Selling Eggs

[annieb]

Hi everyone, I have had six chooks since September. Four 7mnths old and two geriatrics. I am now overun with eggs and no one seems to want to buy them. I have been beating them (the eggs) with a little salt and freezing them, making cakes and eating them but there's only so much one can do with them!
I have a notice saying eggs �1.60 doz at the garden entrance but have only had one person buy six eggs. The road I live in is pretty quiet and only leads out to the fens, so has anyone any suggestions on how to sell the eggs.
I love reading all the threads especially the suggestions on how to keep a cockeral quiet. LOL

[Nicos]

Not got too many eggs yet...can't wait till I do though!!!!

Not quite sure about the legality of selling eggs to be honest- I know some peeps have an honesty box.

Could you do an exchange with a neighbour say for a fruitcake or jam or something they may produce too much of? It's what they tend to do over here.
I think the term is called something like 'trading in bobbins'- but I don't know if you are supposed to do it or not.
I take a couple of pots of jam if going to someone else's house for a meal- instead of choccies- I bet a dozen eggs would go down well to someone with no chooks!

Oh- and by the way- welcome to the Vine!!

[Suechooks]

I'm pretty sure it's legal to sell eggs from your home. It's when you sell them to wholesalers etc that regulations kick in. I know people who take them in to their place of work, or friends , neighbours, other allotment holders in my case. Frequently I have people queuing up (figuratively speaking!) for them. I'd alter your price too - far too cheap - they're �3+ a dozen in supermarkets. Once you get people interested word will spread.

[digthatchick]

Hi
We sell our eggs at �1 per half dozen. From our six hens we tend to get 35-40 eggs per week and as only two of us eat eggs ... OH is a Welfare Officer so a lot of the teachers she deals with buy our eggs also neighbours have a few and we have a sign on the gate.
Last month we got �26 in the "chicken tin" enough to buy feed, straw and a couple of bottles of wine

[Hashette]

Do you work? I took the drug dealer approach - gave a few away so people could discover that they tasted about 150 times better than anything you can buy in the shops, then started charging. I've got an egg box on my desk where anyone who wants eggs adds their name to a post-it note. I just pop them on the desk of the next in line when I've got half a dozen, and money appears like magic!

So far we've made �26.50 since we got them in October, I know this because I keep the money in a little pot. Quite a tidy profit if you ignore the �500 or so it cost us to set it up And my fabulous little girls are worth every penny for the amount of joy it's given us watching them exploring the world outside the battery farm

[Snadger]

Welcome to the nine annieb! (there seems to be a lot of people on the vine with a sirname beginning with B!) Anyway, I keep my chooks at an allotment and sell my eggs at the allotment by using an honesty box! It works for me. I usually get 9 eggs a day at present and after leaving eggs in the box when I leave each evening I return the following evening to find eggs have gone and money is in box.
I also sell to work colleagues if they ask, and like someone else mentioned, they get there first half doz for nowt (just to get them hooked) then I charge the same price as you!
One thing I would say is to make your sign advertising 1/2 doz eggs for 80p rather than try and force someone to take a dozen..........although if I put a dozen in the box they usually go.

Heres my box:- Made from a pallet!

[annieb]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am retired so am unable to sell at work. I used to sell my eggs at work many years ago. I have given my neighbours eggs but none have come back wanting to buy them. My sister-in law wants to buy them at �1 doz! Cheek. Told her I'm not a charity. I had a notice up at the gate when I had beetroot and eggs for sale.I had them by the front door on a table with a tin for the money. Not one buyer. I still have loads of beetroot! Tried feeding them to the chickens but they will only eat the tops.

Another three eggs today to add to my collection!

[Snadger]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I am retired so am unable to sell at work. I used to sell my eggs at work many years ago. I have given my neighbours eggs but none have come back wanting to buy them. My sister-in law wants to buy them at �1 doz! Cheek. Told her I'm not a charity. I had a notice up at the gate when I had beetroot and eggs for sale.I had them by the front door on a table with a tin for the money. Not one buyer. I still have loads of beetroot! Tried feeding them to the chickens but they will only eat the tops.

Another three eggs today to add to my collection!

Are you in any clubs or organisations anieb?.........another possible outlet thats all!

[frias]

I sold eggs in the summer at boot sales. �1 for 6. At the moment just give them to family who usually buy the girls some corn treats. I don't want to sell at the gate as not supposed to keep hens so don't want to advertise the fact.

[annieb]

Thanks Snadger for the picture of your egg box. Good idea to sell per half doz. Makes them look even cheaper. I belong to the WI and U3A so I will see what I can do.

[kirsty b]

When mine are in full lay, I have no bother getting them sold. I take them to the hospital where I work, put a notice on the intranet, and they are all gone within an hour!! (Took 5 dozen in after some annual leave in the summer and sold them all before lunch.)
Family get freebies, and neighbours often buy.

[Snadger]

Thanks Snadger for the picture of your egg box. Good idea to sell per half doz. Makes them look even cheaper. I belong to the WI and U3A so I will see what I can do.

I dare bet the WI members will bite your hand off for them!

[Noodle]

I think the law is that you can't sell them as graded (by size). So you should all be fine to sell them at your door/drive/desk!!
I hope you find some buyers Annieb, would be a shame to waste them.
I know my Dad and friends will buy mine when I have too many, I took a tray of 20 at Christmas and they were all polished off with plenty of scrambled eggs being made!
I think Snadgers right too, the WI would surely like them for cakes etc.

[HayleyB]

Hi guys

I have bought in �46 since the middle of November with my girlies. I have an eggcel sheet that I put down number of eggs laid, outgoings and incomings with totalisers. My set up costs for Chookenham was �250 odd and the girls have bitten into that already even though my current account is �265.02 as we bought a couple of bags of food, mite powder and a bale of shavings two days ago.

I sell at �1 for 6 and I keep running out of eggs. I have some Asian lads that appear most nights and buy up everything that is left be it one box or three - gawd only knows what they do with them we have bets on them having a restaurant somewhere.

I have considered more girls but Chookenham would be a little more crowded and the current girls are loving the space they have at night although their yard could easily lose double the number especially when they are scratching through the stables.

[Snadger]

Hi guys

I have bought in �46 since the middle of November with my girlies. I have an eggcel sheet that I put down number of eggs laid......................

.

Do you get the chooks to put a tick on the sheet as they lay an egg then?

Clever little chooks!