The cost of owning parrots

I've seen an abundance of newcomers lately interested in acquiring a parrot. While it is great that people are interested and feel the time is right for them, it seems that many fail to realize the real costs of owning a parrot and I think it is often over-looked by the desire to have a companion. Parrots are not for those without some sort of income, but you don't have to be rich to own them, either!

I think it would be great if everyone could share what parrots you own and what goes into their care with a quick breakdown of what it costs per month, money-wise, to give our fids a happy life!

I'll go first! I have two cockatiels. I adopted them from someone for $75 and they came with two nice cages and a little bit of their food. Their first avian vet visit was a wellness check and for the two of them it was a little under $100.

So their initial cost...
$75 + $125 (gas money) + $90 (vet visit) = $290

*It is important all new birds see an avian vet for a checkup when you first get them to check for illnesses and make sure they are healthy!*

Within a few days, I needed to get them more food and some cuttlebone. They were being fed Zupreem pellets and Cockatiel seed mix. These bags go for around $10 each and last my birds about 3-4 weeks. I also got them some spray millet and a couple new toys too -- $50

Every month I spend about $25-30 on their food and treats. This also includes the CHOP I make them too. They get a good variety of pellets, CHOP, spray millet and a better quality seed mix. Food is the their biggest expense, as they aren't destructive with their toys and aren't big chewers.

Extras: About a year into owning them, I decided to get them quality lighting to go over their cage. Not everyone agrees on the lighting thing, but my house is very dark and I decided to get them on a light schedule to improve feather quality and so they could actually see, lol. The lamp + bulb = $30

*Side note - they had babies the year after I got them which included purchasing pine bedding, hand-feeding formula, syringes and egg food but I did not include those costs here*

In conclusion: The initial cost of getting the birds and cages with gas money, vet visit and additional food was around $340. The cost of owning them per month continues to hover around $30, which mostly consists of their food and treats but occasionally extras.

I sincerely hope this helps someone who is thinking about getting a parrot but is not sure of the long-term costs!

Wow, and that's with low start up costs as well!

For us, we had the cage ($400), the parrot ($1750), first vet visit ($200), food/toys ($100)... and that was just to get through Day 1!

Monthly we are in the same range of food/treats (about $30), but our Zon chews up toys at a rate of about $25-50 a month, depending on how many we have time to make for him.

As a fairly new parront, I knew it would be expensive and we planned ahead. We had a bird fund savings account that we got to $3000 before we considered getting him, and there's a monthly amount we put into that account to have "just in case" funds.

We had the opportunity to adopt a "free" CAG not too long ago. He would come with his cage. But the vet costs of evaluating a new bird and checking labs (20 year old CAG on a seed diet... gotta expect some Calcium issues) was well over $500. Turned out "free" got expensive really quick.

People see us out with Mav and immediately go "Oooooh I want one" and my first response is, "yeah he's great minus the food slinging, early morning vocalizing, occasional biting, demanding diet, and he rarely feels like cuddling"....

Thank you for sharing your wisdom and helping educate people prior to making a potentially life-long commitment!

Initial cost

Dinosaur $450
Cage $150
Initial setup (assorted toys, cuttlebone he doesn't seem to use) um $50

Initial $650 off the bat

Pellets about $15 a month or two months
Poop shampoo for accidents $20 lasts two months
Seeing a vet every 6 months for routine checkup $60
Toys, new perches, new bowls, lining etc...every time you hit the pet store or go on amazon $10-30 month call it 10 on the low end.

So every 6 months like $225 routine feeding and maintenance, and this is with no health issues.

For one bird.... A small GCC. $650 up front, and on average about $37 bucks a month ongoing, for the next thirty years or so.

Well my flock is large and fluctuates so I'll try to go with what I expect someone adopting one of my babies to spend.

Indian Ringneck Baby: $300-$900 depending on mutation, temperament, and training.

Cage $100-$300

Vet visit with grams stains and baseline blood work (important NO MATTER WHERE YOU GET YOUR BIRD!!) $150-$500

Initial supplies, toys, food, etc $100-$200

Harness $30

Play stand $75-$200


Ongoing costs

around $15/month dry food plus at least that in fresh food, unless you are s family who already eats tons of veggies and can just share daily. ($180-$360/year food costs)

$30/month in toys ($360/year)

Annual we'll visit $150

So $755-$2130 initial cost
And $690-$870 annual cost
Plus I'm a firm believer that it's wise to have at least $1000 emergency vet fund and at least a year's expenses for bird care in the bank before bringing him home.

Can you do it for cheaper? Yes you can, but most people don't want to put in the effort, or don't have the time, etc. keep in mind this is the cost of a SMALL bird and doesn't include expenses like replacing things they destroy.

Here, enjoy a wet birdie pic of Titan, one of my most expensive "free" birds!


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I have a flock of one, a very common avian pet A GCC; a cockatiel would be about the same.....I think my numbers are about right to point to for a beginner that "OH I thinks me want's a bird!!!!" You can quote my post in any future thread, which I think is the point of this.

