[fabsroman]

Originally Posted by Mr. 16 gauge

Price of everything has gone up....electricity for raising them (in brooders), water, taxes on property....but I think the most influential factor is most likely the price of corn.....it sky rocketed a few years back when everyone was on the ethanol kick as an alternative source of fuel. I haven't followed the price lately, but once prices go up, they rarely go down.
I've also noticed that there aren't as many 'little' producers out there, so the game farms that are buying additional birds are doing so at a higher cost (it's that whole supply/demand thingy) from fewer suppliers.
I'll continue to go to game farms.....what's my other option here in Michigan? There is no game on the "state game areas", and it takes birds to make a bird dog.......

.....however, I just won't be going as often as I used to.

I used to go once a year, if that. Haven't been since Nitro was a puppy and that was 6 years ago. Try waterfowling. You usually don't have to pay per bird with that and I hear that Michigan is a great place to waterfowl.