Are parrot eggs for sale ever NOT scams?

Question
Hello,

I'm curious as to whether the sale of parrot eggs is legal, regulated, and in
actual existance?  I have seen hyacinth macaw eggs advertised for about $35!  
For those who don't know this, these birds can command prices of over $10
000.

Many of these sellers advertise a 100% hatch guarantee.  Unless - (a) they
have pioneered truly amazing technological and/or biological advances or (b)
they really mean that they will offer a refund or replacement - then this in
itself is an outright lie.

IF there are any actual parrot egg producers, I am curious as to their success
rate.  If I buy an unweaned baby, I intend to spend a minimum of 2 months
learning how to handfeed from an experienced breeder with plenty of
opportunity to practise (ie: give him free labour in exchange for the
mentorship).  Buy an egg, and I'll up it to half a year!  My concern would be
that anyone who does not actually mandate the above preparation for egg
buyers may have a low success rate, so doing business with him would be
supporting a breeder who knowingly sacrifices birds for $$.

I would greatly appreciate your expertise.  My position currently is that IF
there is a legitimate, ethical parrot egg producer, I would love a referral to
one!

Thanks!
Audrey

Answer
Hi, Audrey.

Selling parrot eggs is not illegal, except when trying to import or export.  Would be similar to selling chicken eggs.  There would be no way to regulate this.  Yes, sellers of parrot eggs do exist because there's people out there that buy their wares!

I'm very skeptical and leary of this practice.  Once eggs are laid, they are only good for so long without refrigeration (like chicken eggs) or incubation (parrot sitting on them).  Unless an egg has actually started into the incubation process, there's no chance for a viable baby to emerge.  Why are these eggs so cheap to begin with?  I would never purchase a parrot egg like this because first of all, one would have to get the egg home before it cooled down or the embryo would die.  Second, one would have to ensure the egg was viable to begin with (you gonna take this person's word for it).  Even if it were, what would one do if you got it home, incubated it for the required time, and it didn't hatch.  Do you think the egg seller is going to give you your money back and/or another egg?  I think not...this person would likely say "It must have been your fault."  

Just like anything else, Audrey, if it seems to good to be true, it usually is.  These people are out to make a buck just like anyone else.

Chrys