Egg Economics: How I Tracked My Layer Feed Costs, Month by Month
I finally stopped saying “eggs are free” after a cold March morning, a spreadsheet, and a handful of feed bags showed the real price of my dozen hens.
It was a gray March morning, the kind that makes the mist cling to the coop roof like a damp blanket. I was shuffling through the straw, a mug of black coffee steaming in my hands, when one of the hens strutted over and dropped a cold‑hard egg onto the wooden floor. The clatter echoed off the walls, and for a moment I thought, “Another free breakfast.” That thought lasted only until I heard the rustle of the bag of layer feed I’d left open on the kitchen counter.
That bag—50 lb of a commercial starter‑layer mix—had a price tag of $22.50, purchased on April 12, 2023, from the feed store two towns over. I’d been feeding my twenty hens a steady 0.25 lb per bird each day, the amount the bag’s label recommended for laying birds in the colder months. I’d never paused to add up the numbers, content to tell the neighbor that “the eggs are free.” That spring, I finally opened Excel, typed in the numbers, and watched the cost climb.
Month‑by‑Month Feed Costs
Below is the ledger I kept from March 2023 through February 2024. I tracked three variables:
- The weight of feed used (measured with a kitchen scale, then converted to pounds).
- The price per pound (varied with seasonal sales and bulk purchases).
- Any supplemental feed—kitchen scraps, cracked corn, or cold‑weather protein pellets.
I kept the spreadsheet simple: a column for each month, rows for feed type, and a total cost at the bottom. The numbers are for my twenty‑hen flock.
| Month | Feed Used (lb) | Cost per lb | Supplemental Feed | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | 150 | $0.45 | None | $67.50 |
| April 2023 | 180 | $0.43 | Cracked corn (5 lb @ $0.30) | $80.40 |
| May 2023 | 165 | $0.40 | Kitchen scraps (estimated value $5) | $71.00 |
| June 2023 | 150 | $0.38 | None | $57.00 |
| July 2023 | 140 | $0.38 | Heat‑stress protein pellets (2 lb @ $0.70) | $63.60 |
| August 2023 | 135 | $0.38 | None | $51.30 |
| September 2023 | 150 | $0.40 | None | $60.00 |
| October 2023 | 165 | $0.42 | None | $69.30 |
| November 2023 | 180 | $0.45 | Cold‑weather protein pellets (3 lb @ $0.80) | $90.90 |
| December 2023 | 190 | $0.47 | None | $89.30 |
| January 2024 | 195 | $0.48 | None | $93.60 |
| February 2024 | 180 | $0.46 | None | $82.80 |
When I added everything up, the year’s feed bill came to $903.20. Divide that by the roughly 300 dozen eggs I collected annually, and the feed cost per dozen is about $3.00. That’s before I factor in bedding, electricity for the brood box, and the occasional veterinary visit.
Seeing the numbers laid out like that made me stop saying “the eggs are free.” I told the neighbor, who had always asked for a free sample, “If you count the feed, each dozen costs me three dollars.” He laughed, but the truth was there, plain as the straw on the coop floor.
What I’d do differently
If I could rewind to that first spreadsheet, I’d make a few changes that would save time and give a clearer picture of real costs.
- Track feed waste. I never measured the feed that fell into the yard during a snowstorm. A simple container under the feeder would have shown that I was losing about 5 lb each winter month.
- Separate kitchen scraps from commercial feed. I lumped them together, which obscured the true price of the feed I was buying. A separate column for “free” supplements would highlight their contribution.
- Use a digital scale that records weight. My kitchen scale only shows a static number; a scale with a USB output would have logged each refill automatically.
- Compare bulk purchases. I bought a 200‑lb bag in September for $78, which was $0.39 per pound, but I didn’t note the price difference until later. Keeping a price‑per‑pound log lets you spot the best deals.
- Factor in seasonal protein needs early. I added protein pellets only after the first cold snap. A proactive plan would have prevented the sudden jump in November’s cost.
Quick Checklist: Get Your Feed Costs in Shape This Week
Take a few minutes each day this week and you’ll have a solid baseline for your flock.
- Grab a kitchen scale and weigh the current bag of layer feed. Note the total weight and price on a scrap of paper.
- Record how many hens you have and the recommended daily feed per bird (usually 0.25 lb).
- Calculate the monthly feed usage: hens × daily feed × 30 days. Write the number in pounds.
- Multiply the monthly usage by the cost per pound you just recorded. That’s your base feed cost for the month.
- Jot down any supplemental feed you gave (scraps, corn, pellets) and assign a rough dollar value. Add it to the total.
When you finish, you’ll have a clear picture of what “free” really looks like in your own backyard. The next time someone asks for a free egg, you can hand them a dozen and say, “Here’s a dozen, and here’s what it cost me.” It feels a little less like a favor and a lot more like a small, honest trade.