There's a fair amount on the Web to read about the Boondockers folks, which a little deft Googling will unearth (including a segment on, if I remember correctly, Seattle public television). They seem dedicated and concerned and, as us old folks used to say back in the 60s, their heads certainly seem to be in the right place. But they also seem, er, uh, quite young, and idealistic, and a bit naive, in the same way as a young farm couple I'm sure we've all encountered at the farmer's market, who're attempting to sell their organic carrots for $5 a bunch because they're their organic carrots, raised with love and compassion and a great deal of self-congratulation, and who find themselves amazed that their neighbor in the next booth is selling her organic carrots for $2 a bunch--and selling them by the bushel. The moral being that the market sets the price, not the other way around.
Were I attempting to start a commercial flock of Anconas, I'd happily pay Boondockers $8 each, on the theory that I'd very likely get better breeding stock. Were I simply buying 15 ducklings with the intent of keeping four to breed a home flock, and eating the other 11 (which is my intent), I'd probably be more inclined toward buying from Cackle for $3.50 each. It's just Econ 101.
In other words, if they're setting up as breeder and thus an improver of Anconas as a breed, then the $8 per duckling is very likely worth it to the targeted market segment. But those who might find chewing and swallowing a $3.50 bird a bit easier than an $8 bird will probably look elsewhere. The key to Holderread's success seems to have been providing high-quality stock at prices everyone could afford (or, perhaps more accurately, justify), the moral being that there are a lot more dollar bills floating around backyard poultry lots than ten-dollar bills. High-end pricing self-selects for a boutique market. That isn't a bad thing, necessarily, and I hope it works for them. Good intentions need to be rewarded.
Were I attempting to start a commercial flock of Anconas, I'd happily pay Boondockers $8 each, on the theory that I'd very likely get better breeding stock. Were I simply buying 15 ducklings with the intent of keeping four to breed a home flock, and eating the other 11 (which is my intent), I'd probably be more inclined toward buying from Cackle for $3.50 each. It's just Econ 101.
In other words, if they're setting up as breeder and thus an improver of Anconas as a breed, then the $8 per duckling is very likely worth it to the targeted market segment. But those who might find chewing and swallowing a $3.50 bird a bit easier than an $8 bird will probably look elsewhere. The key to Holderread's success seems to have been providing high-quality stock at prices everyone could afford (or, perhaps more accurately, justify), the moral being that there are a lot more dollar bills floating around backyard poultry lots than ten-dollar bills. High-end pricing self-selects for a boutique market. That isn't a bad thing, necessarily, and I hope it works for them. Good intentions need to be rewarded.
