What prices are good for ducks?

[wolftracks]

Since my husband passed away I've been taking care of so much paperwork and trying to get the benefits he thought I would be entitled too if anything happened to him. So far I'm not entitled to anything but health insurrance, but no way to pay my %age. So the health issues are put to the side for now. OK so much for that.

Bill had bought me different breeds of chickens and I had wanted to maybe make a few bucks here and there. The idea was to be able to get things for him that came from my money. Haven't seen an egg here since August! Moult, then light, now it's sooo cold! So no eggs.

A man I know offered me some ducks that he raises. he said I could sell them to help out around here. Thing is I don't know one breed of ducks from another (except Cayugas!!!!) I love them!

He has Pekings, Muscoveys, ohhhh and now my brain is dead and can't remember the others.

I think he said he has 6 or 7 breeds. He also has a few geese that he said if I could find buyers, he would supply. He sells himself and does pretty good. He's not hurting for money. He also has goats and who knows what else.

He offered to help me with cash, but somehow this seems safer to me. I can split the money with him the first couple of times and then I talked to him about buying at a lower price later so I can still make a few bucks. He gets outrageous prices for his birds, so I'm a little nervous about trying to get what he does. BTW he told me to find my own market and see what I can find out on my own, so here I am.

So for my questions.

How much would pairs and singles go for?

Is this a bad time of year for ducks and geese?

What breed sell the best?

I need to start making even a little money, so help me out here.

 

[bargain]

First, I'm very sorry for your loss. I've sold our adult chinese geese (young ones) at $20 each and our pekin ducks at $15 each (These were sales in the Spring/Fall)

I don't know what your winter sales would be. I will warn you that if you buy a lot, you will need to buy a great amount of feed as well, as this is the time of year not much grazing will be....

I would suggest striking another deal with him. That you would be a broker for him. You find the buyers, he gives you a percentage of the take. This way it helps you and doesn't cause you a feed burden. You could work out the details with him. If it's okay, I'll be praying for you at this time. Nancy

PS ALSO, put some lights on those layers (the energy efficient ones, that will help in their laying) It will take about 4 to 6 weeks to kick in but then our ladies lay again.... (We go for 14 hours of "sunlight time").

 

[Omniskies]

I would really encourage you to think through all of the "what ifs" and decide if now is a good time to start up this sort of venture.

I'd recommend trying to make money at something that didn't need to be fed initially. That way the birds don't (literally) eat up your profit while you are sorting out how to breed and sell them. Feather jewelry, blown eggs for crafts, painted eggs.

Remember that people get a lot of money for their birds for three reasons: 1. they have good birds, 2. they have a reputation that allows them to sell birds for a lot more, or 3. they _know_ how to sell. It can be a combination of all three. Just because you have $300 birds doesn't mean you'll get that price - people may only offer $25. Especially if you _need_ the money. If he is well to do then he can always wait three months before selling his $250 pair of Call ducks, or whatever. When you have to buy more feed on Friday and you've only had one guy answer your ad all week, you may be less inclined to wait.

As for your questions, I know my answers won't seem helpful, but what you are asking is extremely vague since I don't know the market in your area.


How much would pairs and singles go for?

That depends on the birds, the quality, and the breeds. Prices start at $3-5 per bird for common breeds, poor selling seasons, etc and can comfortably be at $10-15 in spring when everyone is wanting birds and no one is selling. Good quality can go from $25+. For geese start them at $8-10 and they can easily go up to $15, 25+ apiece. An easy way to determine price is to find out what the breed goes for in the hatchery and assume adult birds are a _minimum_ double that price. A $3.50 duckling should sell for at least $7 as an adult. A $9 gosling should go for at least $18.

There are other factors, too, that you need to figure out: how much feed and care are you putting into the birds? All expenses have to be factored in to price.

Is this a bad time of year for ducks and geese?

Yes. Sure, you can sell birds this time of year - I just sold 10 Muscovy drakes (but they were to a repeat customer who wanted meat birds), some quail, and a few bantams. But yes, this is a bad time to sell birds. Few people want to buy something right now and take care of it all winter. Who really enjoys breaking ice? But seasonal sales are also based on your location. Out here, there are large chunks of the summer that sales fall to nothing because the hatcheries get rid of their breeding stock. You may not have that issue where you are.

What breed sell the best?

What are you selling for? What is your market? Show birds? Meat birds? Pets? Egg layers? Are you going to be promoting organic meat? Are you going to be selling for breed conservation?

No breed sells the best. If we had to choose we would say the Pekin does because hundreds of thousands are sold every year as meat birds. You could easily sell 50 Pekins in the time it takes to find someone interested in one pair of $100 Exhibition Rouens.

 

[mamawolf544]

All the above is so correct.
I sell my meat ducks for $12.00 each if you buy 10 or more it's $10.00 each. But I have a vietnamese community right down the street.
I get $3.00 for 6 eggs for eating.
Atleast $75.00 a pair on geese and $25.00 on day old Sebastapols.
But that is what they go for in my neck of the woods, and I only sell in big volumes about twice a year. The rest of the time I might sell 5 one month and none the next. I usually sell day old chicks, and that will give you some pocket money but no real big money.
I agree with the craft making or finding buyers for him.

 

[KansasKid]

little off topic but do you ever ship your Sebastapols?

 

[mamawolf544]

No, I have not got brave enough to ship any birds yet.

