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HennyPenny

Selling our eggs - lots of questions...can you help please?

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As all 5 of our girls are laying pretty reliably, we've got far too many eggs for just the two of us, so we've decided to sell some (just to friends for now) so I was sondering if anyone here does this and could answer some questions for us please. I've invested in some lovely blue egg boxes to go with the name of our cottage - mad, I know but I couldn't resist!

 

Anyway:

1. How much is a resonable amount to charge per half dozen?

2. What constitutes 'free-range' eggs?

3. Where can I get the right size labels to go on my egg boxes and a way of producing my own labels?

4. Should I clean the eggs and, if so, do I need to use special egg wash stuff?

5. Is there anything else I should be thinking about?

 

:D:D Sorry to ramble, but thanks in advance for any help! :D:D

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I'll try to answer some of your questions as I sell my own eggs! Here goes:

 

Anyway:

1. How much is a resonable amount to charge per half dozen? I charge 20p per egg, so £1.20 per half dozen. Cheaper than the organic, free range eggs from the supermarkets, but not as cheap as the standard eggs

2. What constitutes 'free-range' eggs? I think to use industry terms like this you need to follow quite strict guidelines and have some sort of go ahead from the powers that be. Mine do not have unrestricted access to the outside as they are in a covered run with some freeranging most days, so I label mine as 'Eggs from Garden Hens'

3. Where can I get the right size labels to go on my egg boxes and a way of producing my own labels? I just use some decadry sticky labels, and designed my own labels using Office Publisher

4. Should I clean the eggs and, if so, do I need to use special egg wash stuff? You shouldn't use anything to clean the eggs. Wipe off excess poo with dry kitchen towel. Anyway, a bit of poo adds to the effect! :lol:

5. Is there anything else I should be thinking about? I write on my labels what the hens are fed on, just so people know, ie organic layers pellets supplemented by kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s (non organic) and whatever else they can catch.

 

Also useful to give buyers a best before date, or some idea of how long the eggs will keep for. See this link: http://www.yellow-egg.com/wEnglish/frische_eier/index.shtml?navid=5

I label mine as extra fresh eggs as they are always less than 9 days old.

 

Hope this helps! :D

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Thank you so much Snowy. I knew someone would have the answers! :D

 

Sorry to be a pain, but could you please give me some more hints about labels for the boxes? Do I need Publisher, or could I use another programme instead? Are the labels generally available, or will I have to hunt for them?

 

Thank you again

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DH used Avery label wizard which he said you can download for free from the avery site and then you just need some labels, a printer and your imagination! :D

 

We give our eggs away (we don't sell them) so we just put what we felt like on our labels :D

 

the labels are made by 'nice day' and are 99.1 x 38.1mm laser labels

 

 

 

eggs3.JPG

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I used address labels, there are about 8 to a page I think. You can use word, but I recently discovered I already had publisher installed and that does the job so much better! There must be other packages that do the same thing, but I don't know of them.

 

My labels aren't a perfect fit, have a rummage at PC world or any office stationary shop to see what they have.

DSCF1788.jpg

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I sell my eggs to friends, family and anybody else really, here is my undertanding of your questions.

1. How much is a resonable amount to charge per half dozen?

Work it out. How much does it cost you to feed the hens per week compared to how many eggs you get. I charge £1.60

2. What constitutes 'free-range' eggs?

Tricky, I think there is some sort of regulation regarding the use of the term and without an inspection you can not use 'free range' but alternatives such as 'free roaming' and 'happy garden hens' can be used.

3. Where can I get the right size labels to go on my egg boxes and a way of producing my own labels?

Many people on here have a label maker and you simply print it onto stickers via your printer. The package comes on a cd rom.

4. Should I clean the eggs and, if so, do I need to use special egg wash stuff?

Think there is licensing law on this aswell. Eggs are porous so can let germs in when altered. The poop adds to the effect anyway.

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SELL!?!? Give them away to your friends/family/neighbours and make someone smile. If you HAVE to charge... Tescos sell medium free range eggs for £1.28 so you can work your pricing out from there. (Remember garden chickens do NOT produce organic eggs even if you give them organic layers pelets). For eggs to be 'free range' there can be a max 1000 hens per hectare of outside space.

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Not everyone can afford to give their eggs away iChicken. :lol:

 

Others prefer to charge an amount which covers their costs, but is cheaper than supermarket prices....that way everyone wins.

 

I am going to seriously have to contemplate getting a few more hens to cope with the demand. (Any excuse!)

 

I do give mine away.....but get wine, chocs and all sorts of other goodies given to me "in lieu". :lol:

 

I don't do posh labels. I'm not artistic enough. :?

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I charge 25p per egg, so its 31.50 for a box of 6 or £1 for an Omlet box of 4.

 

I give them away to friends & family,but sell a few boxes to passing walkers & a few regulars in the village - nothing wrong with it either 8)

It keeps the hens in feed :wink:

 

For my labels I just print off a sheet onto plainn paper then cut them out & pritt them onto boxes.I found stickers didn't stick very well & ended up peeling off all the time :roll:

 

I call mine 'Eggs from Happy Hens' rather than free range.

I got these nice pink boxes from ebay, & some of my regular customers give me their old boxes too.

 

 

PinkBoxes.jpg

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I noticed my organic veg-box scheme sells free-range eggs - £1.60 a half-dozen. I have no idea what they cost in the supermarket, 'cos I haven't had to buy any for nearly a year! :)

 

I give mine away, friends have said I should start charging, but I quite like being able to give them as little presents. Also, most of the friends to whom I give them are the same ones who kindly bought me the Omlet voucher for my first Eglu! They deserve some return. Still, nothing wrong with selling them if you have a ready market.

 

When (if) all five of mine are laying again I will start taking a donation for charity, as hopefully I will be able to give away two or three boxes a week then. At the moment I'm lucky to get enough for myself!

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I have always given our eggs away, but my Dad recently noticed that we had 40+ eggs in the kitchen!

 

He called his office and asked if anybody wanted any and received orders for 48 eggs!! I gave him 38 and let them fight over them!!! :wink::wink:

 

He charged them £1.30 for 1/2 a dozen!

 

My Mum charges the bank staff where she works £1.50 a box. She's a shrewd old thing! The money will go in a money box (chicken one of course) and pay for the mash/treats etc (if i don't raid it first) :wink::wink:

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we give ours mostly to our parents and some of their friends, who are all pensioners so I'd feel a bit rotten charging them. DH also gives some to his vegan friend who hadn't had eggs for years but decided he would eat ours considering they were EX battery girls and he thinks adopting battery girls is brilliant.

 

We don't charge him as he gives us stuff from his allotment in return. We'll be making some rhubarb schnapps as soon as the rhubarb he gave us has cropped and we're giving him some chicken poop for his allotment :D

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