The problem with most folks' perception of the cost of backyard eggs is: using an unfair and unrealistic business model.
In a true business model, the startup cost of things such as buildings (coop, nestboxes), equipment (feeders, waterers, etc), the animals, are amortized over their useful life. If you filed farm taxes, that's what your accountant would do!
It's unfair to the process/chickens/grower(you) to assign the full cost of startup to the first week's eggs, first month's eggs, even first year's egg, etc. SoooOOOooo....this is how I see it in a realistic business model:
For those following along, we will be adding these cost as we progress through each step. You can easily substitute your own actual numbers into these calculations.
For those not willing to do this much math, then you should stop talking about the "imagined" cost of your eggs. It's a good exercise for anyone to figure these costs out.
1) cost of layers
Raised from chicks
$3.00 per chick (hatchery ordered, feed store,
TSC, etc.)
First 8 weeks - 4 lb feed/bird X 22.5¢/LB = 90¢ (based on $11.25 for 50 LBS chick starter)
Weeks 9-20 feed - 12 lb/bird X 23¢/LB = $2.76
Total cost to 20 weeks - $3.00/chick + $0.90 + $2.76 feed costs = $6.67
A mature, decent laying hen will lay an average 5 eggs/week - that's a 71% lay. (More in Summer and less in Winter, but that's an average.)
We'll also allow her 5 weeks to molt each year - leaving 47 weeks to lay.
Total eggs/year = 235
With an effective laying age of 2 years = 470 eggs or 39.17 dozen eggs
We do not keep our hens past 2 1/2 years (for most). We also cull birds that lay less than 5 eggs/week in Summer. You may have to adjust this cost if you have different practices.
We also sell older layers for $5.00 each and recoop most of this cost, but I'll leave that out.
$6.67 cost of hen / 39.17 dozen = 17¢ cost of layer per dozen
2) cost of feed
We feed 20% layer pellets @ a cost of 23¢ per pound.
Allowing .33 lbs/hen/day (Very generous. We also free range, feed garden 'waste', etc. They actually eat less feed, but let's err on the side of "high cost")
23¢ LB X .33 Lb per day = 7.5¢ per day feed cost
7.5¢ X 7 days = 53¢ Feed cost/hen/week
For that, a mature hen will lay 5 eggs per week. We'll asign a cost then of 11¢ per egg, or $1.32 per dozen feed cost
Total thus far:
$1.32 per dozen feed cost
0.17 per dozen layer cost
------
$1.49
3) cost of equipment
We keep a laying flock of ~30 hens (We have over twice that many chickens on the property, but I'll use the one larger coop/flock for this example.)
$14.00 2 waterers
$12.00 2 feeders
------
$26.00
$26.00 / 5 years effective life = $5.20 per year
During that time, from 30 layers, we will collect
19.58 dozen/layer/year X 30 layers = 587.4 dozen
$5.20 / 587.4 dozen = .01 per dozen
Total thus far:
$1.32 per dozen feed cost
0.17 per dozen layer cost
.01 per dozen equipment cost
------
$1.50
4) cost of coop
We used alot of free, recycled materials, but we did buy $300 in chicken wire and other supplies to contain the pastured area, add some shingles, hinges, nest boxes, etc.
$300 / 10 years effective life = $30.00 per year
$30.00 / 587.4 dozen = .05 per dozen
Total thus far:
$1.32 per dozen feed cost
0.17 per dozen layer cost
.01 per dozen equipment cost
.05 per dozen coop cost
------
$1.55
We sell our eggs for an average $2.50 per dozen.
Those we eat cost the $1.55. "Comparable" free range, organic grocery eggs here at $3.69 - 4.25/dozen but not truly the same high quality of ours.
My time? For the 12.5 dozen eggs from 30 layers, I bring in $11.88 profit (birds, feed, and everything covered). I spend only 30 minutes per day tending the 30 layers & coop or 3.5 hours/week. Not a high hourly wage, but honestly, they bring us alot of other business in hatching eggs, pullet sales, meat sales, etc. Plenty of folks and their children waste more than 3.5 hrs//week in front of the TV!
And all this does not credit the excellent compost/fertilizer and bug control we get as side benefits.
