how much do you charge for your eggs?

[sloper74]

I was selling our excess eggs at $2/dozen last season and I wonder if I couldn't get $3. We're not into the chickens to make a huge profit just cover the cost of feeding them. And I know the term "free-range" can be loosely applied these days. Our chickens get a small amount of layer pellets once/day and range for the rest of the day.

What do the rest of you charge for a dozen?

 

[roostersandhens]

My chickens are free range so they have dark colored yolks wich makes the price higher so I sell them for $4 each dozen. If they are free range chickens I would sell them for $4. If they are not free range i would sell them for $3. Hope I helped!

 

[bwindell]

I recently found this thread and I too am looking on what price I need to set for my eggs. I love all the input here, but do have a request to make. If you don't have your general location listed in your profile could you please tell us where you live in your post? So many of you are saying "we get XXX dollar here" but I have no idea where "here" is!

I really like seeing what others are getting for their eggs! Thanks so much!

 

[hapeli]

How to price my eggs has been a huge headache for me. For one, I had been paying between $5-$7 for organic, free range eggs prior to getting my own chickens, and I didn't even blink. I was just thrilled to find them. When my chickens first began laying, the eggs were teeny tiny, so I charged $3 for a dozen because you really needed to use two eggs to get one. I had two hard-core customers at this point, and as the eggs became bigger, I kept thinking, hmmm, I should charge more, but I HATED the thought, and kept selling them for $3. Most of the time I would assure myself that it was fine, I wasn't in it for the money.

Then my sister, who was lower on the totem pole of customer because she lives further away and so someone else always got them first, started giving me $5 a dozen, so that I would hold them for her. And of course I did! I get between 9-12 eggs a day, and I really only have three regular "customers," one being my sister and then two other friends, who always take 2-4 dozen a week, but they don't want to pay $5! So I said fine, but I am actively seeking other customers, and THEY will take priority to you guys, who I have always provided as many eggs as they wanted, even limiting my own supply from time to time to meet their demands. Ridiculous that we have to have egg wars, but when I was out in the coop today, cleaning it, chasing down chicks in order to clean their winter-dirty butts, and watching them frolic in the grass that at last has no snow on it, I thought to myself WHY would I second guess the pricing of SUPERIOR eggs? My customers (friends!) know me, they know I am feeding them 100 percent organic, soy-free non-GMO food, that they are free-ranging on grass that has never seen any chemicals or fertilizer, ever, and that when I say they are fresh, I mean they just popped out of their little chutes fresh!

My new scheme to find new customers (friends!) has been to bring eggs to them in any way I can. Last night I went to dinner at a friend's house and brought them some eggs. They do not eat organic, so when I told them that I was selling them for $5, you could see that they thought I was nuts. (I did not charge them for the gifted eggs!) This morning I received a call that, after eating them for breakfast, they could clearly see that they were incomparable to the eggs they have been eating their whole lives, and they would like at least one dozen a week, for five dollars!

What is ironic is that my two cheapo friends DO buy organic, DO know the cost of their counterparts on the grocery store, but are trying to get away with it because they are friends. Hey, they aren't out there cleaning the coop!

I live in N.H.

 

[DuckLady]

Hi , Sloper, I think it depends on y our area. I get $1.50 a dozen. I tried raising it to $2, but people here wouldn't pay that. Now I have a friend who gets $3.50 or $4 for them in the city.
What I am saying is that you can only charge what people will pay. Try raising it a bit at a time, or just put the eggs at $3 and see what happens. You can always lower it, or maybe try $3 a dozen or "2 for $5". That way your customers get a "bargain" option!

 

[ginasmarans]

I agree-the customers drive the market. I have been selling mine for $1.25/doz. They charge $1.50 at the Farmer's market. I am going to have to make the bold move to raise mine to $1.50/doz this year because the feed costs have gone way up.

 

[sloper74]

Thanks ladies. We live about 40 minutes from town and I was delivering eggs last year after we went to town on Sundays. It helped but I was only charging $2/dozen. I think since I'm delivering them to their houses every week, that I could probably get away with $3/dozen, for their convenience and all. I would still charge $2 at Farmers Market. I like the 2 for $5 idea too. Thanks for your input.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

I'm so glad this thread was started! For the past 3 days I've been thinking, "I've got to start the first 'How much for eggs' thread."

I brought some eggs into work and gave 6 to each of my co-workers. Not trying to sell them or anything, just giving them away. One of them came back saying he wants to buy about a dozen a week. I have no idea what to charge but was thinking about $3.00 since we're in a big city without a lot of competition, also, the convenience for him and me is really nice since we see each other every day.

I also do bargaining. I give eggs to my neighbors who put up with my hens and also exchange a carton of eggs for a bunch of empty cartons.

Selling eggs for me usually isn't that productive since washing / packaging / setting up time for pick up and delivery all add up to a bunch of time.

 

[eggchel]

You should easily get $3 a dozen, Rob, since organic eggs sell for $3.79 to $4.79 a dozen in Safeway here.
I told you that you needed a duck.... last year my DD sold duck eggs to folks who work with her friend's mother at Symantec. She got $12 a dozen!! Yup, that is $1 per egg! They really really wanted fresh home grown duck eggs and were willing to pay top dollar for them. She sold 82 eggs in one trip. Then we sent our ducks to summer camp at Rae's and they have been busy hatching hatching hatching ever since. I keep telling her "if you dont want any more ducklings.... you have to take their eggs away" LOL. If you need a duck.... call Rae.

chel

 

[cindydj]

Oh my gosh $12 a doz! And for duck eggs do they eat them like chicken's. I didn't know that....

I can sell all the fresh eggs I can get to an organic meat supply here and she will give me $2 and supply me with cartons. I was told if put up a sign in my yard I should be able to get $3-4 a doz. and here I was thinking $1.5 Atleast this shuld help with the feed and some spending money..I am rural too....