Can I sell the eggs from my chickens?

You have a few laying hens, but you don’t like to waste: what should you do with the excess eggs you can produce?

Abundance of good cannot harm, they say. In these times of inflation and high costs of living, having a chicken coop at home means you never run out of eggs for your recipes. But when you have too many to consume them all, what should you do? Can you sell them? Do you even have the right to give them away?

You have the right to give them

A priori, between relatives, friends, neighbors, family, nothing prevents you from sharing the fruit of the production of your chickens. Who would complain about a little fresh, local and quality produce? At this level, there is no restrictive framework to respect, the State and the administrations will not come to harass you. You can also make sure to keep them for the longer term. In fact, you can freeze eggs (separating the whites and yolks) as well as add them to frozen cooked meals.

Likewise, if you have other animals at home, eggs can be an excellent dietary supplement for them, rich in protein. All you have to do is cook them and add them to their usual bowl. The main thing, whatever it is, is to avoid any waste.

Very light rules

What if, despite this, you still have some left? You will then have to think about selling them, but that’s where everything gets complicated… a little! First, if you have less than 250 poultry at home (the opposite would be surprising, unless you are a breeder!), you have the right to sell the surplus eggs from your hens directly to individuals. Direct sales, at your home or in local markets, are authorized within a radius of 80 km around your production site.

In this case, there is no need to send your few excess eggs through an approved packaging center. On the other hand, for reasons of hygiene and control of origin, you will not have to sell them to traders or restaurateurs. However, there is no question of avoiding any paperwork: you will have to declare your egg sales activity to the DDCSPP (Departmental Directorate of Social Cohesion and Population Protection).

Chicken coop at home: declare your chickens to the town hall under penalty of a fine!

A simple statement

This declaration, via a Cerfa formmust be carried out before starting marketing of your surplus eggs. Good news: for once, this does not generate any special costs. You will thus obtain a producer code which you will have to indicate at each sale, but you will not be subject to the obligation to mark your eggs. You will be able to sell them in bulk, unglazed and uncalibrated to individuals.

What about the sale price? It can vary enormously, from 0.20 euros to 0.50 euros per egg, depending on the location and farming method (organic, free-range, etc.). If the income you earn from it remains very low, the income you earn from it could be exempt from tax. Always a little extra for the household budget!

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