Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it worth getting rid of all your boa for a parrot?
Let us analyze:

cost of boa:

middle to high end - albino for example: $700 at least
african grey Parrot: $600 cheapest

Feed boa: 4-5 dollar weekly = $25 a month
feed bird: $8 per 8lb bag = $8 2-3 month

boa just lay and sit, the law is getting tougher and many people dont like them. It pretty kewl to have a boa but it seem like they lose value very quickly. But the bird value say the same. I notice over 10 year, an african grey still worth at least $1000, but for a snake. Their value drop greatly.

Example:

Brought a newborn albino boa for $800. raise it to adult takes 3-4 years. Sell it for $1400. the cost of feeding it all those years dont come near the reselling price.

I have been keeping boa since 1995 and have just sold all my 13 boa collection to have just one parrot. So far i am pretty happier with the bird since it interact with me and i have save alot of money taking care of it.

What do everything think about this matter? Any opinion accepted

Parrots are for the most part loud, require a lot of care and grooming, and can cause allergic reaction for people...snakes require much less care, they are a lot quieter, and I don't recall hearing about anyone being allergic to them. If you were in it just for the money, then you did good, but if snakes are a part of you like they are of me as well as a lot of other people in the hobby, you will regret your decision. You were also paying way too much for snake food.

are concerned...they are bound to get tougher if people move out of the hobby...if nobody is left to fight, the war is certainly over.

I agree if your main concern was money... then you did right to get out. Snakes are not for everyone. I keep a small collection of boas simply because I enjoy them. If you like birds... keep birds. I think boas rule!!! You know they eats birds in the wild. lol Just kidding

Money shouldn't have anything to do with keeping pets....they are all expensive. If I didn't enjoy my 3 dogs I could sit down and analyze the cost and wonder if they were worth it....Sounds like Boas just weren't meant for you.

Good luck with your African Gray......remember to put it in your will as it might outlive you!!

The original post sounds like an investment analysis at the start.
If you love keeping boas a parrot is no substitute and vice versa.
Since I tend to keep most of my reptiles the sales price down the line isn't important to me. Shoot, I still have the first 2 snakes I bought almost 12 years ago (a female BCC and a female Black Rat Snake).

By the way the 2 dogs on the left remind me of my Sharpei mix and Miniature Pinscher. At my house the MinPin is the boss of the Sharpei mix.

i dont know about getting rid of all snakes for a parrot but both animals need alot of planning before getting there is a right snake and a right bird for everyone just a matter of what one i for one owne pythons boas colubrids fish lizzards and parrots and cat whell i own a lil of everythgin but the parrots by far need ALOT of attention they will start plucking out all there feathers if they are bored or stressed or a few diff things parrots brains are equal that of a two ta three year old child and loud omg loud specialy the larger ones be ready for neighbors complaineing and or even calling the cops on you OH AND PRICE yeah a parrot hold value some more BUT if it is a biter or screamer ppl dont like paying as much AND toys are a must buy almost every other week and they are like $20 a toy the get tore apart fast cages for a larger bird are $1000 min at most places ok i could go on and on but wont they are wonderfull animals birds and snakes both

If you like birds, all the power to you!

Everyone brought up a lot of good points.

For me, I'd never be able to own a bird (especially a larger parrot) because of the time needed to spend with them. I handle each of my snakes about once a week.

Birds, however, must be socialized. Then, after raising a bird, or getting attached to it, you must pay attention to it or it will develop behavior disorders.

I have a friend who has had a blue and gold macaw for years. Beautiful bird, but she hardly ever goes on vacation, and only one or two of her relatives can watch the bird if she does go away, because it is like taking care of a toddler.

Since I'm fairly busy, my snakes are good pets to me! They interact with me (even if they don't "love" me), and I don't have to trim feathers or claws or beaks. I've tried keeping a lot of different pets - ferrets, rabbits, an iguana... and snakes seemed to 'fit' best with my lifestyle.

Though it'd be cool if I could get one of my boas to repeat something I said...
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Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.0 BP, 1.0 Hog Is., 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 0.1 GTP

Sounds like you have been eating too many crackers....lol...

Andy
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This post may make the least sense of any post I have ever read!!! If thats the case I'll sell all my snakes and buy a gold fish. How much can a jar of fish food cost???

Parrots defecate 50 times a day. Boas defecate maybe once a week. The choice seems REAL simple to me.
Jeff

>>Is it worth getting rid of all your boa for a parrot?
>>Let us analyze:
>>
>>cost of boa:
>>
>>middle to high end - albino for example: $700 at least
>>african grey Parrot: $600 cheapest
>>
>>Feed boa: 4-5 dollar weekly = $25 a month
>>feed bird: $8 per 8lb bag = $8 2-3 month
>>
>>boa just lay and sit, the law is getting tougher and many people dont like them. It pretty kewl to have a boa but it seem like they lose value very quickly. But the bird value say the same. I notice over 10 year, an african grey still worth at least $1000, but for a snake. Their value drop greatly.
>>
>>Example:
>>
>>Brought a newborn albino boa for $800. raise it to adult takes 3-4 years. Sell it for $1400. the cost of feeding it all those years dont come near the reselling price.
>>
>>I have been keeping boa since 1995 and have just sold all my 13 boa collection to have just one parrot. So far i am pretty happier with the bird since it interact with me and i have save alot of money taking care of it.
>>
>>What do everything think about this matter? Any opinion accepted

>>Parrots defecate 50 times a day. Boas defecate maybe once a week. The choice seems REAL simple to me.
>>Jeff
>>
>>
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

