Buying Farm Eggs

[tortoise]

I responded to a CL ad for farm eggs and I'm wondering what I need to know.

I asked if I could come visit their farm - I need to know that these "cage free" chickens are cared for better than chickens in a commercial chicken "farm." Plus I need to know it is clean!

Can someone post/repost about how chicken eggs should be cleaned by sanding the shell, not with water? I'd like to pass that info on and request my eggs are cleaned by sanding.

They are asking $1.50 per dozen. Is that fair?

If I'm comfortable with the place, I plan to be a repeat (weekly) customer, so I hope it isn't too intrusive for me to ask a lot of questions and want to see the place?

 

[bibliophile birds]

They are asking $1.50 per dozen. Is that fair?

wow. that's cheap! i charge $4/dozen for my organic, pastured eggs.

 

[freemotion]

The hens should be outside on GREEN grass, not outside in a dirt pen, IMO. For the eggs to be ideal. Not a deal-breaker if that is all you can get, though.....if they experience sunshine daily, they are way better off than factory farmed hens.....and their eggs are better, too.

If this is the case, then sanding is not enough at times. I wipe my eggs with a damp cloth on rainy days, as the hens bring mud into the nests on their feet. Small price to pay for the best eggs available.

I don't clean eggs that are not dirty.

You can ask for unwashed eggs and wipe them down yourself. Expect that some will need more wiping than others.

The egg is naturally coated with what is referred to as "bloom" and that layer protects the porous eggshell from allowing bacteria inside, which would harm the chick if the hen is setting. Washing the eggs with soap and water removes the bloom. Washing the eggs with water that is the same temp or cooler than the eggs draws bacterial-laden water into the egg, so always use water that is about 10 degrees warmer than the egg. I will run very poopy eggs under a warm faucet.

Once eggs are cleaned with water, they must be refrigerated. Unwashed eggs will survive at room temp for a bit....sometimes a few days, here. Best used fresh, unless you are boiling them. But perfectly ok unrefrigerated.

The ideal is to get unwashed eggs, so you know which ones to use raw in mayo and in shakes if you want to do that, and in old-fashioned raw ice cream recipes and merinque pies and cookies. I use the ones that need no cleaning at all for use raw.

$1.50 per dozen is an amazing price. We are heading into molting season, which means fewer eggs. If you have fridge room, stock up, as they will keep 4 months in the fridge.

 

[~gd]

I responded to a CL ad for farm eggs and I'm wondering what I need to know.

I asked if I could come visit their farm - I need to know that these "cage free" chickens are cared for better than chickens in a commercial chicken "farm." Plus I need to know it is clean!

Can someone post/repost about how chicken eggs should be cleaned by sanding the shell, not with water? I'd like to pass that info on and request my eggs are cleaned by sanding.Sorry but this sanding method is not approved in most states frankly if you requested sanded eggs from me at 1.50 a dozen I would tell you what you can do with your sand! As a matter of fact 'farm fresh' often means they haven't been cleaned at all
They are asking $1.50 per dozen. Is that fair?very fair!

If I'm comfortable with the place, I plan to be a repeat (weekly) customer, so I hope it isn't too intrusive for me to ask a lot of questions and want to see the place?

Well if it is a backyard flock they might be tickled at your interest. a business is likely to consider that your 1.50 is not worth their time and refuse. Take the eggs or leave them.

 

[Mackay]

I pay 2.50 for eggs that I am not absolutley thrilled with.
The chickens never see grass and their feathers never look healthy. They are from my neighbor. I think the girls are stressed.

I plan to raise my own free range chickens eventually. I want eggs from pretty chickens that live on the grass.. that is, unless I can talk my husband into duck eggs instead.

 

[kuntrygirl]

$1.50 is a very fair price. That's how much I sell my eggs for. In South Louisiana that is about market price. Some people even sell their eggs for $1.00 a dozen.

I guess you can ask them to see their place. If you do, let us know what they said.

 

[Mackay]

$1.50 is a very fair price. That's how much I sell my eggs for. In South Louisiana that is about market price. Some people even sell their eggs for $1.00 a dozen.

So kuntyrgirl, after paying for feed and upkeep and all, how much profit do you think you make on a dozen? I haven't seen that price anywhere on eggs in several years. I hope your not undercutting yourself

 

[kuntrygirl]

$1.50 is a very fair price. That's how much I sell my eggs for. In South Louisiana that is about market price. Some people even sell their eggs for $1.00 a dozen.

