Egg Carton Profit Calculator: the complete guide
Selling surplus eggs at the farm gate rarely makes money by accident. Cartons, feed and the odd bag of bedding eat the margin quickly. This calculator shows weekly, monthly and yearly profit at your price and, more usefully, the break even price per dozen.
How the egg carton profit calculator works
- Revenue is dozens sold per week times your price per dozen.
- Cost is weekly feed plus other running costs plus the carton cost for every dozen sold.
- Break even price is total weekly running cost divided by dozens sold, plus the carton.
- Margin is profit as a share of revenue, which is the number to watch if you plan to grow.
How to use it
- Enter dozens you actually sell per week, not what the flock lays.
- Set your price per dozen and what a carton costs you.
- Add weekly feed cost and anything else recurring, such as bedding or grit.
- If profit is negative, compare your price against the break even figure shown.
Step by step examples
Ten dozen a week at $6
Sixty dollars in, with $22 feed and $3 of cartons, leaves about $35 a week or roughly $1,800 a year.
Three dozen a week at $4
Twelve dollars against $15 of feed is a loss. Either raise the price or accept that the eggs you keep are the real return.
Recommended values
| Item | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical farm gate price | $4 to $8 per dozen | |
| New carton cost | $0.30 to $0.60 each | |
| Reused carton cost | $0 | Ask customers to return them |
| Feed cost per dozen | $1.50 to $3.00 | |
| Healthy margin | 30 percent or better |
Common mistakes
- Forgetting cartons, labels and the fuel for the feed run.
- Pricing off the supermarket instead of local pasture raised prices.
- Counting eggs your household eats as sales.
- Ignoring local egg selling rules. Many states cap on farm sales or require labelling.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I sell backyard eggs for?
Most sellers land between $4 and $8 a dozen depending on region and whether the birds are pastured. Check the break even figure first, then price above it.
Is selling eggs profitable?
At small scale it usually covers feed rather than paying a wage. Profit improves fast once you sell more than about eight dozen a week.
Do I need a licence to sell eggs?
Rules vary by state and country. Small on farm sales are often exempt, but labelling and refrigeration rules can still apply.
Related calculators
What next?
Free tools that pair well with this calculator.