Cost per egg calculator

This is a snapshot. EggBasket keeps the running version — real feed purchases, real daily counts, cost per egg that updates itself.

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How cost per egg is worked out

Cost per egg is your weekly running cost divided by the eggs you actually collect that week. The arithmetic is simple; the honest part is remembering that hens eat every day whether or not they lay.

1. Feed cost per pound = bag price ÷ bag weight.
2. Feed eaten per week = hens × pounds per hen per day × 7. A standard laying hen eats roughly 0.25 lb (about 4 oz) of layer feed a day; bantams eat less, large breeds like Brahmas eat more.
3. Weekly running cost = feed cost + your other costs converted to a weekly figure (monthly × 12 ÷ 52).
4. Cost per egg = weekly running cost ÷ eggs collected that week.
5. Break-even = weekly running cost ÷ the store's price per egg. That is how many eggs a week your flock has to lay before it's cheaper than the supermarket.

The calculator deliberately ignores the coop build, the fencing and the birds themselves. Those are one-off capital costs — spreading them over eggs makes the first year look absurd and tells you nothing useful about this week.

A worked example

Six hens, a $22.00 fifty-pound bag of layer pellets, twenty-four eggs a week, and $8 a month on bedding, grit and oyster shell. Store eggs are $4.20 a dozen.

1. Feed per pound: $22.00 ÷ 50 lb = $0.44/lb.
2. Feed eaten: 6 hens × 0.25 lb × 7 days = 10.5 lb a week.
3. Feed cost: 10.5 lb × $0.44 = $4.62.
4. Other costs: $8.00 × 12 ÷ 52 = $1.85 a week.
5. Weekly running cost: $4.62 + $1.85 = $6.47.
6. Cost per egg: $6.47 ÷ 24 = $0.27, which is $3.23 a dozen.
7. Break-even: store eggs cost $4.20 ÷ 12 = $0.35 each, so $6.47 ÷ $0.35 = 19 eggs a week before the flock pays for itself.

At twenty-four eggs a week this flock is ahead by $0.08 an egg — roughly $100 a year. Drop to fifteen eggs a week in midwinter and the same flock costs $0.43 an egg, and it is losing to the supermarket. Both facts are true; only a running log shows you which one you're living in.

Cost per egg questions, answered

How much does it cost to raise chickens for eggs?

For a typical six-hen backyard flock, feed runs about $4 to $6 a week at 2026 prices, plus a few dollars a month for bedding, grit and oyster shell. That works out near $250 to $350 a year in running costs, before the one-off cost of the coop, fencing and the birds themselves.

Is it cheaper to raise chickens or buy eggs?

It depends entirely on your flock's laying rate and your feed price. A productive flock in summer often beats the supermarket on running costs alone. The same flock in a winter moult does not, because hens eat every day whether they lay or not. Averaged over a full year most backyard flocks land close to break-even.

How much feed does a chicken eat per day?

A standard-size laying hen eats roughly a quarter pound of layer feed per day, about 4 ounces or 110 grams. Bantams eat closer to a tenth of a pound; heavy breeds such as Brahmas and Jersey Giants can eat a third. Free-ranging birds eat noticeably less purchased feed in summer.

How long does a 50 lb bag of chicken feed last?

Divide 50 pounds by your flock's daily intake. Six standard hens eating a quarter pound each get through 1.5 pounds a day, so a 50 lb bag lasts about 33 days. Twelve hens go through the same bag in roughly 16 days. Waste from spilled feeders can cut that by a tenth.

Why do my backyard eggs cost more than store eggs?

Usually one of three reasons: your hens are moulting or in short winter daylight and laying far below their rate; the flock includes non-laying birds such as roosters, chicks or retired hens that still eat; or you are buying small bags of premium feed rather than 50 lb sacks. All three show up quickly in a running log.