What does a dozen eggs REALLY cost to produce?

[BacktoBasicsGal]

It is mind blowing (showing my age by using that term, eh? LOL) that people are so short sighted and cheap with what they eat. I guess most folks don't pay attention since I see people all the time zipping through the store, grabbing stuff that they eat and are feeding their kids and don't look at the ingredients. Food stuff that have additives/garbage like azodicarbonamide as an ingredient. They don't even pause to think what that is they are ingesting or giving their kids. Those must be the people who complain about price vs quality - uninformed and uneducated about what they are ingesting.

Farm fresh, well-cared for, family raised, bug-eating, dirt scratching, spoiled hens laying those golden gems for us verses jam-packed, artificial lit, given 2' of space, unhappy chickens that produce pale yolks and low-quality eggs....Yep, those folks can save their dollar.

(azodicarbonamide is used in plastics manufacturing as a blowing agent - it is used in floor padding, plastic mats, and maybe because they use it in the manufacturing of yoga mats, they are confusing it for a healthy additive? LOL This additive is banned in other countries but not here.)

 

[BacktoBasicsGal]

I am with you on eating more eggs. They are a great source of protein, healthy, and taste great. What's not to love about that?

 

[BacktoBasicsGal]

No one can compete with big ag; they can cram 100,000 girls in a building, give them a couple of feet of floor space, put the feeders inside with waterers, cut a hole in the building that goes out to a concrete slab and call those eggs for sale - cage free - Those eggs come from unhappy, miserable hens that in turn produce poor quality, pale eggs with no real flavor. But hey, people make choices and a lot of the choices they make are based on being uninformed and uneducated on what they are eating. That's why McDonald's and Taco Bell are packed at lunchtime. 12 farm Fresh Eggs at $5.00 = 42 each egg Farm Fresh, Superior Eggs Like Filet Mignon and a Dozen Store Bought at $3.49 = .29 each egg so for .13 cents an egg these folks are making that choice - Simply amazing isn't it?

(I will now go and do my chicken dance because I have chickens and I get farm fresh, top quality, fresh eggs from them! LOL

 

[BacktoBasicsGal]

That would be great for people that sell their eggs to know and add to their cartons. It's like everything else, value has to be perceived and a lot of people don't know how lucky they are to be able to buy eggs from a small farm/local source from chickens that get to be real chickens and do chicken things all day....

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Milk prices here are alot cheaper then that all but one brand that i know of is 3 dollars a gallon. The one brand that 3 for half a gallon is promise land milk (thats the highest quallity milk around it is so good) the milk my friend was buying outside of being fresh from a cow wasnt very good quality. And for her family(four girls, two adults and a baby on the way) it was extremely expensive for them. I might be an odd ball but when a cow makes 12 gallons a day and you have extra then why sell it at such a high price. I grow veggies and have fresh eggs, my veggies i give away when we have extra and i will be doing the same with my eggs. Cows around here are cheap so we looking in to getting our own and i will be doing the same with that milk. I realize it takes alot of work and depending on the health of the animal some money and thats fine but i just whether give it to people i know that need it then sale it at such a high cost that they can only afford a gallon a month. My friend a stah mom like i am and the budget like we do so there is only a certian amount alotted for food.

 

[BuffaloridaGirl]

I actually pro-rated the cost of my coop, the fencing, electricity, feed, property taxes, insurance, etc but did not include the waterers, feeders, the alfalfa racks, the solar lights, cleaning solutions, etc. (I put how I figured the costs on my blog, it's a lengthy post.)  I just wanted something I could hand them when I go to pick up my $4.00 which I am going to collect!  I am amazed at how some folks think or should I say, don't think!  Once you figure out what the costs actually are, it may really surprise you!

Your breakdown was quite impressive! Made me actually realize how too generous I have been with my divorce once I saw you even included property taxes!! I probably wasn't even close to the true cost of how much I actually spend raising our 2 kids. (I deserve much much more than what I am planning on settling for!!)

I suppose the enjoyment of taking care of the chickens makes the bottom line well worth it for our families. But I will certainly think twice next time someone asks me for eggs.

 

[beginnergirl]

I got chickens for pest control, manure and as pets. So I never planned on selling eggs- just giving them away. Now I have several neighbors who want to buy eggs, but only 3 pullets. Maybe I could sell one dozen a week or every other week. I only use 3 eggs a week but they are delicious!!! I will only be able to share occasional eggs as too many people want them.

The cheapest eggs here in the store are $2.79; OG free range are as much as $6. After seeing the HORRIBLE conditions "cage free" hens endure, I am sorry for years I always thought the hens were outside scratching around.

Too bad that some people don't appreciate the difference in healthier tastier eggs and factory eggs. But I just learned that this year. But I don't want to calculate my costs as I spent much more on my coop than I had planned. Going to replace a couple of sections of fencing. Maybe build a tractor.... so more costs in the future for me!

 

[BacktoBasicsGal]

I am with you helping out other folks in need. I give eggs to my family members and 2 elderly ladies that really appreciate getting them. The one lady tells me everytime I drop them off how much they remind her of her childhood and how good they are. It's nice that they appreciate the eggs being fresh and from "farm chickens". They know they are so much better than store-bought.

 

[BacktoBasicsGal]

That's how I felt, I don't care what the hens cost, I look at the eggs as healthier for us and the hens as pets the eggs are a huge bonus. I have no idea what my 3 dogs cost me a year for heartworm, shots, nail trimmings, grooming, ear medications, organic flea control, toys, treats, food, housing, etc either and they don't give me anything edible just brown piles of poo! LOL Just one jerk compelled me to try and figure it out. Too bad for them, they won't ever get another anything from us!

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Lol yup they do and it feels nice to help someone else. I think thats the way God designed us to be like.