What was your budget/start up cost for raising ducks?

[mandelyn]

How much did you spend on brooder stuff? $25 for a roll of hardware cloth, $10 on latches and hinges, About $10 on 2x2 lumber, $8 on large plastic tub for below the wire, $5 on a gallon of mis-tint paint on the clearance rack.

How much did you spend on building a house/run? They have half of the steel storage building the chickens got, so $150. $75 on all-around wire fencing, 3 different types to reduce over all cost, hardware cloth on bottom 3ft, 2x2 mesh above that, roof is 2x4 welded wire we had extra. $10 on latches/hinges/staples/ect. Maybe $40 on lumber?

How much did/do you spend on feed? $22 (50 pounds) on natural non-GMO layer, $18 on the same type of starter and grower, use about 100 lbs a month between all of them, chickens included.

How much did/do you spend on hay/shavings/etc.? $4.99 pine shavings, $5.99 pine straw (ducks only) for ducks... about $25 a month in bedding

How much did you spend on ducklings? (OK, that's the only one I've got a good projected calculation on for myself) $10 each plus shipping on "fancy" ducks from Holderreads. $116 for 10 including shipping. Though average duckling prices around me is $5 each.

Curious also about incubator set ups, but probably won't go there. Hovabator, new and improved digital, About $200? Already had a turner so didn't need to buy that. Turner is an LG from TSC, was $45 or so. Old style Hovabator was $50-ish new from a reptile site.

Did you at some point "break even" on ducks in terms of eggs, meat or breeding?

Not even with my two incubators running non-stop for the last 2 months. Maybe next year. I need to sell 10 ducklings per month to feed and house them and the chickens for "free". Since it costs the same to feed/house them, that's why I went with rare ducks. I'd need to sell 20 $5 ducklings a month otherwise.

 

[TLWR]

How much did you spend on brooder stuff?
< $15 (food and water container and puppy pads). I used our large dog kennel and wrapped it with extra house wrap to keep out drafts (it was on the covered patio) and lined the lower portion with cardboard to keep the ducklings in. Had a light and just used a bulb from the bulb stash. Used dog towels as bedding. Put puppy pads under the waterer in the beginning.

How much did you spend on building a house/run?
$165 the dog house kit at lowes

How much did/do you spend on feed?
$15 a 50 pound bag which lasts a couple of months

How much did/do you spend on hay/shavings/etc.?
Nada - we have 6 acres of pine trees and a few oak trees. Lots of pine straw and oak leaves for bedding. I used dog towels in their brooder/kennel.

Anything else I'm forgetting, ah yes,
How much did you spend on ducklings? (OK, that's the only one I've got a good projected calculation on for myself)
$60 for 3 ducklings shipped from Metzer Farms


We did spend an arm and a leg building them a raised pond to replace the blue pools that I didn't like in the back yard.
My dogs haven't done anything to make up the cost of keeping them, at least the ducks give us eggs LOL If I could only teach the dogs to clean the house....

 

[Oregon Blues]

You can cut down what you must spend to get started if you already have things you can use.

However, stuff you already had is not free. You paid for that earlier.

I am using a couple thousand dollars worth of welded steel dog kennels for secure night runs. I already had those, so I didn't have to buy any. But those are not free housing. I paid several thousand dollars for those at the time I bought them.

There is $7,000 in fencing around the orchard, the veggie garden, and the berry patch. I have my birds inside the coyote proof orchard fence. Just because I paid it to protect the fruit trees does not mean it is free fencing for the ducks., I still paid for it.

I use a stock tank for a brooder. I already had it. That doesn't mean it is a free brooder. I paid $75 for it 20 years ago and have been dragging it around with me ever since. It wasn't free.

Porcelain socket brooder lamps are $12-$14. Do not use a cheaper lamp. Porcelain socket s an important safety feature. don't buy the plastic socket brooder lamps.

I am spending in the neighborhood of $100 a month for feed. It varies a bit month to month. 18 ducks, 5 geese, 5 rabbits. Food is weighed to prevent waste and over-weight birds.

 

[billw]

In terms of ongoing costs, I figure our eggs cost us about 31 cents a piece - $3.72/dozen. If the startup costs are included and depreciated over five years, the eggs cost about 77 cents each - $9.24/dozen. I prefer to use the first number.

 

[OldGuy43]

You can cut down what you must spend to get started if you already have things you can use.

However, stuff you already had is not free. You paid for that earlier.

