Cash Ducks???

[JessHall]

I've herd of Cash Cows but could there be Cash Ducks?
We've totally become hopelessly addicted to our chickens and ducks. We're always talking about getting more

I started wondering if there was a way we could make a little extra money doing what we love... Maybe selling eggs, or selling ducklings to local stores.

Don't get me wrong, I KNOW there is years of work involved in creating good sound breeding stock... I wouldn't want anyone to think that I'd just breed something just to do it. I've completely devoured every duck and poultry book I could find... all that's left is the hands on part of things.
I guess what I am asking is, is it worth it to start a breeding program, learning to vent sex (I'm scared I'd hurt em'), set up breeding pens etc?
Has anyone had any good experiences selling eggs or ducklings? If so, will you share the details, like what breed of ducks produced well etc?
Another thought... if I were to start a breeding program, I feel that a wise choice might be to go with a breed that would raise their own young vs. me having to incubate. Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone

 

[Le Canard de Barbarie]

Maybe. One thing you need to do is lower your feed costs. Either grow your own or buy from a farmer. For example, next year I will be buying about 15 ton of oats for roughly $150 per ton. That's roughly $3.75 per 50 lb bag. The field is right behind the barn I lease.

It will take approximately 25 to 30 lbs of feed to get one duck ready for market.

If it's easy money, then people like me will compete with you for every last dollar out there. Margins are slim in this business.

 

[FenDruadin]

There's no reason why you can't sell your extras as "straight run day-olds" without any extra trouble at all. It may not actually turn a profit for your hobby, but a little money's better than none. I'm starting a breeding program next year and plan to "cull" my flock by selling day-olds that don't carry the genes I'm looking for. When my "keepers" are older, I'll "cull" again by selling the older birds or, in the case of extra drakes, I've got a friend who will take my extras (or I'll sell "bachelor flocks" to folks who just want decoration and don't care about production).

Around here, ducklings go easily for $5 each. If I sell 10 ducklings a month, I'll easily pay my feed costs. And it's a nice, humane way to thin my flock. And around here, while pure breds go for more, a lot of folks don't mind mutts because they just want a backyard flock anyway and they're not particular, especially if they're cute.

Anyway, if you sell them "straight run," you won't have to sex them, and this is how many hatcheries do it anyway. If you try and sell them sexed, you'll end up with lots of drakes on your hands, because everyone wants girls.

If you want the whole operation to pay for itself and turn a profit, that's another question altogether, and not one I'm qualified to answer.

Have fun, anyway!

 

[JessHall]

Thanks so much. Now I just have to get the whopping TWO feed stores in my area that sell ducks to buy from me!

We'll see what happens. We just love having them around and don't have room for a million! Maybe we'll win the lotto and can buy a bunch of land and not worry about how many we've got... we could just love em all!

 

[FenDruadin]

Try selling them on craigslist. They go like hot-cakes in summer around here. Let us know how it goes!

 

[geosheets]

people pay big money for some fertile hatching eggs... mandarins and wood ducks come to mind but I'm sure there are more.

 

[Goat_Walker]

I was in the same position you are!!!

I am a hopeless addict lol

Now I can keep hatching them and I sell them at fleamarkets each month or post them on craigslist. But I dont ship - id be too worried

 

[JessHall]

Quote:
Are these hard to keep? I know my husband wants a wood duck BAAAAAAAAD! He'd die if I told him he could have TWO!

And I like mandarins too!

Yippee an excuse! This website is not very good at helping people overcome their addictions!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Are these hard to keep? I know my husband wants a wood duck BAAAAAAAAD! He'd die if I told him he could have TWO!

And I like mandarins too!

Yippee an excuse! This website is not very good at helping people overcome their addictions!

Well they both fly so you are either going to spend money on completely enclosed cages or pinion them or keep their wings clipped. BTW most people in the know will NOT spend big money on hatching eggs because they don't hatch well and raising them to adult hood is a problem. It is usually a better bet to buy young adults.

 

[geosheets]

Quote:
Are these hard to keep? I know my husband wants a wood duck BAAAAAAAAD! He'd die if I told him he could have TWO!

And I like mandarins too!

Yippee an excuse! This website is not very good at helping people overcome their addictions!

Well they both fly so you are either going to spend money on completely enclosed cages or pinion them or keep their wings clipped. BTW most people in the know will NOT spend big money on hatching eggs because they don't hatch well and raising them to adult hood is a problem. It is usually a better bet to buy young adults.

I hatched 5 out of 10 my first try... they will be 3 months old in another week. May have been beginners luck.