[faith0504]

you cant beat your own fresh egg, they are out of this world, and the fun the hens give you it is worth it 

[hughesy]

When we first started selling eggs I did a quick mental calculation to see what it would take to make some proportion of our income out of eggs. Very quickly realised that it's a complete non starter really. We sell our surplus to friends or people at work which pretty much pays for the feed but that's as far as it goes. If you factor in the cost of the birds, housing, transport etc it just doesn't add up. Upping the scale of it will just increase the up front costs and get you into the position where you have to sell a large number of eggs every day or you're in trouble. Fortunately there are other ways to make money out of chickens.

[BlueDaisy]

One way to make a box of eggs more appealling or valuable if you have local cheap competition is to use breeds that lay different coloured eggs - blue from Legbars or araucanas, dark brown from Marans, welsummers or barnevelders, white from leghorns, etc.
That way, if you have room, inclination and cockerels, you can also sell hatching eggs when it suits you. Depending on breed and locality, these can go for £1 - £2 per egg (or less, or more!)

[ellied]

I don't think a cockerel would go down well with my elderly neighbours

I need to consult them on using the orchard for chucks as it's quite close to their house as it is, but I intend to bribe them with promises of eggs and have a plan B site the other end of my house if they don't like the idea..

I am also tracking down a used coop and some used wire..  The wire can always become a brassica cage if the rest doesn't work out and a coop doesn't need fed at least   If the ongoing costs are covered I'd be happy with that, just without a formal day job anything new here has to pay its way enough to break even as well as keep me occupied, entertained and fed

[northfifeduckling]

to reduce your feed costs ask a local farmer if they would sell any wheat or barley to you. This will come at about half of what you pay for mixed corn in the shops. Cheapest around here for pellets and mash is Blacks in Collessie, sure you know them already. 

[meebh]

to reduce your feed costs ask a local farmer if they would sell any wheat or barley to you. This will come at about half of what you pay for mixed corn in the shops. Cheapest around here for pellets and mash is Blacks in Collessie, sure you know them already. 

just out of interest what price are the layers pellets from Collessie, and is that Collessie Feeds?  Does anyone know anywhere in NE Fife to buy chick crumbs with ACS??

 

[northfifeduckling]

yes, they alre also called Black's feeds. I think I paid £ 7.85 last time. Haven't been for a while but a visit is due soon...

[Rosemary]

you cant beat your own fresh egg

Yes, you can - use balloon whisk or the Kenwood 

[faith0504]

 

[Rosemary]

just out of interest what price are the layers pellets from Collessie, and is that Collessie Feeds?  Does anyone know anywhere in NE Fife to buy chick crumbs with ACS??
[/quote]

Not NE Fife, but East of Scotland Farmers at Couper Angus do Farmgate Chick Crumbs with ACS 20kg for £6.98. Layer pellets about £7, GM free

[Elissian]

I'm in the new forest, i charge £1.50 for 6 £2.75 for a dozen. mixed sizes. i did charge less but my customers told me they were worth more. i have a sign at the gate and an honesty box in the yard down a 90mtr drive from an A road. No problems so far with money. i was thinking of putting out a few jars of honey and chutney, are there any legal problems with that?

[Anke]

Re honey, I don't think there are an problems in selling it, just make sure that your label conforms to all the required standards. It is all explained in the Thorne's catalogue, I ordered mine from there as our printer did not like the labels I had designed myself and I just wasted too much time on getting it right... Just not sure I would risk someone walking off with a 4 pound 50 jar of honey and forgot to pay....

Not sure about chutneys though.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

HI,

           I have recently been asked for some from people from work and have priced them at 150 per half dozen for bantam eggs. I wont be able to retire on this but it helps me get rid of the surplus. If you are wanting to actually make money on them my suggestion would be to find the "lifestyle" market and charge what the market will stand. I supply new customers with an information email about my hens and how the real free range life of rare breed birds like mine differ from commercial free range birds.

     I find that once people understand the difference they are happy to support my birds treat fund because they want to eat real free range eggs laid by happy hens. I also add an a photo of my hens enjoying life in the email which people seem to relate to. This would only work for regulars or people you know of course not for the honesty box approach.

   I have also found that an odd feather in the box and some info on which hens laid their eggs also has a value to some people who like to idea of The Good Life but couldnt be bothered living it. Many people like the idea of paying genourously for produce at a farmers market especially if it looks more natural than the supermarket goods. So spuds in a bit of compost, carrots with their greenery on and apples with a leaf attached to the stalk seems fresher and closer to nature.

          Buffy

         

[ellied]

to reduce your feed costs ask a local farmer if they would sell any wheat or barley to you. This will come at about half of what you pay for mixed corn in the shops. Cheapest around here for pellets and mash is Blacks in Collessie, sure you know them already. 

Indeed I do - they supply a great own brand sack of cat biscuits and their own low molassed oat chaff with herbs plus my straw and any blocks or other bits I want, delivered if required tho I like to pop in for a blether with Ronnie occasionally. 

[Pel]

I'm in ceredigion, west wales, and we charge 80p for 6 chicken eggs, the lady up the road charges £1 for 6, but hers are bigger eggs. I only have 4 birds and she has 3, and there is at least 4 other in village with chickens, but we all have enough customers than eggs.