How much do you charge for eggs?

Here in western TN I am getting $1.75 a dozen, bring the cartons back and $1.50. Been told by some that I charge too much. Coming from IL where I paid $3.50 a dozen. I just want the ladies to buy their own food. Hoped they could chip in on the bedding. But having my own eggs that I know are the best I can do is the major benefit, probably could have got by with less chickens. I donate what I don't sell to local charities.
 
I don't sell my eggs (not enough layers yet) but my coworkers insist on giving me atleast $3 a dozen. They tell me that free range eggs at the grocery store costs them $4 or 5 a dozen and they also say my eggs taste better. So when all my chickens become adults and all lay then I will sell them for $3 a dozen. If I don't get a lot of takers then I will try 2 or 2.50. I still haven't decided if I should clean the eggs 1st. ( I dont now)
 
Unless everyone in your area starts raising chickens, you will get whatever you want. And I have to agree with the person that listed all the expenses. I have spent over 2,000.00 thus far and only just started being able to have enough for my family. Soon I will be able to sell a few to customers. The ag store sells for others at 3.00/dz and thats what I plan on also. Location....South/East LA. About a year ago, we passed by someone that had a sign for fresh eggs and it had been a while that I had lost my birds to a hurricane and I was shocked to find they went for 2.50/dz and right there we left and my husband told me,"We are getting chickens again."
I also got into chickens with the plan of trading off for other things.......for example, my neighbor loves to hunt and fish, so he keeps us up in tuna, duck, deer and crabs, so I plan on him being the first person that gets free eggs from me.
My brother-in-law is a trawler and I used to trade eggs for seafood and I plan on starting that up again.
I have an old friend the next town over that fixes my computer when it goes out.......and so on. But eventually, with 67 chickens, most of which are pullets, I plan on selling and I'm not going to sell myself short. If that stuff at the store can go for 2.00/dz, then I can get 3.00/dz or they can just go to the store.
 
We usually get $3.00 a dozen. It's more than the farms in our area but people like how I can tell them (mostly) which egg came from which chicken (Martha gave you a giant this week, I'll bet it's a double yoker!) and they say they taste better. One guy always pays $4.00 cause he says they're so good. And a couple people I only charge $2.00 or $2.50.

When I was pricing I looked at what people were selling and the prices of completely generic store brand cheap eggs versus the super expensive organic free range etc. eggs and tried to go in the middle.
 
I sell for $2 a doz. here in the country. At first folks squawked about it but they came around to realizing that, yes, they could buy for $1 or $1.50 from Joe Blow who keeps chickens in a pen in the back of their house~but MY eggs were superior in taste and overall quality. Now I can't keep eggs and have a back log of folks wanting a supply of them.

Make sure you have a superior product and people will pay for it. Around here, there are a million commercial laying houses that are giving away their cull eggs by the crateful. They cannot sell them so they give them to all and sundry. Hard to compete with free eggs, but the discerning, health minded folks will buy my eggs and feel lucky to have them.

You can keep costs down by free ranging, not buying fancy equipment or coops, paying for unnecessary "treats" and unnecessary meds/vaccines. The best and cheapest way to keep chickens has always been to provide fresh air, sunshine, clean water and good food, no overcrowding and culling for hardiness in your flock. Buy only dual purpose breeds that do well in your climate and cull for efficiency.

Having pets is nice and owning fancy breeds may be cute, but one can't really complain about the high cost of chicken husbandry if they insist on keeping breeds or individual chickens prone to illness or low productivity.

I don't know if it's complaining or bragging to tell folks you ate a $37 egg for breakfast this morning, but I'd be embarassed to let folks know I'm losing so much money in these tough economic times. I mean, losing money is a bad thing, right?
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In arkansas I get 2.50 a dozen and i sold 8 dozen a week. if i had more room for more chickens i would have a bigger flock (wouldn't we all). The health food and regular store are selling them for almost 4.00 a dozen (organic that is).
 

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