Free ranged Egg selling prices

[carrlr]

Quote:
I respectfully disagree..The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service requires chickens raised for their meat have access to the outside in order to receive the free-range certification. There is no requirement for access to pasture. Free-range chicken eggs, however, have no legal definition in the United States. Likewise, free-range egg producers have no common standard on what the term means.

 

[HiddenHill Heretic]

First, Start High (which I always do.), It is easier to go down in price due to low demand than raise prices. I think the geographical and farmers market supply make big differences. During the winter, I was getting $7 a dozen. Now that other suppliers have kicked into production, I find $6 works better. The location is coastal California, and the farmers market egg sellers are at $8. My eggs are "conventional" as opposed to organic. A sack of 50 lbs. 20% all purpose pellets I buy for $15. It works, but even at $6 a dozen, and 5-6 dozen duck and chicken eggs a day, it really is not a moneymaking equation. Oyster shell, straw, fencing, DE, all add up. Nice to be able to pay for feed, though. As consumers become more savvy about the difference between free range, pastured, and cage free, I like to bring first time customers to the ranch and show them the fenced acre and a half(moved and refenced every 4 months or so) so as always to be on fresh grass. This is a lot of work, but well worth it. Chickens who eat fresh grass daily make nicer eggs, I believe. My birds are out every day, rain or shine. Of course, in an area with no freeze, snow, and rare heat, daily access is easier. Good Luck. People want more control and direct access to food producers these days, and in some parts, are willing to pay a premium to feel good about their food.

 

[ECBW]

Das77,

I think the appropriate label for your eggs is "cage-free".

Some comments say that they have an acre (+/-) of fenced real estate. That is huge for fenced-in space. My backyard is about an acre with no fence. My flock hardly ever venture beyond it.

Since they do get regular feed bought from Agway, I would call my "cage-free and (part-time) free range". The store prices such eggs at $3.

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
This is called yarding. They are not free to range.

Really? They can go anywhere they want to...the fencing( 4 foot tall american with stakes) is around the back of the yard and they know how to get out.There is no "run".The yard is all grass...and towards the back has rocky ground.Guess I'll have to leave the gate open....make it easier for them to walk into the front yard that has no fence

Then they'll be "free-ranged"
ETA: They hardly ever use the entire area....and actually it's probably closer to an acre since we moved some fence....I guess since there is no "standards" people like me can call them "free-ranged eggs"

 

[Hoosier_RIRs]

 

[Das777]

Ok thanks guys thats a lot o digest but It helps a little, I wish my neighbors that spray pesticides would not have bird feeders so that my hens could be considered free ranged.. If they would stay were they are supposed to be I could get a better price on it, it seems to me but I don't know. The reason for the run is that we have raccoons and its hard to be there on time EVERY day (this is where a auto door would come in handy) so we keep them in the fence to keep them safe on nights that we aren't going to be around for until 10-11. I do let them outside some days but its so hard to keep them in their place and not in neighbors yard (we have an acre that is mostly woodsy area but our yard with is so narrow I would say a high school soccer field would be a little bit bigger than the width of our yard) but from what I have seen 2.50 a Dz. seems like it would not be too much to ask (although someone on our street has chickens that might cause a little bit of rivalry (they don't give their birds much space barely enough for 5 chickens at most)). but I don't really know... thanks for your input, but don't stop I like seeing all the opinions on this post.

 

[Hoosier_RIRs]

You are most welcome! I also have learned a lot from this thread! I will be posting (or attempting to post) a video of my automatic coop door on my website this weekend! It was an easy, an inexpensive thing to do, and has saved me TONS of grief so far!
Good Luck and God Bless!

 

[Das777]

Quote:
OK thanks that seems like it could be doable my only problem is I don't think that I will have the space to put it in

If I try to put it up my girls will peck at it and if I try to put it down low I doubt that It will survive the bombs

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[Rocky Top Chick]

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Same here, I sell for $2.50 as of this week. The feed keeps climbing and the girls have to pay their way.