So what'sit cost per egg?

[Moabite]

If you know please share. If you don't know, I'm working on a spreadsheet to track feed and maintenance costs along with daily egg production for up to 10 chickens by name. I got a lot of refining to do before I share, but if you have suggestions please comment.

The way it works is each day you enter the cost and weight of any feed you buy and maintenance costs then you enter the amount of eggs collected
for up to 10 groups (or ten chickens). As each day goes by, the spreadsheet becomes more accurate and allow you to see how efficient your chickens are.

 

[spartacus_63]

Currently my cost per egg is .12. There are programs available to do what you want to do. Although I am always looking to see what others use. There are even internet based programs. I use eggzy.net for some basic tracking.

 

[midget_farms]

I would be horrified to find out! The cost of the new coop, incubator, hatching eggs from the incubator + food. Ugh. I'll be 90 before I make any money on this.

That said - this is my year to break even I hope. I don't need to buy to much besides food this year.

I usually free range. I didn't at first, but figured out they wont run away. In any case - my feed bill is almost non-existant during bug season. So at least then I know i'm doing OK.

 

[Moabite]

Twelve cents is much less then I've attained. I've decided to start in mid production because if my wife knew how much I've spent on those crazy birds, I'd be roosting with them.

I've been wondering for a while if the price is worth it and the answer is "depends". I would save money buying mass produced eggs at the market. But if you want healthy, happy, chicken eggs, the only way is to do it yourself, grow-yer-own. Besides, I get fertilizer and pest control as an added bonus not to mention the high quality entertainment and affection. Nonetheless, I still want to keep records of my flock to see how things work out over time.

Its up and running, but it seems to develop glitches whenever I turn my head. I'm blaming the software. After I work out the bugs I will share.

 

[kla37]

Figuring in the cost of the coop, I don't want to know!!!

Don't care though, I love them and they have been so much fun!

 

[Olive Hill]

If I don't include labor my eggs are incredibly affordable. If I do include labor... they're moderately reasonable.

Make sure you're using numbers for all inputs as well as all applicable products. I, personally, calculate the approximate cost per hen to raise from egg to 18 months (which is when I cull) and then approximate the average hen's egg productivity over the course of that span. Divide the total cost of raising each hen -- minus the worth of any other products she produced, e.g. we make sausage out of them, manure for fertilizer, etc. -- by the number of eggs she produces and you have your cost per egg. Multiply by twelve and you have your cost per dozen.

Of course lots of people leave out quite a bit of the real costs of raising chickens when doing this and that helps make it easier to swallow.

Keep in mind in addition to feed there is also electricity to run the bator, (or the original cost of the chick) the heat lamps for the brooder, any lights you may run for winter heat or productivity, the water pump on the well to draw water for drinking and cleaning, the cost of bedding the coop, gas to and from the feed store, as well as gas for any equipment you use on the farm to move feed, bedding, compost, etc related to the chickens, your labor -- it may be a fraction of a minute per day per chicken but over the course of a hen's life, even if you're culling at 18 months, that can add up. Each hen even has the cost of one egg worked into her overall cost since you had to use one of the eggs produced to hatch her. Lots of things that are very easy to forget or overlook. Equipment is also an expense, but if you're raising many chickens over the course of the years the amortization of those costs can make it quite affordable per bird. I may spend $1000 on a coop, but if, over the years I house 10,000 birds in it, it only really costs $0.01 per bird. Yes, a waterer is $30 but if I bring up thousands of birds on that waterer over the years it's not nearly as expensive per bird.

Of course, for the average suburban family just wanting pets and eggs 10,000 birds over the years is an obnoxious thought. Even if they cull at 18 months every single time and replace the birds as they go somewhere around 100 birds over the span of 20-30 years is probably more likely. So for those people, it's going to be MUCH more expensive.

 

[midget_farms]

If I were to calculate it - I would use the depreciated cost of my coop as classified on my tax return. Once depreciated out I wouldn't include the cost any longer.

That is the accepted way businesses determine profit etc.

But like I said - I don't think I want to know!

I'm happing with knowing I am up or down for the year based on what I sell vs. what I spend. but don't want to know what each egg costs me!

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
There are many acceptable methods of depreciation. The above described is one -- unit of production depreciation -- that is applicable to assets whose useful life will see a finite number of units produced; such as equipment or facilities used to produce a given number of chickens. In this case, it simply gives a quicker and easier route to the final amount. You could use other methods of depreciation but in order to come to a final cost of coop per egg you're going to have to end up dividing your totals by the number of eggs produced anyway -- either during the period over which you depreciated or the projected useful life of the coop depending on the method of depreciation used. Starting with a unit of production depreciation on a per hen basis just cuts out the middle man and gives a more accurate depiction of the per egg costs to aid in better price point setting.