how much do you charge for your eggs?

[DukesAngel]

I charge 2.50 right now a dozen but these are considered "small" eggs from my two Dominiques who are laying. I'm waiting on the other 7 to start laying so I can sell to some other people who have been interested...

 

[BigPeep]

I have done the calculation on feed costs if you are feeding your birds certified organic feed. Based on WHOLESALE feed costs of $15/50 lb bag, that comes out to 30 cents/lb. According to the label on the bag, each hen should eat 1/4lb per day. In a week that would come out to 1.75lbs or about 50 cents per week per hen.

(This assumes that there is no wastage. I find that the chickens do not like the smaller crumbles and usually leave them but they are figured in the weight of the bag).

Multiplied by 52 weeks per year you are at approximately $26 per hen per year in feed costs. (Free ranging is estimated to reduce feed costs by 20 to 25%).

Assuming a dual purpose heritage type breed lays about 240 eggs per year or ten dozen eggs, you would need to charge $2.60 per doz just to break even. That does not include costs for the cartons, electricity for lights and heaters for waterers in Winter, costs of a coop, land costs devoted to the chickens, and any transportation costs or market costs if you sell at a market or do deliveries. (Remember, a passenger car is considered to cost 50 cents per mile as per IRS regulations in gas and wear. Trucks would be more).

I would say you would need to charge a minimum of $3.50 per doz if you are doing certified organic. Prices here for such eggs start at that and range to $5 at some markets and in the health food stores. This means you would have to sell to suburban and urban markets, not in the countryside, either by way of farmers markets, CSA deliveries or the like. I have an egg CSA where prices start at $3 and go to $4 depending on how many weeks you buy. I am sold out with a waiting list as long as the list of the members. I am on the edge of the suburbs so all pick ups are at the farm. No deliveries or farmers markets.

The egg people at our local farmers market who sell for these types of prices sell out in the first hour. They are starting to take pre payments the week before so customers can be guaranteed their eggs.


Non organic feed is about half of this cost. The non organic feed, however, will consist of genetically modified corn and soy which has been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides and grown on chemical fertilizers. In the case of the Bt GM feed it will have Bt directly inside all of the cells of the plant, instead of just sprayed on the outside. Bt is allowed for certified organic if it is sprayed but not if it is incorporated into the plant tissues such as it is in GM produce. It's your choice.

 

[chooniecat]

I DID up the $1.50 to $2 dz. this week and 1 customer said "no problem"-we'll see what others might think-I don't care because I,finally, realize how much a dozen weighs and what good protein it is so if they don't sell I will eat more. I raise my chickens because of my disgust at the way commercial farms raise their critters and buy my red meat from a farm I researched and they are very kind people(pasture raised everything). My point is-I will eat less of the meat I buy and more of my own eggs. may even raise the price to $2.50 this winter. only get 10-11 dz. a wk. and am going to raise more layers soon.

 

[douina]

how much should I sell butched chickens for ... does any one know..

 

[JAK Rabbitry]

I have broken my egg prices into 3 different categories.
My large Grade A go for $2.50/doz
Medium for $2/Dozen
and Smalls for $1.00/dozen.

I just felt it was more fair. And after purchasing 200 chicks last spring....a lot of my eggs for a long time were just tiny first-timers. I didn't feel justified charging same price for those and I was getting for my super large eggs from my older layers. It gives people the option....a lot of people think even $2 a dozen is a lot to pay for eggs and dont understand the difference between 'farm fresh' and store bought. Having a cheap $1.00 pack allowed for some people to kind of buy a ''sample''. After that they were sold. Its easy for peoplet o justify spending just a dollar.... my 4H kids sold $1 chocolate bars for a fundraiser....we sold 360 bars in 9 days.

A friend of mine who lives in Pittsburgh says fresh eggs at the farmers market down there go for $4/dozen and up. Though it's not worth the drive for me to take eggs down there to sell. Especially trying to meet the demand I have up here! And my huge truck doesn't like narrow city streets very much.


I sell my butchered/dressed birds for $6 each. Though everyone thinks that's incredibly cheap. I dont make a lot of money from it but it keeps my rooster population in check. I have trouble getting my birds to a point where I could call them ''FAT''. And I know people expect those selectively bred big breasted chickens you find at stores...by comparison a completely normal bird can look ''skinny'' to some city slickers. And the fact that they are roosters and are shaped a little different, can turn some people off. So when advertising, it can pay off to take a minute to educate people on what they are really buying and how it differs from what they're used to seeing in the stores. I have had people actualyl think I sold them bad eggs because they were green. And oen of my husband's clients refuses to buy green eggs because she is ''grossed out''. Consider what a lot of people have been raised on.... fat whole cooked chickens at $5 each, and super white perfectly shaped eggs with yellow pale yolks. Anything other can appear unnatural to someone who honestly doesn't know any different.

It might help some to print out a little fact sheet on what to expect from fresh eggs, hand these out to your new customers.

 

[michickenwrangler]

$1.50 per dozen. I'm not in it to make money.

 

[PepsNick]

3.50 a dozen. I sell at my local Farmer's market. But last month I stopped for the year since egg laying is beginning to decrease. I sell April through October. nixchix.com (currently under construction)

 

[coldinnh]

We don't have a loyal following and I try and put only large eggs in a packages and charge $3 with a note that if the customer returns/reuses the carton they get $.50 off their next dozen. I also use regular address printing labels from Staples so I can educate the consumer on WHAT they are buying. Farm Fresh, less than 30 day old eggs, from free ranging loving cared for HAPPY chickens. (What is the Ca cheese add - Happy cows better cheese???)
I wasn't washing my eggs and that part of the label explaining that it helped increased the life of the egg - but then we had rain and the eggs needed to be cleaned. I still but a best practise label to wash the eggs with hot water before use. (I do a quick soak in 2t vinegar to 1qt water)
I also put an egg facts on the label - like a farmer has 30 days to get a "fresh' egg to market or that fresh eggs sink and older eggs float.
We have store who sells eggs for $.99/doz all the time. And three neighbors more centrally located who sell for eggs. But I think if I can get my DH to actually bring the eggs into his office for pickup (he left the last 3 1/2 doz in his truck) we could build a loyal base.
I haven't worked out all the kinks on how much feed is - now that the grasses are going dormant the feed is being eaten alot more. We barely went through a bag a month it seemed in the summer.

 

[nkacerek]

We charge $4/ dozen for organic free range eggs... still cheaper than the supermarkets!

 

[Ironmaiden]

I'm at $2.00 a dozen, but feel that I could go to $2.50 with no problems. I have a long list of people wanting to buy.