If you have been raising hens to lay eggs for your family and friends or a looking to expand your flock and sell your eggs, getting into the egg business can be exciting. No matter how you look at it, raising your own chickens that produce farm fresh eggs can be rewarding, fun and a profitable venture if done properly. Before you turn your love of raising chickens into a business, there are some things you need to consider beforehand to ensure you will be successful. Egg-selling and farm work in Tasmania can be rewarding and difficult at the same time.
- Know Your Market
Before you start your egg business, it is important to know your market. Do a little research and find out if there is a market in the area you live in for homegrown eggs. If others in your area are selling homegrown eggs, find out what they’re selling prices are per dozen. When you’re comparing other local egg farms, look at things such as whether or not their chickens are organically fed, if the chickens are pastured and other factors. Pastured chickens are ones that get to spend their days grazing on the grass, eating bugs and being fed chicken food.
Another thing to consider is where you will sell your eggs. Many municipalities have exceptions for small egg farms wanting to sell eggs on a smaller scale. However, if you are wanting to sell eggs on a grander scale, you will need to get your farm set up with an appropriate facility for washing your eggs before selling them.
When looking to sell your eggs locally, do some research on the turnover local sellers have for their eggs. Some places selling local eggs go through them quickly and cannot keep up with demand. Other places, however, might end up having an oversupply. This is more typical in smaller towns and rural areas.
- Know Egg Selling Laws
Like mentioned above, you need to pay special attention to your local and state laws. Depending on the size of the egg farm you plan to operate, you may need a special license and other special equipment to stay in business. Depending on your municipality, you may be prohibited from recycling your egg cartons from other companies to package yours.
If you want to sell your eggs as “organic” ones, you may need to meet certain requirements in order to do so legally. Some of these requirements can be costly and time-consuming. Get in touch with your local municipality to find out what local or federal laws you may need to adhere to for your egg-selling business.
- Create A Business Plan
Before starting your egg business, it is important to sit down and create a business plan. Take time to formalize your plan to identify your target market. Additionally, you need to think about ways to grow your business down the road and what the price selling point for your eggs will be. Another part of your business plan should be figuring out what costs are contributed to producing your eggs and how much profit you will be able to generate.
- How Many Chickens Do You Require?
After getting your business plan settled, you will need to determine how many chickens you want to raise. The number of chickens can be determined by deciding how many eggs you would like to sell each week. To figure this out, consider that a prime laying hen can produce at least three to five eggs each week. If you are hoping to sell around 10 dozen eggs each week, you will need between 25 and 30 chickens to meet that goal.
Another consideration is whether or not you will be able to get rid of the eggs created. Speak with local owners of markets beforehand to ask how many eggs they will plan to purchase from you and at what price point. It may take some time initially to make a profit because of the investment you will make buying the chickens, purchasing the feed and creating an area for them to live.
- Raising Your Chickens
When choosing chickens specifically for egg laying, you need to choose the right breed. Additionally, consider the climate of the area you live in when choosing chickens. The climate can significantly affect how many eggs your chickens will lay. When choosing to feed your chickens, be sure you are giving them high-quality feed to help produce better tasting eggs. This will keep your customers coming back for more.
- Collecting, Cleaning And Packaging
When it comes to selling your eggs, it is very important to collect them and clean them appropriately. Cleaning your eggs the proper way will help reduce the risk of salmonella poisoning. When you package your eggs, consider your business plan. To help your eggs stand out from the competition, consider creating a nice business label or a graphic logo to help them stand out.
Be sure you check the requirements of your local municipality before you package and sell your eggs. If you want your business to be successful, you need to create a brand that customers recognize. You want your customers to think of fresh, great tasting eggs when they see your business logo.
- Reevaluation And Reassess Your Business Plan
The key to success for any type of business is to consistently assess and reevaluate key components of your business. If things do not feel like they are running smoothly with your egg business, it may be time to consider new avenues for marketing and selling. You may need to branch out into new markets or change up your coop and fencing for your chickens.
Do not be afraid to admit your business is not successful when you think it should be. Change things up and keep pushing forward. Don’t be scared to sit down and re-evaluate your egg farm from time to time. If a certain area is working well, keep that part of your business and switch up the areas that are not doing as well.
