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Author Topic: Re-evaluating things  (Read 4978 times)

madchickenlady

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Old Newton Suffolk
Re-evaluating things
« on: September 22, 2014, 05:24:29 pm »
Having had a poor few months re egg production, major red mite problem followed by moult and having a number of elderly hens I decided that I needed to re-think my flock. Started by doing some homework - which hens laid reasonable size eggs, which ones laid the most eggs, which were most reliable etc. This process made me think about what I wanted from my hens.
When did I become so concerned with not fulfilling neighbours requirements and work colleagues expectations? I started keeping chickens because I always wanted too, because I love seeing them around the garden, because I love the company, because they are so endearing. The eggs were a bonus! So guess what, tomorrow I am going to collect Buff Orpingtons and Brahmas and I am going to look out for some Salmon Faverolls, ok I might get an RIR, but I am going back to basics and hang the customers - they will have to make do with the occasional extras, after all for me, this is a hobby not a business!
Wow, that feels good!  :excited:
Heather

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2014, 06:08:22 pm »
Good for  you!  I lost all of  mine to a fox a couple of years ago apart from  one ex bat who is now about 6 i think.  I was given three old ladies and bought two leghorns.  I went down to BAlerno on Saturdays to take  home four new rescues - poor souls are almost over ready, and it was lovely seeing them lying in the sun yesterday - wings  stretched  out. An added bonus was an egg this morning   :excited:  Might even get my granddaughters to give them names next time they are over.    :innocent:                                                       
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

mentalmilly

  • Joined Nov 2012
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2014, 07:21:04 pm »
Good for you.  I fell into this trap of not having enough eggs for sale and worrying if l had enough for the customers.  My hens, some are now old enough not to lay or lay only sometimes and they have given good service over the last years. Others have not started to lay yet.  Why should l get rid of them because they dont lay?  Blow the egg sales, its a hobby and an enjoyable one at that.  Now if l have spare eggs they get sold and if not l have a few seconds of " sorry they are not laying " and then l forget the customers.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2014, 08:02:49 pm »
I sold eggs from the farmgate to subsidise our rare breed hatching programme.  Then a number of folks living along the lane jumped on the bandwagon in Spring, when they had too many eggs, so I didn't bother.  Once Autumn arrived, however, and their old hens' laying tailed off, my rare breed POLs were swinging into action, so I now sell Autumn and Winter only.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2014, 08:29:24 pm »
good for you-I did the same thing. I now sell only to a few friends, bake like mad and freeze as many as I can for the more unproductive months. I like breeding them and keeping them-the eggs are a byline. The market at work got so flooded people were complaining at spending a £1-afraid at that price its just not worth my time or effort.

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2014, 09:18:05 pm »
When we started growing the flock we put up an honesty box and it did well. Too well. We got into a right state trying to keep up with demand. We bought in hens, hatched loads etc. etc.

Then winter came and that was that. No box sales and trays of dirty eggs because I had over stocked the run.

At the end of the day there is very little profit in farm gate egg sales so I don't worry about it any more. Most eggs sell for hatching and if we have spare or from young birds, they are snapped up. But sometimes the box is empty for days. I get the odd comment from neighbours about there never being any eggs there but I feel like saying 'if you pay me £5 a dozen I'll make sure it's full all the time'. But not for £2.40.

They all tell me that mine are the best eggs in the world but I know that if they had to pay a price which made it worth my while, they would buy in the co-op instead.

I reckon we net about 50p on a box of eggs so even if I could sell 20 a day, that's £70 a week. I'm hardly going to retire on that. Not even worth collecting and boxing them.

For me, pure breed hatching eggs is a business. Gate sales is just a way of getting rid of the small and mis-sharpen eggs for cash.  They rarely get the nice big, strong shelled ones. But they keep buying so that's OK with me.

Bumblebear

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Norfolk
    • http://southwellski.blogspot.co.uk/
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2014, 11:58:33 pm »
Good for you :)  We use what we want and give the surplus to friends and neighbours who ask.  For the sake of the odd quid I don't really mind giving them away and it saves the hassle of buying boxes and checking for 'floaters'.  altho supermarkets sell them for £1 now too, I know you cant compare them to lovely free range happy hens but most folk at the end of the day just want eggs and arent really bothered about much else.

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2014, 12:26:13 am »
Good for you :)  We use what we want and give the surplus to friends and neighbours who ask.  For the sake of the odd quid I don't really mind giving them away and it saves the hassle of buying boxes and checking for 'floaters'.  altho supermarkets sell them for £1 now too, I know you cant compare them to lovely free range happy hens but most folk at the end of the day just want eggs and arent really bothered about much else.

I don't know about that. They do want the best, freshest eggs with high welfare from their local farmer. But they don't want to pay a penny more. Make of that what you will.

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2014, 09:37:45 am »
Well I did in the beginning give my eggs to the neighbours when I stop working. then I decided to try selling at the gate. Waste of time, neighbours did not buy them so now when I have a glut of eggs I give them to the ladies who work in Help the Aged charity shop. I have cut down my number of hens by half .

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2014, 09:46:53 am »
I know exactly how you feel and often went without eggs myself so that I had some to sell and not let the buyers down. Only yesterday I decided to get rid of my eggs for sale sign. If I get eggs from my girls to eat that's great but,no pressure girls  ;D
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2014, 09:51:10 am »
we have been a similar situtation with selling animals and meat. i stopped most of the business and now i find everything alot less stressful. im still getting asked for meat and eggs but for now our little farm is just for us. i dont want to spend another xmas worrying about if someone elses turkey is big enough.  :relief:

after a couple of years break, im tempted to start again though...but its alot of effort for little return. do what makes you happy, you can always change your mind later.

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2014, 10:46:24 am »
We once were in the ridiculous situation of buying supermarket eggs for ourselves because we had committed to sell ours to someone else! After I tasted them we vowed never again and subsequently if there were none available the customers got an apology, a brief explanation of how our chickens worked and that's it.

mentalmilly

  • Joined Nov 2012
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2014, 12:22:45 pm »
I also found we went without eggs ourselves to keep customers happy.  When we had a glut the neighbors would be happy to buy the eggs but we had to go round and sell them.  They could not be bothered to come a few yards down the road and get them themselves.  Everone said the eggs were excellent. I must have a lazy lot of customers.  The serious buyers come and get their own so now l cut down the number of hens and if not enough eggs, bad luck, first come first served.

Steph Hen

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Angus Scotland.
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2014, 12:58:35 pm »
I sell mine for a pound and sometimes give them away too. Only to friends and neighbours.
It can add up, especially as I don't pay for the laying hens feed, but I feel that by doing it cheaply I'm not committing myself to it seriously. When I have eggs I sell them, but when I want to save some up for the incubator, or if they go off lay or start laying out, I don't stress it.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Re-evaluating things
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2014, 01:14:11 pm »
Good for  you!  I lost all of  mine to a fox a couple of years ago apart from  one ex bat who is now about 6 i think.  I was given three old ladies and bought two leghorns.  I went down to BAlerno on Saturdays to take  home four new rescues - poor souls are almost over ready, and it was lovely seeing them lying in the sun yesterday - wings  stretched  out. An added bonus was an egg this morning   :excited:  Might even get my granddaughters to give them names next time they are over.    :innocent:                                                     
Here are my new wee girls.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

 

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