Business is BOOMING!!!

[TennesseeTruly]

So we're getting soooooooooooo many duck eggs and although we're eating some we can't possibly eat them all. We've fed them to the dogs, the fowl, the parrots, etc. Given them away to neighbors, etc.

Well, I should see if there's a market for them, I thought. So I put an ad on Craigslist. Put some hatching eggs on Ebay. The rest is history.

WOW!! Business is booming!! I have orders like you wouldn't believe. Not only for eggs but for ducklings. Tractor Supply watch out because I unlike you, aren't going to sell them 6 if they don't want 6.

So I want to come up with a little brochure about duckling care. I also want to educate people about ducks in general.

People want hatching eggs and duck eggs for baking. Of course then they ask me about chicken eggs. Well of course I have chicken eggs, which is getting me even more sales! Not just for chicken eggs for eating but chicken eggs for hatching! Someone asked me about guineas. Ummm yup, I have guineas too. No they're not laying yet but will in about 2 months. You want guinea keets and eggs too? Cool!

Not one dime of this money is going into my pocket. Every dime is going into the Farm Fund to buy food, replace stock, build coops, etc.

Okay so we're not going to get rich, that's not the purpose but we are going to at least be able to possibly come out of the red a little bit. Maybe? LOL

Laurie

 

[The YardFarmers]

I'm glad to hear of your success with the duck eggs! We're still waiting for ours to start laying again after taking the winter off

. We will definitely try what you're doing. What kind of ducks do you have?

We have Khaki Campbells; they layed great until December when it got really cold. Still a bit surprised they haven't started again. We did hatch 3 of our own under a broody hen (born thanksgiving), so we have 2 extra females and a male. WE will try to sell one of the young females (the NOISY one) along with the male. We were hoping to have ducklings next month to sell, but still waiting on the eggs!

YardFArmer Julie

 

[b.hromada]

Good for you Laurie! Glad to see its helping to "feed the flock".

 

[Sweetfolly]

TennesseeTruly - I know what you mean! I've been swamped with pre-orders for Indian Runner ducklings! I've had a waiting list for almost a month now, even though I explained to everyone that I wouldn't have any ducklings ready to go until May 1st! It's CRAZY!
There's definately a market for small orders of ducklings - none of the people on my waiting list want more than 6. Most of them only want 2 or 3. I've typed up a duckling care sheet that I send home with all the ducklings - most of my customers are first-timers.


Quote:
My Campbells quit laying in November every year and start back up sometime in mid-late March. Since we're in similar climates, I'd expect yours will lay on a similar schedule. In fact, I just got my first Campbell egg of 2010 this week!

 

[FenDruadin]

Hey guys--

I haven't been on in a while, and was just getting ready to post a thread asking for input from those of you who are selling ducklings and/or eggs, and here you are already talking about it. I'm so glad to hear business is booming--I'm getting ready to offer my first batch of Spring ducklings at the end of this month (they're in the incubator--I'm so excited!), and I'm pleased to hear I may have good luck with that. I could use help with feed costs!

Anyway--the reason I'm posting is that Grit magazine has accepted my proposal to do a duck article for next winter, focusing on the production abilities of the duck, and one section will talk about making a profit (or at least some revenue to help with expenses) from eggs and ducklings. I want to include the experiences of other small-time producers like myself, from all over the country. Would any of you be willing to be quoted in the article, or just provide some details about your experience? Please contact me if you are--my email address is heather at careyhead dot net (you know the drill--replace the "dot" and "at" with symbols, remove all spaces). I'll send you a quick questionnaire asking about your experience, and then hopefully use your input in the article. If you have photos that you own the rights to (i.e., you took them yourself and they contain images only of yourself and/or things that belong to you and/or people who can provide written consent to have their image used) you're proud of and would like to contribute, let me know that as well. I'll ask you to send a digital version, and if I decide to submit any of them with the article, I'll then send you a release form by snail mail--the magazine requires a signature from the photographer to ensure they have legal permission to use the image.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you. I'll probably pick everyone's brains again along the way, and I'm also going to post this request as its own thread. I really appreciate any help you can provide.

Thanks!!

Heather

 

[Amiga]

For what it's worth, my ducklings are only about ten days old, and I don't know if I have a drake (ordered all females, but there is a ten percent chance of getting a drake anyway), but someone has already asked about hatching eggs! They would want three or four.

I think something is definitely happening.

And based on the number of posts from people new to ducklings on this forum, I would say some brochures (for different climate zones, different kinds of areas such as urban, suburban, ruburban) for beginners will reduce the amount of pain and suffering from mistakes.

This year my plan is eggs for eating. But if we end up with a drake, we may get involved with hatching eggs this year also. I don't have the equipment or know-how for incubating, but who knows? If there is a local need, I may get going on that, too, but next year, please, next year!

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Right now it's my Pekin's that are laying up a storm. 4 females, every day. We have our Lucy in the house because we're awaiting shoes from Nettie. She has a mild case of bumblefoot. This morning, like clockwork, she laid an egg! LOL

My Runners are 4 months old and should be laying in the coming month or two. We also have Call ducks but they're young yet and I don't expect them to lay for a while yet.

I love my duckies!!

Laurie

 

[tomzr2]

Question for all you gals and guys with laying ducks. Do the your ducks have a light on them during the winter? I have heard they need 14-16 hours of light to keep production up.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
I don't provide any artificial lighting for my ducks, and they start laying in March every year, and quit in November. I figure a 4-month break over the winter is well-deserved!

 

[duckling 1234]

I don't keep a light on in winter... My first egg came December, right after Christmas, of 2009. It was so cold, all the eggs I got were cracked!