Selling ORGANIC farm-fresh eggs... profitable?

[1hawaiian]

Selling ORGANIC farm-fresh eggs... profitable?

I'd like to hear your story...

 

[Vamvakas]

I tried it before, but it seems people are used to the supermarket eggs and don't like farm fresh eggs, idk why... They claim it taste different aka "wierd" so they only eat store bought eggs... People are very strange these days....

 

[ramirezframing]

cant give away my extras but to a friend and thats only if his birds aint laid enough for his family,

 

[thompsonfarm]

I have great luck. I really had no clue what I was getting into when I saw the cute little fuzz butts and I had to have as many as I could. The DH built me a fantastic coop and I knew from the beginning I only wanted to feed organically with no hormones or antibiotics. I have 20 hens that I started from babies and I have never lost one to anything other than predators (hawks but since I got the two bad%*£ Roos I haven't lost anymore) they are extremely healthy! I would never feed anything other than organic for that reason alone. I sell my eggs for $3 a dozen and I make enough to pay for the feed. I have a very good friend who has chickens also however she does not feed organically and she can't get people to buy her eggs and she's had so many of her chooks drop dead randomly from who knows what but they have all looked poisoned to me which makes me ???
If you ask me I say GO FOR IT!!! Oh and everyone who eats my eggs tells me they're the best they've ever eaten (including my old school grandma who is 100% Purina brain washed

)

 

[bobbi-j]

You need to find out if there's a market for them in your area. Here, enough people have chickens that eggs are not a hot commodity (organic or otherwise). But we live in a farming community. If you live in an urban or suburban area, where ORGANIC is a bigger deal, it may work. Ask your neighbors. Ask your family, friends and coworkers if they'd be interested in buying from you. You also have to take into consideration your initial costs - building a secure coop and run, buying the chicks, feed costs (does ORGANIC feed cost more than regular feed?) getting certified to be ORGANIC, the day to day costs of raising chicks... I think you get the idea. If you're in it for a profit, you're going to have to do your research.

 

[Kadjain]

Quote:
Are they common sense handicapped?

I live in a farming community and I have no problem selling my eggs because they are organic. Everyone I sell to only wants organic. I feed organic to chickens and ducks. I sell chicken eggs for $4 dozens and $6 for duck egg dozens. They pay for their feed and sometimes more so I don't mind having ornamentals and games in my flock. 2 of my neighbors sell their eggs as well but they do not feed organic and they sell for cheaper.

 

[wbruder17]

Depends on your location....and your friends. My chickens aren't even "Organic" and I can't keep eggs in the fridge because I have so many people who say my eggs are the best.... and they pay $5 a dozen! I actually have a waiting list, as my girls aren't really producing right now.

 

[LiLRedCV]

Well, my flocks not "certified organic", but they're organic! For our state, it would cost me $700 to just get the cert alone.

Far outside my budget to bother, that's for sure!

I do advertise chemical-free pasture free-ranged eggs supplemented with certified organic layer pellets (feeder is topped off as needed), Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, fresh fruits & veggies, flax seed, and oyster shell calcium.

Yes, certified organic feed is more expensive - sometimes as much as 3x as much as the plain ol' layer pellets. But I have absolutely no problem selling my eggs for $4/doz for large eggs in these parts and that pays for my feed for my flock of 40 easily enough with a smidgen pocket change left over.

(but I don't heat our coop and don't use artificial light either, so I don't have that as an expense either)

As others have suggested, check to see what the going rate is in your parts. You can check your local grocery stores, CraigsList, newspapers, etc.

 

[geoff40]

I agree, its going to be location specific. In some areas people will think you are crazy (same people who could care less about corporate America's taking over our food production). In other areas, you would have a hard time keeping up a supply of eggs, once the word got out.
Within a mile of here, there is an organic farm, with close to 200 birds (not all chickens), and you have to let them know a day or 2 in advance that you need eggs. $4.50 a dozen for chicken eggs, duck eggs are $5 a dozen. They have a very healthy side business going.
The feed can cost quite a bit more, pound for pound, or not. I use non certified pellets, but the ingredients have little to no exposure to insecticides, growth additives, etc., at $12+ for 50#. The organic version is $14+ for a 50# sack, but I think this is the exception, as usually I hear prices in the $20s for certified organic layer pellets.

 

[Kadjain]

Quote:
Here in Northern California the price of organic pellets has gone up to $30 and change for 50# bag. It was just at $24 a few weeks ago.