Egg Value

[Criticalicious]

High end grocery stores sell "free range" eggs anywhere from $4 to $8 dozen (and they lie about free range labels) so I had no qualms paying a local farmer $3.50-$4 for a dozen pasture-raised eggs. That was before I got my own chickens.

I understand about wanting to save money but when it comes to food, it's important to know what you're eating. About a year ago, I bought a cheap (less than $1) carton of eggs from Aldi because I didn't have time to get to the Farmers Market. Hard boiled, they tasted like cardboard. Will never buy old eggs from the grocery store again, not even to save a few dollars.

 

[PirateGirl]

Yeah, we had to teach people that there's literally no difference between colored eggs vs. white. We tell them feed will change flavor a little as will age. But we've only once had eggs left after the end of a week. We also had to teach people duck eggs aren't gross. And ours taste almost exactly like chicken eggs just fluffier. It's entertaining.

Oh, yeah, there definitely is this thought that duck eggs are gross. I don't know why that is honestly. Once you can get someone to try a duck egg it seems they are preferred. I recently gifted someone a dozen eggs, half duck, half chicken. I really didn't say anything about the eggs, I had just included a thank you card as they were part of a trade and dropped them at the office and the person knew I had a flock and was excited and appreciative. So the following week I heard he had been raving to everyone at the office about how good my eggs were and how huge the yolks were and how he'd never had an egg like it before. I commented that it was probably one of my large duck eggs and he laughed because he had no idea it wasn't a chicken egg (the yolks in my blue swedish eggs are enormous) and was blown away, but it totally explained why he'd never had an egg like it

 

[BYCforlife]

I don't understand; why would brown eggs typically be from "free run" chickens"

I'm not very good at explaining. What I meant was, customers think the color does matter in their head. A carton of "free range eggs" looks a lot better when it comes from brown egg layers.

So, when I said brown eggs typically come from free range chickens, I meant the people who "free range" their chickens and sell to the stores buy brown egg layers so the eggs look more "natural".

Off topic of egg color, you might notice in the small print of "free range eggs" that the chickens are actually still kept in a run. they aren't in cages, though!

 

[MTP55]

That how it's been selling our duck eggs as well, we have a few repeats that only want duck eggs now. We only eat our duck eggs at home. Chicken eggs all get sold.

We haven't had any huge issue selling our eggs at our price point. Even when they were 59¢ at Walmart this summer. People understood and those that didn't get my lecture on cost of production, I think only two out of ten learned anything....

 

[MTP55]

I'm not very good at explaining. What I meant was, customers think the color does matter in their head. A carton of "free range eggs" looks a lot better when it comes from brown egg layers.

So, when I said brown eggs typically come from free range chickens, I meant the people who "free range" their chickens and sell to the stores buy brown egg layers so the eggs look more "natural".

Off topic of egg color, you might notice in the small print of "free range eggs" that the chickens are actually still kept in a run. they aren't in cages, though!

That's why we say they're cage free. From what I think I read on our states department of agriculture site, I could technically state they're free range. Ours are in large runs with a coop and get to come out when we are home to watch. We have a multitude of preadators around us.

 

[PirateGirl]

As previously mentioned and as @BYCforlife brings up "free range" and other labels can have specific legal meanings and only be used in certain situations. What people think of and the reality don't always match up either. Like the thought that BROWN eggs are somehow more natural, but really they just come from a different breed of chickens. Free range makes me think of a small flock of chickens out in a huge beautiful green pasture. In reality it just means that they have unrestricted access to the outdoors for a certain amount of hours a day. I have a chicken coop and a small, fully fenced run now devoid of vegetation. If I leave the door open between the coop and run all day and the chickens can go inside and out as they please, they are "free range" even if they are fenced and never see grass.

The point being, you may be able to come up with clever ways to label your eggs that makes them sound better. "locally laid" "straight from the nest" "collected daily for your consumption" Something that gives perceived value.

 

[PirateGirl]

That how it's been selling our duck eggs as well, we have a few repeats that only want duck eggs now. We only eat our duck eggs at home. Chicken eggs all get sold.

We haven't had any huge issue selling our eggs at our price point. Even when they were 59¢ at Walmart this summer. People understood and those that didn't get my lecture on cost of production, I think only two out of ten learned anything....

We mostly eat duck eggs at home too. I can't complain about that! I am ok with selling duck eggs at the same price as chicken eggs because of perception, but also my ducks seem to be better layers. I have equal numbers of ducks and chickens, but tend to get more duck eggs daily, so that's what I end up with a surplus of.

 

[MTP55]

That's what I was thinking of doing. I did see a "hand gathered" label when I ordered new nest boxes.

 

[kwhites634]

We mostly eat duck eggs at home too. I can't complain about that! I am ok with selling duck eggs at the same price as chicken eggs because of perception, but also my ducks seem to be better layers. I have equal numbers of ducks and chickens, but tend to get more duck eggs daily, so that's what I end up with a surplus of.

I don't know ducks; do they molt, like chickens?

 

[PirateGirl]

I don't know ducks; do they molt, like chickens?

They do molt, but I don't feel it's as extreme. It seems new feathers are growing in at the same rate old feathers are falling out. They don't seem to end up with big bald patches.