Eggonomics
The eggs you produce, for most free range, are to be compared with the best available in the shops with the bonus of being fresher. Shop prices vary hugely but £3.00 per dozen would be a fair average. So what do yours cost to produce?
If I sell you a pullets for £8.00 and it lays 25 dozen eggs in the first year then that cost is 32p/doz. Most will keep the bird longer so reducing the cost.
The larger cost is feed at about £9.50 for a 20kg bag or 47.5p/kg - say 50p to allow for a little wastage. Consumption should be about 120g/day or 44kg a year. When divided by 25 ( doz. eggs ) then the feed cost per doz. is app 84p
Combined with the pullet cost your eggs now cost £1.16 to produce.
The other main cost is housing. If you buy a 6 bird hen house for £300 over 10 years this will cost app. £5.00 per bird or 20p/doz.
Your eggs have now cost £1.34 to produce giving a large saving over the shop price.
The cost of your labour is ignored in this calculation as the theraputic value of tending chickens far outweighs the value of your labour. Trust me!
Buy some pullets to keep your family in eggs and if you have the space buy a few more for eggs to sell to the neighbours.
( Prices updated August 2021 )
