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Think about who is going to buy your products. Perhaps you specialize in a specific chicken breed and feel you can market it to high end restaurants in your area. Or, you may be able to sell eggs at a lower price than your competitor. Do some research and visit your local farmer’s markets to see what types of eggs and meats are selling. You should also look at the menus of local restaurants and see if you can fill a gap in their supplies. You should also think about how you are going to get your products to your target audience. If your target audience seems to be more at local farmer’s markets, you should have all the supplies necessary to package and sell your products. If your target audience seems to be more in restaurants or the dining industry, you may need to consider using a nearby processing plant that is USDA-approved to ensure you can fulfill large orders for these clients. To turn a profit with your farm, you will need to focus on marketing your products to local food vendors and suppliers in your area. This will allow you to turn a bigger profit, selling larger units of your products, and to build working relationships with your buyers. Get the word out by advertising your products online and using local online databases that are setup to connect buyers with local farms.  You can also create a Facebook page for your farm and update it regularly with announcements and photographs of the farm. This can act as free marketing for you and allow you to connect to buyers outside of your local area. You may want to consider creating business cards and a business website for your farm. This will allow you to advertise your farm and keep your customers informed on changes or updates in your products. Many chicken farmers will focus on local customers and sell their products at farmer’s markets in their area. This is a good option for beginning farms as it usually requires a very short travel time and you can build a customer base every week at the same markets. Your products should be properly labeled, with your farm logo or name, and notes on being locally farmed and preservative free. If you use organic feed for your chickens or if you pasture your chickens, you should also note this on the packaging. This will entice customers who are health conscious and environmentally conscious to buy your products. After several weeks to months of selling your products to your target audience, you should re evaluate your chickens. Note if one product from one chicken breed is selling more than the same product from a different chicken breed. Consider adjusting your chicken selection so you have more chickens who produce eggs and meat that sell well. This will ensure your farm is sustainable and responding to the needs of your customers.
Consider your target audience. Advertise online to potential buyers. Sell your products at local farmer’s markets. Adjust your chicken selection based on the sales of your products.