Denise: Over the past four to six weeks we’ve made our first forays into selling eggs for hatching on ebay auctions.  Generally offered as half-dozens, sent in specially moulded polystyrene ‘boxes’ – so-called polyboxes. From a starting price of £3.99, Welsumers have reached as much about £5.50; Buff Orpingtons do better at up to £13.50 (both plus p+p).  The season for such sales is very short, as laying in numbers only really starts in mid January, and by now (late February) even the laziest ill-fed flocks are starting to feel a spring in their step, and the market becomes flooded. Even so a sale at the starting price of £3.99 is still twice what we get for ordinary egg sales, though for quite a bit more work. The same works for the geese: these eggs are sold in 4s, and our Embdens have reached £20 for four (plus p+p).  But again the window of opportunity between demand and supply is very limited both in numbers and time. The extra income (perhaps £150 to £200) is very welcome – especially as feed has gone up by more than 35% in six months!