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How much do breeders charge for their MIXES?

7K views 34 replies 9 participants last post by  LizardGirl 
#1 ·
I've seen several people talking about purchasing 'hedgie mixes' directly from their breeders.
I wondered how much they charge and how much do you get?

Pixie
 
#4 ·
When I've purchased food from breeders it has been a per lb price and I got to determine how much food. As to the price, if I was selling food I would base it on what foods I'm mixing and how much they cost me. Then determine if I'm providing it at cost or trying to make a little profit.
 
#5 ·
Kalandra said:
When I've purchased food from breeders it has been a per lb price and I got to determine how much food. As to the price, if I was selling food I would base it on what foods I'm mixing and how much they cost me.
I'm bumping this question, in hopes of getting replies with actual prices paid for premium food mixes, from other breeders. I have my mix together and ready to start selling it. But, I'd really like to get a basic idea of what other breeders are charging. I plan to sell it by the pound and I don't want to be way out of the ballpark, on MY prices.

Pixie's Premium Hedgie Mix
all dry cat foods can be found on Reaper's recommended food list and contain less than 15% fat

1) Blue Spa Select Lite - Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
2) Natural Balance - Reduced Calorie Formula
3) Solid Gold Katz-N-Floken - All Life Stages
4) Purina ONE Natural Blends - Salmon & Brown Rice Formula
5) Authority Hairball Control - Weight Management Formula
6) Kashi Cereal - Summer Berry Granola (human food)

I've studied ingredients and tried to come up with a Premium Hedgehog Mix, that contained a wide variety of meat choices, along with several veggies and fruits. Here's some highlights of these foods.

Meats: Chicken, Salmon, Lamb, Duck
Grains: Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds, Rye
Veggies: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Eggs, Spinach, Beets, Chicory Root, Parsley, Rosemary
Fruits: Strawberries, Blackberries, Kiwi, Cranberries, Tomatoes

Pixie
 
#9 ·
Already got people lined up and waiting..... :D
When I figure out a final price per pound, then I'll post the mix on the FOR SALE page. I have chosen some fairly expensive foods for this mix, thus I know I'm going to have to charge more than $10 per 2.5 pounds. Obviously, I'm adding this to my business to make money and help cover hedgie expenses. At first, I plan to put all profits into an Emergency Vet fund. But, at the same time, I don't want to over charge other hedgie owners, b/c I feel the food needs to be affordable, so people will puchase it and be able to feed their hedgies a premium mix.....which is much better than the cheaper store bought brands. I guess I just need to decide on a price and see how it sells. I can always make a price adjustment later, if necessary.

Pixie ;)
 
#10 ·
One thing to keep in mind when feeding foods not specifically produced for hedgehogs is: There has been so little research on what a mixed breed pet hedgehog nutritional needs are, so when offering foods made for human consumption you need to remember the added vitamins are for a huge mammal. Too much of most vitamins and minerals can cause problems if not be downright deadly. Calcium, potassium, and sodium come to mind first but I am sure there are others. Most experts are of the mind that if you feed a mix of quality cat foods with vitamins added at the level needed for a cat you are relatively safe. Hedgehog vitamin requirements are different than that of cats but you SHOULD be safe. Calcium levels seem to be the biggest concern as too much calcium can lead to the formation of kidney stones and skeletal joint problems. So if also adding human foods with added vitamins to the cat foods with added vitamins it is possible to be overdosing your hedgie on vitamins and/or minerals. I really wish to discuss this with a veterinary nutritionist to obtain their advice to be sure but so far I have had no luck. You need to decide what to feed your hedgie in the end but vitamin overdosing is a concern to keep in mind.
 
#11 ·
One thing I want to suggest is you keep all bags and lot #, receipts and close track of who bought foods from which batch. In the event that there is a health issue with the food, you want to be able to immediately contact those who bought the food. Also keep very close watch on recalls of foods.

I also recommend you carry insurance just in case someones animal gets sick and/or dies from the food and they decide to sue you. With the recalls there have been and are still having, you want to be protected from lawsuits.
 
#12 ·
Nancy said:
I also recommend you carry insurance just in case someones animal gets sick and/or dies from the food and they decide to sue you. With the recalls there have been and are still having, you want to be protected from lawsuits.
This makes total sense. But in order to do carry insurance, it would make the foods WAY to expensive to sell.

:?: What if I post a "fine print clause" along with the description, stating that I am not responsible for any health issues that may arise due to the feeding of my food mix. Since I'm feeding the same mix to my own hedgies, then I'd hope I would be aware of any problems that may arise. If there are problems with the foods, due to recall.....the buyers were not suing the pet stores, they were suing the manufacturers.

Do the other breeders carry insurance? Gosh, I didn't know this was going to get to so technical. I was just hoping to fill a void, where hedgie owners needed a food mix without the expense and waste of purchasing in large amounts.
 
#13 ·
I think I'd ask a lawyer. I'm not sure if putting a disclaimer would work or not unless the buyer signed it. I know when I was making up my contract for buying a baby, I was told by a lawyer that once it was signed by both parties, it was a binding and legal contract.

I don't know if the others carry insurance or not but petstores sell unopened bags, therefore, fault lies with the company. Because you are opening the bags and reselling the food, it might be argued that the company is no longer responsible. I'd check it out and make sure nobody could come back on you.
 
