lot of birds, the demand goes down, hence the price goes down. For example, I have one bird I payed full price for, over half my birds were GIVEN to me, and the rest were about 0.30 on the dollar. I have one bird I would pay full price for and that is because I've been looking for one for 3 years and still haven'mt found it. Other than that, Myself and the 3 other breeders I deal with spend huge chunks of time saying "no" to people who offer to give us birds.
So, what this means to. The average bird owner...
1. Be sure your bird has a vet check and records
2. Be sure your bird is at least DNA sexed.
3. Spend the $40 and send of some blood work to avaianbiotech so you can prove your bird is polyoma, pssitacosis, pachecos negative.
Those three simple things will ensure that your bird has the highest monetary value to other people, and you can raise the price and weed out the loons that you wouldn't send a pet rock home with.
And of course the rare species are an exception to this rule, but not by much.
A breeder I know purchased his hyacinths for $7000 for the pair.
Also, breeders assume people are lying when they say "proven pair", so often times they prefer to make a pair themselves and buy singles. (At least I do).
I know this is a blunt uncomfortable topic, but it is a fact of life, and hopefully when you go to purchase a rehome you'll have a better idea of what's fair.
Parrot owners never want to think about their birds in dollar amounts, so they are not aware of the actual monetary value oof their bird.
The general practice is this..... Up until about 3 years (or breeding age) a parrot is worth only about 75% of the original price.
After breeding age it works like this.... A breeding pair of something sells for about the same price as one handfed baby... (So if I were selling a proven pair of Umbrellas I would ask about $1100 (the same price I charge for the baby). If I were selling one adult umbrella the price would be less than half the cost of a baby (about $400 at most). Quality and health and vet records and tests will help ensure that I get the full market value of that bird.
This is much different if you are selling to another pet home though.... At that point if the bird is still fully feathered and comes with a cage, etc... you will probably get anywhere from 50% to 75% of the bird and equips originally value.
If you are looking at a breeder or experienced bird home with a lot of birds, the demand goes down, hence the price goes down. For example, I have one bird I payed full price for, over half my birds were GIVEN to me, and the rest were about 0.30 on the dollar. I have one bird I would pay full price for and that is because I've been looking for one for 3 years and still haven'mt found it. Other than that, Myself and the 3 other breeders I deal with spend huge chunks of time saying "no" to people who offer to give us birds.
So, what this means to. The average bird owner...
1. Be sure your bird has a vet check and records
2. Be sure your bird is at least DNA sexed.
3. Spend the $40 and send of some blood work to avaianbiotech so you can prove your bird is polyoma, pssitacosis, pachecos negative.
Those three simple things will ensure that your bird has the highest monetary value to other people, and you can raise the price and weed out the loons that you wouldn't send a pet rock home with.
And of course the rare species are an exception to this rule, but not by much.
A breeder I know purchased his hyacinths for $7000 for the pair.
Also, breeders assume people are lying when they say "proven pair", so often times they prefer to make a pair themselves and buy singles. (At least I do).
I know this is a blunt uncomfortable topic, but it is a fact of life, and hopefully when you go to purchase a rehome you'll have a better idea of what's fair.
