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Author Topic: Egg Demand and Pricing  (Read 8704 times)

Offline thomashton

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Egg Demand and Pricing
« on: April 04, 2008, 12:53:45 pm »
Who here sells their eggs?

I do to my co-workers and to a local artisan bakery that tries to use all local ingredients. I have been unable to keep up with the demand so I am now brooding about another 40 chickens to bump it up in the summer and fall.

Plain old cage raised eggs in the supermarket are going for $1.80/dozen on sale here. Right now I sell my free range ones for $2/dozen and will probably go up to $2.50. The price of feed is getting rediculous. I live in a rural area and the corn and wheat prices are crazy which drives up feed costs of course. We actually had a sign at a local grocery store that said, "Due to wheat shortages, limit of 2 bags of flour per customer."
After 18 months of reading and preparation, my girls finally arrived on April 11th (2006)!

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2008, 01:09:58 pm »
I've been paying $2.50 for free range for awhile now so I guess they'll be going up, too.  I'll only be paying for a few more months, though, until mine start to lay - they're coming in May 7.

Offline danno

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2008, 01:48:08 pm »
I'm getting 2.00 doz but as you stated feed has jumped about 35% in the last 2 months. I get about 50+ aday with a high of 70 from about 55 birds.  They are free range and with spring here they will start eating alot more grass and less grain.  I sell most on the honor system with a frig and lock box in my drive.

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2008, 12:54:20 am »
The ladies @ my CSA are spending over $4 dz for free range eggs.  I'm going to sell mine there for 3.50 once they start laying, the chix will pay for themselves  & we get great eggs!I also feed them all the kitchen scraps, it's fun to to watch em run to be the first one by the deck when I call em! :) They eat everything but bones & even cart them off! I just got more pullets last week so will have plenty to sell!
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Offline Angi_H

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2008, 02:16:46 am »
I have a CSA and I also sell out of my house to drive ups. I have been getting 4.00 a doz for chicken eggs and 5.00 a doz for duck eggs. I also get 2.00 a doz for quail eggs. Due to the price of feed I will be going up to 5.00 a doz for chicken eggs and 6.00 a doz for duck eggs and 3.00 a doz for quail eggs and no body seems to be batting an eye at the price. In walmart the freerange brown eggs were over 3;00 a doz so me actually being higher is acctualy better. Because they expect it for being home grown free range orgainc eggs.


But where I make my money is in my hatching eggs. I get 50.00 a doz for turkey eggs, 45.00 a doz for my cuckoo maran hatching eggs. And will be gettting 80.00 a doz for the black copper maran eggs. Quail I get 15.00 for 75 eggs. And then for muscovy duck eggs I get 40.00 a doz.


Angi


Angi

Offline thomashton

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2008, 03:28:29 pm »
And then for muscovy duck eggs I get 40.00 a doz.


Angi


Angi

Holy Crap!

I have two Muscovy ducks that have laid so many eggs they have 3 nests. A black austrolorpe has taken to sitting on one of them to help out. If only I could get $40/dozen. Wow! Good for you!
After 18 months of reading and preparation, my girls finally arrived on April 11th (2006)!

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2008, 04:48:24 pm »
I dont have chickens, but I have been threatening the wife w/ getting some(dont know if zoning would permit though) because the price has shyrocketed here. Regular supermarket egss are on sale today at Acme for 3.25/doz. I only know of one person who sells their eggs and they sell them for 1.50/doz when I can get my hand on them. Never had free range eggs though
Question-other than a chicken that doesn't receive "drugs", what makes the egg "free range". I can see the chicken meat being different, but are the eggs, other than being fresh
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2008, 04:55:38 pm »
They roam around eating what they're supposed to be eating - bugs, greens, etc. and the eggs are nothing like storebought eggs.  The whites are cohesive, they don't run all over the pan when you crack one in for frying, the yoke is a nice golden yellow and it sits high up, the taste is wonderful, real eggy, not bland like storebought.  I won't buy supermarket eggs at all anymore, once I found out how badly they're treated.  Eggs from happy hens are just so much better!

Offline Angi_H

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2008, 03:23:49 am »
<y Muscovy now have 2 nests between the 5 gals and about 14 eggs amongst the 2. Yes hatching eggs sale well. They sale on ebay and egg bid and ovabid. As well as on yahoo groups. Free range eggs are better for you they have more vitamins and minerals and you can tell that by there bright orange yolks. They dont run all over the place and they stay in a little blob when fried. Also you must never boil farm fresh eggs that are any fresher then 6 day  old otherwise the membrain will stick to the egg and you can not peal them to save your life and they be in one peace.  I have sold allot of hatching eggs this year and have done well. Hatching egg season is still here till the temps get to hot to priority or express mail them. Have nay more questions ask away.