Good topic as prospective bird caregivers tend not to think past the cost of the bird. I don't have any numbers but I would encourage one to think hard about this. The bigger the bird, the more expensive the upkeep. Toys, cage, perches, bowls, paper for the bottom of the cage, cleaning solution, manzanita trees (I have 2), seed mixture, pellets, vegies, chicken, salmon, stainless steel clips for toys, skewers for vegies and toys, travel cage (for car), backpack for outings, toy parts to make and refurbish toys, and a $1000.00 backup fund for vet bills. You can plan that these expenses will be recurring as even cages need to be replaced over the life of the bird. I tell people that if they are can't easily afford the cost of the bird every year, don't get it. Yes, you can cut expenses but the question is should you. Birds are expensive to keep, no way around it and remember, this can be a lifetime commitment (your lifetime), again depending upon the breed of bird you get.

As highlighted already (see above Post(s)): Free Parrots are rarely 'Free.'

Our Amazons, commonly come to us, no cost to purchase. On occasion, there maybe some 'unpaid' Vet costs that need to be handled. That all said, we pick-up those Amazons that are more commonly referred to as 'Yesterday's Trash" those left behind at Vet Client(s), Rehomes, etc... These guys and gals are sick and /or injured and have no want to ever trust another human ever again. Yes, those of you that have been around the Forums have seen the above from me in past Posts, but based on the number of new members, one Thread Wonders, and the 'Observers' that never become members, it is worth stating where I'm coming from.

The costs of Owning the Ill, the Old, and the Injured free Parrot: (Mid to Large Parrots (Amazons))

Yearly Vet Costs: 2,000 to 2,500 USD per year.
Medication Costs: 600 to 800 USD per year.
Food Costs (Dry Foods and Pellets, fresh Veggies and Fruits, etc.): 700 to 800 USD per year.
Major items (Cages, move-able Perches, Travel Carriers, etc. Fresh Start all New: 1,000 to 1,500 USD
Major items (Cages, move-able Perches, Travel Carriers, etc. repair, replacement - based on rotation '10 year' usable life) Budget 200 to 300 USD per year.
Toys and natural branches for Perches, DYI: 360 to 600 USD per year
Toys and natural branches for Perches, Full Retail: 960 to 1,200 USD per year.

Home improvements, repairs, and replacements: Varies widely by expensive of furnishings, etc...

Total Yearly Costs (Not including cost of the Parrot):

Full cost Year One: 5,260 to 7,100 USD per year
Full cost Year Two and etc...: 3,860 to 5,000 USD per year

Yaaaa, I track the costs as part of our budgeting structuring.

Keeping Parrots on the cheap: Never visit a Vet until very sick or seriously injured, plus cheap food, cheap to no toys, cheap older used cages, etc... Yes, it can be done. Sadly, done far too often, commonly stated as the 'norm.'

FYI: I elected not to include the Cost of building and maintaining a First Aid Emergency Medical Kit, which developing a well stocked kit can easily obtain 1,000 USD to build and 50 to 100 to maintain each year based on use and watching date codes.

All depends on the type of Parrot doesn't it.

For Xander my Quaker parrot, the start up cost, cage, toys, food and him was around £500.

Then you get the experimental phase for trying different foods and toys to see what your Parrot likes which cost maybe another £150 for me.

Vet bill, another £50

I would estimate £50 a month to keep Xander, food, new toys, treats, cleaning ect but I do spoil him, that's my choice as I don't have children.

Probably gonna cost about £500 - £600 a year to have a Quaker Parrot with everything he needs, excluding emergency vet bills ect and his toys last a while longer than a bigger Parrots would so that's a lot less expense x

I am really learning a lot with all of these great responses. Some of these I would have NO idea about, especially Sailboat's post, wow those medical costs! The cages and travel carriers, also can be a huge expense but well worth it in the long run.

Start up costs for me.

Layla $1500, Jazzi $1850
Two cages $350 each
Initial vet exams $200 but Layla has had ongoing issues so we are up to $1000 for her within the first 6 months of ownership or so.

Travel carriers $500
Two java trees $650
Food is about $100 a month or more
Toys.....they are super spoiled. I spend $200-$300 on toys a month. Lol
Plus all the extras...paper for the cage bottoms, cleaning solution, travel stands, water bottles and crocks. I’m very lucky that I can afford bird ownership because it is not a cheap venture that’s for sure.

OH, WOW!
Good topic, good, good one... could really be eye-opening for prospective parronts, indeed.

Okay, I'll stick to actual costs (not what they could have been!)... here goes.

