JoceAndChris
Member
- Messages
- 6,606
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I need your help to help me decide if it's worth it.
I'd try them at £1.50 per half dozen, and they'd be really sweet because they'd have Beacon Cottage on the label and the names of the hens ( these Lincolnshire folk need a bit of classical Greek education), and two would be pale blue, two would be white and two chocolate brown.
You don't need to do anything official for back door egg sale on a small scale, and you'd just tell people not to fuss about the tiny lumps of jelly in them that indicate life ( and not to pop them on the radiator either and forget about them)
It all sounds very romantic but the reality is me, my hens, my house, would become a lot less of a secret. I'm reeling with shock at the horror story of my new chicken friend, who lives just a few miles away. Her birds were clubbed to death by kids ( aged 10-14 - girls and boys) - they broke in at night and killed anything that was friendly, including the ducks, and rounded off the evening's entertainment by throwing rocks at the pigs. The pigs survived but were bruised and battered. At that time this lady had over 150 varieties of rare breed, making it one of the most diverse rare breeding farms in the UK, and some of the birds killed were the only example of type in the country. After that episode she built her stock back up, only to have most of them stolen (to order). In both cases it was very obvious who the miscreants were, but the police were unable to do anything. ( In the case of the kids they were too young, and in the case of the theft there was "insufficient evidence" - even though the breeder had actually found her stolen birds hidden on another property in the village)
All of which rambling tale is just to say that I'm filled with trepidation on embarking on any kind of business with my birds that involves members of the public just walking in.
Another option would be to find a deli to stock them - but then the birds would need to be registered with DEFRA, be salmonella vaccinated and stop snacking on bacon rind and lamb masala.
Which would you do?
I'd try them at £1.50 per half dozen, and they'd be really sweet because they'd have Beacon Cottage on the label and the names of the hens ( these Lincolnshire folk need a bit of classical Greek education), and two would be pale blue, two would be white and two chocolate brown.
You don't need to do anything official for back door egg sale on a small scale, and you'd just tell people not to fuss about the tiny lumps of jelly in them that indicate life ( and not to pop them on the radiator either and forget about them)
It all sounds very romantic but the reality is me, my hens, my house, would become a lot less of a secret. I'm reeling with shock at the horror story of my new chicken friend, who lives just a few miles away. Her birds were clubbed to death by kids ( aged 10-14 - girls and boys) - they broke in at night and killed anything that was friendly, including the ducks, and rounded off the evening's entertainment by throwing rocks at the pigs. The pigs survived but were bruised and battered. At that time this lady had over 150 varieties of rare breed, making it one of the most diverse rare breeding farms in the UK, and some of the birds killed were the only example of type in the country. After that episode she built her stock back up, only to have most of them stolen (to order). In both cases it was very obvious who the miscreants were, but the police were unable to do anything. ( In the case of the kids they were too young, and in the case of the theft there was "insufficient evidence" - even though the breeder had actually found her stolen birds hidden on another property in the village)
All of which rambling tale is just to say that I'm filled with trepidation on embarking on any kind of business with my birds that involves members of the public just walking in.
Another option would be to find a deli to stock them - but then the birds would need to be registered with DEFRA, be salmonella vaccinated and stop snacking on bacon rind and lamb masala.
Which would you do?