When you are passionate about a breed, golden eggs aren't necessary.
Silkie chicken for $125?
- Thread starter NicInNC
- Start date
Quote:
Well if you break it down into what has gone into a show bird, $125 is nothing.
To start with you have the electricity it cost to run the incubator to hatch the eggs and the heat lamp in the brooder. Then you have the chick starter feed, shavings, medications, and any vaccinations for the chicks. Then you have housing requirements, feed, supplements, and any other medications over the life of the bird. Over time, these things REALLY add up, and I'd bet that if you seriously broke it down and kept track, $125 is only a fraction of the money put into a good show bird.
And then there is the little thing about putting a price on time, energy, and effort. How do you assess a price tag on that?
I agree completely here. $125 is a good price for something that is"just a chicken". However, when I see a $2,000 bulldog I say "just a dog". Its the time, feed and management that goes into making and keeping these breeds looking like they do. Anyone can have a silkie, not everyone has the time and money to put into what you often see at the shows. I have a friend who has silkies now, and she does not have the time to care for her birds like I do and believe me, it shows. You should see the time I take in fixing their food alone. It costs more than standard feed sure, but I hand mix and add supplements and extra and mix bowls daily. And mine are not so pampered that they are in heated and A/C'd coops, but they are kept out of the rain and wet and wind and on clean litter that I change more than I would for any other breed I own. I wash and groom and make boots for them to keep them immacculate before the shows.I have a strict time frame I follow for mite and lice control. I incubate, which costs electricity, and distilled water I have to purchase, as well as heat lamps and I have AI'd some to get fertility. I have breeding records and started using a pedigree program. You have to study your birds andpair together the ones that you think would make the best offspring.
I sell my silkies for no less than $75 a hen and $50 a rooster and they go up from there.
what is the distilled water for??? is that better for them? I got 3 beautiful silkies from a BYC member and they were imaculate and prestine, and I would like to keep them that way. I am already designing thier coop to have all sorts of extras that will help keep them clean.
Well if you break it down into what has gone into a show bird, $125 is nothing.
To start with you have the electricity it cost to run the incubator to hatch the eggs and the heat lamp in the brooder. Then you have the chick starter feed, shavings, medications, and any vaccinations for the chicks. Then you have housing requirements, feed, supplements, and any other medications over the life of the bird. Over time, these things REALLY add up, and I'd bet that if you seriously broke it down and kept track, $125 is only a fraction of the money put into a good show bird.
And then there is the little thing about putting a price on time, energy, and effort. How do you assess a price tag on that?
I agree completely here. $125 is a good price for something that is"just a chicken". However, when I see a $2,000 bulldog I say "just a dog". Its the time, feed and management that goes into making and keeping these breeds looking like they do. Anyone can have a silkie, not everyone has the time and money to put into what you often see at the shows. I have a friend who has silkies now, and she does not have the time to care for her birds like I do and believe me, it shows. You should see the time I take in fixing their food alone. It costs more than standard feed sure, but I hand mix and add supplements and extra and mix bowls daily. And mine are not so pampered that they are in heated and A/C'd coops, but they are kept out of the rain and wet and wind and on clean litter that I change more than I would for any other breed I own. I wash and groom and make boots for them to keep them immacculate before the shows.I have a strict time frame I follow for mite and lice control. I incubate, which costs electricity, and distilled water I have to purchase, as well as heat lamps and I have AI'd some to get fertility. I have breeding records and started using a pedigree program. You have to study your birds andpair together the ones that you think would make the best offspring.
I sell my silkies for no less than $75 a hen and $50 a rooster and they go up from there.
what is the distilled water for??? is that better for them? I got 3 beautiful silkies from a BYC member and they were imaculate and prestine, and I would like to keep them that way. I am already designing thier coop to have all sorts of extras that will help keep them clean.
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i guess so.
i guess so.
this is the same with just about ANY show animal....
pet poodle $400.. show poodle $ 5,000
trail horse $1.500... show horse $10-50,000
i personally would not pay that much for a silkie.(not my fav)... but my sister would
pet poodle $400.. show poodle $ 5,000
trail horse $1.500... show horse $10-50,000
i personally would not pay that much for a silkie.(not my fav)... but my sister would
but then again.. i have paid $500 for a snake....
a thayeri.. aka mexican mountian kingsnake, high in yellow
a thayeri.. aka mexican mountian kingsnake, high in yellow
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It's really all relevant.