 

[KansasKid]

dang, hard to find birds around here. Have to have em shipped from places. most price there sebastopols kinda high and by the time shipping is done, well you know, takes a toll on my wallet.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I was keeping records for a while of all my expenses incurred for raising my ducks. Incubating and selling them as young as possible was where the best profit lies for me. Supply and demand can have a huge effect on the price you can ask for birds. In winter there was still demand for ducklings- and I was able to sell quite a few at $15- $20 each at under a week old. At that age I work out costs at $ 1 electricity for running the incubator per egg ( very generous as it would really be nothing like that. ) $1 for feed, $1 dollar for bedding material. $ 1 dollar towards the cost of brooder boxes and lights. So for $4 I can hatch a duckling and make $11- $16 on the sale... But then if you factor in the annual costs of keeping the adult breeders who laid and fertilized the egg- it comes back to just a few dollars each duckling I sell.

I have a few that I am growing out as well - as I can get much more for show quality rare colours in my ducks- but as Omniskies says - it is so much easier to find buyers for 100 ducklings at $15 each - than 1 buyer for a $100 duck. I have one fellow waiting on a phone call from me to say I have a top quality pair of birds ready for sale. They would need to be 5 months old before I could be sure of the colour- and in that time- they would cost over $50 to keep.

Have you considered if birds get sick and what medication or vet bills may cost??

 

[wolftracks]

I was shocked to see responses, so thank you all.

Right now we have enough rain that it looks like duck season around here. LOL Lots of huge puddles.

I've noticed that Muscovy drakes seem to sell well here. Pekins sell pretty well also in the Asian areas. I don't know my meat ducks from any others. I do know that whatever I've eatten was pretty darn good. I love duck! I really want to find enough property where this will be an easier project, but right now that's not looking really good for us. I have some money coming in the next 2 years, but right now I'm back and forth with VA and SSA and it's exhausting. Was so much easier when I was younger. I can't believe I can't do what I used to do.

Yes this guy has a good rep with his birds, goats and what have you. He's been doing this for decades. His sales keep going, because he has lots of repeat customers and word of mouth.

I'm going to talk to him this coming week and get my breed list together. I can find my buyers and pick up as needed. That works out as far as the extra feed I would need and the space.

Just to explain a little. I wanted to come in here for info number 1) because there are so many different opinions and information. 2) I know he doesn't even own a computer or go online. Thinks they're a waste of his time. This is good. He won't see this. LOL I want to try this MAYBE, but I really don't want to have to go to him much. How do I explain this? Since my husband is not around I'm just a bit uncomfortable. I know that's a problem when you're doing business, but I want to learn a little bit, before plunging in, so I can just make the deals and be done. he's a bit too friendly. Does that make since? I hope so.

He does have show birds, but I doubt I'm going to be able to find many people to buy those. If I do great, if not and I can still find buyers that's great too.

When I go to the poultry auctions I see birds going from $10 for a hen to $20 for drakes. Does that mean these are being used for meat? These are mostly Muscovey. I see more people buying drakes and at the prices they pay, just doesn't seem like they are for processing. Am I wrong? And these like I said are auction birds.

The last house, Bill had built me some great coops. He had just started a few here for me and never got them finished. They're alright, but not the end product. Since he died in July we didn't need lighting yet and he was just planning things out for it for later. This is an old house. I see way to many of them around here suddenly catch fire. Wiring scares the heck out of me and I'm not sure how to get electric that far from the house without a problem. It's all going to have to be on extension cords and with all the rain I'm paranoid.

My FBCMs went through a heavy moult, so as much as I want eggs I almost hate to put light on them, just so they'll be healthier. They're an older flock. I also have some that are pullets, 6 months old and not looking like they are ready yet. Maybe the light in those coops would help. I'm thinking just some wireless lights and some rechargeable batteries if nothing else. My games usually lay all the time. They don't seem to care if it's light or not, but they aren't laying either. I know they're diets are good, been wormed, get vitamins and electrolites, but nothing. Might have to hit HD tomorrow and check into those wireless lights.


I think if I could catch on to some marketing info and ideas I could probably get things started a little till I get it down. I know it's not going to be a gold mine, but it would be nice to make a little something to help out while I'm having to do this running around.

The crafts were a good idea when I lived in the Bay Area. I've done beadwork for 48 years (GGGmother started teaching me at 4 yrs old) and used to sell a lot. I also had customers who were big repeaters. Central Valley is a dollars store and fleamarket area. I have no market here that I've found yet and like I said Dollar Tree has $1 feathered everything. Too bad too, cause my eyes and hands aren't working the beads too good these days. Feathers are so much easier. Can't work eggs crafts with no eggs. LOL I used to even do carved ggs using Emu or Ostich eggs back in the day. Amazing what you can do with a Dremel!

I'm just trying to brain storm some ideas. I have a son in Spec Ed and I'm now raising my 4 yr old grand daughter by myself. I have a hard time leaving my house except the darn auction and the cemetry and dropping my son at school and picking him up. Even those things are hard for me to do, but I'm getting there. My husband was so much help at trying to get me out and I'm kind of lost without him. Too many phobias I guess. Poor man was so much help to me and everyone else and I'm just having a hard time trying to be able to do half of what he could do. I'm trying, but he took care of me after strokes and it's just hard without him, but I have to figure out something. I tell ya, working with half a brain is just no fun. But at least I do have half a brain. LOL