So kuntyrgirl, after paying for feed and upkeep and all, how much profit do you think you make on a dozen? I haven't seen that price anywhere on eggs in several years. I hope your not undercutting yourself

Profit? What profit? . There is no profit. I could have either 25 dozen eggs in my refrigerator every week with no one buying or I can sell them for $1.50 a dozen. Eggs around here are like bottled water. It's on everyone's shelf. In south louisiana, you can buy eggs from anyone. There are many small farmers and so many more chicken owners that sell eggs. The market is saturated with egg sellers. People advertise their farm fresh eggs on Craigslist for $1.00 a dozen down in my area. If a person can get farm fresh eggs for $1.00 or $1.50 per dozen. Which price would they chose?

People compare farm fresh eggs to the eggs at the local grocery store and you can get store eggs for as low as $0.89 cent. Now we chicken owners know the difference in quality and taste but some of them don't know.

I wish there was a profit but there isn't. If you have any ideas on what I can do, I would be more than happy to hear them and put a plan in place.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

$1.50 a dozen is a good price for farm fresh eggs. Especially when you consider some groceries are selling brown eggs for $2 or more - and who knows how old those eggs actually are!

Now, I understand your concerns about how the chickens are cared for, but to be honest, if you came to me and asked to see my pens, I'd turn you away.

Not because I have anything to hide, but for bio-security reasons. I realize that a lot of back yard farmers don't worry about that, but that's why we see 1 million posts on BYC titled, "Help, My chickens have swollen goopy eyes".

Now, before I got serious about my chicken keeping, I didn't practice good bio-security. I ended up with some sick birds, and lost a few of my favorites.

At first I tried to medicate, and save them, now I cull, cull, and cull again if a chicken even so much as sneezes (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration - a sneeze gets them quarantine to see if other symptoms develop - then it's death by _________).

My point is, IF they are trying to practice good bio-security, they may not let you near their pens. Do not take this as a sign that they're hiding something, just respect it as their right to not let you in.

Also, my chickens do not free range. Not during the breeding season, anyway. They have coops and runs (flyers have covered runs) and they are fed layer, scratch grains, grass clippings, bugs, worms, oats, sunflowers, and food scraps. Their eggs taste fine, and the only time they look terrible is during their molt.

I sell my eating eggs for $2 a dozen, but most of my eggs actually sell for hatching eggs and are priced at $1-$2 per egg, depending on breed. Or I'm incubating them (or Becca for me) and selling the hatchlings.

 

[Beekissed]

When I was selling mine I was charging $2 per. The price you stated is extremely fair for the type of egg you are buying if the birds are truly free ranged and organically raised.

I don't use soap and water to clean mine, nor sand paper?? but I do wipe gently with a wet cloth if there are smears. If they are bad enough to use sandpaper, the dogs get those!

If they look clean, they get nothing at all...just tucked into a carton and given a new home.

As for clean?? I've never yet seen a clean chicken~ nor coop that is actually lived in by chickens on a daily basis. Chickens are dirty and messy and their own mess is natural to them. They eat poop for heaven's sake! They walk right on their own poop, then step right in their water pan.

I've read numerous posts on BYC where folks bleach their coops, waterers, feeders, etc. all the time and state that "if you wouldn't want to take a sip out of that waterer it isn't clean enough".......sorry???

There is no time ever that I could say that I would take a sip out of my chicken's waterer! Not even right after it is cleaned thoroughly. Ick X 10!!!! They are animals, people! They pick poop off their own butts...I don't think they will die from messy water.

As for biosecurity...it is nonexistent at my place. I count on my bird's naturally acquired immune system to hold up to environmental invaders. Never had any illnesses yet after all these years.....did have some mites introduced from adding strange chickens to the flock.

BUT, I'd put my eggs up next to anyone's for freshness, cleanliness and good flavor. As would I the health of my chickens.

Clean looking doesn't always represent good health.....that is the government's mantra...controlled conditions, germ-killing chemicals, antibiotics in the feeds in case a bird MAY come in contact with microbials.

I'm not saying that it isn't wise to ask about living conditions or ask to view them~I, myself, would never eat an egg from my sister's farm unless I were starving to death. But I wouldn't get bogged down about pretty chickens, pristine coops and equipment, perfect green grass....whatever these eggs are, they have to be more healthy than storebought.