All About Starting a Bird Business in your Backyard

Here is an idea we have been thinking about. Starting a bird business from our backyard – a backyard bird business isn’t such a bad thought.

If you are here, chances are you love bird, nature and would like to start a bird breeding business. The best thing about starting a bird business is the calmness that the business brings to the breeder.

While all pets have their own benefits in your life, birds are soothing, calming, and a joy to be around. That is not to say starting one is easy, but we guarantee, it will be so much fun you’ll be smiling to the bank in no distance time.

So if you love birds, caring for them and seriously can’t put up with the demand of caring for dogs and cats, then birds might just be up to our alley. We do recommend you start small and learn the tricks of the trade though.

However, if you are keen and have a large space in your backyard, you can begin a profitable bird business in your backyard.

Bird Pets in the US

Americans love their pets, they are therapeutic, and a companion that has become a part of the America lifestyle. Although birds aren’t as much as dogs and cat, they occupy a special place in the hearts of their owners.

Most birds are classified as wild and not eligible to be owned as a pet without the proper license or approval from the right animal body. In the United States, birds are very common pets in most households with 68 percent of houses owning one pet or more, there were about 20.6 million birds in 2017 which is a huge increase from the 14.3 million in 2015.

Despite the number of birds in the world, only a small majority can be tamed, and only a handful are accepted as pets in the United States. Some common pet birds are doves, lovebirds, finches, cockatiels, parrots and budgerigars.

Shall we start?

Why a pet bird?

If you are thinking about how profitable can a bird business bring, listen up. Just like dogs, birds are the second category of pets that are easily humanized. Bird parents have a strong relationship with their pet bird and most people love them because of their intelligence and ability to learn.

They are also good company, have you ever watched a bird react when its cage is cleaned, they are so happy it just puts a smile on your face.

Furthermore, pet birds are considered the best pets for a family with small children, depending on the bird type, it is clean fun and entertainment that will keep you busy and filled with positive energy all day long.

For the most part, birds are cheaper than dogs and cats or even fishes, very easy to care for and it doesn’t take too much of your time. It is fun to own a pet bird, but even more engaging having a business that provides such beauty to bird lovers.

Starting a Bird Business

Beginning the bird business involves a lot of things, while all the information you need will come from other successful business owners, you must think about why you want to go into the bird business.

When you have identified your motivation, study the market, and determine the area of the market you are interested in – the bird business consists of breeders, wholesalers, distributors and accessories and all things birds.

Next is to put a good strategy in place that will attract potential clients and make you some money. Decide on the cost, package, importation, or local breeding.

While you can read all you want about the bird business on the internet, there is no better way to fully understand how the process works than getting helpful insights from individuals who are in the business. Most of them will gladly tell you about the business and how each aspect works.

Getting your business in place

As with any business, you need a plan that will categorically kick start your business once you are ready to set up.

At this junction, we will probably ask if you are ready to start a bird petting business, but if you are here, you obviously want a new career change that is influenced by your passion for aviculture and animals.

So congratulations!

Getting a name for the business

Since you are working from your backyard, a name might be secondary, but as a bird breeder, you will relate with pet shops and other dealers that buy birds in bulks for their business or for clients.

Your business name should be easy to remember and related to birds, it should clearly indicate what birds you deal with and your business address on it.

License and Registration, please

Depending on the state you reside in, the law permits only about 30 bird species in one location. It also states that you must have a license that allows operate in the state and the law.

Furthermore, registration of the business name makes it legal by law and it also ensures that the chosen business name is not used by another business and gives you the opportunity to be an entity in the future.

Being a bird breeder?

The most lucrative aspect of this business is to be a bird breeder, usually, bird breeders nurture adult bird and care them when they lay and hatch. The young birds are then cared for until they find a bird-loving family that wants to buy them for their home.

Bird breeders are the most popular business in this section of the pet industry although other ventures are selling of bird equipment like cages, houses, toys or their food. You can also add caring and consulting service for bird owners on how best to care and cater for their type of bird.

Education and skills required for a bird business

While there is no specific degree or skill acquisition required to start a business as a bird breeder, a broad knowledge on how the different breeds and how to treat each bird in different stages is paramount to the success of the business.

However, a background in zoology, animal science, and animal medicine is good, but for breeders that have owned bird since their younger days, a firsthand experience will definitely come in handy in starting a bird business.

Regardless of what is the motivation for starting a bird business is always nice to seek knowledge from an experienced mentor. You can also register with bird breeders association, training schools and programs that will help you perfect your skills as a successful bird breeding business owner.

The American Federation of Aviculture offers courses for people that want to start bird business. The course covers all things about birds including housing, behavior, health, care, anatomy, feeding, illnesses, incubation, hand-feeding, genetics, nesting and legal consideration of a bird business.

What does it cost to start a bird business?

If you are starting the bird business from your backyard, it cuts the cost of renting and seeking out a good location for the business. If your backyard is spacious with enough trees to mimic their natural habitat, it is better and more convenient for a newbie in the bird business.

While the cost varies in accordance with how big the business will be, the bulk of the expenditure comes from buying cages, breeding boxes, incubators, brooders,  weight scale, birdhouses, drinking, and feeding cans, the drugs, vitamins, and feed.

How much can you earn as a bird breeder?

Breeders make good money whether they are in the bird business as a part-timer or dedicating their full attention to it.

You can make the sum of $500 to $2000 monthly if it is a side hustle and more than $50,000 annually. However, if you decide to be full-time breeder, wholesale for all thing bird or a distributor; with the right plan, you should enjoy a huge sum of above $100,000 annually.

Wholesale including breeding birds that are sold to pet stores or brokers that resale them – this can be very profitable as it allows you to name a price depending on how much time and care is invested in taking care of your birds.

Duties of a Bird Breeder

The main duty includes cleaning and maintaining their cages or birdhouses, prepping their food or hand-feeding them, providing nesting for laying birds, monitoring, checking the health, giving them their medication, treating injuries, and keeping a record of their behavior and breeding habits.

Another popular trend in the bird business is hand-raised young birds, this process allows the birds to be humanized, hence when purchase by a family, and they fit into the setting without trouble.

This is a tedious process, but it is worth every step, and some extra money in your pocket.

Choice of Bird

Most birds in the US are from local or regional breeders, if you want to add exotic birds to your collection of birds for sale, you will need to ensure that it is not against the importation regulation in the US.

The Government is slowly relaxing its watch on exotic bird’s importation which is opening up a wonderful opportunity for the local breeder. However, there are some things to know before you can be a recognized exotic bird breeder.

Check with your Department of Animal Control Center

As a bird breeder, you will need a license from hour local animal authority as selling birds with a license can make you liable to some hefty fine.

Secondly, you have to list out all the birds you intend to breed in your backyard as birds can be really noisy which won’t go down well with your neighbor

Provide detail information on how you intend to care for the birds including feeding, vet check, housing them

Have a good waste disposal process – bird’s droppings are a lot, and it stinks too. Bird’s droppings are also dangerous so it is best to always have gloves on when clearing their cages.

All bird should be tagged, and have bands used to recognize them.

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