Cages over the decades, about one every five years...
2200 (shoulda gotten a stainless one back in '84 when they were ~1,000.
Pellets (Harrison's... about 10 bucks a month, x 33 years)
4000
Produce (this coes out of my ol' man's groceries... nothing much
~0
Chile Peppers (about 8 bucks a week, x 33 years)
13,000 (WHAAAAT?????)
Vet visits (so far, only routine, give or take inflation 1-300, once or twice a year (twice now that he's older)
9,000
Toys, perches and amusements (let's guesstimate 30 bucks a month, x 33 years)
12,000
Baby-sitters/house-sitters (maybe 200 bucks once a year)
7,000
Travel Carriers (total of 3, for about 300)
And then there's the cost of staying in our house as opposed to moving to an apartment after retiring... 1500/month? I'LL LEAVE THIS OUT' IT'S TOO AWFUL TO CONTEMPLATE!!!!

So total of about 47,000????????????????????
50 a month not counting cages, vets, travel cages, babysitters, which can easily add 300-1000.

Oh, Rickeybird!

So many factors:
Buying new cages vs finding one used.
Buying toys vs making them.
Health factors of your bird.

For proper care overall in my experience:
a small bird tends to cost a bit less than a dog, each year. A larger bird significantly more than a dog, with the largest difference being toy prices. However my birds will live 70 years, whereas my dogs will live 10.

Good points, psycho!
33 years, 47k here and counting..

Levi was $1800 if I didn’t pay cash he would have cost $2200.

•Cages
He has 4.
Primary- $500
Bedroom (small) -$140
Cabin cage - $350
Visiting Cage* (small) -$100
(*When we visit my parents)

•Transport
Travel cage - $180
Pak-O-Bird - $275

•Food
probably close to $100/month
Harrison’s and Organic fruits, veggies & nuts etc...

•Vet - CAV
Initial well check up + gram stain $160
Feather & nail trimming $65
Check up, Gram stain, Blood Work, Nail & Feather trimming $275

•Toys
Easily $100/month if not more

•Play Stands
He has 3 table top Java Tree stands, I can’t remember exactly, so I’m guesstimating
$300

•Miscellaneous
Perches, Ladders, Swings, Crocks & Hartz Puppy Pee Pads (love these) for cage bottoms, Cleaning & Deorderizing Sprays. And an Infinite amount of paper towel rolls.
For all cages $350

Rounding up to $6900 and that’s for our 1st year.

And I’m sure I’m forgetting something as I am not the best record keeper.

No regrets, I adore him. :heart:

Initial costs with Arika.

Arika $1650
SS cage $2500
1st buy of toys, perches, play stand, etc $600
1st buy of Zupreme pellets and cookable food $200
Nuts, treats $100
1st vet visit $150
Carry cage $150
Emergency Kit $200

Fresh veggies, fruits, etc (Hard to tally since we eat it too, but guess at $50 / month for Arika
More pellets and cookable food will add to monthly costs but we buy large, vacuum seal and freeze.

Arika has not really started tearing up toys yet since she is just about 6 months old. I'm sure our toy costs will go up when she explores them more thoroughly

Total so far is about $5400 - $6000. The joy she has brought to our home is priceless.
We are fortunate that we can afford the cost of a macaw. We planned ahead, maintain a "bird fund" and always expect the unexpected.

Hopefully people will see this thread and ensure that they are truly ready to bring a feathered on into their family before they make that leap.

Much thanks to itzjbean and all other contributors for starting/participating in this thread.

Kelly, Karl, and Arika

wow when I say in posts I know I'm not ready for a large bird I was just thinking about how much time I could give them....I never factored in what you all spend on your eclectic high end breeds!

I'm also fortunate clark is healthy and I haven't had to do really anything medically for him so far. Hopefully he stays healthy and outlives me; I can afford something bad happening, I have savings and would use them in a second but....knock on wood.

know how you feel Clark. I dread to think how much I would end up splurging on a big parrot. Rio cost me near £2000 in total though I suspect that's far more than most people would spend on a GCC but it was worth it

I spend over a $100 a month just on toys for my flock, I never realized how much I spent until my parents made me pay for it.

My oldest cage is Elvis' cage, and that cost only $50 (a cockatiel cage) and the newer one only $60 (parakeet cage, yet it is much bigger than expected)

I spend $25-$35 on treats in one year, I don't buy treats that often.

I spend about $80 in food in a year. And my parents buy the fresh fruits and veggies, so I don't know how much that costs.

I don't remember how much I spent at their first vet visit, but the most resent one cost about $1500.

I spent $110 to get Elvis (cockatiel), $70 to get Jordan (lovebird), and $35 to get Opal (budgie).

Sent from my Galaxy s8

yeah vets are expensive. Why I suggest anyone who is able to gets insurance. A lot cheaper to spend an additional $40 a month than $1500 especially as it covers ordinary appointments!

LordTriggs said:

yeah vets are expensive. Why I suggest anyone who is able to gets insurance. A lot cheaper to spend an additional $40 a month than $1500 especially as it covers ordinary appointments!

Click to expand...

you know what, that never even crossed my mind? I'm going to have to look into that..... Thanks lordtriggs!!!