How did you guys get sooo many buyers?

[lovemychix]

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Paying off all the officials and big wigs in town with those golden eggs. I see. Some people.

 

[lovemychix]

I get $1.25 and probably could get more but it does help feed them and most of my buyers are family and friends. I think I am going to ask $1.50 now. My eggs have been huge lately.

 

[Patchesnposies]

This is a topic that has been discussed and discussed some more! Try using the search feature and you'll get some very different points of view on the subject and you can take what seems suitable to you and discard the rest.

I, personally, charge $3.00 a dozen and $4.50 for an eighteen count. I have many regular customers and quite often people who will respond to an ad and then I won't hear from them again. People usually site the inconvenience of having to run after eggs apart from regular shopping and that is understandable.

At any rate, I am beginning to think that the folks that are selling hatching eggs have the right idea, LOL. $30 a dozen instead of $3.00......hmmmmmm......

That last remark was tongue-in-cheek......why don't they have a smilie for that?

To the original poster.....I have had the same sorts of thoughts....I just never put them down in black and white. I usually just look around out of the corner of my eyes and ask my husband, "Did you hear anything???"

 

[cap1717]

Here in Souther AZ, eggs are going for 5.00 a doz at the farmers markets, 2 or 3 $ doz from local owners selling from their homes. I will market mine at $3.00 doz to friends and family (who may be expecting freebies, but after the first doz, will not get them)! Well, except for the "dog and chicken sitters", of course who take care of things when I am out of town. . . .

 

[KDbeads]

Here 'yard eggs' go for $1/doz white, $2/doz brown.... (don't ask, I live around people who think white eggs are bleached) Once I start getting eggs from the EE's I'll have blue eggs.... Hmmm... wonder if I can get $3/doz... hmm have to ask around
I already have people asking when I'll have eggs, willing to pay $2/doz right now if I had them!

 

[sparkles2307]

Hi! I have learned from watching discussions on this topic in the past that it all depends on where you live. In our neck of the woods, x-tra large eggs sell at the store for $1.89 a doz unless there is a sale and then its $1.89 per 18. I will be selling mine for $2/doz because I have already had several potential buyers tell me that it is worth even more than that to them to get farm fresh eggs. I could charge even more, at the farmer's market they go for almost $3/doz, but why do that to people? I know I cant afford all the things I would like to and no one else can either so I WILL make enough on my eggs to come out a little ahead but not much because I cant make a killing with a clear consience. I know its hard todecide what to charge, and people tell you what they think you want to hear and get your hopes up. They probably said that they were interested to get the free dozen with no intent of actually BUYING from you. Sad to say but lots of ppl are like that these days. Best of luck and hope you find a comfy price!

 

[Katy]

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As with a lot of us there is more of a supply than a demand where you live. I'm lucky to get $1.25-1.50 a dozen for mine. Unfortunately I don't live in an area where farm fresh eggs are a unique item that would get me a better price.If you want to sell yours you may have to lower your price to get rid of them....that would seem to me to be the smarter and less stupid option for you. If the other people are selling theirs for $1 then they may be the smarter ones......at least they're selling them.

 

[gritsar]

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Paying off all the officials and big wigs in town with those golden eggs. I see. Some people.

You use what you've got!

By the way, I am not immune from getting a speeding ticket in town.

ETA: I can hear it now! Here's your ticket and btw, can I get a couple dozen eggs on Friday.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I've found that out as well ... backyard chickens have become ever more plentiful in our rural community in the last few years. I sell eggs for $1.25 to $1.50 a dozen. Some of my customers 'tip' because they think they are worth it. It barely covers the cost of feed (though we are getting ours for free ~~ and the duck eggs).

Solution: cut back on my laying flock.

 

[WildBurroShirts.com]

Quote:
OK...where to start?

I'm at LEAST as frustrated as you are with this. Prior to getting chickens I was paying $5 a dozen at Raley's (grocery store, Carson City, NV) for organic free range eggs. Whole Foods (2 hours rt away) sometimes has deals, but never below $3.50 a dozen.

ALL of the eggs on the local craigslist ($3 a doz) and at the feed store are NOT organic...so I 'thought' I saw a niche.

And have raised mine organic, which I have to tell you, is costing me more money than I care to even compute at this point.

I put 2-3 ads up a week. From those ads, I've sold maybe 4 dozen. Ironically, I joined a buying club to buy organic grains in sort of bulk from unfi.com and the other people in the buying club have been my saving grace: they ordered 12 dozen today. Which of course, I didn't have because--

--are ya sitting down?

---I just gave away13 DOZEN for FREE last week! All told since they started laying in late May I've given away more than 40 dozen eggs for free.

One person has purchased eggs from all those freebies, and I think it's just because I have a part time (4 hours a week) job at her office, to be truthful.

So. I think maybe the way to go is go print up a really "pretty" ad that says something like:

"Are you hungry for arsenic, pesticides, petroleum products and other icky things? Then please DON'T buy my organic eggs! Because here's a pic of the labels from what goes into my chickens, combined with free ranging, homemade organic yogurt, and homegrown organic veggies. And here's a pic of what comes out of them. Because between you and me...pesticides and other icky stuff is not something I associate with breakfast food."

Then maybe a blurb on battery hens (how they're tortured) and the health benefits of free range eggs (lower in cholesterol, etc).

But, I'm a newbie. And if your Manchester is in England...well, no idea at all about marketing over there.

So...I feel your pain. Luckily I love my chickens, and am willing to give it to this time next year to make it work. But...it ain't easy.

One thing I have figured out, and again not sure if it applies in England: if you really have a surplus, and don't feel like feeding them to critters or back to the girls, you can donate them to a local nonprofit, which will at least give you a tax writeoff.

And good karma.

Best of luck. If you ever figure out some great marketing tips please pm me...I'm always open to suggestions.