Is this an adequate price for my eggs?

[Blackberry18]

I currently sell eggs for $3.00 a dozen (the price varies depending on egg production and such). I have White Leghorns and Barred Rocks, so I get a nice collection of eggs every day, four white and two brown, if they all lay (I'm getting more brown egg layers this year). I usually have eight white eggs and four brown eggs in a dozen. My hens are not free-range, but they are outside most of the day and I let them out of their pen once in while. They just eat feed from country stores, non-medicated and non-organic. I give them vegetables and other healthy foods, nothing unhealthy.

 

[jimbob86]

The right price is whatever your local market will bear.

I sell my unused eggs @ $4 to people that want them at that price ..... unsold eggs are going to another local producer for $3/dozen, to supplement her lowered winter production. She's selling them for $5/dozen.

On my small scale ( ~6 eggs/day), that's not much, but it's something.

 

[Amina]

I would bet you're losing money if you sell them for $3 a dozen. You are probably covering feed, depending on time of year, but you are probably not covering bedding and other miscellaneous costs, especially considering lower winter production. If your goal is only to assist with the feed bill, then that's OK. If your goal is to sell them for what they're worth, then you'd probably need to charge more.

 

[jimbob86]

I dunno.........I'm fairly certain that even @ $3/dozen, averaging 6/day, and us eating ~2ish ...... call it 3 eggs to sell/day because my daughter will get her Baking Jones ON at least once a week ....... that's nigh $6/week towards feed ..... feed is $12/40lb bag when it's not on sale ...... 1.5# feed X 9 birds .... 13.5 lbs/week ........ almost 3 weeks of feed for $12 ....... so ~$4/week for feed ....so I'm well ahead of "helping on the feed bill", even with eating 1/2 of my eggs ..... aside from capital expenses (mostly lumber and hardware for the tractor, but there was the ~$30 for the chicks, and money wasted on waterers and feeders (could have DIYed them better and cheaper, had I gotten on this site sooner)........ but I'm doing alright @$4, and if I can't sell them for that, I can get $3 anytime......

....besides, you can't put a price on "Chicken Therapy".

 

[Amina]

If you've already done the math and $3 covers your costs including bedding, that's great. If you're not 100% sure, though, it helps to keep track of eggs laid, eggs sold, and expenses in a spreadsheet so that you know exactly what your numbers are. And these numbers will drastically change depending on the season. If you search the forums for chicken spreadsheet, there is a really nice template that someone here at BYC made, that you can download and use.

I completely agree with the chicken therapy, BTW. While I personally do track my costs and try to break even selling my extra eggs, I would have my chickens regardless. They can instantly cheer me up when I'm feeling blue.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I would bet you're losing money if you sell them for $3 a dozen. You are probably covering feed, depending on time of year, but you are probably not covering bedding and other miscellaneous costs, especially considering lower winter production. If your goal is only to assist with the feed bill, then that's OK. If your goal is to sell them for what they're worth, then you'd probably need to charge more.

Agree.


I've done the math out here a couple times and $3/doz is less than what I get for just feed, oyster shell, and other necessities. Forget the cost of the 5 months of feed before the bird is ready to lay, cost of chicks, cost of housing, treats, etc. At $3/doz, if your goal is to reduce your feed costs, I think you're better off just feeding the eggs back to the flock.

I charge $5/doz to start. Sometimes I charge more. I can still sell more eggs than I can produce at that price - and I live in a rural area. You have eggs that are a month fresher than people can get in the store - charge more.

 

[Amina]

I charge $5/doz to start. Sometimes I charge more. I can still sell more eggs than I can produce at that price - and I live in a rural area. You have eggs that are a month fresher than people can get in the store - charge more.

I'm also charging $5 a dozen, and honestly, I probably need to raise that price. I need to do the math again and double check, but I think once you factor in the winter molt, I am probably still losing money even at $5 a dozen. Granted, my hens are easter eggers and marans, so that $5 a dozen would likely be just fine if I had leghorns like the OP does. But I doubt I could break even even with leghorns, when selling my eggs for $3/doz. It might be possible, but it would be really, really tough in my opinion.

As CrazyTalk said, your eggs are much fresher than anything people can get in the store. I bet they are way more nutritious than even grocery store "free range" eggs. You say you let your chickens out of their pen sometimes, so that's way more freedom than "free range" hens get, and I bet they are eating way more bugs and grass, too. All those vitamins will end up in their eggs, meaning that you have a superior product.

 

[yochickiemomma]

I sell mine for 2.50 a doz w a carton exchange. 3.00 w/o. The local grocery store sells their eggs for 2.59. I know I should charge more but I live in a small town and have a hard time getting people to buy them. I've been told I charge too much. Also I have 9 hens and average 7-9 eggs/day. If I can at lease cover feed and bedding I'm happy. The therapy they provide me after a rough day is worth the cost.