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Unless you buy ready to lay pullets...
We have a 2500 hen layer operation here. We sell the majority of the eggs to an organic farmers' co-op in bulk. The extent of our work is caring for the hens and packing eggs, in bulk, for weekly pickup. The co-op handles processing, packaging, marketing and distribution.
You have a few options here. There is direct marketing which would involve selling from your premises, door to door sales routes, or farmer markets. There is retail marketing through small specialty stores or food cooperatives. It is unlikely you going to sell eggs to a local chain supermarket unless they have shelf space set aside for local products. Otherwise marketers usually pay "slot fees" for shelf space at the large stores.
While Urban Grower was close in that estimate, I see a few issues there. A large operation is generally not going to buy bagged feed. It will be ordered and delivered by the ton at a much lower cost. $4000 a year for medications? No medications here as we are organic. Grit and oyster shell? A good layer ration doesn't require much extra. Raising your own pullets? If you have extra facilities to do it. I generally consider that a separate enterprise.
We buy ready to lay pullets and put them into production for a year. At the end of the year they are sold to live markets or processors. We clean up, give everything a rest for two weeks (this helps to break the parasite cycle) and start over again. Keeping different ages of birds on the same property can be problematic for commercial production (especially in organic production) since there is never a chance to break any disease or parasite cycles and biosecurity can be difficult in such close proximity.
Here is what we did in 2010:
Sales (including bulk egg sales, direct egg sales, and spent hens) : $97,000
Feed: $40,000
Pullets: $15,000
Electric and Propane: $3200
Egg cartons for direct sales and other consumable supplies : $1600
Repairs and maintenance: $1200
Organic certification fees: $1100
Office expenses: $600
Farm Insurance: $1000
Farm Portion of property taxes: $1800
Profit: $31,500
This does not include the depreciated cost of $100,000 in facilities or the associated mortgage interest.
I also let the neighbors cut three acres of alfalfa for use on their farm in exchange for about 75 bales of alfalfa a year and occasional use of their skid steer for barn clean out.
You can see photos here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2328-wisconsin-layer-barn
