Fresh eggs are TOUGH!

[ninjapoodles]

I brought 7 dozen eggs to the office today to share with co-workers. Dropped both shopping bags full of eggs. Out of 7 dozen, only two cracked, and none broke. No one could believe it!

People are starting to ask me how much I'll sell eggs for, and I guess it's about that time for me, since I'm getting way too many even for my extended family, and all our dogs.

How do you transition to selling eggs, when you've been giving them away for free? Maybe a "transition period" to say on such-and-such date I'll be selling them for $X per dozen, let me know if you will want them?

 

[BayCityBabe]

I just told the neighbors that Mrs. X in the office has been giving me $2 a dozen. They tried to give me $2 and I told them I'd accept a donation for the chicken feed fund "next time."

 

[ninjapoodles]

I'd be thrilled to have the laying hens paying their own feed bill. That would suit me just FINE! I guess I need to really study how much $$ we're putting into them.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
I agree this is most polite/tactful way to approach it, I was in your position also, just giving them away until folks began asking for them because they liked them better than store bought. yes a small donation to defray feed cost would be a good approach.

AL

I am now getting $ 2.00 + a doz and folks are thrilled with that, it does more than cover feed cost here.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I just started selling my eggs but I still give my neighbors enough for free so they don't have to buy any. Sometimes they do buy me a bag of layer feed which is very much appreciated and in my neighborhood, I'm sure I'm over the limit allowed with the number of chickens I have so I am very thankful to have such an understanding neighbor.

The other neighbors are very far from my chickens so I'm hoping they will not become an issue. I have been living here 21 years with the same neighbors. I would also give them eggs but I am really not trying to attract attention to the chickens.

I weigh all of my eggs and the prices are as follows:

Small--$1.50 doz.
Medium--$2.50 doz.
Large--$3.50 doz.
Large Green (from my EE)--$2.50 1/2 doz. I think people buy those for the novelty of it. You never see them here.

I have only been doing this for about 3 weeks and I already have repeat customers.

Good luck! Genie

Edited to add: Except for the green EE eggs, I mix the colors in the dozens randomly as they are laid. They are mostly brown and white but there are some ivory/beige ones from my Bantams in my small size dozens.

This is the sign I put up where I sell my eggs:

 

[MicMoo]

Quote:
My niece Elizabeth was visiting yesterday so I took her out to see the hens. She's all of about 20 months old and really got a kick out of picking up an egg to show her mother. Elizabeth takes the egg into the house, holds it up to her mom as if to say, "Look at this!" and then drops it on the kitchen floor.

Not to be defeated, she then picks it up to give to mom again... and drops it... again.

Her mother was all, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I just grinned and explained that homegrown eggs are pretty tough.

After two drops from 24" onto the hard kitchen floor, the shell was only cracked and the membrane still intact.

We then scrambled it up the other eggs for Sunday brunch.

 

[christmaschicken]

I made up a flyer left it in our Break Room now I sell them for $2.50 per dozen if I supply the carton and $2.00 if they bring me one.

So far no complaints I need more laying hens can not keep up with the orders... they are practically fighting over who get's theres next...

 

[CovenantCreek]

For awhile, one of my hens was dropping her eggs from the roost each morning -- nearly 5' to the shavings below. The first time, the egg landed in poop, which I credited for saving it from damage. the next time, no poop, but still no cracks. Then I cleaned out the coop and removed about half the shavings -- still wasn't enough to crack the eggs. It's been about a week or so since my last floor egg, so either she's waking up and getting into a nest box before the egg drops, or she's taking time off to molt.

 

[clayhillcouple]

How much does anybody sell duck eggs for??

 

[emandmikey]

Everyone around here sells their 'farm fresh' chicken eggs for $3.00/doz. They would usually be all brown, or mixed colored and brown. I'm planning to sell them for that price too.