Backyard Duckonomics

[newbyduckmom]

I'd say your numbers are about representative of what it cost us for our 5 ducks. I haven't computed it. I did before we got the ducks, and found there were many more expenses than anticipated. Long story short, I don't want to know. A dozen store bought eggs is much cheaper, but we can't stand to eat them after having fresh duck eggs. Besides, its impossible to compute the entertainment and amusement value I get from my ducks - so purely selfish. They are staying, and I don't want to know how much dozen eggs truly costs - so I can tell the spouse I just don't know. I can just hear him telling me it is not cost effective to raise our own eggs.....I love me ducks. They stay. :0)

 

[Buxton Ducks]

I never crunched any numbers but good for you! (not a math person)
I just love my ducks! I think the biggest cost to me though is the frozen peas! lol
Definately going to plant peas next year!

HA HA me too, they love those things......

 

[Grassman 52]

I have to chuckle when reading this post - If I ever really wrote down everything I have spent of my birds - well I really don't want to know. Every time I cook a roast duck my wife says "there goes another $1,000 duck" and deep down I know shes right.
I justfy it as "I needed the fence anyways" - " we can use the coops as sheds if we ever get rid of the birds" ---- and the list goes on and on

 

[Marty1876]

I think ducks are worth the money and effort to get them started. They are long lasting, and productive. They are avid gardeners (or at least garden pest eaters) and entertaining. In their own way, they let you know if trouble is about.

I sell eggs, partially hatched eggs to our Asian community, and ducklings. I don't buy peas, though. LOL

 

[Oregon Blues]

I calculate the cost of eggs for me at about $4 a dozen. I do not add the cost of coop, taxes, fences, or water in to that figure. Nor do I subtract the cost of insecticides and hours of weeding that I would need if the ducks didn't control insects and eat weeds. They are the only thing that has ever been able to keep grasshoppers out of the orchard.

What I do is to carefully keep the number of birds down to control the feed bill. It's way too easy to let the number of birds get out of control. I also grow some of their greens. But I don't add in the cost of the veggie garden space devoted to growing food for them.

I don't even want to know what a roast duck is costing me. I just put two $100 turkeys into my freezer.

 

[Grassman 52]

Marty
I need to ask - what to you charge per egg for the balut eggs (16days old) - I have two people requesting eggs but not sure how much to charge.

 

[ChicagoDucks]

I calculate the cost of eggs for me at about $4 a dozen.  I do not add the cost of coop, taxes, fences, or water in to that figure. Nor do I subtract the cost of insecticides and hours of weeding that I would need if the ducks didn't control insects and eat weeds. They are the only thing that has ever been able to keep grasshoppers out of the orchard.

What I do is to carefully keep the number of birds down to control the feed bill. It's way too easy to let the number of birds get out of control.  I also grow some of their greens.  But I don't add in the cost of the veggie garden space devoted to growing food for them.

I don't even want to know what  a roast duck is costing me.  I just put two $100 turkeys into my freezer.

,

Oregon Blues, what kind of feed do you use? Conventional or Organic? Bulk or bagged? $4/dz is really good!

 

[Going Quackers]

What I do is to carefully keep the number of birds down to control the feed bill. It's way too easy to let the number of birds get out of control.

I am in full agreement there, we too suffered from duck math, now the flock is back into reasonable sizing, i sorta miss the boys but it is better they are gone. It's far to easy to get way in over your head and have to many mouths to feed and not enough in return, you have to keep balance.

 

[Oregon Blues]

,
Oregon Blues, what kind of feed do you use? Conventional or Organic? Bulk or bagged? $4/dz is really good!

I feed a turkey pellet from a local mill. It's 20% protein and has recently gone up in price to $13 for a 50 pound bag. The ducks also get whatever they can find in the orchard or veggie garden. They get moved back and forth to control weeds and grasshoppers. Both are surrounded by a 7 foot tall fence to keep the ducks safe.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Another thing I do t control expenses is I figure out how much each duck needs to eat. I weigh their food, split it into 2 feedings, and that is all they get. Ducks will eat as much as you give them. Once they are full they will keep eating and poop out the excess. I figure the sparrows eat as much as the ducks do.

The ducks eat their food as soon as they get it, so the sparrows get nothing and the ducks get what they need and no more. It makes a huge difference in what the feed costs are.