Latest forums
Foods that help global environmental diversity?
Username: Fisherman333
Latest blogs
Pheasant Virgin ...
Username: littlenikki
Latest questions
where can I buy clay for my clay oven?
Username: Stephals
Latest recipes
Bottling Cherries
Username: Carolina
Eggs, eggs, eggs and more eggs,,,, Help !!!!
We have an unexpected problem, which with hindsight we ought to have predicted to a degree.
Our first flock of Black Rocks have all matured from chicks and are now busily laying eggs. Much as this is what was intended, we were hoping to have sold most of them by now as point of lay birds. We had thought we would have a few left by the time they were in full lay and that was fine as we knew we could use the eggs or supply the family.
The problem is we still have about a hundred birds to sell and we are not set up yet for selling such a large volume of eggs. As it is, we are having to deal with around 400-600 eggs a week. Half of those we can sell and in the mix we end up giving a few freebies out as well. It still leaves us with an awful lot of eggs to dispense with.
We could supply local shops etc. and we could even sell more eggs on our doorstep. But to do this will mean that someone else will loose out on currently supplying the local shop and over the coming weeks, our egg supply will (hopefully) reduce as we sell the hens. This would be unfair to all involved as we'd only be able to supply temporarily.
As it stands, we are legit to sell eggs on a 'gate sales' basis, i.e. ungraded and unsorted with just a sell by/use by date on the box. We do not yet have the facilities in place to step into a more regulated supply business.
So, does anyone have any ideas, needs, thoughts as to dealing with our egg surplus? Any ideas welcome :)
And of course, if anyone wants good laying hens, we have our Black Rocks for sale,,, with a proven record :) !!
You need to look at the DEFRA web-site as if you have over 100 birds you HAVE to be registered!!!!! and checked. Try your local feed-supply notice board or maybe cull some? seems a shame but you ought to have found out-lets before you bought so many ;-).
Eggs make good 'thank you' gifts, raffle prizes or free to good home to neighbours who you may want to look after your birds in the future. Would your school/brownie group be interested in setting up a run/coop with 3-4 birds in?
Eggs freeze well for later baking/cooking; that's what I do with mine, both hen and duck eggs. Just freeze them in 4s or 6s, lightly beaten, they will do in a poly freezer bag, will stay good up to about 6 months.
Another idea, if you sell eggs at the gate would be to pickle some and sell them too.
50 birds is the threshold for registration of your flock with defra, not 100.
Thx for your comments.
I don't really wish to get into the legalities on this thread, rather I'd like to find some positive ideas as to how we can disperse our egg mountain. Obviously if we can make a sale that is good but I'd rather see them put to use as opposed to being disposed of.
Regarding rules of egg sale. If you have 50 to 350 laying hens, so long as you are registered with EMI then you do not have to mark with producer number for gate sales. Over 50 birds and if you want to sell to retail outlets, then you need to mark eggs with producer number.
Lowlander, thank you for the pickled eggs idea. I know a chap in south London who wholesales bottles and jars so will look him up in the morning to suss out pickled eggs viability. Heaven knows who might buy them but I imagine that if they are pickled, it will give us a bit of time. Just not sure I can find enough outlets to sell 200 or so pickled eggs a week :) ??
Leah, thanks but we won't be culling healthy birds for any reason what so ever. Yes, we have quite a few and no we didn't get advance orders but this has been a trial run and in the scheme of things, is not a big amount. I am happy at this stage that we will sell all the birds comfortably by end of March. The problem we have is just the excess eggs which is something we must address and get a solution for as I'm sure this is going to happen again.
Homeless night shelter, drop in centre or similar charity?
Quiches (can be frozen)
ice-cream
souffles, puddings, etc
cakes
If you're near London SD you should have no bother getting rid of pickled eggs. Check out the Fish'n'chip shops they would have'em at a lower price then there regular suppliers. Do them in the big jars and flog them a pound cheaper then he's paying.
Pancake party? you provide the pancakes, visitors bring own 'filling' ;-).
They used to wipe them with vaseline and pack them in straw for storage. But 100 hens laying merrily seems a bit beyond that ...
Isinglass
freezing
stock feed
Homeless shelters as has already been suggested - they will go to waste otherwise.