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How much do these birds cost?


Pumpkin17

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My moms friend has one and its like so cute!!! It calls you names and makes the doorbell noise and phone noises. Its so cute. Hers cost 700 she got it when it was a baby but that was in Puerto Rico anyone know how much it is in the United States?

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The costs mentioned do not include the cost of the cage which can be substantial as a grey needs a large cage. Or the cost of the vet bill for the initial checkup. Or the cost of toys. A grey needs lots of toys to keep it amused although these can be homemade. And most grey owners have a stand or playgym of some type separate from the cage. These costs can run to more than the cost of the grey!

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I think the monetary costs listed here are pretty good representations. Figure around $1,000 for the bird, plus 200-500 for a cage, plus 100 for a vet check up, plus 100 for some starter toys. I think most people will get out with an initial cost between 1500 and 2000.

 

One thing not mentioned here is the personal TIME you need to commit for life as a cost of being a bird owner. They are super cute and smart. But it is easy to get lulled by the cuteness factor simply having a few visits with someone elses pet. Please ensure you really research the care and time commitment these animals require. They are messy, they scream, they may bite, they require 1-2 hrs minimum per day of out of cage/personal time with people...are you willing deal with these ongoing costs?

 

I am not trying to scare you away, but it is a pretty large "cost" to your personal being to keep one of these animals appropriately and they live 50-60 years. Its not something you want to jump right into. If you make the commitment they are incredibly rewarding pets/friends. Read, educate yourself etc and then make a decision based on your research. Many people on this forum and others are willing to provide you guidance as you assemble infomation to make a decision. Make use of these resources. ;)<br><br>Post edited by: dblhelix, at: 2008/04/28 01:00

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You can adopt a grey for a lot less. I adopted Nikko when she was 4 years old from Tucson Avian Rescue & Adoption. The cost was $300, which included her cage and vet check. There was also a $45 fee for the mandatory parrot care class. It was a great deal, although I about fell asleep in the ALL DAY parrot care class. I'd been researching greys for months, so it was pretty much stuff I already knew. However, I'd sit through it again, because Nikko is a wonderful little birdie :).

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That's a good point. There are many animals, including african greys, in need of a good home. Check local agencies and maybe petfinder.com.

 

I got mine for "free"...but I've already spent over $300 on cage, food, toys...and it's only been 2 weeks! Add in a vet bill soon and it's not so free lol.

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We have had Makena for almost a year. Between the special foods (pellets and fresh fruits and veggies daily), cages, vet appointments (there have been 7 so far), medicine he has needed, adoption fees, travel costs, toys, play stands, extra food bowls, aloe, portable carriers, changing out all our teflon to stainless, window treatments to make sure he doesn't fly into them, carpet cleaning, replacing all our cleaners to all natural products we have spent WELL OVER $5000. Granted our grey has had quite a few medical problems and we are moving (so we had to buy a new cage). BUT... Just so you know a worst case scenario.

 

We also spend about 4-6 hours per day playing with him, cleaning his cage, cutting him up fresh foods, changing his water, bathing him, etc. He also spends about 8 hours per day out of his cage.

 

To be honest... If I had known the time and monetary commitment required for a grey before hand I probably wouldn't have gotten him. I thought they just kind of stayed in the cage all day. I also thought that changing out the newspapers every few days was all the cleanup that was required. Ha, he somehow manages to fling food and poo everywhere!!

 

But even after all this... I can't imagine my life without him in it. He is a family member. It doesn't matter how many times he bites me, screeches or flings poo.. I will always still love him. Of all the pets I have ever had he is the most intelligent and rewarding. Greys can be wonderful pets.. just be prepared!!!

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Yes, I spend quite a bit more on Nikko than I had really intended. Granted, there's some "luxury" items she didn't really need (like her Adventure Pack), but they enrich her life, so I bought them anyway. A lot of times, I spend more money on stuff for her than on stuff for myself :whistle:. I'm pretty lucky though, as Nikko isn't very difficult to take care of. She's pretty low key, doesn't scream, doesn't fly much, doesn't pluck, likes to bathe, and eats fairly decently. But MESSY!!! Feathers, dust, food, and chewed up cardboard and pinatas everywhere! But then again, I've never met a bird that wasn't incredibly messy. It must be the one thing that they all have in common :side:.

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thanks everyone for their responses. These birds cost alot of money but I can see they are worth it. I am not planning on getting one atleast not yet. Im only 17 and I wont be able to take that responsibility until after college when I have the time. I have a cat right now also and she gets REALLY jealous when I have other animals with me and she can get agressive with them. She sleeps with me,is standing right at the door when I get home,I cant even take a shower without her scratching at the bathroom door lol. But she is easy to take care of since she bathes herself but we still give her a bath at times,cut her nails,brush her hair,food,water,and litter box stuff. Other than that she just loves laying around and being petted. It seems like these birds need more than that and since I go to school and work It will be almost impossible for me to handle a pretty little birdy like these at these moments. But I do want one in the future once Im stable enough.:)

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I commend you on doing your research! It sounds like you will be a GREAT grey parent someday. They definitely are time consuming but sooooo wonderful.

 

If you have anymore questions let us know, you came to the right place!

 

Karma for you ;)

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That shows a lot of maturity to admit you cannot handle the responsibility of a parrot right now and you have made a wise choice to wait until you are out of school and out on your own before committing yourself to a lifetime responsibility. You have done your homework and I commend you for doing that, you will make some grey a great momma in the future.:P

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You're doing the research and looking at your lifestyle and that's a great thing. You'll make a great bird owner! I also have a cat and worried about his nose being out of joint when I brought Dorian home. It helps that he's an indoor only cat so he's never looked at birds as 'lunch' Also, he's well out of kittendom so spends much of the day sleeping, when Dorian's most active. I just make sure I pay both one on one attention, and they've been fine, although sometimes when Dorian's at his most vocal I swear I can see Jac thinking "don't you ever shut up?"

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Guest Skuffy

Max is priceless...No-1 have the money to buy my Max....xxxxx...

 

BUT!!...he was £650 Englsh pounds to buy,and thats not including his cages and Toy...Its the up-keep thats really costly,and the time you need to spend with your Grey...So If you really love your Bird money is nothing..:woohoo:

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