Egg Prices

[gltrap54]

Quote:
I am interested in this answer too. I didn't realized you needed to be certified if you are just selling some here and there and not a large operation???

x2!

Kansas requires a USDA inspection when selling at a farmer's market, but not from your home. Go figure......

 

[halo]

I sell for $2 a dozen, and I sell all I can produce. Im not so sure anyone can say their eggs are so much better than Farmer Jones down the road, who sells his for a dollar less than you do. Especially in these times, where every dollar counts, if you want to cultivate a good customer base, you need to make it economically feasible for people to want to buy from you. Mine dont get organic, but they do free range, and thats good enough for me. I have not found that selling organic makes any difference than selling free range, and the feed costs are so much different. I would much rather sell 25 dozen a week and know there is an instant market for them, then to raise my price because mine are just so much "better" and end up stockpiling, which is the funny thing about chickens. They dont stop laying when you run out of room in the fridge. Being rural probably makes a difference too; if I were selling in the city, I could probably ask twice as much, but Id also have to get permitted and all that garbage, and drive farther to drop them off.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I don't sell a lot of eggs, we live off the road & I don't work. I decided a long time ago however, that if people are going to pay $2 for store bought eggs, they will pay 3 for mine. Your are right, many people won't, but they will spend $150+ a month on cable or a cell phone plan. We all know America is about cheap food, not always good food. To each his own, if they don't pay my price, I use them somehow or give them to family. I am not selling my eggs for a dollar a dozen.

 

[Qi Chicken]

This is an interesting post. We just started selling eggs and are selling at 3$ per dozen. The cage free "natural" eggs in the grocery store are 2.80 or something and I am sure they are not as fresh. The prices are comparable though.

I am not sure that there is a lot of difference in taste between my eggs and the guy that sells his for $1.25 a dozen. There are, however, other variables that are important.

Feed: Organic feed IS important to some people. I do not feed our hens organic feed for several reasons. I don't buy organic spaghetti so when I give them noodles they are no longer organic. We live in the middle of Iowa farmland. THese fields are nothing but chemicals. We don't treat our lawn but we can't keep the stuff from blowing in. I have not been able to FIND organic feed, what I saw on the internet was about 26$ for 40 lbs. Double what I pay now and that didn't include shipping. So I also am not sure I want to pay for it. That said, some customers will look for it.

Housing and health. The guy that sells his eggs for 1.25 per dozen has a LOT of hens. Maybe 50? They are housed in a filthy coop and way overcrowded. Many do not have ANY feathers. None of them look to be in good health. He leaves the lights on 24/7 365 days per year. But he gets a lot of eggs. Frankly it turned my stomach. I wouldn't buy his eggs, EVER. It makes me sick to think about it actually. I'm sure his customers have no idea of the condition of his hens.
My customers know that our hens are well cared for. Healthy and happy. They are willing to pay for it.

I have a tendancy to sell myself short when it comes to my own work. However, I firmly believe that these eggs are worth it. I do think there is a point where you price yourself out of the market. But in very rural Iowa, with many (all? I'm not sure) local providers selling under our cost we have plenty of customers. They know how I adore our chickens, enjoy hearing our chicken stories and like to look at the pictures that I show them. Well, honestly, I don't know if they like it but they fake it pretty well!

Some things are important to some people. You just have to find your match. The other thing is that we are talking about 1-2$ not a 100-200$ difference. Most people waste that amount of money by noon on Monday!

 

[spartacus_63]

I do not sell my eggs, not certified or inspected YET! I do not know how to get one anyway so I CAN sell my eggs for eating consumption.

Selling eggs is regulated by the state, UNLESS you are selling across a state line. Here in Iowa, there is no registration needed for us little guys.

BTW QI Chicken, we must be neighbors...I'm in the middle of Iowa too. and oh BTW, I have 52 egg machines and I play with them all. Actually I only have 47 egg machines...five are all day alarm clocks.

 

[Qi Chicken]

Hey Spartacus!! Where are you??? We are in Brooklyn--half way between des moines and iowa city.

Anyway, I had some more thoughts about this. When I told some of the women that I work with that we were going to sell eggs at 3$ a dozen they laughed out loud! and said "good luck with that!" Older ladies from farm families that had chickens when they were growing up. Not fond of the chicken! Obviously they are not buying my eggs!

But when I told the other people, kind of sheepishly, that the eggs were 3$ a dozen, they laughed and said "Wow, that's really cheap!" True story. You just have to figure out who values the same things you do and sell to them.

 

[donrae]

I'm in southern Oregon and have sold mine to coworkers for 2.50 a dozen. That was to folks I like

To anyone else it would be at least three dollars.

We have an "eat local" organization and I was checking out prices. A dozen eggs start at four dollars and goes up from there!

One thing to keep in mind, in marketing your eggs, besides the happy hens/free range/organic/etc is SIZE MATTERS. I look at eggs from the store labeled large and I just laugh, they look so small to me. When I'm able to start selling again in the spring, I will weigh my eggs and sell them as extra large or jumbo, whatever they weigh at.

Your customer base might not be large, esp at the start, but by emphasizing your quality, freshness and care of your hens you should develop a nice niche. A lot of people are more concerned about where their food comes from and how it was treated before it got to them, that's what most of us backyard chicken sellers capitalize on.

Good luck, and don't lower your prices

 

[draye]

I'm not really selling my eggs to make a profit. That I think would be impossible the way feed prices jump up and down around here. When I have extra to sell, I sell for $2.00 dozen, although this spring I think I'll be going up to $3.00 dozen. After all that is about what eggs are going for in the grocery stores. I haven't been in a while to Whole Foods (Locally grown produce and country eggs and such), but 2 years ago they were about $3.00.
I figure at $3.00/dz that will about cover my feed bill and the egg cartons that I have to buy to put them in.

 

[bigoakhunter]

I think it all depends on the market in your area. Lots of small farms and Amish around me. Farm eggs sell for $1.50 at 10 different locations within 5 miles of me. So when I set my price I picked $2.00 and go with the hand collected, free range, natural feeds, well kept , not crowded, stop in and see speech. I do fairly well for having egg customers. And they seem to like that I have happy chickens!

I give new customers their first dozen, with my name and phone number on the carton. I tell them to try them and if they don't think they are better than the store bought eggs that normally go for $1. 30-$1. 69 a dozen, ( on sale sometimes at .99) to let me know.

Seems to work.

 

[Karrie13]

I think it has to do with the market in your area and what other people are selling farm fresh eggs for. I sell for $1.50, which is the going rate around here even though the grocery store has regular white eggs at $1.54

I know one lady that sells eggs for $1 a dozen, but they grow their own grains so it is easier/cheaper for them to have chickens. Another lady sells hers for $1.50 but her girls are not taken care of as well as mine are. Her's stay in a dog kennel in their barn and never get out and the birds are over crowded. Even though mine are better taken care of people just won't pay any more.