Eggs?

[aceintoledo]

Is it against the law for me to sell my extra eggs? I have six hens who are egg laying machines and 3+ dozen a week is more than we eat, infact we sometimes don't eat a dozen a week. Also what would be a fair price to charge for a dozen.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Can't speak for the laws in the Buckeye state, but there are likely thousands of folks selling eggs to their neighbors, workmates, and friends. No one gives a rip about the laws, and most have never given it a minutes thought. It isn't as if you're going to sell dozens and dozens of egg per day. Shoot, take "donations" if you wish.

I'd recommend that "donation" be $2.50 or higher. Your costs are high. Quality eggs in the stores are well over $3.00. I see no sense in selling for "give-a-way" prices. Otherwise, you're doing chores, buying expensive feed to subsidize other's egg purchases? I don't get that. If I want to flat out gift someone with eggs, I will and I do. But, I'm not going to be in the hen keeping and egg selling business, no matter how small, even if it is dozen or two per week and do it at a financial loss. To quote George Bush 41, "Nope, wouldn't be prudent. Not gonna do it."

 

[MaryMouse]

I dont know about legality in your state. We looked up the state we are in laws. mabey a BYC'er from your state will know, right off hand. But I totally understand about having your hens be prolific layers. We have ALOT of eggs. Even the silkies are laying like mad. They are hactery quality. But man, they lay!!! And they are so cute! We give our eggs away to the needy in our area, cause we found out we enjoy that so much more.

Never was much good at making $$$.

Anyways good luck and hope some one can help you!

 

[itsy]

This link should give you tons of info about selling your eggs in Ohio:

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/925

If you're still confused, this is the link for your extension:

http://extension.osu.edu/

You could always call your extension office to clarify more specific questions.

Hope this helps.

Edited to add this important link that I found through BYC:

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/925.10

"925.10 Exempted producers.
Producers selling only shell eggs of their own hens’ production on the premises where produced or selling directly to hatcheries are exempted from sections 925.01 to 925.13 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 06-20-1994"

AND..... I'd charge as much as you can get! I could probably get $5 a dozen here. My neighbors pay up to $8 a dozen for "farm fresh eggs" from a local farmer.... who has girls that don't even free range.....

 

[cupman]

Sometimes you gotta just go for it. I mean, how many of us really applied for a building permit when we constructed our coop? 99 out of 100 times you are in the clear... however, I did recently see on the news this family getting a $500 fine because their young daughters put up a lemonade stand... quite ridiculous.

 

[jtbrown]

I'm down here in SE Ohio and sell to friends and at work. I sell for $3 dozen. We don't advertise, I do have a sticker on mine with a cell phone # on it of ours, a collected on date and wash before using. We sell to people we know and give food to food bank every other week. I don't know the laws and am afraid to get caught up in all that. I don't put a price sticker on them.

We make enough to cover most of our feed (not sure but I think my husband hits McD in morning on way to work with my "egg cash" but if it all eventually comes out of same pot of money I don't get too bent about that). I give away eggs to first time customers and to neighbors on our lane for Christmas (don't usually sell to them). We get enough to support my hobby, while still sharing plenty. We could sell as many eggs as we could produce, we have 4 or 5 weekly customers plus lots of folks who will buy a dozen if we happen to have them.

Good luck. I thought of selling them cheaper but as Fred's Hens says, I give the away when I want, I think people who get them weekly want to pay. They are good eggs from happy chickens as I like to say. Good luck!