$15/dozen for duck eggs?

Marjory Wildcraft

Wow.  I've been thinking to add ducks and wondering about pricing too.

Last duck eggs I saw at market was last spring and were $8/dz (Bastrop Tx).  She sold between 2-4 dozen per market.

Jimerson

I don't have any duck egg sellers near me, but this is inspiring enough that I may have to add a few to the flock come Spring!

Tasha Greer

I sell duck eggs in Surry County North Carolina.  I usually sell half dozen duck eggs for $3, so $6 a dozen. I think it depends where you live, whether people know the value of duck eggs (as in how excellent they make you feel), and if your buyers can afford to pay high prices for them.  Feed costs also vary.  We have local feed mills around us that sell feed below the cost of the farm supply stores, so we can keep our feed costs a bit lower than someone without that kind of access.  However, ducks eat a lot more than chickens, even when they are awesome foragers.  They just tend to be bigger than chickens and need more food to maintain all that wonderful fat that also makes them an awesome meat and lard source on the small homestead.

There is nothing like a duck egg for baking  - even at $15 a dozen!  So even if you can't afford to eat them every day, there are certain times when you really want a duck egg!  I've also had lots of people who raise puppies tell me they feed the puppies duck eggs as a parvo preventative.  I have never researched this, so I don't know if there is any science to support this idea.  But I get lots of requests for eggs from breeders and dog rescue organizations.

Marjory Wildcraft

Tashsa, Ducks do chow down seriously!  But they also eat a ton of other forage that chickens don't eat.  So I am wondering if you could make the feeding cost equivalent to chickens with some good pasture options....

I am thinking of setting up another research center in a colder climate.  Chickens really don't do as well further north you go...  But ducks are fine with cold.  anyway, I am pondering.  And I heard a rumor you were going to create a Duck Certification this year for TGN?  I want to take it!

Robert Held

Never thought about raising ducks but this sounds interesting.  I have chickens and guinea hens so ducks could work.  If you ever have a duck certification course I'd be interested!!

Joanna Newcomer

I switched to ducks this year, I get about $7 a dozen when I do sell them. I have an ongoing deal to trade for goat milk with a friend as well.

Sharon Companion

They are raising chickens north of the 53 parallel in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador.  They are using leghorn chickens because the breed is bigger and hardier; more suitable for the Labrador climate.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/backyard-chicken-farming-labrador-1.3557758

Merin Porter

Prices here in Southwest Colorado vary -- and always way more expensive at the Farmer's Market. I did find a local farmer offering them for $4/dozen; however, that's REALLY cheap for this area.....

bmaverick

The going average price here in WI at the farmers market is $6 a dozen.

Oddly, almost 50% of people are allergic to the protein in duck eggs. Symptoms like wanting to vomit or behavior like food poisoning can occur. I tend to get very lathergic an hour after eating them. bummer.

Before anyone tries duck eggs, do a small sampling taste test a few times during the day. If stomach and GI issues arise, don't go further.

If you are GI tract safe, by all means enjoy them!

Duck eggs are rich in proteins and minerals. Most people are low in minerals.
https://www.duckeggs.com/duckeggs-nutrition.html

Marjory Wildcraft

Hi Bmaverick,

What a fun site www.duckeggs.com - who'd of thought?  I also hadn't ever heard about the high number of people allergic to the protein in duck eggs?

I am going to forward this to Tasha, she is currently working on a new certification for keeping a flock of ducks for eggs.

Thanks for posting.

bmaverick

Marjory, good to hear back from you. Here is one of those easy to understand studies. It's on allergies on eggs, but with a twist. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10756237

Oh how I would like to do duck eggs. They just don't agree with me.

A few years ago, there was a duck egg kick going around our area. People were trying them, then it seemed like an illness would strike. We all just shrugged thinking a cold or sickness was getting around. Thus, many of the people retried the duck eggs. The second go around was much worse than the first. In our area it was a higher percentage of people not able to do duck eggs. 7 out of 10 could not do them.

Oddly, hunted duck isn't bad eating, nor does it cause any issues. It strikes me as an oddity to eat duck, but cannot so the eggs.