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What does one egg really cost you?

Feed is only part of it. Add the bedding, the treats, the birds that don't lay, and the coop and hens themselves. Put in your own numbers and see your true cost per egg and per dozen, how it compares with the shop, and what to charge if you sell.

Any currency, kg or lb Counts setup costs, not just feed Your numbers stay on your device
Weight

Starting numbers are only examples. Change them to yours; everything updates as you type.

Your flock

Who eats, and who lays

eggs

Roosters, retired hens and growing pullets count as other birds. For eggs, use a typical week across the year, not your best one.

Feed

Usually the biggest cost

kg
g
%

A laying hen eats about 115 g of layer feed a day, a little more in cold weather. Open feeders can lose 10% or more.

Running costs

The small things that add up

/ month
/ month
/ month
/ month
/ year

Setup costs

Spread over the years they last

Optional
years
years

Compare with the shop

The eggs you'd buy instead

/ dozen

Compare like with like: backyard eggs are closest to free-range or organic eggs.

Eggs a year–
Eggs per hen per week–
Feed cost per egg–
To break even, sell at–

Your numbers change every week.

Flockwell logs eggs in one tap and keeps your feed bills and egg sales, so each month shows what came in and what went out.

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Free cost per egg calculator by Flockwell, the farm and flock tracker.

How we work out your cost per egg

Most calculators stop at feed. Feed matters most, but a coop that cost hundreds and birds that eat without laying change the answer. We add it up in three steps.

1

Monthly running cost

Feed for every bird you keep, laying or not, plus bedding, grit, treats, health and the small extras.

2

Plus setup, spread out

The coop divided by the years it lasts, and the hens divided by their good laying years. That's what they cost you each month.

3

Divided by your eggs

The monthly total divided by the eggs you collect in a month gives the cost of one egg. Twelve of those is your dozen.

Worked example: 6 hens, 28 eggs a week

Feed: 6 hens × 0.25 lb a day, $22 per 50 lb bag$20.09 / month
Bedding $6, grit $2, treats $3, other $1, health $24 a year$14.00 / month
Coop $400 over 8 years, hens $60 over 3 years$5.83 / month
Eggs: 28 a week121.8 / month
True cost per egg ($39.92 ÷ 121.8)$0.33 · $3.93 a dozen

Without the setup costs the same eggs cost $0.28 each, or $3.36 a dozen. Against $4.50 for a dozen free-range eggs, these hens save about $69 a year.

What makes backyard eggs expensive

Four things move the number more than anything else.

Feed price and waste

Feed is usually more than half the cost. A treadle or no-spill feeder and a bigger bag often save more than any other change.

The slow months

Shorter days and the autumn molt cut laying, sometimes to nothing for weeks. A summer-only count makes eggs look cheaper than they are.

Birds that don't lay

Roosters, older hens and growing pullets eat the same feed. Keeping them is often worth it, but their share lands on every egg.

Hen age and breed

Hybrid layers can top 280 eggs in their first year; many heritage breeds lay far fewer. Most hens lay less each year after their second.

Questions

How much does a backyard egg cost?

It depends mostly on what you pay for feed and how well your hens lay. In the worked example above, six hens laying 28 eggs a week cost about 28 cents an egg to run, and about 33 cents once the coop and hens are spread over their working life. Small flocks, expensive feed and the winter slowdown push it up; a big, young, well-laying flock pulls it down.

How much does a chicken eat per day?

A laying hen eats about a quarter of a pound (110 to 120 grams) of layer feed a day, a little more in cold weather. Large breeds eat more and bantams less. Free-ranging birds may eat less bought feed.

How many eggs does a hen lay?

A young hybrid layer can lay 250 to 300 eggs in her first year; many heritage breeds lay 150 to 250. Laying slows as days shorten, stops for a few weeks during the molt, and drops a little more each year as hens age.

Is it cheaper to keep chickens than to buy eggs?

Sometimes. Backyard eggs usually beat the price of free-range or organic eggs, but they often cost more than the cheapest caged eggs once you count the coop and the slow months. Many keepers do it for the freshness, the garden compost and the birds themselves, and the savings are a bonus.

What should I charge for my eggs?

At least your full cost per dozen, including setup costs, so every carton pays its way. The calculator shows this as your break-even price. Then look at what local farm stands charge. Rules for selling eggs vary by country and state, so check yours first.

Why did my hens stop laying?

The most common reasons are shorter days, the autumn molt, age, stress (a predator scare, a move, new birds), heat, broodiness, or a diet low in protein or calcium. A daily egg count makes it easy to see when the drop started and what changed. Our guide to why hens stop laying walks through each cause.

Do you save the numbers I type?

No. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. If you copy the link to your numbers, they're stored only in that link.

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Know your cost every month, not just today.

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