Due to a steady supply of fresh eggs from our backyard flock, we now have an unexpected side effect: too many eggs to eat ourselves. Therefore, I am offering eggs to neighbors and close friends for a small price.

Our eggs are fresh and taste great!

The fact that we now have a dozen healthy laying hens, and happy chickens make the best eggs! If you are interested in contacting us regarding purchasing eggs, please feel free to fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

We are a “Non-Commercial” Enterprise

Yes, it is true that we are not a commercial enterprise, and therefore, we cannot “label” these as Grade A, or Organic. In fact, we cannot actually “label” these eggs at all.

Federal regulations are fairly simple and accommodating when it comes to selling eggs from privately owned small flocks like ours.

For us, no certifications or licenses are required, but labels must include contact information, and “sell by” dates (or “layed on” dates). Eggs which are sold must be refrigerated and safe consumption warnings must be clearly visible.

Our labels include all of the above.

“Grading” Eggs

Grading of eggs is not required for private sale. Our eggs are be sorted by size, but are not to be declared to be “small, medium or large” on the packaging. Instead, we specify that our eggs as “Ungraded” or “Unsized.”

Imagine that you are switching from store-bought eggs to backyard fresh eggs for the first time, and you open one of our cartons and see different shades of brown, all in varying sizes and shapes. This is normal.

When we sort the eggs, we try to keep similar sized eggs in the same cartons.

“Organic” and “Free Range” Classifications

These terms are regulated classifications. Our claims using these terms are avoided because we have not obtained federal certification.

Instead, just understand that our eggs are “Homegrown” and “Naturally Raised” and we provide the highest quality of care to our flock.

“Nutrition” and “Health”

Studies have shown that chickens raised on pasture produce more nutritious eggs than chickens that never see the light of day or step foot on grass. 

We feed our chickens only organic food with Omaga-3 additives.

Pasture-raised chickens have access to a more diverse diet, including a variety of forages and insects, which can lead to increased levels of vitamins A and E and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Other studies have shown that chickens raised on grass lay eggs that are lower in cholesterol than those raised on a commercial feed-only diet. 

“Washing” Eggs

Eggs are laid with a protective coating that helps keep them fresh. Florida state regulations do not insist that we wash this protective coating off of the eggs prior to selling them.

Therefore, our eggs for sale are cleaned with only water to remove any obvious dirt or fecal matter from the shell, but they are not “washed” in a commercial washer. The natural coating remains intact.

Refrigeration 

Although our fresh eggs do not need to be refrigerated due to their natural coatings, per federal regulations, eggs intended for sale are be stored at temperatures of 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Our Prices

Our chickens are raised with love and unparalleled care. Even so, the most appreciative buyers know the price of eggs in the local market. A little markup isn’t out of the question, but we understand that they are still just eggs after all. Therefore, our fresh eggs are priced accordingly.

There are real costs to produce eggs. They cannot be given away for free. When we begin to calculate our expenses – including egg cartons, labels, business cards, feed, supplements, supplies, the chickens themselves, plus their coop and run, not to mention a little something for our time, – it’s very hard to sell a dozen eggs for a high enough price to simply break even. 

Packaging might seem like it is an unwanted cost, but in Florida it is illegal to sell eggs from a re-used container. Why? Washed eggs can allow bacteria from the old container to be transferred and enter into fresh eggs through the eggshells – potentially contaminating them. We want to keep everyone safe and healthy and always use brand new containers.

We provide a professional-looking label on our egg cartons, complete with our contact information. We encourage our customers spread the word about our flock’s extra eggs. Our carton’s label include our name, web address and phone number, “Laid on” date, “sell by” date (30 days after laid), and required warnings.

Many times, local eggs are sold for about the same price as store-bought eggs, despite being fresher and more nutritious AND laid by happy hens.  When we sell our eggs, we are not only competing against the low grocery-store prices, but also against other local sellers. 

We are not trying to get rich by selling eggs from our backyard chickens, however, selling just a few dozen a month help offset the ongoing costs of maintaining our backyard flock.

Interested in Purchasing Eggs?

If you are interested in purchasing eggs from Howie’s Homestead and reside close to Lake Worth, Florida, please fill out the form below. We will contact you to make specific arrangements.

Just a few things to think about if you become a regular customer:

• You can email us to see if there are eggs available at any time.
• We prefer local pickup of eggs
• We can deliver if absolutely necessary.