Layer Profitability Calculator: Is Your Laying Flock Making Money?

Keeping laying hens is often seen as a money-saver or even a small income stream — and it can be both. But feed, bedding, pullet replacement, and vet costs add up, and many smallholders are surprised to find their eggs cost more to produce than they would at the supermarket. The Layer Profitability Calculator makes the numbers transparent, showing exactly what your flock costs to run and what it generates in return.

Inputs cover all significant cost categories: pullet purchase price (annualised over a three-year productive lifespan), annual feed cost, bedding, and veterinary and medication expenses. Revenue is calculated from the number of eggs produced annually at your chosen selling price per dozen.

Outputs include total annual costs, total annual revenue, net profit or loss, cost per dozen eggs produced, and the break-even price per dozen at which the flock covers its costs. A months-to-recoup figure shows how long the ongoing profit from egg sales takes to recover the initial pullet purchase cost.

Feed consumption is based on 120 g per hen per day, which is the standard figure for a medium hybrid layer at maintenance plus production. Pullet prices and feed costs reflect current UK market conditions. The three-year productive lifespan assumption follows AHDB guidance that commercial laying hens typically produce at a commercially viable rate for three years before productivity declines significantly.

Enter the number of hens in your flock and work through the cost inputs. The defaults reflect current market conditions but should be adjusted to your actual figures. Enter the price at which you sell eggs — whether farm gate, farmers' market, or retail. Click Calculate to see your full profitability picture. If the results show a loss, the break-even price tells you the minimum you need to charge to cover costs.