Ducks $$

[anthonyjames]

What is the going $ per lb for duck for everyone? I have had people ask at some farmers markets if I would consider it. But since in WI if you sell at Farmers Markets you have to have them processed at a ST inspected facility. My place charges $10 per duck to process. I would have to charge $10+ lb to make out from what i am guessing. I have not researched them that much. But guessing they take 8 weeks and have a feed conversion of 4:1 like broilers?

 

[Oregon Blues]

I don't actually know what a duck would sell for at the market. None of my local markets sell duck.

My Pekins grew really fast and I didn't notice them eating all that much considering their growth, but I didn't separate them out from everybody else to see what they were eating.

Ducks don't dress out as heavy as Cornish Cross. The duck has a much larger body cavity.

As a very serious guess, I'd have to get $25 for a dressed duck in order to meet expenses. Ducklings cost considerably more than chicks, and if you add on that $10 kill and dress at a commercially licensed plant, wowza; you'd have to get a lot for that bird. Maybe your customers would pay it. You could always ask them.

If you raise ducks to sell as meat, the Pekin is probably the best option. But if you do Pekin, they must get exercise or they will be lumps of fat. Also, no corn for them. You can butcher Pekin at 8 weeks. I just did a batch. 8 weeks old and 4 pounds to nearly 5 pounds, dressed without neck and giblets. They grow very nicely.

A good quality Appleyard will grow nearly as fast and give you a large and lean carcass. But for selling meat purposes, a good Appleyard duckling costs 3 times as much as a Pekin. Better bird, but a lot more expensive. Butcher at perhaps 10 weeks. I'd give them some corn, because they are lean birds solid with muscle.

 

[anthonyjames]

Oregon,

Thanks for the insight. That is all very good info.

 

[homesteadapps]

Quote:
Where did you get your Appleyards?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I get $4.00 / pound. I just tried them this fall at a good level, I bought 60 ducks from Metzer and looks like I may end up with 54 as I had a few DOA. At 5 weeks they look great and they have a great feed to meat ratio so far. They blow through the feed but literally grow right in front of your eyes.

My local processor cost $7.00 / duck which is crazy high too, but they are a pain in the butt to process. I've opted to process our own so we can make more money on them. With 50 ducks sold we should hit $1,000 retail price, so they bring good money. I'm not sure how often we are going to do them next year but I can tell you I had a lot of upset people find out that we were sold out because I didn't advertise at market, just on Facebook and to our CSA members. I thought about doing another batch for Christmas but that may be pushing it because I want to be DONE at Thanksgiving, it must be the weather but I'm so burnt out this year... with weather, high corn prices, fuel prices, and everything else that's going on, it was a tough year.


Honestly, I would only do duck if I processed them myself. It wouldn't be worth it to pay $10.00 / duck. Your looking at making possibly $4.00 / duck if you charged $4.00 / pound, maybe a little bit more.

Either way, good luck with it.

 

[Oregon Blues]

My Appleyards came from Holderread. I'm very pleased with them. Stout, fast-growing birds with nice calm natures.

I bought 2 ducks from elsewhere so I could out-cross, and they are nice (show birds and nothing hatchery) but not in the same league. I plan to use them, but I'll have to be tough about culling so I don't reduce the quality of my flock.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I just got a flier from Costco. They are having a sale on 6 duck breasts (halves) and 6 duck legs for $99. Regular price $125.

That would be 3 ducks, but not all of the 3 ducks. So about $33 per duck as a sale price and $41 plus change per duck as their regular price.

It says the legs are confit, but the photo shows a leg. Maybe they stuff some fat under the skin? No thighs included.

 

[TDM]

Quote:
I process ducks and geese from my farm (non USDA) for other people at $6 per duck. Each duck is rough plucked and waxed. Takes me about 30 minutes per duck when doing it by hand. In comparison, I process chickens for $2.50 each, with an additional charge of $0.40 for the heat shrink bag.

My own ducks sell for $2.50 per pound. Hard to go higher because Wal*Mart sells Maple Leaf Farms duck for that price, and quite honestly I find it to be very good.

I hatch my own ducklings which reduces cost. It is easy for me to do considering I maintain a laying flock of pekins to supply duck eggs to stores.

 

[hitnspit]

I have to tell ya all that we charge $6.50 a duck to slaughter and people are happy to pay the price. around here you can get $8 a pound. Ducks are a pain in the A** and take much longer the chickens..........jim