Dr. Todd :
Seems pretty simple to me: supply and demand! The more obscure species like Brazilian teal go through waves of popularity in a rather predictable pattern. When a species is common and readily available it is cheaper, when a species is harder to find it is more expensive.
Only a handful of people keep the less popular species through the highs AND lows and those few have the ability to set the price at whatever they want when interest in the species develops again.
I personally think that the prices on all waterfowl are bargains when you consider the money put into building the enclosures, predator protection, feed, electricity, incubators, hatching and rearing, water, fuel, shipping, and of course, labour. The cost of keeping birds has skyrocketed but some people seem to think the prices should remain the same as they were 20 years ago. Go figure.
DT
$50- $80pr to - $250 is not inflation, it's ripping new comers off, call it what you like.
$35 on wood ducks to $45-$50 now is proper inflation, even with such a high demand on them.
many of the teal and tree ducks are in much higher demand, and equally as rare even rarer, yet their prices havent budged in 30+ years.... if anything gone down.
It's not supply and demand if the supply and demand hasnt changed.
Inflation yes to a point, but we havent changed enough to justify a 500% increase.
green wing teal $50 - now $80 fair
widgeon from $50- $80 fair
pintail $40- $60 fair
see a pattern here. personally I can go on and on with examples. Point is, some species to me people have gone nuts on, it is NOT justifiable threw any of your so called obvious points. Over the months you have seemed to harp on how long it's been since I last raised waterfowl (almost as if you are constantly trying to TOP me and other waterfowlers at everything, kinda sad actually), it hasnt been all that long since I quit, 20 years ago I was in my peek of it actually. Raised them from mid 80's threw early 2000's.
I'm not out to be right or wrong, but simple fact is on some waterfowl people arent being fair on the price, Like or not, that's my opinion. When you have 20 breeders still selling a species at say $80, then you see 1 with a website selling them at $300, explain that?
You have you opinion, that's fine too. I'm not out to top you all the time. But sure seems you are bent on the snippy remarks to EVERYONE on here who has anything to do with waterfowl. We can all get along here, the constant derogatory comments on every thread you post on need to stop though. It's gone beyond old and doesnt show much character. Instead of always slipping in a negative comment in an of the cuff mannor, just stick to providing folks with answers and assistance, after all that's why we are here, to help others, not to constantly try to prove others wrong, obserd in their statments, or whatever the case may be.
Sorry to have gotten a touch off topic for those participating here.
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