Do you still buy eggs from the stores ?

[BruceAZ]

we still have another 5-8 weeks to go so..

$3.66 for 18 eggs(caged eggs) (EB brand).

organic feed is kind of expensive $30 for a 30 lb bag

buyer club price $27.45 for a 50lb bag

How long before we can break even with the up front costs of raising chickens

even if we can use $5/dozen for organic eggs ?

 

[whimzy]

I'm not sure breaking even in the calculus for me. I have been keeping chickens for just three years and was selling my eggs for $5.00 a dozen. 19 hens, 100 lbs of organic/non soy feed per month that i have to ship in @ $80 for an average of ~15 dozen eggs per month = just over $5.00 per dozen. Also does not include cost of chicks, six months of feed to get them to laying age or labor and infrastructure.

However, breaking even has not been the motivation for me. I wanted high quality fresh eggs and that is what i get from my hens. No arsenic, or soy proteins, high in omega 3 and other nutrients from eating lots of greens. Everyone who has had them has commented how wonderful they are compared to the expensive store bought organic eggs($7/doz).

Selling eggs has also not been my goal, only selling the excess that we can't use between my husband and teenager plus the households of our three adult children.

I imagine everyones motivation is different for keeping laying hens, this is what works for us.

 

[FridayYet]

we still have another 5-8 weeks to go so..

$3.66 for 18 eggs(caged eggs) (EB brand).

organic feed is kind of expensive $30 for a 30 lb bag

buyer club price $27.45 for a 50lb bag

How long before we can break even with the up front costs of raising chickens

even if we can use $5/dozen for organic eggs ?

For me? Never.

I spend about the same as you for organic/non-soy feed. We eat a lot of eggs, but give away a lot more to neighbors.

As I told my husband, the first dozen eggs costs about 3 grand. After that, they're all free.

 

[BruceAZ]

I'm not sure breaking even in the calculus for me. I have been keeping chickens for just three years and was selling my eggs for $5.00 a dozen. 19 hens, 100 lbs of organic/non soy feed per month that i have to ship in @ $80 for an average of ~15 dozen eggs per month = just over $5.00 per dozen. Also does not include cost of chicks, six months of feed to get them to laying age or labor and infrastructure.

However, breaking even has not been the motivation for me. I wanted high quality fresh eggs and that is what i get from my hens. No arsenic, or soy proteins, high in omega 3 and other nutrients from eating lots of greens. Everyone who has had them has commented how wonderful they are compared to the expensive store bought organic eggs($7/doz).

Selling eggs has also not been my goal, only selling the excess that we can't use between my husband and teenager plus the households of our three adult children.

I imagine everyones motivation is different for keeping laying hens, this is what works for us.

i learned my lesson.. this is the first time for me so we started with baby chicks.. next time we will start with pullets

a baby chick is $3.50 .. a pullet $7 ?

it will save time+labor+cost

$7/dozen for organic eggs? that' a bit more expensive than here.. what about free range eggs?

For me? Never.

I spend about the same as you for organic/non-soy feed. We eat a lot of eggs, but give away a lot more to neighbors.

As I told my husband, the first dozen eggs costs about 3 grand. After that, they're all free.

good thing it didn't get to that mark.. about $220 for me (5 chickens)..

i hope for some rain so my grass will grow back for some free feed..

 

[FridayYet]

i learned my lesson.. this is the first time for me so we started with baby chicks.. next time we will start with pullets

a baby chick is $3.50 .. a pullet $7 ?

it will save time+labor+cost

$7/dozen for organic eggs? that' a bit more expensive than here.. what about free range eggs?





good thing it didn't get to that mark.. about $220 for me (5 chickens)..

i hope for some rain so my grass will grow back for some free feed..

LOL

It was just a random number I answered him with when he asked how much all this was going to cost. Clearing the area, lumber, hardware cloth, hardware, windows, automatic pop door, brooding supplies, feeders, waterers, first aid kit, wood shavings, PDZ.

Oh, and some chickens. Then we moved, had to reconfigure a shed and carport into a coop and run. bought a good incubator, expensive hatching eggs, etc.

The chickens were the cheap part.

 

[whimzy]

Well actually that's $7 for pastured, organic eggs. Kroger sell organic eggs for just under $5 but that doesn't exclude soy nor or they really free range.

 

[BruceAZ]

Well actually that's $7 for pastured, organic eggs. Kroger sell organic eggs for just under $5 but that doesn't exclude soy nor or they really free range.

kroger also sell eggs?

i saw their logos on cereal boxes around here.. didn't know they also sell eggs..

$4.97 ? for a dozen of organic eggs

if you are feeding your chickens organic, non-gmo, non-corn,soy,canola.. how much can you charge for a dozen ? same price? or a bit more would be ok?

 

[FridayYet]

kroger also sell eggs?

i saw their logos on cereal boxes around here.. didn't know they also sell eggs..

$4.97 ? for a dozen of organic eggs

if you are feeding your chickens organic, non-gmo, non-corn,soy,canola.. how much can you charge for a dozen ? same price? or a bit more would be ok?

Depends on your market. If you are near an affluent area, it's easier to get higher prices for higher quality.

 

[whimzy]

Kroger is a major grocery chain in the midwest, i believe they also own albertsons out west as well as other regional chains.

Quote:

 

[whimzy]

Oops most of my reply got deleted.

Yes, if i wanted to sell at certain farmers markets in the area i could get more, however the extra expense would likely consume the additional income. Also i would need to expand a lot to supply a farm stand, i've seen some sell 10-12 trays of 144 eggs in a morning, I don't even want to figure out how many hens i would need for that.

i keep enough hens to supply us with plenty of eggs during the winter, but we get so many more than we can use during the spring and summer. We know of many families who request any extra eggs when we have them. They really appreciate the quality and i recoup the cost of production for those we can't use