How to price hatching eggs

[rmanney]

Hi friends! I have whiting true blue hens and roosters and would like to sell the fertilized eggs for hatching. The prices I’m finding online are anywhere from $40 a dozen to $10 an egg . I’ve never sold hatching eggs so I’m at a loss on pricing. I would also like to sell the true blue crosses as a mix (australorps, marans, whiting true greens, legbars). Also no clue on pricing those. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just trying to figure this all out while the market is favorable here in Oklahoma! Anyone have advice on pricing? I don’t want to overprice, but also don’t want to underprice.

Did I mention I don’t know what I’m doing?

 

[SourRoses]

Before settling on a price, you should analyze the quality of your birds.
The price range you see out there is due to different quality in flocks (or at least it should be, some people are not honest).

You mentioned roosters plural. Is there anything keeping you from choosing the most exceptional rooster and separating him with the very best hens?

Since WTBs don't have a breed standard (that I know of), you'll have to analyze them based on general characteristics of well-bred chickens.

Traits such as having a balanced body type, with a tail that seems to match what's going on up front. Any weird tails in your flock?
Overall size? Pleasing and somewhat consistent feather color and patterns?
How's the personality of the rooster you would choose for breeding?

You could start a new thread in the breeds section and ask for help evaluating them from pictures.
Until you know the quality of your birds, it's hard to give an answer on how to price them.

 

[rmanney]

Before settling on a price, you should analyze the quality of your birds.
The price range you see out there is due to different quality in flocks (or at least it should be, some people are not honest).

You mentioned roosters plural. Is there anything keeping you from choosing the most exceptional rooster and separating him with the very best hens?

Since WTBs don't have a breed standard (that I know of), you'll have to analyze them based on general characteristics of well-bred chickens.

Traits such as having a balanced body type, with a tail that seems to match what's going on up front. Any weird tails in your flock?
Overall size? Pleasing and somewhat consistent feather color and patterns?
How's the personality of the rooster you would choose for breeding?

You could start a new thread in the breeds section and ask for help evaluating them from pictures.
Until you know the quality of your birds, it's hard to give an answer on how to price them.

Thank you so much for your response!! I love that people will take time to help others out here.

I'm new to WTBs so I'm still trying to learn what is desirable in them (besides bright blue eggs!) I have two roosters that are almost 1 year old. One is almost solid gray, the other is multicolored. Both have great temperaments, although the gray is definitely dominant. I'll start the feed in the breeds section as you suggested and post pictures of the roos.

 

[WheatSmithFarm]

Hi friends! I have whiting true blue hens and roosters and would like to sell the fertilized eggs for hatching. The prices I’m finding online are anywhere from $40 a dozen to $10 an egg . I’ve never sold hatching eggs so I’m at a loss on pricing. I would also like to sell the true blue crosses as a mix (australorps, marans, whiting true greens, legbars). Also no clue on pricing those. I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just trying to figure this all out while the market is favorable here in Oklahoma! Anyone have advice on pricing? I don’t want to overprice, but also don’t want to underprice.

Did I mention I don’t know what I’m doing?

Hi there! Do you still have the WTB hatching eggs available? I would love to buy 1 or 2 dozen from you! I had a flock of 25 of them back in 2020, but stupidly sold them (worst decision ever). Now I can't find chicks/eggs ANYWHERE. They're a lovely breed and I'm really hoping to restart my flock of them this year.

 

[pcdreams]

Have you hatched eggs before? This would give you an idea of what hatch rate could be (of course it varies with each incubator and a persons management style). Are you, do you plan to be NPIP certified. This may make a big price difference.

Generally, I'd suggest setting price somewhere in the middle and see if people are buying you out or not responding. Buying you out, price higher, not responding, set price lower. You can increase price as you learn your flock. How you add value to your hatching eggs is just as important as selling them. Figuring out why they do/don't sell can take a bit of time, but it pays.

 

[The1andOnlyGAChickenKing]

Watch your shipping cost.

 

[BastyPutt]

@NatJ

This is an old thread, but will WTB breed true with F1's?

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ

This is an old thread, but will WTB breed true with F1's?

According to McMurray's website, they will breed true for the blue egg gene, but not for feather colors.

Based on photos I've seen (McMurray's and other), they will probably be consistent for overall body type but maybe not exat details.

I've seen ones with muff/beard and ones with no muff/beard. A group of clean-faced ones should breed true for clean faces. The muff/beard ones will probably not breed true, because they have a good chance of also carring the gene for clean faces (muff/beard is dominant, clean faces is recessive.)

 

[BastyPutt]

According to McMurray's website, they will breed true for the blue egg gene, but not for feather colors.

Based on photos I've seen (McMurray's and other), they will probably be consistent for overall body type but maybe not exat details.

I've seen ones with muff/beard and ones with no muff/beard. A group of clean-faced ones should breed true for clean faces. The muff/beard ones will probably not breed true, because they have a good chance of also carring the gene for clean faces (muff/beard is dominant, clean faces is recessive.)

So then the exorbitant prices here for hatching eggs may be a result of them coming from a "hatchery pair" I suppose you'd call them - or a pair that would otherwise be difficult to obtain because they would ALLEGEDLY breed true.

 

[mcdze]

if theyre mixed id keep it low like under 20 a dozen .. if theyre a pure breed and your certain of health and fertility charge a premium ..30+ ...