As our first snow of the season fell on us Saturday while watching our local Holiday Parade, I know my children's heads danced with dreams of candy canes and sleds; snowmen and Santa. My mind, however, was overwhelmed with one thought - Chickens. Being winter storm virgins, I thought that they might stay huddled in their coop until spring, that they would get agitated and start pecking one another, that I should already have put Vaseline on Bertha's floppy comb. But more than anything, I pondered my worst fear - a drop in egg production!
We have got a very good thing going on here and I am more fastidious about egg collecting and tabulation than anything else in life right now. Last month, our eight girls laid over 180 eggs. I can't even remember the last time we ate chicken, as egg dinners like quiche and fritattas have replaced it on our menu.
My chickens are less than fond of change and I thought that the arrival of frozen precipitation might make their vents clam up tighter than my wallet. But...never fear, our girls rallied and have continued cranking out yummies at their normal pace. Now that some of my eggless nightmares can be laid to rest, I can start to see that we are running an egg surplus. Even giving some away, we usually have 2 or 3 dozen in the fridge. One of my neighbors has asked a few times if we will be selling them and, if we are, she would be VERY interested in buying. I do think we can part with at least a dozen every week, but I have been suddenly overcome with some kind of farmers guilt.
I give eggs to my mom and friends here and there, but when it comes to selling them, I feel oogey. I like to give them away, but part of me knows that isn't really what sustainability is all about. We need to pay for feed and a few extra bucks a month would not completely cover that cost, but would help to offset it a bit. So if I am willing to accept the idea of beginning to retail our eggs, then I am left with two questions:
1. How much to charge? I have been thinking $3 per dozen. Thoughts?
and
2. Do I need to put a percentage away in a trust for Bertha when she grows up?
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