Prices for Birds?

[destinduck]

Personally Ive just paid for my addiction. But that in itself is great. Ive spent alot on worst things and nothing to show for it. Besides family and friends my ducks are not far behind. But yes I believe there is money to be made if you work hard at it like any other business. Ill find out when I retire from fishing (seriously though thats been my business my whole life)

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, if you have made enough at the end of the year to cover expenses and pay for the addiction, that's all you can ask. Nothing like having a hobby you love, and one that pays for itself!! Cant say that about many hobbys we get into, but for the most part, after your initial start up, you can cover everything from bird money from then on if you do it right and dont try to get too big too quick. Just take your time with it and expand species wise as money allows.

 

[suzysducks]

Quote:
I was just wondering why you wouldn't want to breed your pair of Hottentots? It can be very rewarding to do so... Probably wouldnt work out, but your pen appears as if it may provide some privacy, or could be made that way, and it appears quite secure. I wonder if you might have an environment there where the hen might be successful rearing the young without your having to brooder raise them...

 

[HottentotTeal]

It's illegal for me to sell ducks in the city where i live.

I would eventually let them breed just so i don't have to make the long trip to pick up more and I would like to see if they can raise the babies by themselves, from hatching, etc.

I read on here that the babies should not be allowed into the regular pond, since they can drown, and if they have access to water it should be very shallow, like an inch or so and that they shouldn't be allowed to get too cold.

My climate would be pretty decent (80s) around their breeding/hatching time, so that would be in my favour without having to use a brooder/incubation setup and let them try to raise them naturally, which i would prefer.

Of course, it would be a good excuse to have some baby hottentots in my own house!


My aviary is pretty small, so i think most people on here said 2 pairs would be the ideal max capacity, maybe 3, but i think that would be pushing it.

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
You don't have to sell them- just send them to me, you should be able to give them away.

 

[HottentotTeal]

Quote:
You don't have to sell them- just send them to me, you should be able to give them away.

Yeah, that would be perfectly legal for me, but i don't want to ship them because then that brings up more problems for me since they aren't supposed to be in town either.

I thought about asking the zoo if they would accept a pair as donations, since it seems they no longer have any the last year i have been checking, but i fear the same thing would happen with notifying the zoo.

I spent a lot of money constructing the aviary.

In fact that is one of the reasons i got them in the first place. When we kept going to the zoo, less of my favorite animals were there and last year there was no sign of the hottentot pair that they routinely transferred to various bird exhibits.


Maybe none of the birds got along with them for some reason.

 

[peterc]

This is an interesting post. I have never looked at any of my birds including sea-ducks, waterfowl , pheasants, quail, that I have as investments. The largest return is the happiness and pleasure to care for them , and create the most natural environment for them. When it comes to expenses. You have to factor in Running PUMPS to the ponds to the aviary (mine average over $200 / month ) To keep the water as clean as possible. Then removing and replacing the sand and gravel , in the pens every year. Also running a Hot- Wire around perimeter of the aviary for predators.Then winter housing ( which is a heated Greenhouse ) So I dont have to stay out side shaking nets at 2AM from Huge winter snow storm...Then I can include my feed bill...so the list goes on and on

Peter

 

[tragopan]

Where are you located?

We are a Canadian Breeder of ornamental Pheasants and Waterfowl.

Check out our website at http://www.tragopan.ca