egg selling

[Chickenslol]

well now that most, if not all, of our nine chickens are laying, we’re going to need to get rid of them because as a small family of three we certainly cannot eat them all. i was planning on selling them to our neighbors to make a couple bucks for chicken feed and other expenses but i wanted to know, how much do you see your eggs for? we’re in central MA and i’m planning on four dollars is that too much? what do you think would be the right amount?

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I started, and have stayed, at $3/dozen. The going rate here for fresh eggs was between $3-$5. I definitely don't make money, but it sure helps. I agree with Aart, easier to go down then up. I doubt you'll need to, though. Especially in these times.

I used to give 50cents back if they brought the carton back, but I don't anymore. It's amazing what some people will try and give back! Covered in yolk/white/dirt/dog hair etc It's not worth it to me and I've had zero problem selling eggs. $3 is cheap, in my opinion.

 

[Brooks_]

$4 is higher than what I know of people selling eggs for, but I don't think it is too high at all. These are very fresh high quality eggs we're talking about. The right amount to charge is simple- what you can get for them on a consistent basis.

 

[Kirkwooder]

we’re not a business so no, i don’t believe. i also don’t think my neighbors will report me for it so we’re good. i’m currently cranking out a lot rn six of them are laying, so it’s a dozen every two days, but we’ll see. i do live close to a pretty fancy neighborhood so i’m not really sure how much they’ll spring for eggs. i was thinking of checking grocery store prices, averaging them out, and going 50 cents lower than that. that way there’s an incentive to buy. how’s that sound?

Don't claw your way to the bottom of the heap. If your local grocery is selling production farm eggs for $3 I would ask $4-$5 for mine. I sell almost all my eggs to a friend for $2+ cartons. He takes them to where he works and gets $3-$4. Feed prices have gone up this spring here though so I am going to go to $2.50.

And remember, that hen wasn't free, and ate a lot of feed before laying the first egg. Also, Coops, feeders, waters, wire, time all costs and is worth something.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I started at $2.00 a dozen and deeply regret it. I am absolutely underpricing my eggs. As aart said, easier to go down than up.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Go on Craigslist, swing by your local Farmer's Markets, etc. See what your local market is.

I'm in an economically depressed area of the country - and am currently giving mine away to people who need them FAR more than I. In the process of getting myself licensed with the State ($110/yr), and am already zoned for it - so at this point, I'm just exploring my potential customer base - but my break even will be between $2 and $2.50 / dozen (no cartons - FL forbids me from selling in cartons, which actually keeps my costs down), so that's where I'll be pricing. There are no close by high income locations who would pay a premium for free range, and I'm not feeding organics, or my break even would go WAY up.

Tuesday, the State is doing a bi-annual testing assay to get me NPIP certified, so I can legally sell chicks and hatching eggs as well. I'll use that to control flock size as needed and further offset feed costs.

tl;dr - price depends on location, affluence of neighborhood/customer base, and any marketable premiums the buyers will bear.

 

[aart]

they do fertilized eggs, and duck eggs, all packed up in a nice little stand

So they sell fertilized chicken eggs(unfertilized also?) and duck eggs.
Duck eggs generally cost more than chicken eggs.
Are they also using terms like free range and/or pastured and/or cage free etc?

When I started selling, one person wouldn't buy from me @ $3.50 because they could get eggs for a buck at a 'farm outlet', but she is known and self admitted cheap skate

Another person was buying cage free eggs at the grocery for $3.50.
Once I explained what 'cage free' really meant, as well as the other 'marketing labels',
she was thrilled to buy from my birds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

But baking cooks it....

Unless its chocolate chip cookie dough.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I’m in Central Wisconsin, I sell my eggs for $2 and always sell out. My cousin down the road sells her eggs for $2.50 and she also sells out.

The best thing to do is keep track of when you start a new bag of feed, keep track of how many eggs you get while you are using that bag of feed. When the bag is finished, divided the price of the bag by how many dozens of eggs you got in that time period. This will give you an idea of what price you will break even on.

 

[svh]

I sell for $3 a dozen, and sell out consistently.