# hyacinths



## eoj89

is there any hyacinths kept privately in the uk? just being nosy..


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## ljb107

A few


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## Zoo-Man

Yes, more than you'd think


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## eoj89

Zoo-Man said:


> Yes, more than you'd think


That's so nice to here! I know there's a few in America but I didn't realise they were a few in the UK too :blush:


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## russm

I saw some for sale on bird trader the other day. They were £12,500 each! He'll of an expensive but a stunning bird none the less.


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## Nel5on

Probably into the 100's


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## *mogwai*

yes. i used to know someone that had them.


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## ShayneColbert

I know a guy who has about 40 of them!


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## eoj89

ShayneColbert said:


> I know a guy who has about 40 of them!


are they privately kept or part of a public collection? :flrt:


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## cobe

i know of a few breeding Hyacinths. A friend of mine has 2 breeding pairs...


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## eoj89

cobe said:


> i know of a few breeding Hyacinths. A friend of mine has 2 breeding pairs...


I saw a breeding pair for sale on Bird Trader the other day, £20,000. I wish I had the time, money, space and experience to have a pair :bash::mf_dribble:


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## Ryanbrown89

Really even with the heavy price tag??


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## Kiwibird

While you don't see one everyday, they aren't uncommon over here in the US. I knew of 2 people where I used to live who had them (individual birds, not pairs). One was a rescue bird who got to come into work everyday with the owners, who ran a parrot supply store (though they didn't sell birds, they just brought their babies with them to work). Another, a guy had owned for a very long time, and he would frequently come out to the flea market in the summer with his bird because it liked the social interaction and sunshine I actually got to hold that bird (actually, it insisted on climbing on my arm when the owner let me offer it a treat). VERY BIG with a VERY LARGE beak, but it had a super sweet disposition. They also turn up in the avian rescues and sanctuaries relatively frequently because they are just too much for most people to handle.

Along with the initial price tag, HYs have a very specialized diet with a very special type of nut that is rich in selenium (I believe thats the name of the nutrient), that if they don't get they will get ill fast. They are also so large, you might as well plan to build an aviary, because even a double macaw cage is too small for a bird that size. They must always have stuff to chew, and many people with large macaws end up going through 2x4's they cut into blocks for their birds to rip up. Another thing to keep in mind, a bird that can split a 1" dowel with it's beak can amputate a finger if it is in a pissy mood. They can also cause extensive damage to a home if not properly supervised and are loud enough to be heard blocks away. Not to mention vet bills if the bird becomes sick or injured. AVs aren't cheap, and the bigger the bird, the bigger the bill. I grew up with large parrots, I own a pretty big boy myself (amazon), and you could not give me one of the big macs for free. I've been bit to the bone more than once by beaks half the size, and I kind of like having 5 fingers on each hand. Those birds truly require very special care and a very special owner, and should probably require a license to own.


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## eoj89

Is there anyone on here/any other forums that keeps them? I'd imagine not, but it would be nice to know, unless they prefer to keep it private.


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## Kiwibird

Are you looking to buy one or meet one or what? This is an avian shelter in the UK, and while they don't have any HYs, they look to have a few other big macs available Even if you aren't looking to bring one home and just want to meet one, parrots in shelters are usually very happy when people come in and just visit with them- Birdline UK Parrot Rescue - Birdline Parrot Re-homing

This site lists several rescues in the UK, and one of them may have a HY you could go seeDIRECTORY OF CAGE AND AVIARY BIRD RESCUE CENTRES


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## eoj89

Kiwibird said:


> Are you looking to buy one or meet one or what? This is an avian shelter in the UK, and while they don't have any HYs, they look to have a few other big macs available Even if you aren't looking to bring one home and just want to meet one, parrots in shelters are usually very happy when people come in and just visit with them- Birdline UK Parrot Rescue - Birdline Parrot Re-homing
> 
> This site lists several rescues in the UK, and one of them may have a HY you could go seeDIRECTORY OF CAGE AND AVIARY BIRD RESCUE CENTRES


I'd like to meet one, but I don't think I could ever own one. Although I would love to.


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## johndavidwoods

There is a guy who lives in Fulham in SW London who has 2, and regularly walks around the streets with both of them on his shoulders. Quite an amazing sight, although you've got to wonder if it's wise behaviour.


