Egg Price Profiteering Where You Live Due To Coronovirus?

[gtaus]

I get 30 plus eggs daily from my hens and not ONE person has emailed me about buying my eggs from my CL ad. I cant even give some away it seems. I did take about 8 doz to work and a few paid me, others didnt. It didnt matter to me. I cant tell you how many dozen eggs Ive just thrown in the burn pile or cooked up and given to my hens so this price gouging cant find eggs in the store crap mystifies me when I cant even give them away. Maybe its where I live.

Wow, that's a sad story, having to throw eggs in a burn pile.

 

[Rammy]

Wow, that's a sad story, having to throw eggs in a burn pile.

No kidding. I mean, Im not looking to " cash in" on the egg scarcity in the stores, but I was hoping Maybe Id get some replies, neighbors or friends, would ask me for eggs. Nope. Ive been throwing out eggs or feeding them back to the chickens for months. Long before the virus pandemic.

 

[ceegeeque]

Where I live, the "normal" "pre-Coronavirus" price for a dozen white eggs at the big box stores was less than $1.00. I never decided to have a small backyard flock to save money on eggs. Things have really changed around here in many ways, but also with respect to egg availability at our stores (which I don't understand). Our local stores ran out of eggs, doubled the price per dozen, and limit one dozen per purchase so everyone has a better chance to get some eggs.

Anyway, Dear Wife has been previously selling our excess brown eggs to friends of the family for $2.00 per dozen, which was a good deal for me (they were excess eggs for us), but also for our friends as the pre-Coronavirus price of brown eggs was about $2.50 - $6.00 per dozen, depending on the label. Now, we still sell the eggs for $2.00 per dozen but only to our friends that were buying before this Coronavirus situation. With only 10 hens, it's not like we can supply too many families with eggs.

Somebody explain to me how in the world the price of eggs can double in the big box stores in the last couple of weeks when I have yet to hear of any chicken die off affecting availability? Are these eggs being stock piled somewhere to create an artificial shortage and drive prices up? The price of my grains and feed has not changed, so it costs me the same to feed my flock. OK, I don't need the $2.00 per dozen for my financial well being, but it helps pay for the chicken feed and my little "hobby" does not cost anything out of pocket.

I have decided not to raise my egg prices due to the Coronavirus situation, but I am sure I could get more for my eggs now that the big box store shelves are empty. Just wondering what other people with small flocks and selling eggs are doing in these times, if you are seeing egg shortages at your local big box stores, and if you have raised your egg prices in response. I'm not trying to pass judgement on anyone, and understand the price of eggs varies from region to region, but it would be interesting to hear from others who sell their eggs to family and friends how they are working through these times. Thanks for any feedback.

I have always given my excess eggs away, 4-5 doz a week. I always hope someone woule chip in a buck or two toward feed...but no such luck. I will continue as I have been. I have 8 hens and 1 roo. I used to have 21 hens till a racoon decided to dine here for a week and a half. Reordered 14 hens...but 8 survived. We finally figured out the right precautions.

 

[member 158781]

I'm not trying to pass judgement on anyone, and understand the price of eggs varies from region to region, but it would be interesting to hear from others who sell their eggs to family and friends how they are working through these times. Thanks for any feedback.

We have 11 chickens. we get 10-12 eggs a day. Hubby and I eat about 10 a week. The rest goes to the congregation and to those who can't afford them. For free.

 

[RoosterML]

No kidding. I mean, Im not looking to " cash in" on the egg scarcity in the stores, but I was hoping Maybe Id get some replies, neighbors or friends, would ask me for eggs. Nope. Ive been throwing out eggs or feeding them back to the chickens for months. Long before the virus pandemic.

Have you spoken to any local mom and pop shops? Try Facebook if CL isn’t working for you.

 

[Rammy]

Have you spoken to any local mom and pop shops? Try Facebook if CL isn’t working for you.

Im not on FB anymore. Too much drama. When I was, and posted to marketplace, my ad got flagged everytime. Id have to dispute it, then it would get posted.
But from what Ive heard from others on FB, they are cracking down on any ads for any kind of animal product, from wool sweaters to manure. Someone posted free manure and it wasnt allowed due to FB terms of whatever.
You can thank Peta$$ for that.
I just hate having to throw away perfectly good eggs. My regular egg customers got thier own chickens so that stopped, but I had hoped to pick up new ones just to help pay for the feed. Certainly not expecting to make any money from it.
Seriously in the long run, I want the world to get back to where it was before.

 

[aart]

When I was, and posted to marketplace, my ad got flagged everytime.

Don't use market place, don't use 'sale' posts.
Just use a 'discussion' post with no words suggesting sales or costs,
pic of eggs and say 'PM for details'.
Some folks use memes for the sensitive words.

 

[igorsMistress]

I really don't like it when people use fear mongering. Food production is a necessary business. So is transportation. If people get sick it might slow things down a bit but there's not going to be a shortage. Everyone was screaming about the meat packing plants closing. Not all are closing so while you might not get to eat a huge Tbone every night for dinner and have to figure out how to stretch things, we don't have a lot to worry about. Not to mention, most of the US could stand to lose a few pounds anyway.

I was raised on Spam; we loved it sauteed or Mom made the best sandwich spread with it using sweet pickles, celery, onions and mayo on toasted bread; man it was the best with potatoe chips! That's funny what you said re: trees leafing out! Important with no more Sears catalogs!

Oh man, you brought back some childhood memories there! My mom used to make the same sandwich spread

I get 30 plus eggs daily from my hens and not ONE person has emailed me about buying my eggs from my CL ad. I cant even give some away it seems. I did take about 8 doz to work and a few paid me, others didnt. It didnt matter to me. I cant tell you how many dozen eggs Ive just thrown in the burn pile or cooked up and given to my hens so this price gouging cant find eggs in the store crap mystifies me when I cant even give them away. Maybe its where I live.

Do you have Nextdoor in your area? I put an ad on there for free eggs. I got 2 responses. I'm thinking about changing the ad to charge $2 or $3 and see what happens.

 

[lmatvey]

Wow, I have a really different experience! I’m in northern MN, about an hour and a half north west of Duluth “city”. I have had chickens for 10 years or so. I have enjoyed the information on BYC, but I’ve never had much to say. I have NEVER charged for eggs. I don’t advertise. People see the chickens in my yard (I’m on a “highway “ but it’s not a major road by any means, and my driveway is technically on the intersecting dirt road) and they just ask for eggs. They always pay me, even my cute little grandma gets insulted if I tell her no! (We worked it out, so she pays the kids for collecting eggs) I have always lived in about the same area (12 miles from where I grew up) and word spread fast when I first got chickens, and people were paying (even when I explained I don’t charge for eggs) up to $6 a dozen and I just couldn’t keep up with demand. I felt so miserable telling good people I didn’t have any eggs! and that is the sum total of my chicken drama, and the first experience I really have to post about. Wow!

 

[lmatvey]

In my defense, I raise really beautiful chickens, lol! That’s a joke, I’ve never met an “ugly “ chicken! Or duck or goose for that matter.