The packaging is sold by WinPak in the Fraser Valley. They sell the quality Durashrink brand. The bags are sold in cases of a 1000. I will make small lots available to local fanciers, just like those outfits in the US do. I guess when I get my online store working properly I could add them to my product list, but I really am not in a rush to do so. I would rather build my business sell food, not plastic. If someone else on this side of the border wants to take this idea and run with it, they more than have my blessing.
Call Ducks, you are right, only selling in pairs is a bad business idea if one is limiting their scope to commodity marketing and basically the Walmart marketing school of thought. It is certainly the approach that works when marketing to the 99% of society. However, that 99% doesn't cover all the bases here, I'll explain a few things.
First off, every customer who buys a sexed chick or pullet from a viable business is paying for the rooster side of the hatch. There is no escaping this. The choice you have as a customer is to decide if you want your purchase price to pay for someone to kill a day-old baby chick at the hatchery, or pay someone to raise a chicken dinner. The choice is entirely yours and I would never stand in your way to making that choice. All I'm doing is giving you options and, more importantly, adding clarity to exactly what the ramification of your choice means.
Now, I have invested over a decade into developing my flock. I have earned the right to enjoying the full benefits of a true dual purpose flock by eating roosters for over a decade. My business plan is selling sustainable and ethical food. My market base is a fraction of 1% of my local community. They are more than enough to support my farm.
I really don't care if I never sell another live bird again in my life. I will continue to enjoy my flock regardless. The live bird market has proven itself to be high risk with low returns. Especially to people like me who refuse to earn a living by killing baby chicks, nor willing to pay another to kill the baby chicks for them (buying and raising sexed chicks).
I am willing to share the results of my breeding efforts, but only with those willing to share in the responsibility of utilizing the males in a way that I find ethical. My breeding efforts, my flock, my property, my call. Whether you or others wish to accept these terms is entirely up to you.
Also, FWIW, I treat my egg customers in a similar fashion. I have a sign next to my eggs explaining why they need to eat more meat if they want more eggs. I don't produce anywhere close to enough chicken eggs to meet demand. Each Saturday, I sell out of chickens eggs within 30 minutes, of a 4 hour market. I'm willing to expand my laying flock 10 fold, but only if my meat sales will support that expansion. Again, the choice is entirely up to my customers, they are more than free to go to the egg vendor selling industry's sex-link eggs, but now they get to know what that choice means. When they buy those eggs from commercial layers, they are supporting the killing of baby chicks.
In my case, many of my customers have switched over to duck eggs because I sell enough duck meat to support a much larger layer flock.
So, Call Duck, I'm not forcing anything onto anyone, I'm simply offering choices. The simple truth is that when considering labour and land use, the horticultural side of the farm is the profitable side. The best and most responsible business plan would be to simply take my heritage poultry off the market. It would certainly make my life simpler, but would it be as rewarding?
Call Ducks, you are right, only selling in pairs is a bad business idea if one is limiting their scope to commodity marketing and basically the Walmart marketing school of thought. It is certainly the approach that works when marketing to the 99% of society. However, that 99% doesn't cover all the bases here, I'll explain a few things.
First off, every customer who buys a sexed chick or pullet from a viable business is paying for the rooster side of the hatch. There is no escaping this. The choice you have as a customer is to decide if you want your purchase price to pay for someone to kill a day-old baby chick at the hatchery, or pay someone to raise a chicken dinner. The choice is entirely yours and I would never stand in your way to making that choice. All I'm doing is giving you options and, more importantly, adding clarity to exactly what the ramification of your choice means.
Now, I have invested over a decade into developing my flock. I have earned the right to enjoying the full benefits of a true dual purpose flock by eating roosters for over a decade. My business plan is selling sustainable and ethical food. My market base is a fraction of 1% of my local community. They are more than enough to support my farm.
I really don't care if I never sell another live bird again in my life. I will continue to enjoy my flock regardless. The live bird market has proven itself to be high risk with low returns. Especially to people like me who refuse to earn a living by killing baby chicks, nor willing to pay another to kill the baby chicks for them (buying and raising sexed chicks).
I am willing to share the results of my breeding efforts, but only with those willing to share in the responsibility of utilizing the males in a way that I find ethical. My breeding efforts, my flock, my property, my call. Whether you or others wish to accept these terms is entirely up to you.
Also, FWIW, I treat my egg customers in a similar fashion. I have a sign next to my eggs explaining why they need to eat more meat if they want more eggs. I don't produce anywhere close to enough chicken eggs to meet demand. Each Saturday, I sell out of chickens eggs within 30 minutes, of a 4 hour market. I'm willing to expand my laying flock 10 fold, but only if my meat sales will support that expansion. Again, the choice is entirely up to my customers, they are more than free to go to the egg vendor selling industry's sex-link eggs, but now they get to know what that choice means. When they buy those eggs from commercial layers, they are supporting the killing of baby chicks.
In my case, many of my customers have switched over to duck eggs because I sell enough duck meat to support a much larger layer flock.
So, Call Duck, I'm not forcing anything onto anyone, I'm simply offering choices. The simple truth is that when considering labour and land use, the horticultural side of the farm is the profitable side. The best and most responsible business plan would be to simply take my heritage poultry off the market. It would certainly make my life simpler, but would it be as rewarding?
Last edited by Omega Blue Farms on Sun Jan 19, 2014 9:43 am; edited 1 time in total