Angi

Offline ooptec

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2008, 10:42:26 am »
Hey,

Here is Saskatchewan (prairie farm country and for sure off the beaten path), in our stupor-store, free range organic eggs yesterday when I checked were $5.39 a doz. Keeping in mind that what they call free range isn't what comes to most peoples mind and tho were fed organic feed, it is still a mono-diet w/o benefits of exercise or weed seeds and bugs.

At the farmers market they had to vigorously enforce no sales before the start time as the biggest culprit were people buying up (real) organic free range eggs at $5.00/doz so none were available by the start time at 0700.

Wow, selling eggs at $1.50 a doz. bet there are a lot of producers miffed at those who sell below the cost of factory farmed eggs at a big box store. If I saw that, I would buy up the whole lot and re sell at a more acceptable price. What with the price of fuel, property (incl. taxes) and feed my knee jerk reaction would be not favorable to someone who undercuts the market by that much. Tho freedom to do what you want as long as it doesn't directly infringe on another's rights would make me keep strumpt and would have to comfort myself that anyone who sells below the real cost of production won't be around for long.

I can't help but feel there is a mounting backlash against the methods now employed in food production and feel that most health conscious people who worry about the increases in diseases that in my childhood were almost unheard of are looking for alternate and healthy/untainted products. I more than agree and am willing to go to, not so much the work, but dedication and giving up some mobility/freedom that is necessary to raise such produce as I want what not only what is more healthy (IMHO) but also something that has some taste and nutrition to it. Also the love of the animals has a lot to do with it too.

lol, if I have to come back as something, I want to come back as my dog.

cheers

peter

Out of curiosity what does CSA stand for??

Offline Cindi

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2008, 10:50:32 am »
I sell my eggs to the locals for $3 a dozen, the eggs that I take to my girlfriend in the city are $4 dozen.  But that is delivered, and the city folk don't get much chance for the farm fresh, free range eggs.

About new eggs not peeling when hard boiled.  I have heard that too, but I have never had any problems with the eggs not peeling right.  When I boil the eggs, I don't completely cool them down, only enough to handle them.  They are still warm when I peel them, I leave them in the pot of water in the sink and peel and rinse each one quite a bit when I do it.  The egg shells always come off really easily.  I think it is because the eggs are still warm.  Give that method a whirl and see if it works well for ya, it does for me.  Have the best of this great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2008, 11:38:53 am »
I can't help but feel there is a mounting backlash against the methods now employed in food production and feel that most health conscious people who worry about the increases in diseases that in my childhood were almost unheard of are looking for alternate and healthy/untainted products. I more than agree and am willing to go to, not so much the work, but dedication and giving up some mobility/freedom that is necessary to raise such produce as I want what not only what is more healthy (IMHO) but also something that has some taste and nutrition to it. Also the love of the animals has a lot to do with it too.

lol, if I have to come back as something, I want to come back as my dog.

cheers

peter

Out of curiosity what does CSA stand for??

I agree that more people desire foods more closely "attached" to the earth. I guess its borrowed from thre macrobiotic philosphy of local in season foods. I always say, "in my next life, I want to come back as my dog!" He has the life!

As for the person who sold me the eggs for 1.50, that was last June. Since than supermarkey eggs have almost tripled here and I expect her price has gone up, but I dont know.

And yes, I learned the hard way not to hardboil fresh eggs. My dog really enjoyed the egg slop that evening!

This chicken thing is very interesting. I might have to check into zoning issues here

Which brings me to one more question about chickens- There is no way in hell I could have a rooster crowing at sunrise where i live. Do you need a rooster? I realize they wont be fertilized w/o one, but will hens lay anyway, unfertalized eggs?
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Offline ooptec

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #12 on: April 08, 2008, 11:56:30 am »
Hey,

I'm certainly no expert, but from what I've understood reading a rooster is not necessary, only needed if wanted chicks.

Apparently there is a quiet but somewhat thriving underground of people even raising chickens in urban settings like in their garages. Maybe not the ideal but even so you would know what goes into them and noticed at the zoo once during the winter they would put a layer of prob. wheat or some cereal seeds in a shallow tray and germinate them and give them to the birds when they were about 2-3inches high so had greenery in their diet.

Speaking of which i'd think (for me) that raising worms in the composter would be good more as chicken supplimental feed than anything else, save maybe fishing bait    lol

cheers

peter

Offline thomashton

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #13 on: April 08, 2008, 12:30:30 pm »
No. There is no need to have roosters. I have several of varying sizes (barred rock, silky, mille fleur), so they don't really bother each other. The big ones are weaklings, and the small ones are too small to fully dominate. I really just need to get rid of some of them, but have been to lazy to get the hatchet out. I need to though. They are tearing up the backs of my hens.

