A Mini Business Plan: Can Our Chook Ladies Pay Their Way?

Before having chooks we were buying on average a dozen free range eggs per week at an average cost of $10 per dozen or $40 a month.

Disadvantages of this (aside from the price tag) were that we weren't always assured that paying for "organic, free range eggs" meant we were actually eating organic free range eggs.

Note: The state of egg farming in Victoria is currently coming under some scrutiny due to some stretchy interpretations of labelling by some farms (I didn't just make this up. I read about it in Crikey - http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/09/15/free-range-egg-label-regulations/ and also over at our Aunty - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-14/free-range-debate-ruffling-feathers/5021530 ).

Short of cutting back on eggs (not big on meat, our eggs were a favourite menu item in our kitchen), we had little option to reduce this cost other than to buy them from battery hen farms. And let's be honest, you've really just given up on the value of life if you resort to that option. So owning our own chooks was the best option by far.

Having happy, free, egg laying ladies literally at our doorstep has simultaneously increased our consumption of eggs and massively reduced our shopping bill costs. On top of that it has negated any need for doubts about misleading labelling. The only costs involved now are feed and occasional medication  (I've treated my chooks for lice and worms once in six months). We've also found the easiest way to make other people happy is by gifting our extra eggs to friends and neighbours. In fact, people I work with have started salivating at the mere mention of home-laid eggs. And with wild looks in their eyes, two otherwise innocently-minded primary school teachers actually offered their souls for a regular supply.

So this all got me wondering - By selling our surplus golden orbs at mates' rates, could our chook ladies actually pay their way?

Objective -
to determine if the sale of our backyard eggs could cover the cost of keeping our ISA Brown chooks. 

Calculations -

COSTS OF KEEPING THE LADIES

Chook food = $30 (certified organic) - feeds 4 chooks for 2 months
                    = $3.75 feeds 1 chook for 1 month

Miscellaneous = $20 Pestene (lice treatment)
                        = $10 worming treatment
                        = $45 four hay bales for chook bedding and house floor
                        = $75 per year (this is a generous approximation, it's probably less)

Total Costs = $21.25 per month


WHAT THE LADIES GIVE BACK IN EGGS

4 chooks lay average of 2.5 eggs daily
                         = 17.5 eggs per week

We two chook lovers eat on average
                         = 14 eggs per week

This leaves
                        = 3.5 eggs spare per week
                        = 14 eggs spare per month


Results -
 FOR 14 EGGS TO COVER COST OF APPROX $20 per MONTH

We would have to charge = $17 for a dozen (!)
or                                      = $8.60 for 1/2 dozen (!)


Analysis - 
 Oh my. I mean our eggs are delicious but that's just a bit ridiculous. And with that price why wouldn't the buyer just say - "Piss off rochford,  ye tight arse. I'll get my eggs at Safeway"?


Conclusion -
 Four lovely chooks are enough to slash the shopping bill for two fresh egg fans and give them hours of contentment gazing at them. However, four lovely chooks cannot possibly be expected to lay enough eggs to completely cancel the cost of keeping them.  They're just four little chooks, doing the best they can... what more do you want??!