Which trachea chews should a pet business stock? Most shops start with 5-6" beef trachea tubes for small and toy dogs, add 10-12" tubes for medium and large dogs, and keep a bag of trachea bites by the register. Lamb trachea is a good second protein for customers who want something other than beef.
Trachea is the airway cartilage of a cow or lamb, dried into a crunchy, ridged tube. It sits in a useful spot on the shelf: lighter and lower priced than a bully stick, and easy to explain to customers. This guide compares the trachea lines we carry using today's prices on valuepetsupplies.com, so you can pick sizes and packs that fit your store, salon, clinic or kennel. Browse everything at bulk trachea dog chews.
What trachea chews are available in bulk?
We carry four trachea lines, all under our ValueBull brand:
- Beef trachea tubes, 5-6" – listed for toy and small dogs. Sold by count, from 25 to 200.
- Beef trachea tubes, 10-12" – listed for medium, large and extra-large dogs. Sold by count, from 10 to 80.
- Beef trachea bites – short pieces listed for toy and small dogs. Sold by weight, 1 to 5 pounds.
- Lamb trachea, 4-9" – listed for toy, small and medium dogs. Sold by weight, 2 to 10 pounds.
Trachea is cartilage, and our product listings note that it naturally contains glucosamine and chondroitin. If you mention that on your shelf tags, keep it to that simple fact rather than promising results.
How do the beef trachea tube packs compare on cost per chew?
Here are current prices on our site (prices change, so check the product page before you order). Cost per chew is the pack price divided by the count, rounded to the nearest cent.
| Product | Pack | Price | Cost per chew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef trachea, 5-6" | 25 ct | $71.99 | $2.88 |
| Beef trachea, 5-6" | 50 ct | $119.99 | $2.40 |
| Beef trachea, 5-6" | 100 ct | $198.99 | $1.99 |
| Beef trachea, 5-6" | 200 ct | $342.99 | $1.71 |
| Beef trachea, 10-12" | 10 ct | $55.99 | $5.60 |
| Beef trachea, 10-12" | 20 ct | $88.99 | $4.45 |
| Beef trachea, 10-12" | 40 ct | $155.99 | $3.90 |
| Beef trachea, 10-12" | 80 ct | $289.99 | $3.62 |
Moving from the 25-count to the 200-count cuts the cost of a 5-6" tube by about 41%. For the 10-12" tubes, the 80-count is about 35% less per chew than the 10-count. If you go through a lot of small tubes, there's also a 20-pound bulk box of 5-6" tubes for $289.99, sold by weight instead of count.
How do trachea bites and lamb trachea compare?
Bites and lamb trachea are sold by the pound, so compare them by cost per ounce:
| Product | Pack | Price | Cost per ounce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef trachea bites | 1 lb | $39.99 | $2.50 |
| Beef trachea bites | 2 lb | $54.99 | $1.72 |
| Beef trachea bites | 5 lb | $99.99 | $1.25 |
| Lamb trachea, 4-9" | 2 lb | $71.98 | $2.25 |
| Lamb trachea, 4-9" | 5 lb | $142.98 | $1.79 |
| Lamb trachea, 4-9" | 10 lb | $215.98 | $1.35 |
The 5-pound bag of bites costs half as much per ounce as the 1-pound bag. Bites work well as training rewards, a scoop-and-weigh bin, or small bags at the counter.
Which trachea pack should each kind of business buy first?
- Independent pet stores: start with the 50- or 100-count of 5-6" tubes and a 20- or 40-count of 10-12" tubes, so you have a size for every dog that walks in.
- Groomers and vet clinics: a 25-count of 5-6" tubes or a 2-pound bag of bites is enough to test a small counter display.
- Trainers, daycares and kennels: the 5-pound bag of bites gives you the lowest cost per ounce for rewards and enrichment.
- Stores with beef-sensitive customers: add a 2-pound box of lamb trachea as the alternative protein, then step up to 5 or 10 pounds once it sells.
Start small, track what sells, then move your proven size into the bigger pack. Our cost per chew guide walks through that math in more detail.
How do you price and package trachea for resale?
Take your cost per chew and apply your normal markup. As an example only (example numbers to show the math, not a suggested retail price): if you sell a 5-6" tube for $4.00, your gross margin is $1.12 from the 25-count ($2.88 cost) and $2.29 from the 200-count ($1.71 cost).
The same works for bites. A 5-pound bag is 80 ounces, so bagging it into 8-ounce bags gives you 10 bags at about $10.00 of product each, before the cost of the bag and label. Whatever you charge for those bags, the math starts from that number.
If you'd rather not weigh and bag chews yourself, look at our resale packs, which come ready for the shelf. For more on the trade-offs, see Resale Packs or Loose Bulk?
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between trachea tubes and trachea bites?
Tubes are whole lengths of dried trachea, 5-6" or 10-12", sold by count. Bites are short pieces sold by weight. Tubes work as a single chew on the shelf; bites work well for training rewards, bulk bins or small bags.
Which trachea pack should a store buy first?
Most stores start with a 50- or 100-count of 5-6" beef tubes for small dogs and a 20- or 40-count of 10-12" tubes for bigger dogs. Once a size sells steadily, the 200-count of 5-6" tubes ($1.71 each) or the 80-count of 10-12" tubes ($3.62 each) gives the lowest cost per chew.
Do I need a wholesale account to buy bulk trachea?
No. All the packs in this article can be ordered on valuepetsupplies.com with no account. If you resell regularly, you can apply for a wholesale account to get wholesale pricing and 400-count wholesale packs; the wholesale minimum order is $500.
Ready to stock up?
- Buy bulk direct: no account needed. Shop bulk trachea chews or all bulk natural chews. Most in-stock orders ship the same business day, and shipping is free to street addresses in the contiguous US. Use code VPS15 for 15% off sitewide, excludes wholesale.
- Open a wholesale account: for stores, groomers, vets and other resellers. Apply for wholesale.
- Launch your own brand: custom printed labels or bags, palletized shipments and FBA direct shipping through our private label program.
Our take
Trachea is one of the easiest chews to add to a lineup: it comes in a size for almost every dog, it's simple to explain, and the bigger packs bring the cost per chew down fast. We've been helping pet businesses stock their shelves since 2004, and our advice is the same as always: test a small pack, watch what moves, then buy your best seller in bulk.
— The ValuePetSupplies family, Livingston, TN
Questions?
Not sure which trachea sizes fit your customers? Call us at 800-825-8373 or email support@valuepetsupplies.com. Orders ship from our warehouse in Livingston, TN and typically arrive in 2-7 business days.