Egg selling

i am getting 6 or 7 is that enough?

It totally depends on how many customers you have and whether or not you want to make any money doing it or simply offset your feed bill a bit.

For instance, I used to run 100+ hens and deliver 30+ dozen a week. As far as the store I sold them to was concerned, that was not enough. It was enough for me, however!
 
i want to well i do not know never mind

Selling eggs and making an actual profit (different than just getting a bit of money for your feed bill) requires lots of planning, lots of reading local, state and federal laws and making sure you comply, and lots of accounting. You need to know exactly how much it costs you to produce a dozen eggs, including
initial cost of birds,
cost for electricity (brooding is very energy intensive),
feed cost to get them to laying age,
bedding,
housing (including building new and upkeep of existing),
medication like dewormer,
leg bands and other chicken ID,
fuel if you're doing delivery,
cartons and printing and egg washing if you're doing that.
Cost of registering as a business in your state
Cost of paying for a website if you do that
Might need an accountant to look over your taxes because ag taxes are fairly complicated

I'm sure there's some I've forgotten. It costs a lot to make a dozen backyard eggs. We couldn't make a dozen for less than $2.73 (includes carton, printing and egg wash). We then wholesaled them for $3.20/dozen. That doesn't add up to much profit in the long run, since one bad thing (like a weasel in the hen house) and you're done. You don't have enough profit to cover the loss. That's why we don't sell eggs any more.

In your case, it sounds like you just want to sell a couple of eggs now and then. In that case, have the number of birds that you want to have. Maintain a waiting list of people who want to buy eggs. Sell a dozen when you have a dozen and use that money towards your feed bill.
 
Selling eggs and making an actual profit (different than just getting a bit of money for your feed bill) requires lots of planning, lots of reading local, state and federal laws and making sure you comply, and lots of accounting. You need to know exactly how much it costs you to produce a dozen eggs, including
initial cost of birds,
cost for electricity (brooding is very energy intensive),
feed cost to get them to laying age,
bedding,
housing (including building new and upkeep of existing),
medication like dewormer,
leg bands and other chicken ID,
fuel if you're doing delivery,
cartons and printing and egg washing if you're doing that.
Cost of registering as a business in your state
Cost of paying for a website if you do that
Might need an accountant to look over your taxes because ag taxes are fairly complicated

I'm sure there's some I've forgotten. It costs a lot to make a dozen backyard eggs. We couldn't make a dozen for less than $2.73 (includes carton, printing and egg wash). We then wholesaled them for $3.20/dozen. That doesn't add up to much profit in the long run, since one bad thing (like a weasel in the hen house) and you're done. You don't have enough profit to cover the loss. That's why we don't sell eggs any more.

In your case, it sounds like you just want to sell a couple of eggs now and then. In that case, have the number of birds that you want to have. Maintain a waiting list of people who want to buy eggs. Sell a dozen when you have a dozen and use that money towards your feed bill.
X2
 
I don't get into micro-managing costs like Walking on Sunshine describes. If I were selling eggs to be part of my income, I might, but I just sell extra eggs here and there and am happy to offset the feed bill by doing so.

I have generally had 15-24 hens over the last 4 years. That *usually* gives me 4-6 dozen excess eggs per week to sell. I sell them for $2 per dozen. I could probably ask for more, but I want them to sell quickly so that they are not taking up my fridge space. I would prefer to be "sold out" than to have them taking up so much room in the fridge that I cannot store leftovers or "people food". My buyers generally bring me cartons, and I have random people leave cartons on my doorstep, too, due to the "eggs for sale" sign.

I have, depending on what state I was living in, submitted receipts/income to my tax guy for "farm taxes". I asked him one year if it was worth the time to save the receipts and tally them up to submit to him. He replied that he was usually able to get me $1200 back on my return! There can be benefits beyond just selling the eggs. My tax guy is a retired federal tax lawyer, and admits "farm taxes" are his favorite to process, so he knows A LOT about getting the most for my refund. I don't know that all tax preparers will be able to do the same.
 
Has it been mentioned that chickens are not egg machines?

They will slow down due to age, season, weather, mood, stress, molting cycle... sometime complete stop. How to factor that into your cost...
 
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I don't get into micro-managing costs like Walking on Sunshine describes. If I were selling eggs to be part of my income, I might, but I just sell extra eggs here and there and am happy to offset the feed bill by doing so.
This is exactly what I mean. You are either selling some eggs now and then or you are making a profit. Those are two different things.

As far as the fancy accountancy--it does matter whether or not you actually show a profit. After three years the IRS gets nosy if you have a farm that is consistently showing a loss. They like to check and see whether or not you're using it to reduce tax burden rather than an actual business. And at least in Ohio, if they decide that you're not really "a farm" they won't allow you to offset your expenses from your income any more because they'll rule your egg business a hobby.
 

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