Selling Duck Feathers

14 years ago

Ok, Everbody with pet ducks, close your eyes, cover your ears and cover your mouth. See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Ok you can speak evil!

I have two females and one drake Muscovies. They should start breeding sometime in April or May. This is where you cover your eyes. I will be growing the offspring for the freezer. My question is, are you selling any other parts of the duck. I'm thinking their blue-green feathers would be used for crafts. Their feet maybe dog treats?

Ok Let me have it!

Eric

Featured Answer

prmsdlndfrm

14 years ago

gardener 1908, this is part of market gardening, part of farming. This is real life, Im sorry for being blunt but vegan people are in lalala land, you have to have death in order to have life, and each death needs to be done with the utmost thoughtfulness in order to make the most use of that life and to promote the natural cycle of life. If every living creature were protected this planet would end. Personaly if I had to die for the chain of life, which we all will one day, Id rather Eric killed me than some wolf tearing at my flank and eating me before I was dead, enough said.

Eric my friend there is no market value at least in Indiana for anything other than the meat. But I know in Seatle the Asian markets enjoy feet, and beaks, but I imagine in the small quantities you have the best use would be compost. When I butcher my poultry, 100-200 broilers, 200-400 turkeys, 40-50 ducks, I collect the blood, offal, feathers and everything else for compost, all of which is a great source of nitrogen. I also recomend burning bones, great for phophorus and potash.
josh

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Comments (10)

gardener1908
14 years ago
Where did you guys come from? Maybe I shouldn't take you on, but you are not the GW people I knew from a year ago. If I look back, I used to scroll through post finding lots of valuable info. Now after being gone for only a few mos. I find your junk.. I don't think most of us market gardeners are thinking about duck feet. Your **** is not funny. Please leave the forum for those of us who are serious about market gardening. Would like to mention you all but you know who you are.
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eric_wa
Original Author
14 years ago
gardener1908,

at least have the courage to sign your complaint. Just your first name would be nice.

I've been a member of GW since Jan 2003. Where did you come from.

I thought I might get blasted by this post. It maybe senitve subject matter to some, but still a ligitiment question. I don't sell meat. Don't want to jump through the hoops. Does anyone sell feathers for fly fishing or arts and crafts.

I'm a laid back guy and sometimes don't take things to suriously. I'm looking for information on Market Gardening as much as the next person. Most "subject of posting" here are not original but rehash ( bring forth again in another form without significant alteration) so off topic chatter is a common place. I'm not going to speak for Josh, Jack, Marla, Jay and others, but at least they put their names on their writings.

Eric
myfamilysfarm
14 years ago
Ok, kids behave. Yes this can be part of marketing. I know because last season we had a marketer. She had chickens and ducks and used the FEATHERS, no body parts, to make wreaths and decorations. My market allows both farmers and crafters in my market. Especially crafts made with 'farm' type of ingredients, such as bird feathers.
eric_wa
Original Author
14 years ago
Yesum, :~)

I should have left out the foot idea. I would never bring duck feet to the market. I'm not that insensitive. I did bring home some chicken feet when I helped process at a local farm. My dogs loved them. There is that chance of salmonella.
Crafters at our market are on a lottery system. They consists about 10% of the vendors on a given day.
If you'er strickly a crafts person you may be there only once a monthy, twice if your lucky. If you are mostly selling produce you are allowed to bring a few none food items. The photo is a rebar plant stand I welded up. It sold right away.
{{gwi:1039411}}

The feathers could be feather meal, but crafts seem more profitable.

Eric
myfamilysfarm
14 years ago
That's a cute bike. I don't think the feather lady sold much, but she wasn't much of a salesperson either.
divadeva
14 years ago
I have ducks, I know what you're saying. The feathers make great compost. The offal, feet and all can be fed to catfish if you care to have them...even a barrel works for catfish if it's warm-season. Finding feed for your catfish an be problematic, so feeding them duck parts makes a complete circle of sustainable farming. Ducks like to eat catfish guts too.
eric_wa
Original Author
14 years ago
divadeva,

I've thought about having catfish or triploid carp. Need to do more research and find out what permits are needed in Washington.

Eric

Here is a link that might be useful: Triploid Carp
divadeva
14 years ago
Hi Eric,
My extension agent would love the "sterility" of triploid carp. They won't ear duck offal or blowflies, though. How do you hope/plan to feed them?
eric_wa
Original Author
14 years ago
divadeva,

I'm currently growing mealworm larvae and should have a black soldier fly larvae setup soon. These are grown for my ducks. High protein. I was hoping to add fish to the duck pond. Still researching what type is best for zone 8 Washington. To answer your question, I may have to use commercial pellet food.

Eric