Ouch, waterfowl are expensive

[marvun22]

Today I did the work I really didn't want to. I have posted on here a couple of times about my 6-8 year poultry project plan. I was planning to get 50 hens, 5 roosters, 27 ducks, 9 drakes, 6 geese, and 6 ganders. Today I calculated the price. The grand total is in the neighborhood of $1019.14. My chickens were only $198.24. That means $820.90 is the price on waterfowl. Out of that, $386.10 was spent on Canada and Sebastopol geese alone. To be fair, everybody knows those breeds are expensive and that is 8 geese (6 Canada and 2 Sebastopol). It just seems weird with how cheap my chickens are (thank you Ideal Poultry) and how my ducks and geese are less in number but about 4 times the price. It probably could have been cheaper if I decided I didn't need the Anconas, Muscovies, and Silver Appleyards. I probably could have substituted my Canada Geese and Sebastopol Geese for pairs of Embden, Toulouse, Pilgrim, and Chinese. But that's not what I want. What I want is a flock featuring every chicken breed I want, every duck breed I want, and every goose breed I want. I know it might take a while to save up for, but I'm ready for it.

p.s. That's not even the whole grand total, I still have to pay for the materials to make my new chicken coop. I am planning to have separate pens for each goose. My breeds of geese are going to be African (pair), Buff (pair), Sebastopol (pair), and Canada (6, straight run. I would get less but that is Metzer's minimum). That is 4 pens, but my African are going to stay with my ducks. That is 3 pens for geese. I need one for all my ducks and 1 big coop for my chickens. It is just going to be a night shelter because they are all going to free range.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Today I did the work I really didn't want to. I have posted on here a couple of times about my 6-8 year poultry project plan. I was planning to get 50 hens, 5 roosters, 27 ducks, 9 drakes, 6 geese, and 6 ganders. Today I calculated the price. The grand total is in the neighborhood of $1019.14. My chickens were only $198.24. That means $820.90 is the price on waterfowl. Out of that, $386.10 was spent on Canada and Sebastopol geese alone. To be fair, everybody knows those breeds are expensive and that is 8 geese (6 Canada and 2 Sebastopol). It just seems weird with how cheap my chickens are (thank you Ideal Poultry) and how my ducks and geese are less in number but about 4 times the price. It probably could have been cheaper if I decided I didn't need the Anconas, Muscovies, and Silver Appleyards. I probably could have substituted my Canada Geese and Sebastopol Geese for pairs of Embden, Toulouse, Pilgrim, and Chinese. But that's not what I want. What I want is a flock featuring every chicken breed I want, every duck breed I want, and every goose breed I want. I know it might take a while to save up for, but I'm ready for it.

p.s. That's not even the whole grand total, I still have to pay for the materials to make my new chicken coop. I am planning to have separate pens for each goose. My breeds of geese are going to be African (pair), Buff (pair), Sebastopol (pair), and Canada (6, straight run. I would get less but that is Metzer's minimum). That is 4 pens, but my African are going to stay with my ducks. That is 3 pens for geese. I need one for all my ducks and 1 big coop for my chickens. It is just going to be a night shelter because they are all going to free range.

And factoring in the feed it will cost living in ND means no grazing so many months out of the year, it's going to be very expensive. and pools, water buckets etc. good thing this is a 6-8 yr project. and also gives you time to tweak what you want, might change your mind a few times in those yrs.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Initial cost is higher than chickens, but you need to look at how long waterfowl live and reproduce. They are extremely hardy. And if you have enough pasture and growing space feed bills can be quite low. My geese eat less feed than the ducks do.

 

[marvun22]

And factoring in the feed it will cost living in ND means no grazing so many months out of the year, it's going to be very expensive. and pools, water buckets etc. good thing this is a 6-8 yr project. and also gives you time to tweak what you want, might change your mind a few times in those yrs.

Absolutely. I'm very sure I will change my mind once or twice. Maybe in 6-8 years the Lav Orpington will become less rare and cheaper.

 

[marvun22]

Initial cost is higher than chickens, but you need to look at how long waterfowl live and reproduce. They are extremely hardy. And if you have enough pasture and growing space feed bills can be quite low. My geese eat less feed than the ducks do.

Feed cost is very low right now with my ducks and geese because they only eat feed when I'm late in putting them into their night house. They are amazing foragers.

 

[calmwinds]

You can always find waterfowl and chickens that people need to rehome or from rescues. A lot are purebred. Also in the for sale and wanted on this site has them less expensive and possibly no shipping