Sebastopol Geese selling ?s

[Muscovies]

I was just woundering would I make some money off of sebastopol geese?

Also at a auction that I go to does not sell sebastopol geese do you think if I get some and sell the babies will I make any money off of them?

What price would I sell adults, goslings and eggs?


Thanks

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I wasn't going to answer this question but then thought about it and decided I would. I fell in love with the Sebastopol geese two years ago when I first saw them. That was my main reason for getting them. Secondary was I thought I could make a little cash but my main reason was I loved their look.

Last year was my first year with selling goslings. Would you like to know what I made? Zip, zero, nada. My geese laid 30 eggs, 20 were fertile and hatched. I had to put one down, 19 were left. I sold 4, replaced one that died shortly after one died. (I didn't have to, he died of mysterious causes but I did it as a good business practice) I traded 4 to a BYC friend for Muscovy ducks and some bantam Cochins. The rest I ended up with them.

I even tried to sell them for $10 each in my area and guess what? No one wanted them! You know what? I forgot to do my homework BEFORE I invested in them. How stupid of me when I should have known better. I had been involved in parrots since 1979. I really should have known better.

I lost money! Huge money! With the extra geese, I had extra mouths to feed, extra shelters to build and maintain, extra vet bills, etc.

If you're looking to get into Sebastopols to make money, you had better do your research and do it well.

You need to realize that unlike other poultry, Sebastopols have a breeding season, limited to just a few months a year. You still have to feed and shelter them the rest of the months. So although $40 or $50 seems like alot for goslings compared to other geese, you still have their upkeep to take care of. Unlike other geese that people will buy for meat, people are NOT going to purchase Sebbies for meat so if you have extra goslings, you're going to get "stuck" with them like I did.

Luckily for me, I don't have anything here on my farm that I don't absolutely LOVE so the extra geese aren't that much of a burden on me. We have the room for them and the fact that theres extra food, shelter and we now have no grass, they still bring joy into my life.

So before you go ahead and get some Sebbies because you think you're going to make a ton of bucks on them.....think, plan, think, plan and then think again!!

Good luck!

Laurie
Edited grammatical error

 

[Jenifer Kraus]

Laurie , that was very well and nicely said. So true.

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

yup....I have to agree. Mine also eat a lot of feed when there is no grass.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Mrs. Turbo :

Mine also eat a lot of feed when there is no grass.

Really? We're still frozen solid here in Wisconsin, there's been NO grass for months, and the 4 Sebastopols are eating FAR LESS than the neighboring pen of 20 ducks! It's been really puzzling me - the have constant access to water and all the food they can eat, but they never finish their bowl! They look as healthy as can be (well, Barney's molting right now - kind of an odd time of the year, but he was overdue for a molt anyways) and haven't lost any weight (in fact, little Lucy has REALLY fattened up!

).

But, anyways, I agree with what TennesseeTruly said. Sebbies are "hot", but they're hard to sell locally. It's better to take a waiting list in the winter/spring and hatch to fulfill it, rather than hatching as many as possible and trying to sell them after the fact at auction - or you could end up with a lot of hungry geese!

They need constant access to a water source deep enough to submerge their heads, and if you don't want their feathers to end up a muddy, tangled mess they need a pond or a kiddie pool to swim in regularly, even in the winter months. They're a lot of work - and if you're LUCKY they might pay for themselves, but don't even count on that.​

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

yeah....big ducks are little piggies. We have the runner ducks now and they don't eat as much as our big ducks did.

 

[ultasol]

you know, the most feed efficient waterfowl I have is the Silver Appleyard. They seem to put weight on just by looking at food. Then again, lord knows what they are eating since I've seen them down frogs and mice whole. The problem is, they don't make a great show duck.

It's hard for me to say that the sebastopols are pigs, since I have Dewlap Toulouse too. Waterfowl in general just seem like big piggies to me, and harder to market than chickens. However, I get a great deal of enjoyment from my waterfowl, especially my geese.

 

[JordanFamily]

Here is the breakdown on what you "COULD" make... Now this is my experiance where I live and it maybe different in different areas... This is also If you already have a house set up for them and have no cost into that... 1 gander and 1 female that are breeder quaility will cost you $200-$300, or more...
Then feeding them will be around $40 a month for a good quality feed for just them two. So $40 X 12= $480 a year to feed
It is easier to sell eggs in my experiance so if you just sold her eggs, for $10 each, and she lays the average 30 eggs you would get : $300 a year, minus any you have to replace or refund due to brokens in the mail... And if you hatched out goslings and the average 60% hatch out ok and you sold them for $40 to $50 each you would get $720-$900 but then you have to feed them... and pay to advertise them for sale... and minus any you have to replace for deaths... So you may or maynot even get enough to feed them through the next year... Most of us breeders don't sell to make spending money but really just sell to pay to feed the ones we have and if we get a little extra at the end of laying season, buy a new one to add to our flock.... Because you can't have just a pair of these beauties... Their like potato chips....

Also forgot to add this is only if all 30 eggs are fertile... which only 20 may actually be like in the experiance posted before...

 

[feathersandfluff]

Diane, are you still selling Sebastopols?

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

I would never pay $1000 for a pair of Sebs....most I ever paid for one is $100. There are too many breeders with really nice birds that sell for a ton less than that. You can also find a really nice pair of breeders for $150 - $200 a pair, you just have to look and network.