Depends on two things:

1. Did you pay for it in the first place? It's amazing what you can find alongside the road if you keep your eyes open. That's why I love having a pickup and lots of space. Pull over and throw it in the back even if you don't have a use for it right now. Free!
2. Is whatever it is earning it's keep? If not, it's free. Re-purpose it, whatever it is and it goes from cost center or neutral to profit center. Our cluckers are the perfect example of this concept. When we first brought them home they were a cost, consuming food and water and producing nothing. Than they started laying. At first they laid just enough for us. As they improved we had enough excess to sell. We sold enough to pay for their feed and still have enough eggs left for us. Neutral. Now we have so many eggs that the cluckers are a profit center. The profit from them paid for the ducklings. We have orders for eggs piling up. They go out as quickly as we get them. The quackers are still a cost center, but we fully expect them to follow the same path.
3. Of course there are some intangibles. The dogs are technically a cost, but they keep us informed when anyone or thing comes near the ranch.

I guess it all depends on how you define free.

 

[nayeli]

Wanted to revive this thread, as I think its great for anyone looking at getting some ducks.

How much did you spend on brooder stuff?
How much did you spend on building a house/run? Around $60
How much did/do you spend on feed? Around $17 for a 40 lb bag (duck feed is more than chick feed... but they need it for the niacin)
How much did/do you spend on hay/shavings/etc.? $8 on hay, we used top soil in their brooder which we would have bought anyway for raised garden beds next year.
Anything else I'm forgetting, ah yes,
How much did you spend on ducklings? (OK, that's the only one I've got a good projected calculation on for myself) We bought ours from Metzers. We paid to have a couple sexed, got specialty breeds, and gave 3 away. Our total with shipping was 89.84.

Duck Silver Appleyard F $9.60 2 $19.20 August 28, 2017
Duck Welsh Harlequin SR $6.34 3 $19.02 August 28, 2017
Duck Welsh Harlequin F $8.39 2 $16.78 August 28, 2017
Duck Silver Appleyard SR $7.55 3 $22.65 August 28, 2017

Hubby's friend paid us back for his. So our total was about $58 or $7.25 each.

Curious also about incubator set ups, but probably won't go there. Don't have one, don't plan on it. I'm hoping at least one of my hens will go broody and hatch (and mother).

Did you at some point "break even" on ducks in terms of eggs, meat or breeding?
This is our 2nd time having ducks, as our first time we had to get rid of them for their safety due to our dog, who we unfortunately had to have put down since then. On our first ones we didn't break even... on these ones so far we have spent probably $200 for food, feeders/waterers (don't waste your money, they make a mess with the waterers and you can use a dollar tree rubbermaid container for food (if you feed fermented/wet mash there is little/no waste), bedding, the ducks, and their coop.

We need to do a good job on a run here given the local racoons, and I'm wondering just how much the run is going to run me!

 

[CayugaJana]

How much did you spend on brooder stuff?
I used stuff I already had. And the stuff I bought from the feed store that was expensive, I ended up hating. Buy the light, everything else I almost guarantee you have in your house.
How much did you spend on building a house/run?
$200 on one of those fancy chicken coops online. Don't do this they never go in it. Get some free pallets and build something or get a dog house. Also spent $45 on the wire panel fence online.

How much did/do you spend on feed?
$16-32 month for 4 adults, 6 ducklings, mealworms are $8 bag at Walmart. Dried mealworms are really expensive. IMO
How much did/do you spend on hay/shavings/etc.?
$7/bale of straw. When you see a video where they "turn" the straw, listen to them. You will have less smell and the straw will last longer.
Anything else I'm forgetting, ah yes,
How much did you spend on ducklings? (OK, that's the only one I've got a good projected calculation on for myself)
$8/duck from Metzers, plus~$40 shipping.
Curious also about incubator set ups, but probably won't go ther.

Did you at some point "break even" on ducks in terms of eggs, meat or breeding?
From the way I handle my ducks, treats, my boys have meltdowns if I talk about eating one of them, etc. I'm sure I will never break even.

We need to do a good job on a run here given the local racoons, and I'm wondering just how much the run is going to run me!
Mine isn't covered because I have a fenced in yard, another fence they stay in, and a dog that will annihilate any living creature that dare enter his domain. But I'm in the minority.

 

[nayeli]

Have you thought about raising mealworms? It is super cheap/easy from what I've read. I'm debating it.

 

[Raenh]

How much did you spend on brooder stuff? Nothing, I had an old rabbit habit cage I bought a few years ago, converted that... accessories however... like 200
How much did you spend on building a house/run? 400ish to 600. Im still building
How much did/do you spend on feed?30 to 40 a month
How much did/do you spend on hay/shavings/etc.? 30 a month
Anything else I'm forgetting, ah yes,
How much did you spend on ducklings? (OK, that's the only one I've got a good projected calculation on for myself) speedy, 15 minutes running around Jack n box parking lot with a yellow towel/blanket. Kid was selling fancy for 5, I gave him 10
Curious also about incubator set ups, but probably won't go ther.

Did you at some point "break even" on ducks in terms of eggs, meat or breeding?

We need to do a good job on a run here given the local racoons, and I'm wondering just how much the run is going to run me!