So long as you like Parrots better than Boas, who cares what you do with your animals.
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recycle your pets

>>Is it worth getting rid of all your boa for a parrot?
>>Let us analyze:
>>
>>cost of boa:
>>
>>middle to high end - albino for example: $700 at least
>>african grey Parrot: $600 cheapest
>>
>>Feed boa: 4-5 dollar weekly = $25 a month
>>feed bird: $8 per 8lb bag = $8 2-3 month
>>
>>boa just lay and sit, the law is getting tougher and many people dont like them. It pretty kewl to have a boa but it seem like they lose value very quickly. But the bird value say the same. I notice over 10 year, an african grey still worth at least $1000, but for a snake. Their value drop greatly.
>>
>>Example:
>>
>>Brought a newborn albino boa for $800. raise it to adult takes 3-4 years. Sell it for $1400. the cost of feeding it all those years dont come near the reselling price.
>>
>>I have been keeping boa since 1995 and have just sold all my 13 boa collection to have just one parrot. So far i am pretty happier with the bird since it interact with me and i have save alot of money taking care of it.
>>
>>What do everything think about this matter? Any opinion accepted

I have 8 parrots and a boat load of snakes. I wouldn't get rid of a snake for parrot or vise versa. Parrots are more companion animals and want attention. They are part of your family. Snakes are a show animal and make nice display's. They are low maintenance compared to an African Grey. If you are worried about cost.........The African Grey is going to cost way more. Keep Boas....Keep Birds....They are both awesome.

dude..just keep your boas and get a parrot..I have 3 and they will dr. you crazy with time.

My boas poop about 2-3 times a month, but my parrot poops at least 4 times an hour! Also, boas generally don't like to chew on everything in sight, including your boyfriend.

~kasey

I don't know what everyone is talking about. I bought a parrot a few weeks ago and I have yet to hear it speak or scream/yell. It hasn't pooped yet. It doesn't chew anything. When I left for a few days I threw it in the closet. When I got back and needed a companion I pulled it out. I haven't spent any money on food or a cage. When I bought the bird it was next to the other stuffed animals. Its a great bird.

a parrot mates for life, and if you only get one parrot, it will mate with you. If you are at work 8 hours a day you will have a very unhappy parrot in no time. It will need you, it's mate. What's an unhappy parrot like? They can be very loud and messy, and a parrot bite is much worst than a boa bite as well, even a big boa's bite. A Macaw can take your finger clean off. You could get a second parrot, but then the parrot will mate with the other parrot and will not talk as much. Oh yes, did you get a boy? Girl's don't talk as much if you want a talker, and why else would you get an African Grey unless you wanted a talker? If you can take the bird with you everywhere, all the time, you'll both love it, otherwise get a mate.
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

It depends on why you have the snake. Some people look at them as investments, others as pets. To me, they are pets. I've sunk thousands of dollars into them over the last 10 years....and I've made very little back breeding them. Who cares? I'm doing it because I LOVE it.

One thing I can say, is that snakes are much cheaper to keep than dogs, cats, or just about anything else. As a matter of fact, my wife has already said that when my 17 month old son asks for a puppy later on that she will try to talk him into a snake instead
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Travis Rose
Lazy S Snake Ranch
(859) 582-7310
1.0 100% DH for Snow Boa
1.0 Hypo, 66% DH Moonglow Boa
0.1 Normal Common Boa
0.1 Circle Back Normal Boa
0.1 66% DH for Snow Boa
2.4 Kenyans
0.3 Dogs (1 Full Pitbull, 1 Pit/Husky, & 1 Bernese Mt. Dog cross)
0.3 Cats (1 fat, 1 old, and 1 insane)
0.1 Very understanding wife
1.0 Toddler (WC...still bites and musks)

do the bird a favor and don't buy one... you need to do quite a bit more research before you consider owning an african grey.

Look into mynahs if you want something that talks but isn't going to destroy your house and require the mental stimulation of a great ape, or the ability to destroy every piece of wooden furniture in it's path.

They are great pets, but for the right kind of person... and at the risk of sound like a jerk... you're not the right kind of person.

You dont know anything about, nor do i know anything about you. I ask a simple question to see what people think. You are out of line for calling people name for no reason.

Person that have little or no knowledge of such thing is "YOU". Your pitty theory have little or no credit. The way you answer this question really show how low your mentally is.

So far, some people on kingsnake answer with meaning. Base on the answer I got from kingsnake forum and the parrot forum is that:

Snakes are more like a display....somewhat like a fishtank. And
Parrot are more like having a companionship. People who is from a snake forum are more likely defend the snake, likewise for the birdforum.

My basic "test" shows that many people who answer my question without thinking, but through compusion is very narrow minded.

Rude and controlled remarks from "some" kingsnake people and parrot forums are like retarded "garter snakes" and "bird brains"

I thank the rest of the "respectable" people for your get response. The truth is, I still keep my boas and brought a parrot I love my snakes and the parrot.

hahaha

Peace Out!!!

>>do the bird a favor and don't buy one... you need to do quite a bit more research before you consider owning an african grey.
>>
>>Look into mynahs if you want something that talks but isn't going to destroy your house and require the mental stimulation of a great ape, or the ability to destroy every piece of wooden furniture in it's path.
>>
>>They are great pets, but for the right kind of person... and at the risk of sound like a jerk... you're not the right kind of person.
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2.1 Surinam/Guyanna
0.1 Columbian
1.0 Albino Columbian
0.1 W.C RED HOT Fiancee
0.1 W.C Daughter