So, again, no. You don't need a rooster. Better if you don't in fact. They are the horniest buggers you've ever seen. Always chasing your girls, causing stress. I've never had one that was a good look out either. Mine have always been first to feed too. They're a lot like drones in a hive, but worse.
After 18 months of reading and preparation, my girls finally arrived on April 11th (2006)!

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #14 on: April 08, 2008, 02:45:49 pm »
CSA stans for community supported agriculture.  This is a small local farm (the lady used to live in my neighborhood) that is organic.  We all pay for shares & pick up a box full of veggies & fruit every week. There is a shelf that has extras on it if you want em w/prices or you can trade what you don't like for what you do.  There are u-pick beds with different herbs, mints, swiss chard & collards.  In the summer you can pick a bunch of flowers to take home too.  It saves tons of time, no grocery store stops & is fresher than you can get anywhere.  In the summer it is picked & packed that morning.  The lettuce will stay nice for over a week even if not in fridgesmarts. Free range eggs are from chix that get to run around in the yard/pasture foraging like chix are supposed to eating bugs, weeds & anything else that isn't faster than them. As stated before, happy chix make happy nummy eggs!  You don't need roosters unless you want more chix but then you will get more roosters too.  Much easier to buy pullets from hatcheries! Great day!
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2008, 12:01:51 am »
Thomashton, now that is interesting what you say about your roosters.  Maybe there isn't enough hens to share?  I am wondering about this because what I was reading about some of the large heavy weight birds, they indicated that for every rooster there should be enough hens, otherwise the hens wind up hiding to get away from them.  Not too sure exactly what it was, but it was something like that.

I have two roosters that share about 25 hens.  Yep, they are indeed the horniest things on earth, but I don't have any issues with them and the chickens.  It may depend on the breed, who knows.   I don't use them specifically for breeding, just to look after the flocks.

My roosters look after the girls big time.  Both roosters are always with the hens, showing them food and rarely do they eat the food that they find.  They just make that rooster sound that brings the hens running to see what the rooster has found for them to eat.  It is very interesting to watch, and the hens know exactly what that rooster cluck cluck sound means.  The roosters, both are always on the look out for danger.  I can't tell the times that I have heard that high pitch noise that the rooster makes.  And when they make this sound, the chickenyards are silent, and I mean dead silent, until the rooster begins to move around, showing the hens that the coast is clear.  I don't think that I would ever be without a rooster or two, they are the caregivers and safeguarders of all my hens, absolutely and without a doubt.

That would be the only reason that I keep roosters, other than I love their antics.  I love to watch them look out after their girls, they are big and strong and a powerful source of govnernance within the kingdom. 

Our one rooster who has been with us since the inception of chickens always ensures that his girls are all into their henhouse.  He brings them into the house earlier than the other rooster takes his into his.  Life is interesting with the roosters, and yes, I love the sounds the roosters make.  Even our crazy little rose comb banty rooster has a certain governing among the chickens, and he is even a bigger lookout because he flies up into the trees and onto the fences to keep watch.  They are good to have, I love the roosters.  Have a beautiful and wonderful day, gotta love this life we live.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline thomashton

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2008, 01:51:37 pm »
I'd be interested in knowing what the proper roo to hen ratio is. I have about 35-40 chicken total. About 4 of them are roosters. Two are big dumb barred rocks. One is toally hen pecked, the other is kind of in charge. Then I have a small, white silky rooster. I never see him. The other day I noticed him and said, "Geez. You still live here?" I just never notice him. The other is a very gregarious Mille Fleur. He is tiny, but actually the other day made a bit of an aggresive move at me until I chased him around the yard to tell him that wasn't okay. He definately has "his" harem. They are all the bantys. The silky is a loner with no one, but is too pretty to just off. The two dopes/barred rocks need to go. They are the horn dogs who cause all of the problems in the yard. They are about a year old and need to be the beginnings of a good pot pie.

I have another 40 babies I am raising right now. Who knows how many will be roosters. Even when you buy all pullets, there is still at least 10% roos in there.
After 18 months of reading and preparation, my girls finally arrived on April 11th (2006)!

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2008, 02:15:46 pm »
Oh goodie, wonder which one of my 25 pullets is the .5 of the 10%?? :? :?  We did enjoy "Mr. Pimple" our silky rooster till he got mean. Then my daughter dyed him with blackberry juice & once with food color, took him down the slide, swing & on her bike..after awhile he would run & hide when he heard her voice in the yard. He quit bothering her but still came after me!

