Cost of a dozen eggs

[heybarb]

We were heading out of town for Thanksgiving to see my family, so I decided to take 2 doz eggs with me. My mom was very excited to see the eggs and said that while visiting my brother in northern California, that they paid $4 for a dozen eggs. I almost laughed out loud! We just started with chickens in March and have built a coop ($400), bought the chicks, heat lamp, food and watering containers, and lots and lots of chick starter, then chicken layer, scratch, and mealworms and we've even tried organic food for a while. I think our eggs cost about $75 per dozen!! I suppose that over time our average price per dozen will begin to go down, but I can't imagine recouping all our money!! And that doesn't even count all the time we've spent!!

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for the world as my kids love them and I do too, but it sure did make me laugh!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with you. They say the first egg costs thousands and after that they're free.
We both know that's an exaggeration (at least on the back end). It's nearly impossible to break even or make money on eggs or meat unless you have hundreds of birds.
When I have over 40 layers I can sell enough eggs at $3/doz. to provide for all the birds and eggs for us. No profit though.

 

[missnu01]

I get enough eggs for one omelet for one person a week...2 if I split the omelet between the kids...so a dozen of my eggs will take a month and would be invaluable...lol.

 

[missnu01]

There is a guy by our house that sells his eggs for 1.50 a dozen...that is cheaper than the store, but he is feeding his chickens something weird...all the eggs taste strange...not bad necessarily, but just not very good ya know...kind of a weird bitter taste. The guy that sells the eggs jokes about how he doesn't know what the guy with the chickens feeds them, but that they lay like crazy...

 

[OldGuy43]

I agree with you. They say the first egg costs thousands and after that they're free.
We both know that's an exaggeration (at least on the back end). It's nearly impossible to break even or make money on eggs or meat unless you have hundreds of birds.
When I have over 40 layers I can sell enough eggs at $3/doz. to provide for all the birds and eggs for us. No profit though.

No offense meant, but what are you feeding your birds, caviar? OldGal and I have had our flock of 12 for about two years and have not had to put any money into the "chicken fund" since after about 3-4 months. The chickens even paid for the ducklings and occasionally buy a tank of gas for the pickup. (Our rational is that they do use some gas going to get their food and stuff.) We get free eggs and they pay for everything they need. Food, oyster shell, waterers, the duck pond and whatever. If it's in the coop they paid for it. The only thing they don't get charged for is our labor.

Our startup costs weren't near as high as your quoting either. As near as we can recall they were less than $500. The girls themselves cost us $120 and the rest I either had on hand or built out of scrap lumber and pallet wood.

I know you can show a profit with a small flock since there is about $100 in the egg money coffee can right now and they have plenty of feed in the storage box.