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Our Major Expenses

• Food

  Our number one expense is food for the birds. We purchase rats, mice, and quail from commercial vendors, thus assuring that the food is clean and nutritious. It would be prohibitive to attempt to raise our own rodents, as we use a volume that would require a warehouse-sized set up and probably cost more in the end. Food costs vary seasonally and sometimes can run in the neighborhood of $40/day, or about $8K annually.

• Veterinary care

  is another significant cost. Prior to 2017 we enjoyed free veterinary care, and then our vet retired. We are very lucky indeed to now have vets at the Medical Center for Birds, however we also have the price tag. Although impossible to predict, our vet costs can run several thousand dollars annually. The birds rarely need to go to the vets but when they do it is typically an emergency. For example, our White Red Tailed ran into a problem in October of 2017. Her “permanent” wing pin came loose and impaled her through her lower jaw. Not exactly an expected crisis, and a true emergency. We are so thankful our vets were available and the bird recovered beautifully.

• California State Permit Fee

  Another surprising expense is our state permit fee. It goes up annually and for the 2019 renewal the fee is over $900. We also encounter a variety of expenses related to programming: Taxidermy, displays, educational materials and literature, office supplies, insurance, web site and so on.