How to calculate how much eggs are costing?

[Circle W Farms]

I am trying to figure out how much a dozen eggs cost me to produce. Does anyone know how to do this? I am thinking that you could monitor how much feed is fed per week and how many eggs I get in that same length of time. I don't know how to calculate the numbers or if that will give me what I want. What do ya'll think?

 

[CCUK]

Just tried to figure this out my self. I've head ache now! I think you would have to include the cost of everything that you spend on them including how much they cost add it all together then work out over a period of time and how many eggs you get say 100 eggs the compare how much it costs for the equivalent at a store at regular price. I'm losing my head. Something like that. It is cheaper to buy them but the fulfilment you have from getting your own is priceless!

 

[RUNuts]

Health benefits of REALLY fresh eggs = priceless.
Taste, consistency, umami = really priceless.
Having a large group of hot chicks that will follow you everywhere and literally eat out of your hand, I mean, what an ego boost!

100# feed is $27/month
Treats, supplements, oyster shell, grit = maybe $10 a month?
Housing = depends of the amortization schedule. Call it a hobby = $0
Your time = a psychiatrist charges $100/hour, so?

17 chickens is roughly 100 eggs per week over the first year from point of lay. If from chicks for the first 6 months, no eggs, but you have housing and feed. Keep it simple.

$37/month for 400 eggs is $4.44 a dozen eggs.

If you add psychiatric consultations for, call it 1 hour a week, that is +$400/month. It actually pays you to keep chickens. Think of all the money we will save!

You will not get rich from selling eggs. But your mental health will be awesome. I'm surprised they don't have more coops in mental institutions.

From the nut house,
RUNuts...

 

[Kiki]

I am trying to figure out how much a dozen eggs cost me to produce. Does anyone know how to do this? I am thinking that you could monitor how much feed is fed per week and how many eggs I get in that same length of time. I don't know how to calculate the numbers or if that will give me what I want. What do ya'll think?

Depends on what you consider "costs."
Are you just wanting to calculate the price of the feed you buy vs the number of eggs you get per month?

 

[BantyChooks]

Depends on what you consider "costs."
Are you just wanting to calculate the price of the feed you buy vs the number of eggs you get per month?

x2. I calculate shavings, feed, any supplements bought, and that's it. Housing is separate; it'd cost me $100 a dozen if I factored that in!

My last estimate was that it cost me 3.50 a dozen, but that was last summer when I actually was getting eggs. I am sure my average is now closer to 4.50. Ouch.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Don't forget to figure depreciation on your physical plant, prorate the property taxes, and gas going to and from the feed store, etc.

 

[BantyChooks]

Don't forget to figure depreciation on your physical plant, prorate the property taxes, and gas going to and from the feed store, etc.

Why would you do that? The goal here is to come up with the lowest number possible so you can point to it when your spouse complains about how much chickens cost.

 

[aart]

I am trying to figure out how much a dozen eggs cost me to produce. Does anyone know how to do this? I am thinking that you could monitor how much feed is fed per week and how many eggs I get in that same length of time.

Instead of going by week I go by 'bag cycle'...how long it takes them to go thru a full bag of feed.

I've kept a spreadsheet file for the 4+ years I've kept chickens.
Luckily I am fairly good with spread sheets,
tho there were some adjustments at first to get it to do what I wanted.

I do daily egg count on one sheet with cost of feed,
calculating number of eggs collected for the duration of feed bag consumption.
Another sheet has eggs sold, using same duration of time.
Money collected for sales is linked to first sheet,
which gives me profit or loss based on feed/egg sales for each bag cycle.

Another sheet I record all supplies and other purchases/sales of birds and just eyeball annually. I came out $40 in the hole last year, but egg sales cover feed annually.
I do not figure in cost of coop/run, incubators, brooders...that's the hobby part.

 

[PirateGirl]

I like what @aart says about bag cycle. Start a new bag of food, save receipt or write down the price, start a tally of how many eggs you get until the bag is gone, then you can get a basic calculation of how much you are spending on a dozen eggs. You can even add a new bag of oyster grit and/or bedding at the same time if that's something you purchase. Depending how much food your flock goes through a week this method may or may not take you some time. For me a 50lb bag lasts about a month, which would give me a more accurate calculation than a week because it would factor in the girl occasionally not laying.

 

[Kiki]

You can make daily tally marks on a calendar....a BYC calendar that is hanging in the kitchen.
Collect eggs for the day and mark them immediately on said calendar.