It is all about location and what the people around you are doing.
In my area there are lots of "hobbyists" you are raising birds for their own pleasure, showing or therapy. They do not need to make a profit selling eggs, but they do get more eggs than they can use and are happy for a little cash to off-set their expenses. With many "hobbyists" selling eggs for $1/dz, it would be difficult for me to sell them for anything else unless I found a way to REALLY differentiate my eggs from other farm-fresh eggs from the neighbor. The consumer would have to be educated about WHY my eggs were better than the "hobbyist" down the road.
Frankly I cannot do it. I see my neighbor's chickens running around and know they are pretty decently cared for and fed. There really isn't a huge difference, nothing that culd command a difference in price.
I am able to sell a few dozen for $1.50/dz at my work place, as the convenience of hand delivery is worth 50 cents to the customer.
Knowing my area has this kind of market, I know I need to keep my flock small enough to not depress the price further by needing to sell them at below $1/dz in order to get rid of them.
I don't know what your area is like. You are wondering if people care about their health and the affects of what they eat. With the economy the way it is, many have to consider their food budget first, unfortunately.
What the kids are looking into now is the "hens in town" movement. Some local towns allow keeping of a few hens, but many of those folks do not want to raise them from chicks. My boys really like that part though
So we are doing research before we jump off the deep end to see if we can get some orders for ready-to-lay pullets this coming fall, then the boys can raise those birds this summer.
Sound like a plan? However, if there is no market for hens, we simply won't hatch/buy the chicks, as we need to keep our flock size in order.
