how does $2.25 sound

[Oreo]

Yeah, I agree. You can always let your favorite customers have a special price. Try to recoup some of your investment with new customers. Figure out how much they are willing to pay, and charge that much. You're not just selling eggs, you are selling an experience and good feelings. People enjoy buying from an entrepreneur. Makes them feel good. They like to see your chickens. They want to be your friend. They'll pay you more than they'd pay at the store, if your eggs are high quality, and they feel good about buying them.

 

[chickachickawhat]

thanks i might just have to do everything you all said

 

[chcknrs]

What they said, but also, think on this. If you sell for 2.25 you will have to make change. If you sell to him for 2, and everyone else for 3, then you only have to make change for dollar bills. A lot of change can be a lot of weight on your shoulders. Gosh knows, my purse weighs a TON! :lol

 

[ridgefire]

I dont think I could get 2.25 a dozen here.

Eggs at Wal-mart are 1.88 for a dozen of large eggs.

Hard to convice people to spend more for my eggs. Even though they will much better quality than store bought.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

If you truly want to differentiate yourself then don't compare yourself to the Wal-Mart eggs, especially since the people that want to have the expeirience of buying from "that nice lady on the gravel road" don't shop at Wal-Mart.

Have a story to tell with your eggs and price to cover your expenses (your TRUE expenses) and give you a nice profit. Based on my costs I would charge at least $3/dozen and probably $4, especially considering that the specialty eggs (free-range or cage free) are selling for close to $4 at Kroger.

Jim

 

[Guitartists]

I get eggs from Wal-mart when eggs are not available around here..... the season seems to come and go. I watch for them to put up the signs that they have brown eggs for sale. I defintely prefer the brown eggs to store bought eggs, when I can get them.

 

[tvtaber]

I have been selling mine for $2, but am going to raise that to $3 since store eggs are over $5 a dozen here at the military commisary (hate to think what they cost at Safeway). I only sell three dozen a week and deliver them straight to folks at work, although one lady said her family cannot eat a full dozen a week!!! We eat three dozen a week and are always close to running out!

There is a pastured egg farm (truly free ranging hens) near me that sells half dozen eggs, one per week, for $20 per month. That means 6 eggs are 5 bucks, and you have to subscribe to the service and pick them up from the farm. Guess what, they are sold out a week after they open the subscriptions for the year! Folks place value based on price; if you raise your prices it is entirely possible you will sell more eggs. (except to the nice man next door, I would deliver his and still charge $2!)

 

[92caddy]

I was getting 1.00 a doz, then I up'd it 1.25, some people complained, then when I up'd the price to 1.50, I lost people, I ended up cooking the eggs and fed em back to the birds. I get 3 or doz aday, so they add up real fast. We then starting getting feed from the feed mill, which was alot cheaper, so I was able to go back to 1.25, now Im not so over run with eggs like I was. I wish I could get 1.50 or 2.00 for my eggs, but I just cant. Oh, I cant give green eggs away, no one around here wants them, so we use them for ourselves................

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

At $1.25 you are barely covering your feed costs.

Here is my calculation of that:

feed/day/hen (lb) 0.3
laying efficiency 85%
feed $/50 # bag $12.00
$/dozen $1.02

Here is my calculation of the fixed cost of a hen:

Chick cost $2.00
starter feed (lb) 7.5
Starter feed $/50# bag $13.00
Starter feed $/hen 1.95
Grower Feed (lb) 12.5
Grower Feed $/50 # bag $11.00
Grower Feed $/hen $2.75

Total costs to POL $6.70
Cost/dozen eggs (assumes 20 dozen lifetime production) $0.34

This equates to a hen + feed cost of $1.35/dozen eggs. This does NOT include building, utility, medical, packaging, or labor costs.

Jim

 

[Oreo]

You're right, Jim. You probably need to market your eggs a little more intensely. You've got to be able to at least get what the lowest cost eggs are at the store. Even here in SC, where we have the lowest costs on almost everything, the lowest price eggs are $1.66/ doz. You need to stress to people how much better your eggs are than the store eggs, and really push the rural experience. Market to the more towny people in your area, the richer people, or the more environmentally conscious. At the very least you should be able to get what the store sells eggs for.

Never underestimate the value of you.