Pricing my lovebird chicks?

[Siennacr1]

Hey guys, I’ve got these chicks that I can’t take care of (I’m not a breeder or professional, but i let my lovebirds have chicks this one time)
Anyways I’d like to sell them to earn back most of the money I’ve spent on my lovebirds ($200 cage, $50 food every couple of weeks, toys, etc etc). What prices would you put these chicks up for in a location like Canada? (So in CAD) I’ve posted them on Facebook and have been told their quite rare colours. I have five chicks and apparently their colours are: turquoise opaline, green pied, turquoise edge dilute, green opaline pied, and green opaline. I will add pictures of what they look like. Also they are all friendly and hand tame and all of them are very healthy and have very sweet personalities. I let the parents raise them but always took them out for several hours a day in increments throughout the day to get used to humans. Mom is a green opaline split to blue and dad is an aqua-turquoise split to opaline. (First 2 pics are them). Also feel free to correct me on any of the mutations I’ve listed! I’m just using information I was told by other lovebird breeders. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6ycbh849pq44s7x/AAAyQrG3FLXLyD4W4ApdWRpTa?dl=0

 

[noodles123]

Welcome


It's not ethical to sell them to someone without extensive hand-raising and equipment if they are not fully weaned (and forced weaning is a terrible thing for development etc so don't even consider that)...You should consider selling or giving them to a reputable breeder if they are not fully weaned, because selling them to someone without experience will almost certainly result in dead chicks. Also, reputable breeders do not sell unweaned babies, so that is another reason to research the practices of the person you choose.

I hope this doesn't come off too strong, but why did you allow them to have chicks knowing you couldn't care for them properly and knowing you would just take them away anyway- only to turn around and sell them..It makes me feel uncomfortable about the whole thing because you really are risking a lot here with this who experiment. Who was it for?

I fear that if you make money off of this, you might try it again...The thing is, it's irresponsible and dangerous- so please don't let them breed again, as you said yourself you don't have the experience/skills. You lucked out, in that your birds didn't attack the chicks and fed them, but sometimes, the parents don't feed them or start abusing them, and then the human has to intervene. You wouldn't have been able to do that in your position...You know what I am saying?


Sorry I didn't actually answer your question, but with re-homing of parrots so rampant, you really have to consider what is at stake if you make the wrong move here---someone without the proper knowledge may offer a lot of money, but it would be wrong to take it because the birds could die in the wrong hands...plus, there are already so many unwanted parrots in rescues etc...I hope these guys survive and that they don't end up in a rescue or bird mill somewhere.. Just make sure you re-home wisely.

 

[Siennacr1]

Hey noodles123, no I absolutely was not planning on selling them at the age they are at right now as I am fully aware they are not ready to go, nor at I ready to let them go. I only meant I couldn?t have 7 fully grown adult lovebirds permanently living in my home, but chicks are completely ok. I was going to wait 3+ more weeks, but just wanted to see what I should be expecting. Although yes the chicks are cute, the experience has been really nice, and the money is just an add on bonus, I don?t plan on doing it again because it?s caused my room to be a madhouse of squawking lovebirds. So no, I do not plan on creating a parrot mill. I only did start handling them when they began to start have quite a few feathers, so they were quite old and I could tell the parents did not have a bad reaction to it, but I understand and appreciate your concern.

 

[noodles123]

Okay good- Have you read about abundance weaning? That is how you will know they are getting closer to being ready (when they consistently start rejecting formula and eating food instead). Initially, you will still have to supplement with formula, so try not to put a timeline on it (as it is bird specific). I can't help you on the pricing, but I'm sure others will chime in.

 

[Noahs_Birds]

I’m not aware of the pricing of lovebirds in Canada, but in Australia we get about $30-50 each for the basic mutations. I’m assuming Canada would be similar (converted of course). Search online sales groups, find out the average pricing and go from there. Avicultural associations usually write up a Price Guide of species every couple years or so. You’re not going to get as money back as you’ll like, takes a long time and a lot of work to make any money from birds.