What is it worth?

Keibler77 wrote:
As for our local grocery selling the "Farm Fresh" eggs, unfortunately for me, they really are farm eggs; sold to the grocery by a local hobby farmer. During our dinner dialect this evening, DH and I just could not wrap our heads around it. If the grocery charges 2 dollars...what in Gordon's name is the farmer profiting!?? It hardly seems possible but there it is. Ah well...I shall not worry overly much over that one

Out here stores get hassled if they try to sell eggs that haven't been commercially graded.

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This really makes me wonder if the eggs truly are from a hobby farm, or if they are in fact surplus eggs from a commercial barn. In that event, they could get $1.00 per dozen for something they were going to throw out.


Sad that some people won't pay a fair price. Our own flock is smaller because we just didn't have enough market at the time and I wasn't going to start giving them away. This is a sore spot with me.

Cheapskate: "Why are your eggs so expensive?"

Farmer: "Why do you expect me to subsidize your groceries?"


Perhaps it is a regional thing. I just realized that our biggest customer is a family who moved from Alberta. They said our price ($3.50) is lower than they had back in Calgary and they are happy to pay more because the store eggs don't taste right.

It is interesting, I have had people stop buying my eggs but come back because the store ones don't taste right. I know I used to love going out for breakfast but haven't been able to for years because I don't like the eggs I get at the restaurant. Take advantage of your summer location and raise the price of your eggs for the campers. They will love the experience of farm fresh eggs to go with their camping, and will gladly pay the price (city folk anyways) and it will become part of the story of their vacations about hhow great their breakfast was because the were able to get farm fresh eggs just up the road.

TysExotics wrote:Tell them to stock up on eggs at $3/doz. Once the caged laying birds are fazed out, the price is going to go threw the roof! And it is coming, many farms are fazing out of growing caged eggs, and many large egg buyers are fazing out of using caged eggs.

yes I think you are right about this Ty,
I know that in the UK now there are no caged layers at all, in fact most of them are even free range (they go outside during the day) and the predator loss and additional expenses to the farmer (they have to physically walk thru the barns many times a day to pickup eggs that get laid out of the nests) have really driven the prices up and people are paying it. Perhaps UK egg farmers are subsidized by govt, not sure about that.
On the plus side I heard the eggs are great there, not like the ones we get here in grocery stores.

Well aside from the original nature of this post, which is something I sort of struggle with too, I am happy to see the way this thread is headed! I didn't know about the movement to phase out caged layers. This gives me hope for humankind! Hurray!!

I sell a dozen eggs for $3.50, delivered. I did have one sort of pinch-mouthed co-worker sniff at the price the other day, and I silently promised myself not to sell to her again. I have plenty of people who appreciate, nay, CELEBRATE my birds' efforts, and they will be the ones to get any that I have to sell.

I am going to have to raise my price though. With the price of feed, feeding the guard dog, light on in winter, etc., I think I am taking a loss. I haven't changed my price for a dozen eggs in 10 years of selling. The costs sure have gone up though.

Cheers.

I'm with Sue. Don't get me talking about my birds, or you will be listening for awhile lol. But educating people is important so that they understand your reasoning and therefore pricing. I am fortunate to have a great group of customers, most of whom have been with me for over five years. They started getting eggs from me at $5/ doz but last year I raised the price to $6. Didn't lose anyone. I do deliver, but only to some houses, the rest have to pick up. Delivery takes me less than an hour and a half and I get groceries while I'm in town. I deliver around 30 doz per week and actually prefer delivery to pick up. That way I know how many I need each time and if I have extras, I bring them along. I don't usually come home with any.

Keibler77 wrote:As for our local grocery selling the "Farm Fresh" eggs, unfortunately for me, they really are farm eggs; sold to the grocery by a local hobby farmer.

BUT! How does he keep his chickens? We have a farm near us and they have rows and rows of cages in the barn. They supply grocers with farm fresh eggs. In fact I don't know of any commercial producers around here that are not located on farm land. The key question is, WHAT KIND OF FARM?

They come from a farm.
They are fresh by legal definition 'cause you can't sell rotten eggs or eggs over a certain number of months.

That definitely makes them 'farm fresh', right?

Hmm....yes some very good questions to ponder. I too have been wondering this last couple of days how it could be realistic for a small hobby farmer to sell eggs so cheap. I don't actually know who the farmer is (I'm still fairly new to town) so I really have no idea what the conditions are in which his birds are kept.

I also am liking where this post is going regarding caged birds. I honestly could never even consider such a thing. We have often been out to the Hutterite colony here to have work done for our farm (bail spears made etc) and they sell eggs for 3 dollars as well. HOWEVER....I was invited to see their operation and had quite the chat with the fellow in charge of the chicken barn...and I gotta tell you....it was NOT a pretty sight!! Rows upon rows of hens...all in small square cages with no room to turn around! Heads poking out the front and the ever-moving conveyers rolling along underneath, moving eggs to the rotating ferris wheel type unit out front. I just couldn't believe my eyes. Now...I have nothing at all against these fellows and they have always been more than wonderful to us...but it just broke my heart to see these hens. Stand...eat...drink...eat...still standing...not moving...lay egg...cluck...drink...stand...haven't moved a bit.

So...over to the conversation we had while I just stood staring...nauseated and teary eyed. Apparently, these leghorns are purchased 100 at a time. They have 2 sides to the factory...yes...factory is what I call it! Anyway...each side has 100 birds at a time. Each side has birds one year apart. After a year (or is it two?) of laying a new batch of birds is purchased and the old batch rotated out. So...hubby asks if they sell them or what do they do with all of those birds? The upfront answer...."Oh they're no good for eatin...not even much good for the pot! We just gas them all and into the pit they go."

WHAT!?!?

UGH...just writing about it is enough to upset every one of my senses

As Uno so appropriately put it....Ethical Eggs. Yup...each and every one of us here can sleep well knowing we are a part of such a wonderful expression

We sell our's for $3.oo dozen. Some people think its too much but we get all the customers we can handle who are happy to pay that. One lady gives us $4.00 dozen just because she says they are worth it to get good fresh eggs. We free range our girls when we can though we now are having a problem with a neighbor's dog who is a chicken killer so I don't dare to free range them

Around here eggs at the farmer's markets sell for $3.00; one lady sells for $3.50. They are better than from the store, but there is definitely a difference between their 300 free run/range eggs fed pelleted feed and my 31 free run/range whole/cracked grain plus treats fed chickens. I occasionally give some to family and friends, and they love the difference, but I do not plan to have enough chickens to sell eggs on a regular basis. In the summer's peak production I may have enough extra to sell to a friend or two. And regarding price, I think my rainbow selection of eggs should receive at least $4.00 per dozen. I am so glad the slow days of December are over. A couple of days ago we found 11 eggs; it was very exciting (most days right now is 3-5 eggs), and I am quickly approaching the 1400 egg mark (since December 08, 2011), and do not expect the excitement at finding eggs to die down any time soon!