Selling gritty-shelled and other imperfect (i.e. all) eggs :)

[amysflock]

Hi, all,

This weekend I debuted my eggs to the outside world by giving packaging and giving my mom a dozen, and a half dozen to my brother and grandma (they all live about 2 hours from me and don't eat "farm fresh" eggs).

As I was packing them in their little cartons, I found myself looking at each egg and holding back any that had little waves, were slightly bi-colored, or, in the case of my sky blue eggs out of a potential EE hen, the gritty shelled ones. (She consistently lays gorgeous baby blue eggs with little gritty bumps on them...like sand paper.)

If you sell eggs, do your buyers accept the imperfections of these fabulous farm fresh eggs over the standard white cookie cutter eggs we normally see at the grocery store? Do you give folks whatever you have, or are you selective about what you sell? If you get the occasional gritty egg, do you sand it or anything, sell as is, or keep it for your own eating pleasure?

We're getting about half a dozen eggs per day at this point, and given it's just my husband and me at home, I really need to start putting my eggs out there for friends, co-workers, etc., or I might be over run very shortly.

Thanks for any "egg sharing" advice you may have!

--Amy

 

[Mrs MIA]

Maybe it's just me, but I hold back any that have imperfections. The gritty ones will go in the mix if I need just one more to make a dozen, but I usually keep those for our own use. Any that got dirty, or just look odd I hold back. There's nothing wrong with them, but I have a reputation of having the cleanest and best eggs around, and I'd like to keep it that way.

They don't have to see the funny ones. LOL!

 

[Katy]

The people who buy my extra eggs know that they aren't graded, but that I provide the freshest eggs possible. If one is too odd of a shape or has some shell imperfections those are the ones I keep for our use. I live in a rural community tho so most people have some connection to where their food comes from which helps. I do have a friend tho who won't eat a brown egg because of the shell color. She finds my Marans and Welsummer eggs disgusting!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Wonder what she'd do with an EEs egg, then!

I actually had a lady tell me that she thought the green eggs were bad, and expected a rotten smell when she cracked it open!! LOL!

 

[Wildsky]

I keep those ones for our family. I have tiny bantam eggs which we also keep.
I don't wash eggs, so the dirty ones also stay here - I will wash them right before cooking.

 

[pips&peeps]

Amy,

If you grade eggs, those eggs would be considered "B's" or checks. The USDA has a very nice phamplet on grading and sizing eggs.

I sell some of mine, it just depends on what the problem is with them. Dirty ones do stay with me. Also if you have an egg handlers license you have to grade them as "B's".

If you are giving your eggs away people should be happy just to get them. There is nothing wrong with the inside of them.

Alot of the "B's are from disturbances at early roost time, eggs that are growing in size and chickens that are having problems processing their calcium.

 

[Katy]

Mrs AK-Bird-Brain....My Araucanas are starting to lay and I had had the same thought!! Maybe I should give her a few green/blue eggs!!

 

[reallemons1]

For me it depends on the custmer. Some like green eggs, some think they are rotten. Some like them washed , some not (so I pick the cleanest ones for them). Some like cardboard cartains, some want styrofoam. Some just care that the eggs are really fresh. I cater to each individual.

 

[amysflock]

Thanks for all the info, folks! I wonder, how many small flock owners actually grade their eggs? Is it a requirement?

And should I do anything differently for my 7 to help the gritty layer produce smoother eggs? No one else has that problem, but it is a bit of a shame to have such beautifully colored eggs be so gritty!

Thanks!

 

[crooked stripe]