Can you make a living on chicks, and eggs?

[chicken_china_mom]

Quote:
Forgive me if you already know this, but since you mentioned having trouble getting to the PO without a car -- you can use the usps.com website to buy and print your own postage at home (it's free to use their site, all you pay is actual postage and it prints out a big old label that you just tape to your package). Then you can also set up a request for pickup for that package so that your postal person will know to come get it from ya as they're making their rounds. I think they make you ship priority if you do this, but it's an easy way to mail packages from home without needing to get to the PO yourself

I had heard that I could do that, but I was also told that I had to weight the packages first, and therefore would need a scale. If I don't really NEED the scale, heck, I'll start auctioning off eggs as soon as possible! My girls are being quite generous at the moment, lol!

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
You don't need a scale if you ship priority flat rate. You can get a scale on ebay pretty cheap though.

I'm at the point with my flock, where they are paying the feed bill, but that's about it! lol Right now, guinea eggs are going well for me. My guineas started laying early so demand is pretty high now....in another month that will drop off a bit though once guinea season really kicks in. I can still sell small amounts of keets locally, and silkie chicks always sell. I did really well on the call ducks when I hatched them, so I know those go well in my area. I hatch chicks to sell every time I hatch chicks to keep. This offsets the electric bill and I believe my bator works better when full. I probably cant make a dime on eating eggs though! I live in the middle of farm country. Everybody has eggs around here, even the local grocer sells them. I bribe a local food stand (at the flea market) with fresh eggs and they save me their egg cartons, so I have no carton costs. Free range as much as possible. Buy feed on sale, and in bulk. Save bubble wrap and newspapers for packing materials if you ship eggs. Use the free priority shipping boxes. Advertise as many places as you can. Network with other farms.

 

[eggsellent]

There are people around here that sell eating eggs, no one in my immediate area though. I live in a rural area outside Bloomington Indiana. Anyone on here know the going rate for eating/hatching eggs around here?

 

[dumb_cluck]

I have not had any success selling chicken eggs yet, but that's partly because I don't have a car right now to get to the P.O., and my standard eggs wouldn't be pure cause I don't have a roo to match any of my hens. However, I am working to remedy that right now.

What do you mean by "pure"? How does a roo make them pure? Do you mean fertile?

 

[lotsofchickies]

Quote:
Hi!! I'm north of Indy! Check on Craigslist...I have seen a lady on there quite a bit who sells eating/fertile eggs and is in the Bloomincton area. I can't recall her prices right now, but I'm sure you will see her listings if you search eggs on CL. This should give you a general idea of the market in your area...HTH!

 

[eggsellent]

Quote:
Hi!! I'm north of Indy! Check on Craigslist...I have seen a lady on there quite a bit who sells eating/fertile eggs and is in the Bloomincton area. I can't recall her prices right now, but I'm sure you will see her listings if you search eggs on CL. This should give you a general idea of the market in your area...HTH!

Thanks!

 

[MetalSmitten]

Quote:
Hey, I'm right outside Bloomington too

I've seen the prices seem to range from about $2-3.50 for a dozen. They seem to bring more money if you actually go to the Bloomington farmer's market to sell them, but those are more people wanting them for eating than hatching.

 

[eggsellent]

Quote:
Hey, I'm right outside Bloomington too

I've seen the prices seem to range from about $2-3.50 for a dozen. They seem to bring more money if you actually go to the Bloomington farmer's market to sell them, but those are more people wanting them for eating than hatching.

So you can sell at the farmers market here without permits, or legal issues? I am just wondering how that works.

 

[MetalSmitten]

I actually have no idea, I don't sell there and have actually only even been there once. I think you could probably look it up on their website though.

 

[eggsellent]

Thanks! Great advice/info on this thread!