I would NEVER pay the obsurd amounts of money for any other kind of animal that I do for my Silkies. But that's where my passion is.
Some peoples passions are art, and they pay MILLIONS for original paintings. Personally, I'm hopping down to the Wally World and getting the $1.99 non-original, reprinted, copy of a copy, poster and sticking it in a frame and calling it decoration. Other people are passionate about their cars and trucks, and spend tens of thousands of dollars on the car itself and then "customize". Personally, I still have to roll my windows down on my diesel by hand, and there's usually more dirt on the sides of my truck than there is on the road that I am driving on.
But there again, my passion is my passion, and if you're going to want to share in my passion and buy my birds, then your going to have to pay my asking price.
It's really all relevant.
I would NEVER pay the obsurd amounts of money for any other kind of animal that I do for my Silkies. But that's where my passion is.
Some peoples passions are art, and they pay MILLIONS for original paintings. Personally, I'm hopping down to the Wally World and getting the $1.99 non-original, reprinted, copy of a copy, poster and sticking it in a frame and calling it decoration. Other people are passionate about their cars and trucks, and spend tens of thousands of dollars on the car itself and then "customize". Personally, I still have to roll my windows down on my diesel by hand, and there's usually more dirt on the sides of my truck than there is on the road that I am driving on.
But there again, my passion is my passion, and if you're going to want to share in my passion and buy my birds, then your going to have to pay my asking price.
Quote:
It's really all relevant.
I would NEVER pay the obsurd amounts of money for any other kind of animal that I do for my Silkies. But that's where my passion is.
Some peoples passions are art, and they pay MILLIONS for original paintings. Personally, I'm hopping down to the Wally World and getting the $1.99 non-original, reprinted, copy of a copy, poster and sticking it in a frame and calling it decoration. Other people are passionate about their cars and trucks, and spend tens of thousands of dollars on the car itself and then "customize". Personally, I still have to roll my windows down on my diesel by hand, and there's usually more dirt on the sides of my truck than there is on the road that I am driving on.
But there again, my passion is my passion, and if you're going to want to share in my passion and buy my birds, then your going to have to pay my asking price.
well said
It's really all relevant.
I would NEVER pay the obsurd amounts of money for any other kind of animal that I do for my Silkies. But that's where my passion is.
Some peoples passions are art, and they pay MILLIONS for original paintings. Personally, I'm hopping down to the Wally World and getting the $1.99 non-original, reprinted, copy of a copy, poster and sticking it in a frame and calling it decoration. Other people are passionate about their cars and trucks, and spend tens of thousands of dollars on the car itself and then "customize". Personally, I still have to roll my windows down on my diesel by hand, and there's usually more dirt on the sides of my truck than there is on the road that I am driving on.
But there again, my passion is my passion, and if you're going to want to share in my passion and buy my birds, then your going to have to pay my asking price.
well said
your right....
- Thread starter
- #19
Quote:
These silkies were beautiful. If I knew my hubby wouldn't have had a fit, I would have bought one of the $50 ones. The $125 one was so pretty and calm. She was the friendliest chicken and was letting everyone pet her. They didn't even have her in a crate or anything. She was walking loose on top of the other cages. It's almost as though she was saying "Yes...go ahead and touch me. I know I'm perfect". lol
These silkies were beautiful. If I knew my hubby wouldn't have had a fit, I would have bought one of the $50 ones. The $125 one was so pretty and calm. She was the friendliest chicken and was letting everyone pet her. They didn't even have her in a crate or anything. She was walking loose on top of the other cages. It's almost as though she was saying "Yes...go ahead and touch me. I know I'm perfect". lol
Quote:
We often do this at many of the shows that we go to for two reasons...
(A) Its great PR for the Silkie Breed.
(B) It helps keep the birds from being so stressed out. People are usually amazed at the "Fur" and often want to poke their fingers inside the cages to try and touch the bird. So instead of them walking down the isle poking all the birds, we take one out and hold it securely to let them "pet" the chicken.
We often do this at many of the shows that we go to for two reasons...
(A) Its great PR for the Silkie Breed.
(B) It helps keep the birds from being so stressed out. People are usually amazed at the "Fur" and often want to poke their fingers inside the cages to try and touch the bird. So instead of them walking down the isle poking all the birds, we take one out and hold it securely to let them "pet" the chicken.
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