Do you size your eggs for sale?

Beekissed

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I'm having a little difficulty, for the first time, sizing my eggs for sale. Usually, my eggs are uniformly large/Xlarge and they look good in the carton. Right now I have mostly new layers and the New Hampshires are laying normally large/xlarge eggs and the rest? Well, I would say they are mediums and sometimes small.

I don't want to bother with sorting for size and confusing my customers with different prices, but if I just give them assorted sizes, the bigger eggs make the smaller ones look even smaller! And the type "A" in me hates the lumpy appearance of the different sizes in the cartons.

What do you all do about sizing your eggs for sale? Do you keep it easy and just give an assortment of sizes in the same carton, or do you sort and price accordingly?
 

Quail_Antwerp

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I usually just fill the carton up with brown eggs. LOL But I try not to include a "first" egg, or I keep the odd shaped eggs to feed my own family.

Other than that, I don't really worry about size difference in my eggs.
 

freemotion

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:lol: Ya know those tags that come on shoes and such that say "variations in color are a natural part of what makes this product unique....." Well, the same with farm fresh produce and eggs! Just spin it as a good thing and charge more! :gig

No, seriously, I agree, eat the oddest sizes yourself and don't worry about variation. I think all that stuff about uniformity for the contests is ridiculous. I LOVE the fact that every egg is different and I have come to know some of my hens by the shape and feel of the eggs. It is very cool. Proof that it is not from a factory.

I make jewelry, and back when I used to sell it with a friend, sometimes a potential customer would remark, in that tone, that all the beads were not the same size/shape. I was known to occasionally refer them to Walmart....... :lol:
 

dacjohns

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Nope. They can take them or leave them.

My problem is getting people to want them. I give away a lot more than I sell.
 

Beekissed

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I just don't want people to think I'm ripping them off when I include a few medium eggs to the carton. And, this may sound stupid, but some folks believe the sizing on the recycled cartons....when it says Jumbo on the carton, they want to see jumbo eggs inside...no matter how often you repeat that the cartons are recycled. :rolleyes:

I've been just trying to mix each carton with a goodly portion of all sizes and shapes and hope people won't care. I haven't built up an actual customer base yet, as folks around here don't really care what they put in their mouths. They like "farm eggs" but they don't go out of their way to find them, if you know what I mean....if I have some with me as I travel around and offer them, folks usually buy them, but they don't hunt me down for my eggs~yet! :p
 

Quail_Antwerp

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AH, I see what you are saying, Bee. Well, I must confess I was very UNfrugal about my egg cartons. I purchased plain cartons to sell my eggs in. I know that's not frugal, but later I hope to have our farm stamp on these cartons, so it was something I felt was needed.
 

Beekissed

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I used to have my own plain cartons as well and I plan to order more, but they will probably not be the plain, gray ones I had before. I am going to start labeling as well, Aly. I think it will enhance my business so much to have a "brand" identity on my cartons.

I will be ordering brown Kraft labels soon and printing up my own logo, nutritional information, some info on how I raise my birds, etc. I just haven't decided on a farm name yet and am awaiting for guidance from God on that one! :p

Here are some of my choices so far:

Apple Blossom Hill/Farm
Sweetwater Farm
Shining Star Farm
Apple Valley Farm


I'm leaning towards Sweetwater Farm, as it seems to denote something good, sweet, wholesome~plus our drinking water is par excellent! Of course, we have this big apple orchard on the hill behind the house, so the boys chose names referencing this.

What do you think?
 

2dream

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Bee - as we gather eggs I bring them in the house and start placing them in cartons. The really small eggs (banty) go into a seperate carton from the misc. sized regular eggs. The really dirty eggs go into a carton for me or to give to neighbors. I print out lables (plain white) with my name and phone number and FARM FRESH EGGS to place on the carton. I can sell the banty eggs for 50 cents less than the others. Even though some of the eggs are Xtra lg and some are just large or med. they all go in the carton. Thats what makes them farm fresh. I do make sure I have a varity of browns, off white and green or blue in each carton. Those green and blue eggs seem to grab peoples attention. It amazes me at the people that have never seen one and find them unique.
Those greens and blues are also the reason I can get 2.50 per carton. I also place a note on my plain white lable that the eggs have not been washed and each sell gets the explaination of how they keep longer and are sealed and safer than store bought washed eggs. Anyone that brings a carton back for recycleing will get the next doz at $2.00 per doz. It keeps people coming back and keeps the eggs moving.
 
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