Inflated prices of domestic birds?

I can relate to those who don't have the $$$ for a large parrot , or even the smaller ones and are looking for a free or inexpensive bird, and I can completely understand why they would think the prices are too high.

But, in defense of those of us who breed birds, I have to say that unless you have hand fed a chick from the egg, and worked with it so that it will be a sweet and gentle pet for some would-be adopter , you really do not know what goes into all that.

I had a couple come to our home to see our cockatiel babies- having come from another place who had cockatiels, but they were not hand fed. This couple described those birds as Piranhas. Have you ever try to handle a feral kitten? Well, a cockatiel or Macaw that is not handled at a very early age is going to be fearful of the human hand and they will bite in fear of their life!

They are doing what comes instinctively.

If you consider the time investment alone that goes into the hand feeding and rearing of these birdie babies, maybe the price isn't high enough. The process begins before the egg is even on the scene. First, there is part of the home that is dedicated to housing these birds. In our case we now have a bird room that is designed for avian comfort with flight cages and jungle gyms. We have special lighting and the "climate" is controled. It is a sacrifice of space.

Then, there is the provision for the prospective parents of the expected feathered babies. We strive to keep them healthy by providing all that they could possibly need. There is the ritual of daily cleaning of the housing area, food and water bowels, perches, etc. There is also the daily interaction with those birds to keep their psyche in good health, and the provisions of "toys" for the same reason. Shopping trips include always being on the look-out for healthy birdie snacks and toys.

Then the egg arrives and soon after-the hatchling. If we take the baby right away it requires hand feeding every two hours around the clock for the first couple of days. Then we settle into a routine of feeding times between 6am and 12pm until they get older, and then this can alter slightly until weaned. Usually, a full two months involved and with larger birds it can be several months. We HAVE to do it otherwise they will not thrive and may even perish. Not only are we feeding these tiny-only a mother could love-featherless creatures, we are holding them, interacting with them, etc. to make them the pet you love so much now.

We have to remain patient with challenging eaters such as those that spit food all over the area because they eat so zealously. We have to schedule our lives around feeding times even though our own young may be way past that. We have to grit our teeth and bear it when those brand new, very sharp toenails cling like a vice-grip to our hands as they learn to perch. {aw-so cute!}

There is the cost of the hand feeding formulas. 2 pounds of bird seed might cost you $2.00, but 2 lbs of baby formula can cost around $7.00

Yes, we do it because we love it, but it is still a tremendous time, space, and $$$ investment. The price you pay for your bird does not even compare to minimum wage if you want to think of it in those terms. So when the shock of the price tag wears off, consider all these things that came together so that you could have your special friend......