Poultry Egg Profitability Calculator
Calculate gross profit from your laying flock by comparing annual egg revenue against annual feed costs. Enter the number of hens, eggs per hen per year, egg selling price, feed consumption, and feed cost. The calculator returns annual revenue, annual feed cost, gross profit per hen, and total gross profit for the flock. Note: this covers feed cost only. Full enterprise budgeting must include housing, labour, and other operating costs.
Egg profitability formula
Annual revenue = hens x (eggs per hen per year / 12) x price per dozen
Annual feed cost = hens x feed per hen per year (lbs) x cost per lb
Gross profit (feed only) = annual revenue - annual feed cost
Feed consumption benchmark of approximately 87 lbs per hen per year at 240 eggs per year is based on University of Georgia Extension Service poultry production guides. Egg production rates (280-300 per hen per year commercial) are from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) annual poultry survey data.
Poultry egg profitability calculator: frequently asked questions
How is egg production profitability calculated?
Gross profit per hen = (eggs per hen per year x price per dozen / 12) minus (feed consumed per hen per year in lbs x feed cost per lb). This gives revenue minus feed cost only; other costs (housing, water, labour, veterinary care) must be added to get net profit.
How many eggs does a laying hen produce per year?
According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) data, commercial laying hens average 280-300 eggs per hen per year. Backyard breeds typically produce 150-280 eggs per year depending on breed, age, and management.
How much feed does a laying hen eat per year?
The University of Georgia Extension Service reports that a typical laying hen consumes approximately 4-4.5 lbs of feed per dozen eggs produced, or approximately 85-90 lbs of feed per year at 240 eggs per year. Feed intake varies with bird size, ambient temperature, and egg size.
What is the break-even egg price?
Break-even price (per dozen) = (annual feed cost per hen / eggs per hen per year) x 12. If feed costs $0.40 per lb and a hen eats 87 lbs per year, annual feed cost is $34.80. At 240 eggs, break-even price per dozen is $34.80 / 20 dozens = $1.74 per dozen.
Does this calculator account for all flock costs?
No. This calculator covers feed cost only. Full profitability analysis must also include: pullet purchase cost (amortised over laying life), housing capital and maintenance, bedding, veterinary and medication costs, water, labour, and any processing or marketing costs. USDA ERS enterprise budgets provide regional benchmarks.
Official sources
- USDA NASS: Poultry Production and Value Annual Summary.
- University of Georgia Extension: Small and Backyard Flocks (B1224).
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology.