I was just curious about what kind of prices you're getting for your processed chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, etc. and a dozen eggs in your neck of the woods. I've been checking out several farm sites on the web, and there seems to be a wide variation in the prices that people are able to charge. My guess is that a lot of us could be "making it" beyond the sidewalks a lot easier if we were better at valuing our product.

-- Fran (on MD's Eastern Shore) (simpleplesurzfrm@dmv.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

Eggs: 1.00 a dozen and folks think that's too much. I'm in the country though, so family farm raised eggs aren't a rarity.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

We ask $1 a dozen for eggs (store bought run about $0.70) because if we ask more people will just buy from the store. Our processed chickens are $1.00 a lb (again store bought is just under that) and smoked chickens and ducks are $1.50 a lb. I have no idea if we are making money on our birds -but we mainly raise them for ourselves to eat and the extras are just a bit of spending money.

-- Trisha-MN (coldguinea@netscape.net), January 15, 2002.

Getting 1.00 per dozen here. The trouble is, all of my neighbors are "Beyond the Sidewalks" too. Like Ann said, farm raised eggs and meat aren't a rarity here either. Best wishes!

Cowgirlone in OK

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

$1.00 a dozen. We also live in the country but my husband can sell all we've got at work. No one seems to have a problem with the price. Actually the price came about when we were trying to GIVE some to a neighbor and she forced my daughter to take a dollar for them. They are her chickens. She is keeping a record of what WE spend on feed and what money SHE makes. She has already broken even this month plus what we eat. I think that is doing good.

-- Lou Ann in KY (homes_cool@msn.com), January 15, 2002.

Hmmm..

I'm surprised by the egg prices. We live in a real frugal, fairly lost cost of living area and before we got chickens, we bought eggs from people who were selling them for $1.25/dozen. And they had been told by others that they should charge more.

If we had enough hens, we could sell them to the local health food store (town of 7,000, 40 minutes away) for $1.50/dozen. They would then sell them for $1.95-$2.25 dz.

Cat (NE MN)

-- Cat (catcrazy@somewhere.com), January 15, 2002.

We get $1.00 - $1.25 per dozen. They are selling brown eggs at Kroger for $1.99 and ours are fresher 8-). We haven't had any complaint from anyone and can't hardly keep enough for ourselves some days.

-- ddew from NE KY (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 15, 2002.

I sold mine for $1.00 per doz. and I had a waiting list of people when my chickens stopped laying or hid their eggs and I couldn't find them. People were very disappointed when my chickens were killed by the foxes. I did sell to my coop they paid me 1.25 and sold them for 1.65. The non-organic/freerange eggs in the grocery store are 2.25. Northcentral-northwest MN

-- Susan northern MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), January 15, 2002.

I sell my brown eggs here for $1.00 a dozen. I checked the store yesterday and they are selling them for $1.18. Guess I could charge more because of the freshness and I do have plenty of buyers but I am breaking even, the eggs pay for the feed, and I like the convenience of not having to deal with making change so I'll keep it where it's at unless the price of feed raises.

-- Nancy (nannyb@huntel.net), January 15, 2002.

When I can get buyers, I've sold for $1.00 per dozen. My son just brought me some empty cartons their friends had been saving for me, and one is for "Certified Organic Brown Eggs" and the price sticker was $3.99 for a dozen! Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get that price at our farms? I'm sure it was purchased at a grocery or natural foods store, tho. I think it is crazy that people won't eat eggs from the farm because "they had darker yolks", green, brown or other colored shells, etc. At one point, we couldn't even give the eggs away! Their loss, Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

We also get $1.00 dozen around here. But my husband sells them at work & the eggs go to Detroit, so we get 2.50 dozen for those. Amish turkeys go for $1.50 lb dressed weight here. Chickens about 1.00 per lb. We were told that some people in Detroit will pay upwards to $5.00 dozen, I'd like to have alot of those customers!!!

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), January 15, 2002.

In the Matanuska Valley in Alaska, 40 miles from Anchorage, a neighbor has a sign at his driveway advertising $3.00 a dozen and apparently has a waiting list of customers.

-- David A. (mncscott@ak.net), January 15, 2002.

It would be helpful if folks would identify the state they're in when giving your egg prices. Far as I can tell it seems that most of our $1.00 a dozen sellers are in the MidWest. I've got poultry books going all the way back to 1910 and they all state that egg prices (and other farm produce) just won't bring as much in the MidWest as they will on the coasts and this seems *generally* true.

In the past we've kept just enough hens to suppy the family and have an occasional dozen to give away. Now I have some pasture and garden areas that I want to renovate so I've ordered 30 chicks to go with what hens I already have and plan to sell (mostly) the excess eggs and I'll start at $1.75 a dozen. This is still about twenty five cents a dozen under the comparable eggs at the local grocery and a good fifty cents a dozen under the "free range organic" or "cage free" eggs so I don't expect to have much trouble moving them. Once I get the system worked out and running smoothly I may expand the number of birds and begin to bump up the price.

........Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), January 15, 2002.

And what state would you be from Alan?

Cowgirlone in OK

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

I've never sold eggs for under $2.00 a dozen, in MN, WI or CA. Have sometimes gotten almost $3. I never considered myself a competitor with grocery stores. The people who buy their "food" from supermarkets have chosen their priorities: they go for the cheap and convenient. My customers have always been those who are willing to pay what good food is worth. My eggs and chickens TASTE

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

....better because of how they are produced. We have raised thousands of chickens and have charged $1.95/lb for quite some many years, and I know we could get more, but made a good profit anyway by growing them out quite large.

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

Oops, I *thought* I'd mentioned I'm in North Florida but it didn't seem to make it to the keyboard.

......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), January 15, 2002.

We usually get somewhere around $2 for chicken eggs, and up to $5 a dozen for duck eggs. We're in a very expensive area of MD, however, yuppie heaven (or hell, depending which side of the sidewalks you prefer)

-- Chuck (woah@mission4me.com), January 15, 2002.

We get $1.50 - $2.00 a doz. for eggs. We get $1.90 a lb. for our chickens and our turkeys. We live in Ohio.

-- Mike & Marci (TheBlubaughs@amazinggrazefarm.com), January 15, 2002.

We get $2.50 per dozen (not certified organic) around here (western WA) and we have the odd colored eggs. People like coming to the farm for their eggs and so they will easily pay more than what the store charges. We chat for a moment, their kids sometimes go hunt for eggs. We let them pet the chickens, point out the ones with names.

I will be raising my prices next year until I reach $3+ per dozen. It is ridiculous to be charging less than grocery store prices for a better product.

Haven't you ever seen two of the same items- one at a discount store and one at fancy retailer? The retailer gets away with it because they act like it is worth what they are charging. Most eggs sold at the store are loss leaders- sold at their cost or below.

I will be starting our chicken out at $2.50/pound and probably our turkeys close to that and I have people lined up to buy. I have educated my customers on how traditional poultry is fed and raised and they don't want their family to eat like that.

Almost every county or area has health conscious consumers. Find out where they are and let them know what you have. Gyms, bookstores, upscale preschools/private schools, offices, doctors, homeschool groups, etc. I have approached it like a business instead of a hobby. I would rather be a price setter-not a price taker.

Amy

-- Amy Richards (amysgarden2@earthlink.net), January 15, 2002.

Fran, I'm selling brown eggs here in S.E.Michigan for 1.00 a doz. I just picked up a new customer that said she was paying 2.89 a doz at the health food store. My birds have a large fenced yard to range in. Bill in Mich

-- Bill Jaddatz (Billshsfrm@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

I usually get $1.50 a dozen (central coast of CA) although they are alot more at the store..way lots more at the health food store! But..then I tend to give eggs away (I know I know..I need to get over that!) But no one ever gripes about $1.50 for fresh eggs. I think I could get $2. if I asked.

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

Here in New Hampshire I sell eggs for $1.75 a doz. There is an organic farm a few miles away that sells orgaic eggs for $2.80 doz. I have seen signs in Northern Vermont $3.00 doz

-- george (bngcrview@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

I have not sold Eggs in a few years but when I did I had no problem selling them for $2.00 a dozen. I don't see how you can make any money at a $1.00 a dozen. If you don't ask more you won't get more!

I sell live Roosters for $6.00 - $8.00 each and most of these are sold to someone who resells them further south.

-- Mark in N.C. Fla. (deadgoatman@webtv.net), January 15, 2002.

I haven't sold eggs for about 3 yrs, but I used to sell them for $1.25/doz. I started by having my mom give away a few dozen to her bank co-workers (yuppy area). I let them know if they liked them the price would be 75 cents. I couldn't keep enough eggs for us so I bumped up to $1 then to $1.25. I also requested all the cartons be returned and many folks even saved their extra store bought cartons for me so I never bought cartons. I made enough to pay for all our chicken feed and we had plenty of eggs for our own use, to give to family members, and the like. I had all colors (including green & pastel) so the customers always got a multi-color carton. I kept any badly stained or small ones for home use.

-- ellie (elnorams@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

When I went to the U.S.D.A. one of the questions I asked was about using cartons over again. This is what I was told " It is best if a new carton is used because there is the chance of bacteria build up in used cartons." They went on to tell me about a farmer who was recycling cartons and a lady got sick. The illness was traced back to the egg carton and she sued the farmer. They also said, " Do not ever use a store bought carton to sell your eggs in. Even though the U.S.D.A. will more than likely not come after you if they hear about it from someone off the street, they will have to come after you if the store owner should get upset at you for taking away business and calls the U.S.D.A. and reports you for using their carton (false advertising, store name on carton) also false advertising because the carton will have the U.S.D.A. stamp on it." So, do be careful when it comes to using cartons. When I have a customer say they will return the empty carton I tell them to keep it. I give a new carton everytime. I also should add that the U.S.D.A. told me that the eggs do have to be marked (on the carton Jumbo, Extra Large, Large etc...) you can get an egg scale and weigh your eggs you should be able to find in any good poultry book what size a weight is. Another thing that they reccomend is grading which you will need to get the info from good book on poultry also. I do not grade but I do weigh the eggs. I will look up the info sometime and post it.I should say that I am not right on top of things with the weight. If it is a big egg it goes in the carton and I mark it large. You will be able to tell what is Jumbo,large,medium and small after handling a few thousand.If the eggs are small don't try to pass them off as large, the customer will not come back to you for eggs. Be fair to them and they'll return for more. George

-- george (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

George, Either the person who told you this was A) wrong or B) you have much stricter laws in your state than mine (I live in WA state and find that hard to imagine).

The law about candling, grading, and providing new cartons only applies for resale (like if you took yours to the co-op to sell for you).The USDA laws do not apply for on-farm, direct sales.

Amy

-- Amy Richards (amysgarden2@earthlink.net), January 15, 2002.

We get a $1.25 a dozen for our large brown eggs and $1.00 for the smaller eggs, except during Easter, thats when the colorfull small Araucana eggs are more in demand and we get $2.00 to $3.00 a dozen, depending on the color.

Our chickens aren't sold for meat until they have been laying for at least 1 year. Since we have large breeds, we weigh them and sell them by the pound. Usually its $1.00 a pound for the chickens, $1.25 for the ducks, $1.50 for the geese. Then of course it depends on the season because we do raise our prices during the winter months by about .50 cents a pound.

So far these prices have worked for me and since I still have customers on my waiting list, I guess they are satisfied.

All of my poultry is free ranging in a 5 acre fence in area with a barn, pond and several sublots. I plant several types of grasses and plants for them to feed on in this area and I control which area they feed in when I release them from the barn in the morning. During the winter I feed grains, which of course, increases my prices.

David SunDance Farm, NY

-- David (Central New York State) (SunDance@midtel.net), January 16, 2002.

I get $l.75 for my chicken eggs, no matter what size. The same for Pekin duck eggs, though I seldom sell them. Prefer duck eggs to chx eggs for anything. My regular customers would pay more, but at this price they wait when production falls off somewhat and wait a bit longer than a week. Fresh eggs are 2.00 to 2.25 at the local fresh produce store, but that also fluctuates depending on the time of year. In far western Washington.)

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), January 16, 2002.

Hi Amy.

It could be a bit of both but since I don't work for the U.S.D.A. I really have no way of knowing. All I have to go by is what I was told when I went to the U.S.D.A. They did make me aware of the fact that the law did also apply to people with roadside sales (sign in front yard). However, I was also told that they were not going to drive around looking for people breaking the law unless someone filed a complaint with them.

Thanks, George

-- george (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), January 16, 2002.

$1.25/dozen. Never hear a complaint. Will raise price to $1.50 soon. Wisconsin

-- Cal (calvin@dwave.net), January 16, 2002.

NE SD here - eggs go for 1.00 a dozen and meat chickens sell for $1.50 per pound. Never have a problem getting that amount for the chickens or the eggs.

-- JoAnn in SD (floosie_61@yahoo.com), January 16, 2002.

Central Maryland here...

$2.00 doz for free-range brown, sometimes green eggs.

I have a family that buys live chickens that have quit laying for $4.00 each. They have told me that they are delicious and want more.

LBD

-- LBD (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), January 17, 2002.

I'm in southern California and sell mine for $2.00 a dozen. The grocery store charges roughly 1.99 for the white and 2.49 for the brown at the moment. I have been contemplating raising my price to $2.50. My customers think the eggs are a steal at $2.

-- Dawn Harper (fresheggs@earthlink.net), March 19, 2002.