Q: I am thinking of getting into the bird breeding business. I want to make money, and I absolutely love birds. I am not a rich person, and I want to supplement my teaching income. Do you have any advice?
Sandee Molenda explains:
This is not the time for anyone to get into the bird breeding business to make money. Even under the best of circumstances, it is very rare for people to make enough money to break even and pay for expenses, let alone supplement their income. The price of bird seed alone has gone through the roof due to the government paying farmers to grow corn for ethanol instead of the seeds birds eat (and pellets are made from seed so the price of pellets is just as high).
Bird prices are falling rapidly as there are more birds on the market than there are people able to buy them. The price of gas combined with job losses, home foreclosures and Americans without health insurance is keeping most people from having any discretionary income. Birds are considered luxury items that most people do not buy in hard times. It would be better to sell things such as toys, cages or feed to people that already have birds as opposed to trying to open new markets in these hard times.