I want some mandarins that arent overpriced!!

[Chosen Chickens]

Quote:
I agree with almost everything you put on here.... Except stating that the gazette is better on raising these birds then a forum. No where can you get such immediate help and opinions and information from hundreds on people with experience then you can on this forum... I have never read the gazette, but I cant think of anything where the exact question I have can be asked and then answered by dozens of people in minutes

 

[destinduck]

BBB is very helpful and right, the gazzette is a good source of knowledge as well as breeders.I like the mag still get it from what it looks to me we are similar in expertise and duck stuff. Except Im older ( bummer).Im still on the quest for information everywhere and after many years and ducks later still find stuff about em I didnt know on the rarer species.Just be warned KANSASKID .ducks are addictive.ha ha good luck when ya get them birds. if you get like me that ten or twenty extra dollars wont be crap when you have to feed em!(About 100 birds 100.00 amonth)

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

destinduck - Please share your secret to keeping your feed costs DOWN!!!! I have managed to cut some costs, but still it so high especially during the winter when there is so little pasture. Green grass is showing up though and the ducks and geese are seeking it out.

I have about 40 geese, some large ones, and about the same number of muscovy and muscovy cross ducks (large). Plus assorted chickens. The feed bill is staggering. I wish for different ducks or geese, remember the feed bill and stop wishing..... LOL

Off to turn them loose in the pasture..............

 

[destinduck]

my bad its more like 175.00 . I was just showing the kid it cost alot to take care of them but I DO try to cut cost by getting old greens from super markets plus here in florida there is usually something green outside the pens.I used to have a few swans and geese but you are right they eat you out of house and home .mostly I have exotic ducks which are alot smaller. oh yeah just if curious 15.00 layer pellets scratch 22.50 mazuri 36.00 50lb bags.only 1 feed store within 1 hour radius

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yes and I respect you for not posting private contact info in public even though they may be advertising it in every publication they can find and afford.~gd

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Goosedragon,
It's all good, I just felt the need to post that so folks would know I wasnt some flunky just posting stuff, that I am quite experienced with all captive migratory waterfowl. I was getting a lot of negative replies toward all that as everyone seemed to be assuming I was one of those flunkies, no hard feeling at all.Lots of people on here know that because I post in all the wild duck threads I see, I hate to have to put my credentials in a post, but sometimes you have to.
I've been having a lot of heart trouble the past month and have been in and out of the hospital all week for test, so the ol nerves were just about shot when I did that last post!, LOL
oh, and The o.p., is forum talk for original poster, the person who asked the first question.

Chosen chickens,
You are right about getting instant results on forums, that does beat out articles, but with those articles, many many questions are answered in them in every aspect of keeping, housing, rearing, feeding, basically all points needed to care for these and many other types of high end fowl. Not that it ever hurts to ask a question, I personally enjoy answering them myself. The difference is, sometimes the forum people dont know what they are talking about but post it as the truth (got into a case of that on here a few weeks ago), the published articles are all done by seasoned pros, so you know what they are saying is correct.

destinduck,
It's good to know that there is another migratory duck keeper down this way. I have full intentions of getting all my birds back, like I dont have enough here now, 300 rare bantams, 70 or so wild turkeys, and 40 peacocks, I envy a $170 a month feed bill!! Mine is like $500.
Anyway, like I was saying, I'd like to get to know you cause I will in the next year or two be getting them all back. Gone be a big order. When I sold out I had around 1,000 birds on hand. We are back on my family farm now and have 130 acres to play with, so duck aviaries here we come... I assume you are out around Destin, I am near Valdosta, on the GA/FL line.
Stuff I would be interested in would be any teal, treeduck, mergansers, and goldeneye, cans, scaup, woodies and mandarins of course, bufflehead, smew,pochards,pintails widgeons, you know all the good stuff.
Another way I cut feed cost too, by the way, is in the winter, I take a grain trailer to the local gin and fill it up with corn and soybeans. This year it was $3 a bushel, 120 bushels saves me over 2 grand in winter feed. Take that a mix it about 50/50 with the bagged feed and you're good to go.

 

[destinduck]

Iwish I didnt live in the city. then I could have chickens and turkeys like you.I had them before we became a city.I want to build a sea duck pen this or next year. the dream birds for me that I dont have are the harlequin and oldsqaw.but even if I could afford or find them for sale for that matter I dont know if they breed in this warmer climate.(although my buffles do fine)Im not currently selling my migratory species because I need the permit.I have all my permits for all ive bought ofcourse (my buddies are harping on me to get it.) and I will if we have a good breeding seasonBTW Ihope we ALL do. I TRY to keep all the birds paired and that is what I mostly have although my manderins.woodies,pintails and some teal are babie making machines as you know.I will try (maybe today)to get some bird and pen pictures up my son has to help me Im computer dumb ifso Ill do a new thread. I love pics of every bodys birds AND pens!

 

[Choctaw Valley Farm]

Well I wish I'd known all you folks wanted cheap Mandarins I just sold all of mine for $45.00 a pair at the auction and there is also a guy that lives in Texas that gets $50.00 or $55.00 a pair can't remember which. SO, YES THERE ARE CHEAPER BIRDS IF YOU JUST LOOK FOR THEM........... Now I'm not saying this to get into a spitting match

with anyone, it kinda sounded like you may have stepped on someones toes

Boggy Bottom you should be ashamed of yourself

.

Steve

 

[destinduck]

help kansas kid hook up with texas then

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I hear ya Steve!! Happens all the time dont it

But see, they are out there!
I've already set Kansas Kid up with about 5 breeders so maybe he can get some.

Hey Destinduck,
I know the best sea duck breeder in the world if you get ready. He has all the eiders, red breasted mergansers, old squaw, harlequins etc.
Their prices have drop tremendously, still high, but far cry from the $3000- $5000 per pair that they use to be.
I had the common eiders for years, got them from the Bougie's in Green Bay. They did just fine here, layed well and everything. I had them well shaded and had misters going over the ponds and you'd never known they were an arctic seaduck.
Just looked too, he's advertising old squaw at $1500, red breasted at $800, King Eider $2500, pacific eider $1000
Dosent have the harleqins listed but I know he has them, have seen them before. Let me know if you get ready to bite the bullet!
I want them too and will probabley get them when I get started back up...