Opinions please - egg cleaning

[Czech's_chicks]

I know this subject has been broached before, but I would like some current opinions on the subject of cleaning eggs.

I sell my eggs. I have regular customers who purchase a couple dozen each week. Most of the time my eggs are pristine - not a spot or fleck on them. However, when it rains or the ducks have been especially busy in the pools, sometimes the girls get stuff on their feet and drag it into the nest boxes.

I would NEVER sell an egg that I wouldn't eat, but that being said, I try to keep the ones that have any blemishes on them and sell the immaculate ones to my customers. I never wash my eggs and they have never seen the inside of a fridge. I explain the whole egg process to my customers as well, and most don't chill the eggs now, either.

I was thinking of getting the egg wipes and putting 1 or two in the dozens that have some eggs that may be marred because of my diligence in selling the pure eggs, I have quite a stock pile of them. I'm currently looking at 11 18 packs and hate them to go to waste.

So, if you were in my shoes, would you do this, too? I only charge $2.50 for my eggs and almost all my customers return the cartons. The Farmer's Market in our County all sell $5-6 a dozen, so my customers are loyal and know they are getting a good deal, but not used to seeing anything but clean-clean shells.

What say you follow eggers? Would you buy these wipes and distribute or what? These are mostly city people and I don't want to loose the clients, but I don't want to keep stockpiling the eggs that I think they may be less interested in.

 

[reesepoultry]

I use unscented baby wipes and they work great, & I would imagine much cheaper. I use parent choice that you get at walmart. I have to buy them anyway for my kids so they work nicely. They work great on hatching eggs also and don't hurt the embryo.

 

[Czech's_chicks]

I see where that would save money and I've always told my customers "if you feel the need to wash them, only do so immediately before use", but have still gone out of my way to make sure they are still spotless - we all need to give a little, lol! I was thinking of the egg cleaning wipes more as piece of mind for the customer, because it gives them the option and maybe knowing in the back of their mind they are specifically for cleaning eggs, they wouldn't mind a couple eggs with some spots on them.

 

[wyoDreamer]

You could buy some egg wipes and offer them to the customers at your cost - say 10 or 25 cents each. Just make sure teh price covers your cost of buying them. That gives them the choise of having a wipe if they want to use it or not bothering to buy one if they don't want it.

Instead of buying the egg wipes, why not just give the customers a slight discount on price. Say $2 for a dozen of the dirty ones. It would save you the expence of buying the wipes and the trouble of remembering to include a wipe with the eggs.

Personally, I think you may have underpriced your eggs already, but this issue sounds like it would be a limited time offer, only available once in a while. Kinda like a "SALE" or "CLEARANCE PRICED".
As it is, I bet they wouldn't mind a little dirt once in a while since they know what a great deal they are getting. Chat with your customers after a heavy rainfall and explain you haven't yet been able to teach the birds to wipe their feet at the door!