How many here sell their eggs for eating?

[JessaLynn]

I think the more you educate people about the quality of FRESH eggs verses store bought and tell them all the wonderful benifits,they will buy from you no matter the cost.To me, if there is a family that buys from me all the time I give them a lower cost just for being loyal customers.I really just want to cover my feed and supplies costs and as long as I'm doing that I'm not worried about the profit.I just love raising my own food is all.

 

[kwynn's birds Alaska]

i sell my eggs for 3.50 a dozen. The people my MIL works for pays 5.00/doz. that was their idea...maybe to keep me from selling them elsewhere.
I wash with a damp cloth, if they are dirty. Having a dirty egg isn't too common, but we do get them...i am wanting to buy my own cartons...but for now i use the cartons that my customers bring me. If they look l,ike something has been spilled on them, or they might smell off...I won't use it, since eggs can absorb smells.
I date my eggs as i get them. i use a plain pencil, and write the number of the day i got them. I write it fairley small, but big enough to see it. My customers like that, since they know how fresh they are.
I use a stacking system in my fridge. You know at the store how they place the new shipment of bread in the back of the shelf, and set the older bread up front to sell first? Each time fill a carton, i place it on the bottom of the stack, and if I sell any eggs, i take them off the top.

Oh, I have 6 black australorps, 2 light brahmas, a sexlink, 2 leghorns, 3 ee's that are laying right now. i have 8 that are not really laying yet, so this summer i should have even more eggs. My plan is to have the girls pay for their own feed. It seems to be working since i have enough eggs sold in two weeks to buy feed. the best part is that they also contribute to feeding my bunnies, and my fearless goat.

I wasn't raising the birds to make $$. i didn't expect a huge profit or nothing. I was just doing it so i could buy their feed. just supporting my hobby/habit.

 

[warhorse]

Does noone here have USDA inspection?

I was also wondering about grading and sizing of eggs. My browns are a good solid XL, the EE are probably med, the marans are consistently larges, and one sexlink lays jumbo.

 

[azelgin]

Quote:
You know, that's a good question. The way the law reads where I am, if, I want to get into the volume of eggs that requires inspection, I need to go from 60 hens, to 6000 to make all the permits and paper work pay off. I'd also have to move, because my zoning laws would not allow me to operate a large scale commercial poultry operation where I am.

 

[warhorse]

I didn't think it was that complicated. I had gotten some information a few years ago when I was going to get into pony rides, but I'm sure that information is long ago misplaced. On one hand, I really don't want to "go there", but then again, I thought it might be nice to have. I dunno... wanted to see if anyone here had dealt with it. Does it vary state to state or is it a federal thing?

 

[azelgin]

Quote:
I'm not sure. My eyes just sort of glazed over and I lost interest when I got to the paragraphs about record keeping, on site inspections, quarterly reports and so on. Turned into a job, instead of a hobby. I already got a job.