Why are these so expensive?

[JazminesZoo]

LEMON CUCKOO ORPINGTON CHICKEN EGGS
Just curious? Looking at different breeds
Thanks for any input

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

for some reason people have gone nuts over orps in the past few years, espcially in odd colors. Seen some go into the $1000 plus range for 1 bird. To me it's all insanity. It's just another poultry fad that all these folks spending all this money will never reep any rewards from. They think I'll buy up all these and make a fortune on eggs next spring, well next spring comes and everyone else bought them up too. Now the market's flooded with them. And your $600+ pair of birds eggs are selling at a whopping $10 a dozen.

The only way to benifit from it is to have them WHEN the craze starts, be the originator of the color, or something along those lines.
If you just think they are cool and would like some, give them a year or two. The bottom will fall out and you can get them for next to nothing. Happens all the time.

That's just my twp cents worth

 

[Illia]

Agreed with BBB.

Personally I think it's already fading. Lemon Cuckoos today aren't as popular as Jubilees or Gold Laced, and some people still quite don't get it. Someone nearby was trying to sell a young cockerel for $25. In an area where most people don't know a Buff Orpington from a Buff Wyandotte, so why they'd pay even 20 for a "Lemon Cuckoo Orpington" rooster, who knows. . . So far it looks like the seller isn't doing so well.

 

[speckledhen]

Agree with both opinions above. Me, I'd personally rather have some excellent quality Plymouth Rocks, especially the barred variety. Folks are so darn impressed with them when they see them in person and they know what those are (unless they're of the type who call every barred bird a "dominecker"). Fads come and go in the chicken world, as with everything else.


Someone once told me that you could make a small fortune in chickens. All you need are several breeding pens, a few breeding pairs and a large fortune, LOL. Trying to cash in on the latest fad is all a gamble, rather like playing the lottery, I'd think. Most do it for the love of the breed. If they do it to get rich, they'd be better off buying a lottery ticket.

 

[dawg53]

I've noticed that the fad down here seems to be "dominecker" like you mentioned Cyn. I remember it used to be "tetra tints." Maybe it still is, I dont know. I'm happy with my Barred Rocks too.

 

[speckledhen]

I never even heard of a "tetra tint" until this year, Jim. Strange name for a sexlink (I guess that's what they are?).

I wasn't meaning that the term "dominecker" is a fad, just that folks don't get that the Barred Rock and the Dominique are two different breeds, so those folks may not appreciate a good show quality BR. Can't count the number of times someone came here and said, "Oh, are those Domineckers?" When I tell them, no, they're Barred Rocks, different breed, they look at me in utter confusion, LOL.

 

[Oregon Blues]

There are people out there who think that owning something "rare" somehow makes them into a special person, superior to ordinary people who own ordinary things.

If a color is "rare" or high priced, if they own it, then they feel superior.

There are also people who think that if they buy a bunch of high priced breeding stock, they will make a fortune by selling the offspring. Those people often lose their shirts. Look at the people who paid $10,000 for llamas and can't even give them away for free now.

 

[JazminesZoo]

Quote:
I guess there are fads in all worlds

I was just looking at different breeds to put in my new incubator. I saw those & was curious "why" they were so much more. I love the quote speckledhen

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

haha
yep Cyn,

I get people here from time to time, they'll see my cuckoo d'anvers and bantam phoenix and the first thing out of their mouth is ...awwh look at the little Domineckers.

Oregon,
another one I remeber from back in the day that you cant give away now is the ratites, ostrich and emus. They were gonna take over the cattle industry and replace beef. Folks were selling the blame things at or over $100,000 a pair...yes I didnt miscount 0's there. $100,000 Now you virtually cant give them away

 

[Oregon Blues]

More recently, Alpacas. Very expensive just a couple of years ago and now I see them for free.

I never have gotten to try Ostrich meat. A couple of years ago, Emu chicks were really cheap as people tried to unload them. I thought about getting one to raise up for Thanksgiving dinner until I saw how much it cost to feed one, how long they took to grow and how much (how little) meat they gave. Very uneconomical to raise them for meat and they aren't good for pets. Somebody could have easily done the math and realized they weren't a good deal before they paid 10 grand for a pair of chicks.

If a rare color appealed to me, I would probably find that color in another breed instead of paying enormous prices for it. Actually, some of the rare colors aren't all that attractive so "rare" is their only appeal.