I have another 40 babies I am raising right now. Who knows how many will be roosters. Even when you buy all pullets, there is still at least 10% roos in there.
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Offline ooptec

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2008, 07:58:55 pm »
Hey,

I am looking forward to my straight run of chicks as bought a caponizing kits and dying to try it out.

As also being somewhat a 'foodie' capons to me are the stuff of legend and never eaten or even seen one for sale.

Interestingly enough they also make great broody (cockerels?)

cheers

peter

Offline Angi_H

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2008, 03:18:30 am »
You would be surprized at what actual citys allow hens but no roosters. Or allow ONly one rooster. he propper hen to rooster ratio should be one roo to every 10 hens. And for quail it is one bleep per 4 to 5 hens. Ducks should be 1 drake to 5 hens. Turkey is about one tom to 6 hens. Watch out with camponizing it can cause allot of infections as you are not a vet yet you are performing surgery inside of the chickens gut. And right beside both testies on the back side near the ribs and kidneys are arterys which can be easilly nicked or you can accidently take out the kidney. You also have to be very careful and get all of the tisse which is hard when comming from only one side. But you are actually cutting into the body cavity and then not suturing the incision back up with no anastesia and no antibiotics to ward off infection when you are doing out in the open in non sterile situation. I dont know of the time that people bought those kits only to bring in several sick half camponized roos who had massave infections and parotinitus in the gut from them nicking the wrong thing and not knowing it. It is not as easy as you think.  be prepaired to dress them out right away as they will die on you on the table. Or they will die 2 to 4 days after from infection.  This is what I saw working in the vets office and vets are working hard to make it so that the lay person can not buy those kits. As it is considered cruel with out anastesia and you are performing surgery  when you have no licence to be practicing. Just be very very very careful. And you really do not need to do it as most broilers are butchered at 8 weeks of age and are no where becoming close to being mature or getting the hormones.  And no they dont make good broodys. They go around picking fights because they are confused and they just eat and take up room. They wont sit with out the female hormones.  Sorry to be off on a rant being a vet tech and being out in the country I have seen allot of things and this is one of my beefs. It is not fair to the animals. If you have seen what I have seen from this being done you would not want to do this to any bird.

Angi

Offline Cindi

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #20 on: April 10, 2008, 09:12:58 am »
Angi, I don't think you ranted about the caponizing.  You have been that vet assistant and have clearly and very obviously seen some mistakes made in this act performed on the roosters.  I think that people just don't realize the depth of the surgical aspect of caponizing.  I am hoping now that more understanding has been given.  Rant like this any time you feel the need, it is that learning curve that we all need to learn about.  Have a wonderful, great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline thomashton

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2008, 12:18:18 pm »
I agree. I won't try caponizing my birds. I just don't like the thought of actually cutting a bird open without anesthesia and removing the testes. A vet would never do that and most of the civilized world would be disguisted to even learn that it happens.

I however don't get on anyone's case for doing so. It is your flock and your birds. I prefer to feed them for 8-12 weeks and do it fast and easy with a single chop of the hatchet.
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Offline Romahawk

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #22 on: April 11, 2008, 01:56:43 pm »
I agree. I won't try caponizing my birds. I just don't like the thought of actually cutting a bird open without anesthesia and removing the testes. A vet would never do that and most of the civilized world would be disguisted to even learn that it happens.

Boy things sure have changed since Hector was a pup. Back in the 50's we injected a pellet into the back of the neck just below the comb. Just pull up a little flap of skin pop the pellet in and grab the next bird. Used to do hundreds of them in a very short time. Chemically neutered in a second with no discomfort to the bird.
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Offline Beekissed

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2008, 03:34:33 am »
I don't know if anyone answered the question about why freerange chicken's eggs are better.  They just have more of everything that is good in an egg!  I have a link somewhere that compares the nutrient levels but I can't find it right now!  You only have to crack a store-bought, cage-raised or even a so-called freeranged from the supermarket, next to a farm egg to notice the difference.  The yolks are a completely different shade of yellow.  The farm egg is so superlative in taste as to have no comparison to the pale, runny store-bought egg. 

My rooster is a valuable member of the flock, is a gentleman---neatly and quietly steps on to do his thing, never chases!, and takes good care of his ladies.  Immediately alerts to a hawk, sends the cat packing and gets everyone into the coop on time.  Having said that, I don't think I would have a rooster in town.  The less people notice your chickens, the better.  Neighbors can get mighty wicked in a town about "farm animals" living next door. 
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: Egg Demand and Pricing
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2008, 08:00:29 am »
Here is a great article on free range eggs from Mother Earth News.

Here is a chart showing the nutritional test results for 2007. 

And finally, here is a page with great links on all things chicken courtesy of MEN.

 

anything