How much profit can you make from selling eggs, and is it worth it?
Well I'd have to ask you a couple questions first before I answer
#1 - What value do you put on being self-sustaining for your family and knowing where your food is coming from?
#2 - How much joy do you currently have in your life and can you make room for more?
I know for me and my family, you can't put a price on being able to provide from the the land, the livestock, and just the peace of mind knowing what I feed them, the fact that the land hasn't had pesticides on it for 30 + years, and everything is about as "organic" as it gets without interference from the "powers that be" and the read tape you have to go through to have it labeled as such...to make it official.
You've heard of chicken math? That's a story for another time.
Let's do some egg math!
I started with a flock of 5 hens and 1 rooster that were given to me last summer. They were between 3-5 years old which isn’t ideal for regular layers because they are aging at that point but hey they came from family and were proven layers and that’s where my journey started. Back in November, I purchased 6 more from a local farm that sells their 1 yr old hens every year because their new layers are coming of age and they rotate out. This was ideal because it gave me the opportunity to see just how often healthy hens actually lay their eggs and if this was something I wanted to pursue. With the exception of loosing 2 to predators, they have been amazing, and if you get the opportunity to start your flock like that, I suggest you do and here’s why.
The end of February came around and I ended up buying 10 baby chicks. 2 Leghorns, 2 Brahmas, 2 Red Sexed Linked, 2 Speckled Sussex, and 2 Barred Rock. We only lost 1 of the Leghorns to a predator. They are now 17 weeks old as of today and still have anywhere between 1 to 4 weeks left before they start laying depending on the breed. So you can see that patience is a virtue here. That’s 4 - 6 months of feeding and caring for them before they give you anything in return egg wise. This is where pure joy comes into play.
Studies show that those that have joy in their lives on a daily basis live longer, are much healthier, and are more pleasant to be around. I can vouch for that! Joy is experienced in a new way every day here on the farm.
Ok, enough of where I started. Let’s get down to the numbers.
Let's just go off my numbers of what I do here at Frequency Farm. If you choose to have a smaller flock, adjust the numbers below.
I have 18 hens...
9 of which are laying, but they are 4+yrs old, so they only average 4 eggs a day. Remember, the older the hen, the less likely you are to get an egg a day. Usually it's .5 per day for young healthy hens and it's different per breed so do your research.
9 are coming of age. They are now 17 wks old, so they should be laying in the next 1-4 weeks.
All my chickens are vaccine free, pasture raised...meaning they go where they want on the farm during the day and come back to the coop/run when the sun goes down. They still get NON-GMO layer feed in the morning, and if they are lingering in the evening, when they should be in the coop, I'll use it to lure them in.
So back to eggs.
Once the 17 week old hens start laying, I'll still probably average 10/day. (Remember, egg laying slows down during the winter - a blog for another time)
So 10/day x 7 days = 70/wk
70 eggs ÷ 12 (12 in a dozen) = 5.8 dozen so I'll round up to 6 dozen a wk.
6 dozen - 1 dozen (for personal use) = 5 dozen/week
5 dozen/wk × 4 wks = 20 doz
20 dozen × $6/ea. = $120 in revenue
🛑Stay will me...
LAYER FEED is $40.76/month I currently go through only 2 50 lb bags a month. It will most likely be more in the cold winter months. I figure on about 3 months of super cold weather here on the coast.
Pine shavings (for the coop and run to keep it clean and pest free as possible) $45.54/month
Egg cartons are $1/ea. Because I wanted something different than the normal brown carton. Mine are recycled and eco friendly so if you’d like to know where I get them, reach out and I can send you the link.
Total expenses = $106.30/month
$120 in egg revenue - $106.30 expenses = $13.70 profit
$13.70 PROFIT PER MONTH
Yep, that’s right. A whopping $13.70/month.
BUT, guess what? The revenue paid for the cost of having chickens. So are chickens worth it? 100% YES!
My days are filled with me being able to take care of and feed the animals, watch them play, learn how they interact with each other, communicate with each other and with me, learn what to look out for health wise and make adjustments if need be all with my grandson by my side. He’s learning so much just under 2 years of age and will have 15 years experience by the time he might be looking for a job. Of course if I’m lucky, he’ll stay on here at the farm as we have plans for expansion.
Like I said at the beginning, it depends on how much value you put in creating your own sustainable resources. The other part of it all and what I love so very much is being able to offer those same resources to others. This is where you ask yourself how much are you willing to give back to your community.
This is also where the heart and passion collide, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
👇🏼Would you do it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
#chickenmath #eggmath #sustainability #frequencyfarmhealinghomestead #eggsarenotfree