The cost of only the bird can range anywhere between $600 and over $12000. Depending on whether you adopt it or get it from a breeder, you will pay more or less. The additional costs of pet care can take the total overall cost to anywhere between $15000 and $20000.
The Cost Of Getting A Hyacinth Macaw
You can opt between two options: adopting and breeding. The former is lighter on your pocket and the latter will cost you a huge deal.
Adopting A Hyacinth Macaw
This is a cheaper option in terms of money as you can get a hyacinth macaw for around $600 on average. However, the catch here is the time taken to finally get a hyacinth macaw. Since these are rare and endangered species, they are rarely up for adoption. If you are patient, you can choose to adopt one.
Breeding
This is the most convenient way of getting a hyacinth macaw. But this comes with its own set of catches. Firstly, breeding a hyacinth macaw will need you to have a big one-time investment of anywhere between $5000 and $12000, sometimes even more.
Another thing you need to be extra careful of is that it is illegal to capture a hyacinth macaw from the wild. So, ensure you do a complete background check of your breeder and only opt for the ethical ones.
Lastly, the major concern with breeding is that scams are all too common. So, if you choose to breed, make sure you go for a reputable breeder. Otherwise, you will either end up facing huge fines for illegal breeding, or you will end up with a fake hyacinth macaw.
Recurring Monthly Costs Of Having A Hyacinth Macaw
Owning the bird only step 1 in the series of steps involved in pet care. Because the bird is so exotic, it is pricier and has high recurring costs per month.
Health Care ($45-450 Per Month)
Keeping your pet healthy is your topmost responsibility as a pet owner. Taking care of your hyacinth macaw’s health includes more than just regular visits to the vet. You need to ensure their diet is right, and their beaks, nails, and wings are regularly groomed and kept hygienic. Moreover, you can never completely ignore the margin of costs for accidental injuries.
Food ($40-60 Per Month)
Compared to other macaw species, the hyacinth macaw requires a diet of higher fat content. This involves macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
Grooming ($0-60 Per Month)
This is where you get some margin to cut costs if you are an experienced bird keeper. The beaks of the hyacinth macaws need to be kept short. It is recommended that you don’t trim it at home. You can either get harder chew toys or have your vet or groomer trim the beak for your macaw.
Medication And Vet Visits ($0-300 Per Month)
Hyacinth macaws have a long life of over 60 years. This makes them very high maintenance with regards to regular visits to the vet.
Environment And Entertainment ($50-100 Per Month)
The large size of hyacinth macaws makes the requirement for a large space ardent. Moreover, they tend to be messier than the other macaws. Tidying and cleaning the hyacinth macaw’s habitat can be a costly affair. You also need to keep it entertained by giving chew toys, and because they have hard beaks, they break toys more often.
Summarized List Of Costs For Owning A Hyacinth Macaw
The Hyacinth Macaw is a very expensive bird to own. Its species is endangered, and it is rarely up for adoption. You need to look for ethical breeders and those can cost you well over $10,000! And that is just the one-time cost of owning a Hyacinth Macaw. The additional recurring costs make it all the pricier when compared to the other macaws. And since there aren’t many places for you to cut costs in the pet care of a hyacinth macaw, there isn’t an option to adopt one on a tight budget.
What will be the total monthly cost of owning a Hyacinth Macaw?
The total monthly cost for a Hyacinth Macaw pet can be between $150 and $550.
What is the average lifespan of a Hyacinth Macaw?
A Hyacinth Macaw can live well up to 60 years with proper care.
Can a hyacinth macaw be captured from the wild for breeding?
No. It is illegal to capture a Hyacinth Macaw from the wild.
What do hyacinth macaws eat?
Hyacinth macaws need a high fat-content diet of nuts, fruits, and vegetables.