Cost of Grey's in Australia?

[Rachel]

Hello everyone, I'm another new person here...

I don't own a Grey yet, but I LOVE birds (and all animals!). I bred and showed budgerigars when I was younger, and although they hold a special place in my heart I have been birdless for some time.

I am finding myself leaning toward a Timneh Grey through some pretty amazing stories I've read on different sites (good and bad). I'm looking forward to learning lots about greys before making a final decision.

One thing I'm not sure about is the cost of a Grey in Australia, but I'm sure its going to be an unpleasant surprise!

Does anyone have any information on prices in Australia...or if there are any breeders in QLD. To tell you the truth I'm not even sure if Greys are only imported here, or whether we are allowed to breed them.

Any information would be so welcome.

thanks for your time,
Rachel

[Sticks_n_stones]

Rachel, I haven't the foggiest idea what a grey would cost in Australia, but I can tell you our experience here in the USA. We lived in Wisconsin when we bought Watson. We paid $1,500 for him. We moved to North Carolina several years ago and learned that the going rate was about $900. As you can see, the prices are all over the board here, and I expect you might find the same thing there.

Have you done an internet search for grey breeders? Often they have websites and will provide contact information. Some even post pictures and prices.

Good luck in your hunt. If you find a good one -- and I really believe most of them are good -- you'll have a friend for the rest of your life.

[FairY]

Hi welcome, Rachel - I hope you will enjoy this forum

From the internet I gather prices are between $750 and $1000

Obviously I don't know if there are any 'discount deals' etc. in Australia on this kind of sales.

[Rachel]

Thanks very much for your replies. I'll expand my search on the internet to discover more.

Thanks for the welcome to the forum, I don't think I'll be able to contribute much but I'm sure going to enjoy reading and learning.

I'm very much looking forward to a grey feathered friend for life!

[FairY]

Good luck in your search for a TAG, Rachel

[Mcgyver]

You will find that greys are quite expensive ...a pair will cost you about (AUS)$14,000. The split up is like $4,000 for a male and $10,000 for a female. Where I bought my hen it was the other way round $4,500 for the Hen and $10,000 for the male???
There are not many breeders in Australia as far as all my searches reveal. I purchase my bird recently after searching for the last 2 months.
BEWARE ...there are people selling Greys out of Africa for about (US)$400-$700, if you are not careful, you could end up paying $6000-$8000 in air fares plus the 2-3wk Quarantine time in customs at about $10-$15 a day ... in addition to the cost of the bird???
I can help you with the names of two breeders in NSW and they are very professional and if you are in Queensland they would ship the bird to you.

The birds are expensive for this very reason ...they are rare??

Cheers...Rick<br><br>Post edited by: Mcgyver, at: 2007/03/27 16:52

[Sticks_n_stones]

Rachel, be very careful about buying your grey from a country where they live wild. Some unscrupulous people catch the birds to sell. The conditions under which wild parrots are held are deplorable -- truly cruel. Wild greys no longer can be imported into the U.S. because of this. I don't know the regulations in Australia, but it might be a good idea to check.

Mcgyver might be your best bet for finding a grey, but WOW -- is that ever expensive!

[Rachel]

Thanks Mcgyver,

I was expecting around the $3-5000 mark but not quite the $10,000! Wow! I would be really interested in contacting your NSW breeders either way though.

I definitely have no interest in purchasing a bird from Africa! I've read a few different websites about what these bird catchers do and its terrible.

I am curious about looking in to purchasing a baby from America, which will probably still end up cheaper than $10,000...but I'm not sure if this is legally possible in Australia. I'm still doing some research.

Thank you so much for your reply, I appreciate your time,
Rachel

[Sticks_n_stones]

Rachel, within the past few days I've seen a lot of advertisements for greys with prices listed around $800 USD. Of course, the downside is that you can't see the bird (if you're from out of the country) or the environment where he's been raised. I have no idea about the rate of exchange between your country and mine, but judging from the prices quoted here, you could fly over here, stay a few days, select a bird and return home a heck of a lot cheaper than buying one in Australia!

[scotsmun]

I have a CAG here in Australia, she is four years old now and i got her hand reared once she was weaned. I paid Aud$4500 at the time.Now i believe the price is around the $8000 mark. The last 2 years have not seen many birds being produced apparently......hope this helps