Raise laying hens for fresh, pasture-raised eggs. Local eggs with orange yolks from happy hens command premium prices from health-conscious consumers.
Consider these related business ideas and specializations:
Raise laying hens for fresh, pasture-raised eggs. Local eggs with orange yolks from happy hens command premium prices from health-conscious consumers.
Consider these related business ideas and specializations:
San Juan Islands-specific considerations for this business:
Test this idea before investing heavily:
Start with 6-8 laying hens using a basic coop setup. Sell extra eggs to friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
How much work is daily chicken care? Do you enjoy the animals? How quickly can you sell your surplus? What's your actual production rate?
You have a waiting list for eggs and people are asking if you can supply them regularly.
Expected startup and operating expenses:
Areas where quality investment pays off:
One raccoon visit can kill your entire flock in a night—hardware cloth and secure latches are insurance
Good enough: 1/2" hardware cloth on all openings; secure latches raccoons can't open; no chicken wire (predators tear through it)
Egg production and quality depend directly on nutrition—cheap feed means fewer eggs with pale yolks
Good enough: Commercial layer feed with 16-18% protein; organic if you want to claim organic eggs
Sick birds or poor genetics mean low production and possible disease spread to your flock
Good enough: Local hatchery or established breeder; avoid Craigslist birds of unknown origin
Areas where cost-cutting makes sense:
Financial timing and planning notes:
Strategies to reduce risk and increase odds of success:
Join shomby today and start selling to your local community. We provide the platform—you bring the passion.
We build shomby around your business—not the other way around. If there's a feature, integration, or tool that would help your eggs & poultry products business succeed, we want to hear about it.
Grow and sell fresh, local vegetables directly to consumers. Even a backyard garden can produce significant income when focused on high-value crops with strong local demand.
Grow beautiful blooms for bouquets, events, and subscriptions. Local flowers offer freshness, unique varieties, and sustainability that imported flowers can't match.
Propagate and sell plants, from vegetable starts to ornamentals. Spring seedling sales and year-round houseplant demand create multiple revenue streams.
San Juan Islands-specific considerations for this business:
Test this idea before investing heavily:
Start with 6-8 laying hens using a basic coop setup. Sell extra eggs to friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
How much work is daily chicken care? Do you enjoy the animals? How quickly can you sell your surplus? What's your actual production rate?
You have a waiting list for eggs and people are asking if you can supply them regularly.
Expected startup and operating expenses:
Areas where quality investment pays off:
One raccoon visit can kill your entire flock in a night—hardware cloth and secure latches are insurance
Good enough: 1/2" hardware cloth on all openings; secure latches raccoons can't open; no chicken wire (predators tear through it)
Egg production and quality depend directly on nutrition—cheap feed means fewer eggs with pale yolks
Good enough: Commercial layer feed with 16-18% protein; organic if you want to claim organic eggs
Sick birds or poor genetics mean low production and possible disease spread to your flock
Good enough: Local hatchery or established breeder; avoid Craigslist birds of unknown origin
Areas where cost-cutting makes sense:
Financial timing and planning notes:
Strategies to reduce risk and increase odds of success:
Join shomby today and start selling to your local community. We provide the platform—you bring the passion.
We build shomby around your business—not the other way around. If there's a feature, integration, or tool that would help your eggs & poultry products business succeed, we want to hear about it.
Grow and sell fresh, local vegetables directly to consumers. Even a backyard garden can produce significant income when focused on high-value crops with strong local demand.
Grow beautiful blooms for bouquets, events, and subscriptions. Local flowers offer freshness, unique varieties, and sustainability that imported flowers can't match.
Propagate and sell plants, from vegetable starts to ornamentals. Spring seedling sales and year-round houseplant demand create multiple revenue streams.