08/07/2025
Interesting read. Even harder, is when other locals undercut each others prices making it difficult for the people that NEED to recoup some of the cost to produce those eggs.
2025 Costs to produce 1 dozen table eggs….
I did this breakdown 6 or 7 years ago before the cost of everything skyrocketed, I see a lot of egg producers out there have no clue what their expenses are and their prices reflect this- here is the current cost in 2025, to produce 1 dozen of my free roaming chicken eggs - I keep about 150 birds of various ages during the spring/summer/fall, this number declines in the winter months! Turkey would cost me 1.5 times the breakdown approximately.
I get approximately 10-12 dozen eggs per week atm with all day free ranging, 33 hens.
At peak solstice, they were locked up in breedng pens - on rotating free range access so they were getting perfect amounts of nutritionally complete feed to lay at their most productive, I got 20 doz per week from 41 hens.
Some of these birds are 4 years old btw!
Feed - $18/ 44 lb bag, 1/4 pound per bird per day = $1.23 per dozen eggs.
Oyster shell - $30/bag(purchased at a discount when peavey closed) I just checked and oyster shell is $45/bag at UFA…. These discounted bags cost 84 cents per dozen eggs.
I would use $240 worth of feed to get the entire flock to laying age, this doesn’t include the extra loss I inevitably take for having to cull on average 50% rooster chicks = 22 cents per day for 3 yrs.
Egg cartons - did you know it’s actually illegal in Canada for me to reuse egg cartons for your eggs? I paid 55 cents per new carton the last time I purchased.
Shavings - $11.55 per bag, I use approx 2 bags per week. Works out to 18 cents per dozen eggs breakdown.
Stall dry - $25/ bag, I use about 1 bag per month works out to 60 cents per dozen eggs.
Scrap vegetables etc - we will call this free…
Now for initial cost of the birds - I pay anywhere between $12-25 per day old unsexed chick for my birds, they are heritage breeds, most of the time from exhibition quality healthy stock. They cost more but lay for 4-5 years so it balances out typically compared to battery hatchery pullets so the breakdown would be .05 cents per dozen eggs, this is if they lay for 3 years (365 days, keep in mind heritage breeds average 250 eggs per year due to longer reproductive span).
Keep in mind this breakdown is not including power for winter months, housing costs, property insurance, bird losses and upkeep expenses etc….
If I paid myself minimum wage ($15 per hour) and worked 2 hrs per day caring for the birds for 365 days it would cost $3.74 per doz eggs.
This is a rough breakdown - it does take into account wastage because lets be honest, there’s always some.
it’s not a guaranteed set number as it does fluctuate, upwards mostly on my end.
Final cost incurred by us to produce 1 dozen free range chicken eggs - $7.41…. 😳 this is without delivery expenses as well.
That being said, i really appreciate all my loyal customers, it means alot that you purchase my eggs and trust us to feed your families.
To everyone else… please if you are planning to complain about my prices or that my eggs aren’t all the same size as grocery store eggs - keep this in mind. I’v accounted for the size difference at $6/doz you are getting more than a fair deal.
I am losing money producing table eggs. I love what I do, but it’s becoming increasingly hard and sometimes infuriating absorbing the costs and then dealing with the complaints on my end.
