Eggs are just not selling anymore **Update page 4**

[NurseNettie]

It seems the market is flooded in my area right now. I live in a small town ( 150 people) surrounded by small towns. In the next town over, ( maybe 200 people) there are "eggs for sale" signs popping up everywhere. I've seen 4 new ones in the last few weeks...
I've got about 40 hens, and we get on average 3 dozen eggs a day. I don't think I've sold 5 dozen eggs in the last 3 weeks.... I've given a bunch away, done a ton of baking, and need to get to pickling, but we're still just overrun with them. I try to feed them back to the hens when I can, but since I had surgery 2 weeks ago, I"m further behind, and we actually THREW AWAY 10 dozen last week that just piled up on the sunporch ( and due to temp. fluctuations we were concerned about their quality-- we didnt' just throw "good" eggs)
We already dropped our egg prices over the winter ( even our winter sales went down, where the 2 previous winters, we couldn't keep enough on hand)

I'm sure at least 1 or 2 of the egg sellers will stop, tire of selling, or find that they don't want to over-winter their chickens, but that still leaves a long summer ahead of waiting and seeing.......

I'm at the point where I wonder if it's time to sell or give away the majority of my flock, and just keep a few for our own needs..

I"m sure I can't be the only one who's run into this-- and wonder what you all have done? It costs so much to feed these guys, that having little or no egg sales is going to be a big deal soon. We used to sell enough to buy most of their feed, and the expense out of our pockets was acceptable. Now, it is all out of pocket and we need to do something.....

Suggestions? Ideas?

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Try selling them at work. That always works here.

 

[blb]

I haven't been in your position before but do have an idea of what to do with the extra eggs. I would donate them to a food bank, soup kitchen or something like that. You might be able to get a receit and take it off of your taxes. I would also look into state run nursing homes or places like that. I bet there are people around who can't afford eggs of your quality. I know around here there is a low income housing that the neighborhood grocery store takes food too one day a week.

You would have to see if they would take them. I just don't see why not!

 

[sparkles2307]

Our food bank wont take them if they arent "store bought" or "clean"....

 

[curliet]

Last summer I had the same problem, couldn't sell an egg if my life depended on it. It seemed everywhere i looked, more people were getting chickens and all had the same idea. "Eggs for Sale!" So I did what I had to. I downsized very drastically, kept one doz chickens and am using them strictly for our own family and friends. Once in a while do sell a doz or 2 to someone who asks. I'm not going to worry about selling them anymore, not even trying. I think that the cost of feed probably evens out the savings on not having to buy eggs, but now that it's summer free ranging helps extend the feed. And as you know, our eggs are better tasting and better fpr us anyway. But, unless something unforseen happens I don't plan to add to my flock and if I lose any chooks I more than likely won't replace them. Wait, did I just say that?? No, can't promise that I won't replace. Keeping chickens is an enjoyment to my soul, I may have to replace them just for that reason.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

None of the food banks I approached in my area could handle perishables. My local homeless shelter on the other hand has their own kitchen and they are delighted to get as many eggs as I can give them. They don't care if they are home grown or not. I do only give them clean eggs though.

As for selling the eggs "when times are hard paint the counter." When the product is not moving start looking for new markets. When eggs are coming out of my ears I cut cartons in half and start giving away free samples to folks I think might become customers. I make sure the eggs are clean and in clean cartons. As nice an arrangement in the carton as the day's gathering will allow. Fresh and refrigerated. Chances are that these folks will know nothing about keeping hens, but they will have definite ideas of how they want their eggs to appear and to be handled before they buy them. Meet or exceed their expectations and you have a good chance they'll come back for more.

 

[Southernbelle]

Are they fertile? I've always had better luck selling hatching eggs and chicks than I have eating eggs.

 

[sparkles2307]

There was a post on Craigslist the other day from someone looking for fertile hatching eggs. I paid $20 fo BCM eggs and that was a good deal (Thanks Bantymama!) so I offered him as many of mine as he wanted at $10/doz and he said absolutely not....

I have gotten a lot of requests this week because everyone is going camping and they all needs lots of eggs for the Holiday... but I still have 10 doz at home...

 

[Camelot Farms]

Soup kitchen?

Churches sometimes know families who are in need that would be able to take them.

If you itemize your taxes, you can claim them as charitable donations.

 

[NurseNettie]

Thanks folks.

Can't donate them to the food pantry, as I"m not a business/farm, etc. I do sell at work, which is about all the sales I have now ( about 4 dozen a week). With the very small community area we've got, there are so few resources, nobody "public" will accept them because of liability issues..... There are no soup kitchens within 100 miles. I do work with a pastor who may know of folks in need, however, that wont' help my costs in the long run-- but will eliminate waste in the meantime. Most of the other churches in the area haven't "opened" yet ( some are closed during the winter months) I do give away what I can, but so many people have SO MANY eggs right now.... ugh....

As you go down the road ( a major road that goes about 75 miles into "town") the signs are just popping up-- each sign with a lower price than the previous one, and they all keep dropping their prices to compete!

I do have one option-- a community market about 25 miles that starts next week. I can see if I can sell some up there once a week, and maybe draw in some new customers..... Otherwise, I'm definitely going to have to downsize. I appreciate that others are jumping on the self-sufficient bandwagon, unfortunately, though.. I'll just have to adjust

Thanks for the ideas!