Last Updated: February 3, 2023
Inflation suddenly makes having your own laying hens look financially smart
Eggs from the Hens @SagesAcre
When people ask why I have chickens, I tell them the truth. I have chickens mostly for pest and weed control. I also find watching them do chicken stuff to be relaxing. Fresh eggs are just a side benefit.
Years ago, when most of the hens were young, we had so many eggs we gladly gave them away. “Leave an empty egg carton, get a full one in return,” was our motto.
Someone once asked me what a dozen eggs cost us to produce and I did a little math to come up with an estimate of around 11¢ each, $1.32 a dozen. At the time store eggs were only $1.50 a dozen, so it wasn’t a big savings. But they sure looked and tasted a lot better.
Most of the hens are older now and we don’t get eggs as reliably as we once did. A couple of weeks ago we had a cooking flurry, managed to run through all our own eggs, and had to go to the store for more.
Holy cow (or chicken).
Talk about sticker shock. Eggs are expensive now. I paid $5.50 $8.89 for 18 plain old extra large eggs, which nets out to about 31¢ 49¢ apiece!
Now, I live in California and I realize it has weird farm rules. Stuff like every laying hen gets her own air conditioned condo, yoga classes, free Netflix, etc., etc.
Chickens at the Gate
All of that raises costs. But 400%? Dang…
Turns out most of the recent price increases have nothing to do with the crazy California regulations and everything to do with the business of eggs costing more. From workers to feed and fuel, everything’s a lot more to produce, package and ship, and those costs are being reflected in the price.
That got me to thinking what my own costs are now.
Chicken feed prices have been rising for a while and 50 pound sack now costs $22 $25, about 66% more than a year ago, so a trip to the feed store hits the wallet harder than it used to.
Fortunately my fowl are free-range and dig up a fair amount of food on their own, so they don’t eat as much feed as others might. I figure each of the eight hens eats about one pound of food a week and produces two to three eggs (they slow down when they’re older), so I get around 18 eggs for around $3.50 $4.00 in feed, which is 20¢ 22¢ each.
That’s a pretty significant savings!
We go through about a dozen eggs a week, so we’re saving $1.44 weekly, or almost $77 a year, by having our own hens. Not exactly a life-changing amount, but it’s basically bonus money because the chickens were here for pest patrol anyway.
It’d be easy to supplement that by actually accepting money from the neighbors rather than just giving away the excess eggs.
Anyway, point is laying hens are well worth the cost. If you’re on the fence about them, go for it. You’ll not only get lots of fresh eggs, they’ll help you keep pests under control, eat your leftover vegetables, and fertilize the yard to boot.
Off Topic
Digging around the internet looking for what eggs cost on average, I came across this price calculator that’ll calculate the inflation on the price of eggs from 1935 to today. It’s kind of fun to plug numbers in and see what happens.
I’ve been looking into getting laying hens too, for our 6 acres. However I’d have to start from scratch, including getting something for them to live in (shed, fence), protection from coyotes, foxes, skunks, neighbors farm dogs… and Iowa winters. Much more cost involved there.
True. I built the coop 20 years ago, but I built it out of repurposed closet doors and old fence lumber and chicken wire, so the initial investment wasn’t all that great. We’ve got coyotes, bobcats, weasels, raccoons, and more that all have to be kept out (one time it was 6 gopher snakes eating the eggs), but it’s held together pretty well. Feed just went up another $1 a bag so it’s getting more expensive too. But, when I consider all the other benefits — free fertilizer, weed control, pest control, etc. — and that I get eggs, it all works out.
[…] April I wrote about sticker shock at the feed store because chicken feed had nearly doubled in cost. Still, eggs prices at the store were rising fast […]
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My HOA currently rules that we cannot have backyard chickens (our development has lots ranging from 1 to 5 acres per house), and I would love to propose an update to the rules. The benefits are all obvious, but at least one resident will ask me about the smell, getting rid of waste, and what does one do with the chickens that eventually become non-productive. That last point is one that weighs on me heavily. Your advice and comments are needed!
That’s too bad. Chickens (hens anyway), are quiet, keep down insects and other pests, and a wonder for organic gardens. Plus they give you eggs!
Chicken don’t really make all that much smell if you keep the coop area clean. I’ve got a couple dozen that live right up against our outdoor patio and you’d never know it. Chicken manure breaks down very quickly, so if you mix it with yard waste, spend vegetables, coffee grounds, etc., it composts fast and has a great “earthy” / “foresty” smell. Plus, it’s super high in nitrogen so it’s like steroids for plants.
As for non-productive chickens, if you stick to the friendly egg-laying breeds (Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes, etc.), the ladies may get older and not lay as reliably, but they’ll still be your friends, keep your pest problems down, and even follow you around. I find hanging with them to be a great way to de-stress.