- Sep 27, 2007
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As do the rest of this group, I care very, very deeply about animal welfare.
Therefore, I plunged all my savings into buying an existing pastured egg producing business. My goal is to provide the very best eggs with humanely raised birds that Free-Range on pasture.
It's been a very rough first year
I've had to "carry" my old birds through the winter, while raising a replacement flock of 500 birds. My feed bill is at least $1,500 per month. Income from the eggs - FAR less than that! I've invested in new shelter, feeders,waterers, and soon, fans, misting systems, and electricity/water out to the rotating pasture area, and the expense list goes on, and on, and on.
In order to be able to continue, I MUST make a profit to recoup my losses, and to start to actually pay me for the hours, and hours of my labor I've put into the business.
At the moment, I'm charging $3.25 wholesale, $3.50 off the farm, and (when I have enough eggs to sell) will be charging $4.00 at the farmer's market. Wholesale customers turn around and charge $5.00/doz for my eggs to THEIR customers.
When people give eggs away to coworkers etc ., or dramatically undercharge, it undermines and devalues the efforts of people like me who are striving very hard to improve the lot of farm animals. I don't enjoy the economies of scale like the huge companies do that keep their animals in horrific conditions. Neither can I afford to lose money on my existing egg sales.
Therefore, please think twice before setting your prices -- you DO make a difference. I could have MUCH more of an existing customer base, if local people didn't give away the eggs, or charge stupid prices like $1.25/doz!
Before, I get flamed --- if my Mom lived close.....I'd give her eggs free too - but she IS my Mom! And then....she'd get the ones that we get to eat...ones that have hairline cracks, or are too small to sell!
Please think about egg co-ops where a bunch of you pitch in to provide eggs locally. This will enable you to charge a price that covers your costs, plus give a little profit for your efforts. There is no way that any body should charge less than the cost of the eggs, just to be able to get rid of excess....AND....it prevents you charging a decent price in the future!
I really hope I don't offend people...it's not my intention....I want it to be a win-win situation for everyone, including for the birds.
Rachel
Bellecreek Farm
Therefore, I plunged all my savings into buying an existing pastured egg producing business. My goal is to provide the very best eggs with humanely raised birds that Free-Range on pasture.
It's been a very rough first year
I've had to "carry" my old birds through the winter, while raising a replacement flock of 500 birds. My feed bill is at least $1,500 per month. Income from the eggs - FAR less than that! I've invested in new shelter, feeders,waterers, and soon, fans, misting systems, and electricity/water out to the rotating pasture area, and the expense list goes on, and on, and on.
In order to be able to continue, I MUST make a profit to recoup my losses, and to start to actually pay me for the hours, and hours of my labor I've put into the business.
At the moment, I'm charging $3.25 wholesale, $3.50 off the farm, and (when I have enough eggs to sell) will be charging $4.00 at the farmer's market. Wholesale customers turn around and charge $5.00/doz for my eggs to THEIR customers.
When people give eggs away to coworkers etc ., or dramatically undercharge, it undermines and devalues the efforts of people like me who are striving very hard to improve the lot of farm animals. I don't enjoy the economies of scale like the huge companies do that keep their animals in horrific conditions. Neither can I afford to lose money on my existing egg sales.
Therefore, please think twice before setting your prices -- you DO make a difference. I could have MUCH more of an existing customer base, if local people didn't give away the eggs, or charge stupid prices like $1.25/doz!
Before, I get flamed --- if my Mom lived close.....I'd give her eggs free too - but she IS my Mom! And then....she'd get the ones that we get to eat...ones that have hairline cracks, or are too small to sell!
Please think about egg co-ops where a bunch of you pitch in to provide eggs locally. This will enable you to charge a price that covers your costs, plus give a little profit for your efforts. There is no way that any body should charge less than the cost of the eggs, just to be able to get rid of excess....AND....it prevents you charging a decent price in the future!
I really hope I don't offend people...it's not my intention....I want it to be a win-win situation for everyone, including for the birds.
Rachel
Bellecreek Farm