How do you sell your eggs?

[Pojojuniper]

I'm new to this, and I have been giving my surplus eggs to close neighbors and friends. I am thinking that rather than selling eggs, I'll put them out with a request for donations toward the cost of feed and supplies. Because honestly I don't need the money, and I want to be a blessing to people in my community and share the abundance. Has anyone else tried the donation approach and how has it worked out?

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

When my hens lay (they don’t at all in winter) I usually just put a small table outside my front gate with surplus eggs on and an honesty box. It’s usually just neighbour sales though.

How do you keep them cool?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

They are in the shade. I’m in the UK so it’s not that often it gets super hot here! More likely to have rain so in that case I move them into the porch near my front door to save egg boxes falling to bits.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

Yes, I mean over the phone as opposed to texting or emailing or other messaging. So I can hear their voice and have a real conversation.

I lose a lot of inquiries (for bird sales) at the point where I ask them to call me. And that’s fine with me, because it weeds out the types that I don’t want to come here.

That’s what happens when I have an apartment listed for rent. People are too ignorant to even talk on the phone anymore. I won’t rent to them any more than you will sell eggs to them.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

A comparison at the store is easily done. In my area, a dozen eggs laid by severely tortured chickens are $4 a dozen. Organic, non-GMO eggs laid by far less tortured chickens go for $8 or more a dozen. I used to give my eggs away free. They are 100% organic non-GMO, free range, rainbow eggs, laid by the happiest chickens imaginable. I now feed what I don’t eat all back to my chickens, because people are thankless. My 25 girls currently lay about 15 eggs a day. If I ever chose to sell the eggs, there’s no way I would sell for less than $5 a dozen. I don’t need the money, but it would be disrespectful to my chickens to sell them for less. And did I mention, because people are thankless?

 

[Hopin]

I'm finding this an interesting thread!

I'm hoping this is a proper place to ask, does everyone candle your eggs, and do you wash them and refrigerate, or sell them all natural?

My pullets are a few months from start up, but I was wondering?

 

[TooCheep]

Candling is important for incubating fertilized eggs. It isn't really important for selling fresh eggs unless you or the customer are uncomfortable with the idea of fertilized eggs.

Personally, I only wash those that really need it. Some eggs will have poo or other dirt/bedding stuck to them that doesn't easily come off. Those definitely need to be washed. Keeping the nest boxes clean definitely reduces that problem.

Eggs naturally have a thin, waxy coating that protects them (the "bloom") and washing rubs it off. The US requires washing for commercial eggs, but the equivalent European groups don't and they are commonly sold unwashed. Both ways work. Unwashed eggs can be kept on the counter top, but washed eggs must be refrigerated.

I always sell the cosmetically nicest eggs, so I let my customers know about this and it is up to them if they want to refrigerate or not. Of the eggs that I keep, those that I wash go into crates in my frig and unwashed ones in the spring are preserved using "water glassing" for use over the winter. Water glassing stores eggs in lime water and the waxy coating is important to keep the water from penetrating the eggs.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Probably mods. But keep checking around or even make your own page for your town

no, it's Facebook rules not mods. Facebook doesn't allow selling animals, which can sometimes accidentally be flagged on eggs. our chicken groups never mention selling as they get automatically deleted by Facebook.

 

[CKfarm22]

no, it's Facebook rules not mods. Facebook doesn't allow selling animals, which can sometimes accidentally be flagged on eggs. our chicken groups never mention selling as they get automatically deleted by Facebook.

It’s both

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

It’s both

in that case the mods likely do it so the group doesn't get shut down