How much would you pay....I have a plan! see post #16

[shelleyb1969]

"Maybe you could give a dozen farm fresh eggs with each purchase."


Great idea, conny! My DH works in Detroit, so I don't think I'll have any trouble selling them.

 

[jvls1942]

I sell geese by the butchered weight.. actually I do not sell them by the pound, but by the bird.
If somebody asks how much they weigh, I tell them..I have one that weighs 18 pounds and one that weighs 21 pounds which one do you want?? same price..

price too high?? no problem, there's the supermarket right over there.. Oh, they don't have geese?? Hmmm, now what you gonna do??

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
A neighbor farmer did smoked turkeys this fall and charged $16 a processed pound. I think the smallest he had was 11 pounds, with the largest around 22-24.
Not sure what he charged for just the regularly processed ones.
Christina

 

[Opa]

I've spent some time in Lousianna & Missouri and haven't found much difference in prices between geographic areas. The biggest difference is city vs rural. An even more noticeable difference is the closer you can sell to tree hugging areas like Ann Arbor the more you can justifiy an "all natural" sales pitch. Yuppies like organic.

 

[MissPrissy]

Very true, opa! We are just outside of Metro DC. In the right area they will pay through some of the most ridiculous prices for services and goods. Often times I feel sorry for some of them because the biggest issue is often the more expensive it is seems to be must be equally related to how good the product is or how important it makes some of them feel. That is sad.

 

[shelleyb1969]

My turkeys will be advertised where my DH works, in Detroit. It's all men there, and most of them REALLY go for naturally raised food. I don't think I'll have any problem selling them.

I'm actually considering requiring a deposit, say of $15 or so, to cover the cost of the turkey poult and shipping. I don't need to order a bunch of poults that people say they want, and end up with no one wanting to pay the final price for them. I've got to make sure my initial investment is covered, don't I?

I have decided to price them as the live bird before processing. I will have 2 prices, based on 2 weight ranges. The cost of processing will be additional to the cost of the turkey. There's a processor within 2 miles of my home, and they have a great reputation (I've had a few chickens done there) and are VERY reasonable.

OH yeah, the most important factor I've changed...I'll be offering different breeds of turkeys, not just midget whites.

Does this plan sound ok? Does anyone have any recommendations? Or suggestions?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Charging a deposit is a good idea, many growers pre-sell their birds. I don't know about the two price ranges plus processing fees. Too complicated for most people. People are used to paying for meat by the pound. You wouldn't sell milk by the jug and tell them you expect it to be a gallon or so, give or take some... Choose a price that will cover your costs and make you the profit you desire, whether it is four, five, or six dollars a pound and then tell them what you expect the final cost to be for an average bird. "They are $5 a pound and we expect an average bird to be $50, we'll need $15 down to place your order."

 

[Opa]

I tend to agree with the previous post. Don't give them to many price ranges, just sizes. The way you can raise the breed of bird to obtain the size they want. I think your plan is very doable.

 

[shelleyb1969]

Thanks mac!

Now in regards to your suggestion about selling by the pound...would I give them the price per pound based on the live weight, or the processed weight? I'm guessing the live bird weight, and if that's correct, what's the best way for me to weigh the bird before it's taken to processing?

 

[shelleyb1969]

Thanks for the encouragement Opa!

I'm just a little unsure how to price by the pound...whether it's by live weight, or processed weight.