Not the chicken's behavior but the PEOPLE's behavior about my chickens

[Dogfish]

I showed off my chicken coop and folks were pretty excited here at my bank where I work. Kind of rural where we are, so many folks grew up with chickens and such, but this is my first venture. They asked when the chicks would start laying, and wanted to buy some eggs.

Since the boys will be responsible for the care and upkeep of the chickens, I asked if they wanter to sell eggs. Both boys said YUP!. I let folks know that the boys would be selling, roughly how many we would have available per week, 7-10 dozen, and that they would be $3.50 for a dozen, $5 for 18. Nobody batted an eye.

Folks have been polite, and I've learned that there are a few small scale "chicken ranchers" here at work with 2 or 3 chickens. Their eyes light up when I tell them I have 26.

We, of course, will always have our eggs.

 

[Shifty Joe]

I'm just enough on the outskirts of town to not even be zoned (WOO HOO). When I put in the coop I went to talk to both my neighbors. Both are retired couples who grew up on farms and were ecstatic about us getting chickens. They would start leaving buckets of scraps by the coop as an offering to Big Daddy. I know not everyone can have good neighbors, but it definitively makes things nicer if they get some enjoyment out of the chickens (and the 4am crowing, stupid Big Daddy). I currently have 13 layers, so I get about a dozen a day.... so I make sure the neighbors get a dozen or so a week to keep the good will coming, leaving plenty of eggs for family and friends. I am planning on growing the layer count to 20 and then start really trying to sell the eggs.

 

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

Oh wow! I see we have some entrepreneurs! Sadly I have a VERY small yard... (I'll have to upload some pic's) and only enough space to fairly house 4 chicken's. I now have 5.... I think I'll start trying to sell people.... on the idea of raising their OWN chicken's

 

[MDBMom]

We've only had our chickens for a little over a week (they came to use full grown, already egg layers) but we have had some comments from people hoping to get eggs. Mainly family. For now we're eating them all, but when we have extra's I don't mind sharing.

 

[Mrs. Green Thumbs]

Honestly... my problem is always saying no. I'm a big ol pushover.... I'd be the only person on BYC that raises hen's and has no idea what fresh eggs taste like, because Id be giving them all away!

 

[feathersnuggles]

People (who don't have chickens) often think of these as "Free Eggs", as in... "Well, now you've got chickens, you're getting Free Eggs!"

LOL! I have to remind them that -- although I no longer go to the grocery store for eggs -- these are the MOST expensive eggs I've ever eaten!

Remind them of the costs: such as of 50# bags of layer feed & scratch, bales of straw, shavings, a coop and run, reinforcements against predators, miscellanous expenses like feeders & waterers, etc., and on and on it goes not to speak of the initial cost of the chicks and the heat lamp, brooder, starter feed, etc.

I give away eggs, judiciously, first to family members who really appreciate the taste. Next, I give some to neighbors and co-workers, if they really appreciate them. After that, I plan to trade/swap/barter the eggs for things, preferably homemade by the person who barters it. Just pulling cash outta your pocket doesn't do it for me. I want to get something uniquely crafted in return for my eggs.

 

[crash0330]

Mrs. Green Thumbs :

Honestly... my problem is always saying no. I'm a big ol pushover.... I'd be the only person on BYC that raises hen's and has no idea what fresh eggs taste like, because Id be giving them all away!

Youre not alone there I first got 3 sikies who laid very small eggs and in the first 2 weeks I got 7 eggs, then I got 11 RIR and they started laying about a week ago, anyways I had 7 eggs from the silkies and a dozen from my RIR and my brothers came and they ask ed for the eggs and I couldnt say no so they took them all and it wasnt till yesturday that I tasted my first egg from my chens.​