How do I get started on selling eggs?

[cowhlb]

We have about 14 hens and the eggs are plentiful! I need some help and advice on selling them.

What should I do?
What type of cartons should I use?
Do I need to clean them?
Basics?


Thanks ahead for the help!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Contact your state's Dept of Ag - the specifics vary from state to state with some that have special licensing/permitting involved if YOU take the eggs off your property to sell vs. having people come to your home to purchase the eggs (I know this sounds crazy) - or based on volume, etc. They can also tell you about things such as regulation of containers, etc.
From there-if you want/can use "used" cartons, once you get a customer base built you can have them bring their own carton back - either filling it when they come or as an "exchange" for a full carton, have friends/family/neighbors save you their old cartons, etc. Best case scenario you have one of *those* friends who can't bring themselves to eat eggs that are not from a store so they are buying a steady supply of cartons to pass on to you -- friends who like fresh eggs become useless as a source for cartons once they are hooked on your eggs, lol.

 

[Betsy57]

I have eggs that are white, brown, dark chocolate, blue, light green and deep olive green. I try to put all of these in each carton. My customers say it is like Easter morning when they get their eggs. They can't wait to open up and see what colors are inside. I also put an insert in a carton to let them know about my chickens and introduce them to some of the flock. Nothing like excited customers and those who truly appreciate the fresh egg on the home farm.

"You will enjoy these fresh eggs laid by my spoiled hens living contently in my Valley of Beruch (praise) homestead. They are fresher than store-bought eggs and even healthier. Studies by Mother Earth News magazine showed free range backyard chicken eggs have up to four times the nutrients and a third less of the “bad stuff” than mass produced store eggs. Different chicken breeds lay eggs of different colors. The brown ones were either laid by Buff or Lavender Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Dominiques, Cinnamon Queens, Buff Chanteclers, Black Australorps or Rhode Island Reds. Pale blue eggs by Blue or Black Ameraucanas and the green eggs were laid by Easter or Olive Eggers. The white ones by either White, Brown or Exchequer Leghorns or Blue Andalusians. The dark chocolate ones by Welsummers, Black Copper or Cuckoo Marans. All are equally nutritious and delicious! My hens live in spacious coops with a large fenced-in yard where they enjoy sunshine and fresh air. They eat insects, grass, and table/garden scraps, but rely on premium commercially produced feed as the mainstay of their diet. Don’t hesitate to call with questions or if you want to tour my Valley of Beruch homestead to see the wide variety of breeds and colors of my gals. And of course, meet Sambo, Colonel Sanders or Brewster, the roosters who keep the gals in line and protected. Call or email when you’re ready for your next batch of fresh eggs!"

 

[sumi]

You got some great advice here. I used to sell eggs and actually kept a large flock for this purpose. Some things I found that worked for me:

- Get used cartons from friends, restaurants, etc (if allowed by your state's laws).
- Buy feed in bulk. It works out way cheaper that way.
- Keep records of how many eggs you get daily and average it out over a week/month then..
- Take fixed orders for 75% of the eggs laid. I.e. if you get on average 30 eggs per day, take orders for 24. This way you are unlikely to run short, you have a guaranteed sale for most of the eggs and a quick turnover and extra eggs for other infrequent customers and home use.
- Mix different egg sizes per carton, so you balance out the small ones and the big ones. (My customers did not mind at all, especially when they got a jumbo egg with a tiny one!)
- Wash the eggs only if needed, unless required by your state's laws.

And just for fun

Best of luck with your venture!

 

[kglazier]

in NC. I sell eggs for 3$/dozen to regular customers who return the cartons or provide the own. 4$ to others. I label my eggs as ungraded with my name and address to comply with NC Reg. N NC u can sell up to 30 doz per month without a permit. I can never keep up with demand. The hens just finished first molt which has frustrated my regular customers. This years pullets aren't laying yet.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can advertise on craigslist or better yet, just tell all your friends and co-workers.
If you get used cartons, clean them if your can. Some places, it's illegal to reuse cartons.
Clear plastic cartons are more expensive than others. Search websites that sell cartons. There's a big disparity in prices. The more you buy, the cheaper they are. With 14 hens you probably can't justify buying in bulk.
Buying cartons at places like TSC is out. They're about 50 cents a piece which eliminates your profit.

 

[reyecat]

Here in BC we can sell person to person without a lot of regulations.

we just sell to friends and acquaintances and make sure they know the eggs are uninspected and have them bring their used cartons. I've never had to buy cartons.

If you want to sell in a retail situation you have to follow all the guidelines. certain washing techniques, new cartons every time (wasteful) and probably have to pay for any number of licences which would drive your final cost up

we figured out our cost of keeping chickens per day and then divided by the average amount of eggs we could sell each day then added a dollar per dozen. That's how we figured out what to charge. It was surprisingly cheaper than what other farm eggs are selling for around here.

 

[indymom]

I put up a small sign at end of driveway advertising fresh pasture raised eggs when I had surplus.( I live in town, suburb of Indy) I haven't had to do that again for 3 years. The eggs sell themselves w/ customers telling friends when eggs are plentiful in the spring. I organize my sales via text and keep a red cooler on front porch. Eggs go out in cooler w/ ice pack about 15-30 minutes before pick up time, money goes in cooler. I call it my magic cooler- eggs in, $ out. I try to clean my eggs a little as possible. I use damp paper towel folded up to clean them. Any w/ broken egg or stains or pecks/cracks in shell don't get sold, they are the ones we keep to eat. I write date the eggs were laid on end of recycled cartons, only sell eggs 5 or less days old. Using texting and the cooler allows me to have a life and not have to be here every time someone wants to pick up eggs or order them either. If demand gets to be more than supply. I start a wait list- this usually happens in late September and I suspended sales last year late November as the girls shut off the supply due to really cold weather, resumed in March of this year. When I had pullets (very small eggs) I sold 18 smalls for same price as dozen medium, large, XL mixed. Now that all are at least year old, I mix the dozen in regards to size, trying to put in a couple of smalls and a couple of XL- jumbo eggs to balance the overall weight of the dozen so it falls in the range of a typical dozen of store bought large eggs. (egg scale is great for this).

 

[feltingfrenzy]

Hi, your userID shows that you are located in Virginia, as am I. I have found the following information from VATech quite useful in raising egg layers, managing their eggs and then selling the eggs. Section E gives information on some of the legalities in Virginia on selling eggs.


http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1091/2902-1091_pdf.pdf

I buy generic egg cartons from Zellwin Farms in FL:

http://www.zellwin.com/

then apply a label identifying myself as the "producer". It's the legal and safe way to go.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Provided you aren't breaking any regulatory laws in-store, those prices are too cheap. I wouldn't sell less than $3.50/doz.

Along with the fact that TSC egg cartons are very expensive. The OP would be giving the eggs away when feed, housing and labor is figured in.