Selling Chicken Eggs

[bpre6606]

That's crazy! I'm selling mine for $4 doz. My free range organic chickens make the best eggs and the garbage that is sold at the grocery store shouldn't even be called eggs. "Wal-Marts eggs are $1.89" and aren't on the same playing field as the ones raised by ethical non caged methods. No fillers or antibiotics only healthy local grains, veggies and whatever they pick up while free ranging.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hi guys!
I am just starting out trying to sell my eggs to offset some feed costs.
We're a very small backyard operation with free range chickens that are supplemented with flock raiser and homegrown fodder as well as kitchen and garden scraps.
My prices are going to be $2.50 per dozen chicken eggs, and $2 per dozen quail eggs. I am not making anything off of that especially since I have to buy cartons, but I need to start somewhere and we don't have much of a market for people paying high prices on them.

My question:
Eggs stay fresh for weeks and obviously we want to sell our most fresh, but what are the OLDEST eggs you will sell? 2 weeks? 3 weeks? A month?
I don't know at what point I should mark the eggs as unsellable.
I want to only sell high quality since we are so new. I am going to be in my first farmer's market May 31st and I'm trying to prepare.
My own eggs I leave out on the counter but there I will refrigerate right away.

Thanks for helping a newbie!

 

[RSN92]

I live in Maine, and there are alot of backyard chicken farmers popping up all over the place. We just got into it a little over a year ago, and we sell our eggs for 3.00 a dozen. We currently do not get enough eggs to meet our buyers needs, but just got 12 Silver Laced Wayandotte Chicks this week. Just about everyone around here sells for 3.00/dozen although some sell for 2.50. We also just sell our eggs to neighbors, friends, and family right now because they have been loyal to buying from the beginning. one lady buys 4 dozen a week(no idea how she uses all 4 dozen but she does) Anyways hope this helped

 

[mimischicksnat]

I had the same question as dutchbunny. How old until you don't sell them.

Also, my husband seems to think I can't mix sizes.

I was thinking $2 for 1 doz medium, $2.50 for mixed medium and large and $3 for all large.

What do you all think?

 

[hildar]

I had the same question as dutchbunny. How old until you don't sell them.

Also, my husband seems to think I can't mix sizes.

I was thinking $2 for 1 doz medium, $2.50 for mixed medium and large and $3 for all large.

What do you all think?

Prices look good. As for the question as to how old before you stop selling them. Mine never get that old. If I don't sell any in a week, I make a quiche and pikle any leftovers. Of course that is noyt thje case this year. I am selling all of mine as fast as the girls lay them.

 

[mimischicksnat]

Prices look good. As for the question as to how old before you stop selling them. Mine never get that old. If I don't sell any in a week, I make a quiche and pikle any leftovers. Of course that is noyt thje case this year. I am selling all of mine as fast as the girls lay them.

I'm hoping to sell mine that fast too. However, chickens are gaining extreme popularity in my area so that may not be the case. I'm hoping to have 24 that are laying by fall. I got them mostly for therapy rather than the eggs actually. I love how beautiful they are. We also have cows, pigs and goats, but I wanted to add something that was more for me than my husband.

And thanks for confirming I can mix sizes. My husband used to work at the livestock auction and he said they had to be boxed same sizes and not mix them. I figure if I'm advertising that they are a mix of each, then the buyer should know and can decide if they want them that way.

 

[hildar]

I'm hoping to sell mine that fast too. However, chickens are gaining extreme popularity in my area so that may not be the case. I'm hoping to have 24 that are laying by fall. I got them mostly for therapy rather than the eggs actually. I love how beautiful they are. We also have cows, pigs and goats, but I wanted to add something that was more for me than my husband.

And thanks for confirming I can mix sizes. My husband used to work at the livestock auction and he said they had to be boxed same sizes and not mix them. I figure if I'm advertising that they are a mix of each, then the buyer should know and can decide if they want them that way.

Next year if you have any pure breeds, I would have them separate and sell hatching eggs on e-bay. Lot's of folks will pay good money for them.

 

[mimischicksnat]

Next year if you have any pure breeds, I would have them separate and sell hatching eggs on e-bay. Lot's of folks will pay good money for them.

As of right now I haven't given much thought to having a roo, however, that does not mean that I won't "accidentally" get a roo in my next shipment next week.

But, it is not totally out of the question as I'm already obsessed....

 

[hildar]

As of right now I haven't given much thought to having a roo, however, that does not mean that I won't "accidentally" get a roo in my next shipment next week.

But, it is not totally out of the question as I'm already obsessed....

I never thought about you only having hens. I love ordering the chicks like I did from Cackle so I know I have the pullets then just get 1 cockerel to go with the breed. However it slims us down on food for the coming winter. When I hatch my own I know it will be normally 50/50 chance of cockerels and then I can fill my freezer with meat. But this year I have pullets mostly.

 

[mimischicksnat]

I never thought about you only having hens. I love ordering the chicks like I did from Cackle so I know I have the pullets then just get 1 cockerel to go with the breed. However it slims us down on food for the coming winter. When I hatch my own I know it will be normally 50/50 chance of cockerels and then I can fill my freezer with meat. But this year I have pullets mostly.

When my husband and I talk about the chickens his mind is on the meat factor and putting them in the freezer, so I imagine once I'm comfy with the girls (since this is my first go around), I'll venture in to the hatching part of it. It does sound exciting!

We actually are starting a small custom butcher shop and have so far butchered beef, pigs and deer. We have talked about getting broilers eventually as well.