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## Mujician

There is a pair (at least one pair display anyway) at tropical bird land in leicestershire. Brilliant place to visit if you like parrots!


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## pariahdog

A 'rescue' Hyacinth'? Rescue my arse. More likely a stolen Hyacinth that the thief claims was a 'rescue'. No idea about the UK but there are lots in the US. I played with a bunch of them back when I lived in Florida because there were lots of breeders there. Back 10-15 years ago weaned babies could be found for around 7000 USD, but I guess not any more. Adults have strangely always been more expensive probably because they are like money machines.


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## Bamboozoo

Kiwibird said:


> While you don't see one everyday, they aren't uncommon over here in the US. I knew of 2 people where I used to live who had them (individual birds, not pairs). One was a rescue bird who got to come into work everyday with the owners, who ran a parrot supply store (though they didn't sell birds, they just brought their babies with them to work). Another, a guy had owned for a very long time, and he would frequently come out to the flea market in the summer with his bird because it liked the social interaction and sunshine I actually got to hold that bird (actually, it insisted on climbing on my arm when the owner let me offer it a treat). VERY BIG with a VERY LARGE beak, but it had a super sweet disposition. They also turn up in the avian rescues and sanctuaries relatively frequently because they are just too much for most people to handle.
> 
> Along with the initial price tag, HYs have a very specialized diet with a very special type of nut that is rich in selenium (I believe thats the name of the nutrient), that if they don't get they will get ill fast. They are also so large, you might as well plan to build an aviary, because even a double macaw cage is too small for a bird that size. They must always have stuff to chew, and many people with large macaws end up going through 2x4's they cut into blocks for their birds to rip up. Another thing to keep in mind, a bird that can split a 1" dowel with it's beak can amputate a finger if it is in a pissy mood. They can also cause extensive damage to a home if not properly supervised and are loud enough to be heard blocks away. Not to mention vet bills if the bird becomes sick or injured. AVs aren't cheap, and the bigger the bird, the bigger the bill. I grew up with large parrots, I own a pretty big boy myself (amazon), and you could not give me one of the big macs for free. I've been bit to the bone more than once by beaks half the size, and I kind of like having 5 fingers on each hand. Those birds truly require very special care and a very special owner, and should probably require a license to own.


Have to say I love my green wing to death and my B&G.......but would not have an amazon.....lol. The name of the nut you are referring to is the brazil nut.


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## Kiwibird

Bamboozoo said:


> Have to say I love my green wing to death and my B&G.......but would not have an amazon.....lol. The name of the nut you are referring to is the brazil nut.


Brazil nut! I was thinking a filbert but knew that couldn't be right lol. 

I do wonder though, how the poor amazons got such a bad reputation in the avian community :devil::loll:


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## Kiwibird

pariahdog said:


> A 'rescue' Hyacinth'? Rescue my arse. More likely a stolen Hyacinth that the thief claims was a 'rescue'. No idea about the UK but there are lots in the US. I played with a bunch of them back when I lived in Florida because there were lots of breeders there. Back 10-15 years ago weaned babies could be found for around 7000 USD, but I guess not any more. Adults have strangely always been more expensive probably because they are like money machines.


Ya, I'm totally sure the nice older couple with the HY were burglarizing pricey birds at night...... :gasp: OR they got the bird from a avian rescue or private party rehoming it. I mean, people give away other large macaws (and cockatoos) in droves (which aren't as expensive as a HY, but certainly aren't cheap) because most people can't handle that large of a parrot. What else are they to do when Polly grows up and gets hormonal/territorial/possessive and they can't figure out why it's biting/chewing/screaming/acting out/self mutilating? US avian shelters are overflowing, not with small and medium birds, but with the very large, very expensive parrots. The average large parrot goes through 7 homes in it's lifetime. It's not unreasonable to assume a Hy comes up for adoption or an older one for sale every so often. 

Perhaps it is different in the UK, but many people here consider older birds who came out of not good scenarios "rescues" even though they PAID for them and/or obtained them in another legal way (many families give them up to avian rescues when the owner passes, some people don't care what they paid- they just want the feathered monster out of their home ext...). My amazon came out of a neglect situation. I paid to get him out of that situation. Yes, I do consider him a rescue as he was in fact rescued from poor care conditions even though he wasn't 'free'.


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