My Backyard Chicken Egg Business: A 5th Grader's Journey

Hi everyone! My name is Braylen, and I'm a fifth grader who started a chicken egg business right in my backyard. It all began as a fun idea to take care of a few chickens, but it turned into something much bigger. Here’s the story of how I went from a small coop to selling eggs to several streets in my neighborhood.

Getting Started

It all started when my parents got me five chickens for my birthday. We built a coop in the backyard, and I was super excited to take care of them. At first, it was just about feeding them, making sure they had water, and keeping the coop clean. But then I realized something amazing: chickens lay eggs almost every day! With five chickens, that was a lot of eggs.

One day, my mom suggested that I could sell the extra eggs to our neighbors. I thought it was a great idea, so I made a sign that said "Fresh Eggs for Sale" and put it at the end of our driveway. Soon enough, people started stopping by to buy eggs.

The Challenges

Running a chicken egg business wasn’t always easy, especially since I had school and homework. Here are some of the challenges I faced:

1. Early Mornings: Chickens wake up early, and so did I. Every morning before school, I had to collect the eggs, feed the chickens, and make sure they were okay. It was tough getting up early, but it taught me a lot about responsibility.
2. Finding Customers: At first, not many people knew about my eggs. I had to get creative. I made flyers and handed them out to my neighbors. I also asked my parents to post about my business on our neighborhood’s Facebook group. Slowly but surely, more people found out about my eggs.
3. Managing Money: I had to learn how to manage the money I made from selling eggs. My parents helped me open a savings account, and I started saving some of the money for college. I also had to reinvest some of it into the business, like buying more chicken feed and fixing the coop.

Scaling the Business

As more people found out about my eggs, I started getting regular customers. Soon, I was selling out of eggs almost every day. Here’s how I scaled my business:

1. Expanding the Coop: With my parents' help, we expanded the coop and got more chickens. This meant more eggs and more customers.
2. Delivery Service: I noticed that some of my customers had trouble coming to pick up the eggs, so I started a delivery service. After school, I would deliver eggs to houses on several streets in our neighborhood. I even got a wagon to make it easier to carry the eggs.
3. Building Relationships: I got to know my customers and what they liked. Some of them wanted a dozen eggs every week, while others preferred fewer. By understanding their needs, I made sure to always have the right amount of eggs for everyone.

The Successes

Running my chicken egg business has been a huge success. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Regular Customers: I now have regular customers who order eggs every week. It feels great to know that people love my eggs and rely on me for fresh, local eggs.
2. Learning Responsibility: Taking care of chickens and running a business has taught me a lot about responsibility. I have to make sure the chickens are healthy, the coop is clean, and the customers are happy.
3. Making Money: I’ve made a good amount of money from my business. I’ve saved a lot for college, and I even bought myself a new bike with some of the money I earned.
4. Community Support: The best part of my business has been the support from my community. People have been so kind and encouraging, and it makes me happy to know that they appreciate what I’m doing.

Conclusion

Running a chicken egg business as a fifth grader has been an incredible journey. It’s been challenging at times, but the hard work has paid off. I’ve learned so much about responsibility, money management, and customer service. Plus, I’ve made new friends in my neighborhood and helped provide fresh eggs to my community. If you have an idea and are willing to work hard, you can achieve great things—even as a fifth grader!