Because I am a small farm with less than 50 birds total, I cannot offer the same prices as hatcheries do. I am well aware that you can get ducklings, unsexed, for $4-5 each from a hatchery or even a local feed store (they get theirs from large hatcheries). But please don't try to argue or heckle over my prices. Not only is it rude, but it is unfair to me.
It has taken me YEARS to learn everything it is i know about waterfowl. I have learned a ton through trial and error, and spent $$$$, tears, sweat, time and energy getting my flocks to where they are today. The birds that I raise cannot be bought at a hatchery. Well technically yes, you can find anconas, muscovy, buffs, etc. But the quality and genetics of those will differ highly from mine.
I do not strive for show quality, though many of my birds can be shown and would do very well. I strive for many of the genetics that have been bred out of hatchery birds as they are bred mainly for production these days. With my birds, a few of the traits you will notice is that they are excellent foragers, most tend to be very broody, and they are great dual purpose birds. Because of these traits, my birds alone are worth more than your average pekin!
On top of the genetics, you need to take into account the costs of raising the birds. Even if I sell day old ducklings, it cost me something to raise the birds those ducklings came from. And there is an every day cost associated with keeping them healthy and producing.
1. Starting with an egg, you have the cost of running an incubator. It takes time to keep the eggs turned properly, adjust humidity as needed, and assisting any that have a hard hatch.
2. Brooding ducklings, you have the cost of keeping a heat lamp (or several) on to keep them warm enough. They start getting chick starter, and require daily feeding, watering, and cleaning up after.
3. As the get bigger, the cost increases. You get rid of the heat lamp cost, but they eat more and more food as they grow, and get messier and require more cleaning.
4. Once big enough to go outside, you have the costs of building and maintaining coops and pens (depending on the time of year). You also have the cost of losses. Luckily those costs are very low for me considering I lose very few each year, and the predators (knock on wood) are "taken care of". Though new ones do move into the area now and then so I always have to keep a close eye.
5. Maintaining the proper diets, housing upkeep, etc of the adults and breeder ducks. They aren't free to keep! They require daily feeding and watering, need to be let out/put in their coops and pens, and watched for any health discrepancies. They are looked after daily. This costs me $ and time, which I enjoy every second of!
Then you have the costs of bringing in new blood every few years to keep the flocks diversified. It's a personal choice, but I like to get live birds rather than eggs for this as it allows me to get a better idea of what I am getting. This is generally a little more pricey than buying eggs, and also costs quite a bit more to ship.
So please, keep this in mind if you do not like my prices of eggs or birds. And no one is making you purchase from me! I enjoy teaching new duck and goose owners the care and keeping of their birds. I offer free advice to anyone who asks! Even to those who have never bought from me. I am happy to help people establish their own flocks whether for pets, eggs, meat or a combo of the above. I hope that you do purchase from me as I guarantee you will be happy with the birds you receive, but no I will not sell you a duck or duckling for $5! I am not in this to make $, but I do strive to cover the costs (or some of) of raising and keeping the waterfowl that I keep on my farm. Every cent that I make off selling eggs and birds goes back into the birds and their upkeep.
It has taken me YEARS to learn everything it is i know about waterfowl. I have learned a ton through trial and error, and spent $$$$, tears, sweat, time and energy getting my flocks to where they are today. The birds that I raise cannot be bought at a hatchery. Well technically yes, you can find anconas, muscovy, buffs, etc. But the quality and genetics of those will differ highly from mine.
I do not strive for show quality, though many of my birds can be shown and would do very well. I strive for many of the genetics that have been bred out of hatchery birds as they are bred mainly for production these days. With my birds, a few of the traits you will notice is that they are excellent foragers, most tend to be very broody, and they are great dual purpose birds. Because of these traits, my birds alone are worth more than your average pekin!
On top of the genetics, you need to take into account the costs of raising the birds. Even if I sell day old ducklings, it cost me something to raise the birds those ducklings came from. And there is an every day cost associated with keeping them healthy and producing.
1. Starting with an egg, you have the cost of running an incubator. It takes time to keep the eggs turned properly, adjust humidity as needed, and assisting any that have a hard hatch.
2. Brooding ducklings, you have the cost of keeping a heat lamp (or several) on to keep them warm enough. They start getting chick starter, and require daily feeding, watering, and cleaning up after.
3. As the get bigger, the cost increases. You get rid of the heat lamp cost, but they eat more and more food as they grow, and get messier and require more cleaning.
4. Once big enough to go outside, you have the costs of building and maintaining coops and pens (depending on the time of year). You also have the cost of losses. Luckily those costs are very low for me considering I lose very few each year, and the predators (knock on wood) are "taken care of". Though new ones do move into the area now and then so I always have to keep a close eye.
5. Maintaining the proper diets, housing upkeep, etc of the adults and breeder ducks. They aren't free to keep! They require daily feeding and watering, need to be let out/put in their coops and pens, and watched for any health discrepancies. They are looked after daily. This costs me $ and time, which I enjoy every second of!
Then you have the costs of bringing in new blood every few years to keep the flocks diversified. It's a personal choice, but I like to get live birds rather than eggs for this as it allows me to get a better idea of what I am getting. This is generally a little more pricey than buying eggs, and also costs quite a bit more to ship.
So please, keep this in mind if you do not like my prices of eggs or birds. And no one is making you purchase from me! I enjoy teaching new duck and goose owners the care and keeping of their birds. I offer free advice to anyone who asks! Even to those who have never bought from me. I am happy to help people establish their own flocks whether for pets, eggs, meat or a combo of the above. I hope that you do purchase from me as I guarantee you will be happy with the birds you receive, but no I will not sell you a duck or duckling for $5! I am not in this to make $, but I do strive to cover the costs (or some of) of raising and keeping the waterfowl that I keep on my farm. Every cent that I make off selling eggs and birds goes back into the birds and their upkeep.