#15 ·
PixiesExoticHedgies said:
What about the bags of food that are GIVEN to the people that purchase hedgies from me?
Should I stop giving a bag away with the hedgie? I always give a ziplock bag full, so they can continue to feed the baby's the same food I have.
You should continue to give people the bags of food, you don't want the babies to start getting upset tummies from a drastic switch in food.
I would say give a sandwich bag sized amount of food, that's enough food for a baby hedgie for a few weeks.
 
#16 ·
Internet laws, state that if you check the "I accept" box, then it is supposed to be as good as a handwritten signature. So I'd assume that I would be okay, as long as I have an agreement that they have to accept, before shipping their food.

But I was thinking, I could sell them a sample bag (sandwich sized = 1/2 pound) and ship it with a handwritten agreement that they could mail back to me, in order to purchase further product. Or I could email the agreement, have them print it out and mail a signed copy back to me. Then ship the product.
 
#18 ·
PixiesExoticHedgies said:
Internet laws, state that if you check the "I accept" box, then it is supposed to be as good as a handwritten signature. So I'd assume that I would be okay, as long as I have an agreement that they have to accept, before shipping their food.

But I was thinking, I could sell them a sample bag (sandwich sized = 1/2 pound) and ship it with a handwritten agreement that they could mail back to me, in order to purchase further product. Or I could email the agreement, have them print it out and mail a signed copy back to me. Then ship the product.
Just like Zoologist said, I wouldn't really trust someone to send it back to you. I would think customers would be unlikely to return the form, as they have to put a stamp on the envelope and put it in the mailbox; as simple as it sounds, people seem to get very hung up on that.

I would consider an online form, where, when they type their name in it would work just as a signature. I've seen this on many websites, though I don't know the legalities of it.
 
#20 ·
Guess I'll start typing up a Purchase Agreement. I'll require it to be signed and returned, before shipping (they can print it, sign it, and mail it with their payment). This should be just a legal as the purchase agreement signed for hedgehog purchases. I'll also post it online and have them check the agreement box every time they reorder.
 
#22 ·
I found this posted on another website (name with held), please tell me this isn't true....

I like Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, Purina Kitten Chow, Purina One Healthy Weight, Fancy Feast Dry and others of equal quality. Avoid foods adding too may 'high quality' foods as a diet too high in protiene and other 'high quality' ingredients will lead to fat and lasy hedgehogs.
:!: Purina Kitten Chow....Fancy Feast.... :?

=================================================

Found this as well:
Your hedgehog requires a diet high in protien (above 30%) and relatively high in fat (10-20%).
:?: Reaper, I know your food list contains foods under 15%. Would it be okay to add a slightly higher food to a MIX, rather than feeding it alone on a daily basis? I ask because I found a couple other high quality foods that offered a greater variety of meats/veggies, but they the would be around 18% - 20% fat.

EDIT:
Just found this on another site:
Most caretakers mix several high-quality, low-fat cat foods to ensure nutrition and aim for a protein content of higher than 30% and a fat content of less than 12%. Approximately 10 to 12% fiber is also suggested. Normal cat food is high in fat and iron so indoor or light formulations are generally more appropriate. "High-quality foods" means foods in which the primary ingredient is meat, not a meat byproduct.
:arrow: This contradicts the first statement posted above.

And yet another:
Typically, our mix includes a large proportion of Nature's Recipe Puppy and Authority Adult Cat, with smaller amounts of other foods such as Eagle, Pedigree puppy, Spike's Delite, Maxx Nutrition, Purina One, and Eukanuba mixed in. We mix in baby food oatmeal flakes with the dry food, in order to increase the fiber content, and try to offer treats several times per week to increase variety.
:?: What about the PUPPY food......is it okay for hedgies?
:?: Do you recommend the added fiber via oatmeal flakes?

Pixie
 
#23 ·
The first and second quotes are a bunch of baloney. (or bologna, baloney looks better :lol: )
High quality ingredients are best, whoever wrote that must just want to save money. :?
Too high protein can cause renal failure, and too high fat makes overweight hedgies.

A higher fat food is fine in a mix as long as it is balanced with lower fat foods for those that don't need the extra weight.

Puppy food, if high quality, should be fine ingredient wise (though double check to be sure), just make sure the kibbles are not too large or hard. :)
 
#24 ·
okay, so obviously from the previous post, I have been on a "food mix" google hunt tonight. If you have any opinions on the quotes from other websites, please feel free to express yourself! I would like to offer a good premium quality hedgie mix, so your opinions are most welcome.

Also, I'm not finding any disclaimers on any of the other websites. I imagine a lawsuit is not something that most have considered. I don't see the insurance as being a resonable financial fee to acquire, just to sell the food mix. I had called about a similar insurance (regarding another business) and it was over $1500 per year. I want to offer this food so it will help other hedgie owners. Any profits will be returned into improving my own breeding herd. I don't expect to sell it and make major profits on it. Thus, I think having them sign a purchase agreement before shipping, should be sufficient enough.

Pixie
 
#26 ·
LizardGirl said:
The first and second quotes are a bunch of baloney. (or bologna, baloney looks better :lol: ) High quality ingredients are best, whoever wrote that must just want to save money. :?
I won't state the website specifically (unless you PM me), but the first quote did come from a previously mentioned breeder and thus explains how they are selling it $10 for 2.5lbs

Pixie
 
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