Feathers....

[Phil Lilley]

I have a tackle shop. It has some feathers in it. Chicken feathers. I don't sell a whole lot so I don't reorder that often. I don't change the price on stuff just because the wholesale price goes up - too much work. May be I'm supposed to... I don't know. Don't have time to consider it let alone do it.

Anyhow - we've been getting alot of orders on our online store. Some are for feathers. The online store was setup a couple of years ago and the inventory online doesn't necessarily match what we have on the shelf. Again, I can't keep up.

To my point - sitting here making an order for feathers and have noticed something disturbing. The wholesale prices are now much higher than my retail prices! Feathers have gone up!!

But why? Couldn't be demand I wouldn't think. Supply? Are chickens dying off in big numbers?

Just thought I'd throw this out there and give you guys something to talk about. I do think it's sad that it's so expensive to tie your own flies!

[Phil Lilley]

Example:

#1 Metz Micro Barb Cock Saddle. My price is $21.49. To reorder they would cost me $23.97 now. I'd have to charge $33.59 and that's only a 40% markup.

Plus Wapsi shipping and handling cost is a killer!!

[fishinwrench]

If I was stocking a flyshop such as yours I think I'd just stock Whiting 100"s packs, and Bugger packs, in the sizes and colors most requested. I'd be afraid that full necks would set on the shelf way too long.

[Phil Lilley]

They have - you're right.

[techo]

My apologies as I think it is my fault. We do a 911 Fitness Challenge every year and for twelve weeks we live on chicken and eggs. We eat at least two breasts and ten egg whites a day. That is 84 chickens per week or 1008 for the twelve weeks. There are 32 of us following this diet so in the twele week period we eat at least 32,256 chickens.

So..... you would think there would be an oversupply of feathers, thus driving the price down per the supply and demand law. Sorry if it affected it the wrong way.

[Phil Lilley]

Hummmmmm

[fishgypsy]

My apologies as I think it is my fault. We do a 911 Fitness Challenge every year and for twelve weeks we live on chicken and eggs. We eat at least two breasts and ten egg whites a day. That is 84 chickens per week or 1008 for the twelve weeks. There are 32 of us following this diet so in the twele week period we eat at least 32,256 chickens.

So..... you would think there would be an oversupply of feathers, thus driving the price down per the supply and demand law. Sorry if it affected it the wrong way.

True, but most chickens bred for hackle aren't part of the food supply. My guess would be it has more to do with raising and transportation costs- grain prices have shot up (chicken feed) as have fuel costs to transport the birds and skins. They're passing those costs onto dealers and consumers. Again, just my guess.

[JONBOY]

I figured out the remedy... you just need to convince somebody to start raising chickens for thier fethers on the forum. ...and with that said I will be the first to not volunteer for it. You should volun-tell somebody that they are in charge of the chickens.

[fishinwrench]

Ok, I'll take on the hackle farm. I have some fightingcock raising in my bloodline, so surely I can pull it off. But I'm gonna need some stimulus to get started, who want's to persue that angle ?

If we get started now they'll be ready for harvest in time for Techo's next 911 Fitness function.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would imagine that the economy has affected the demand, but to keep the bloodlines intact they still have to raise hackle chickens. The cost of running the farm doesn't drop with fewer chickens raised, at least not that much. The weather affects grain production also and that may also play into it. I know my friends in Saskatchewan had a bad year because of the weather.