The REAL Cost of Free-Range, Soy-Free, Organic Chicken Eggs

When you don't get government handouts, don't force-molt your hens, don't keep your hens in battery cages, don't mess with the hen's natural laying cycle by not using lights in the winter etc., but feed the  hens pure, organic feed while allowing them to roam the land free as a bird (pun intended), the real cost for eggs is much higher than you would expect.  According to David Robinson Simon, author of "Meatonomics" (2013), the real cost of organic eggs should be $13.00!  Our eggs? They are $7.00 per dozen, here's why...

Here's our own personal math for the cost of our eggs:

• Cost of feed per week per hen...........$0.86 (2.1 lb per week X $0.41)
• Eggs laid per week per hen..................2.96 (% productivity X 52 Weeks)
• Number of hens to make a dozen...... 4.054
• Cost of feed per dozen eggs...............$3.48 
• Cost of egg carton..............................$0.33
• Cost of Labels (2)...............................$0.30
• Cost of utilities per dozen...................$0.16 ($350.00 per year / 52 weeks / 175 hens X 4.054)
• Cost of hen houses per dozen.............$0.16 ($3500.00 / 10 years / 175 hens / 52 weeks X 4.054) 
• Cost of hens per dozen........................$0.06 ($3.50 / 5 years / 52 weeks X 4.054) 

Total expenses per dozen eggs:  $5.32

Labor:  Each dozen takes about 17.5 minutes of labor.  If we sell our eggs for $6.00 per dozen, as some other farms do, we would be making $0.68 for those 17.5 minutes, or $2.33 per hour in labor! 

Keep in mind that there are a number of additional costs that did not go into the calculation here:   Things like rent / mortgage costs, miscellaneous costs like wood shavings, tools, loss of birds due to either sickness or predators, gas to deliver the eggs and pick up supplies, advertising costs etc.  The reality?  If we sell our eggs for $6.00 per dozen, we lose money.