Laying hen profitability
Is keeping laying hens profitable? It depends on a few numbers worth knowing before you place the first hens. We will show what makes up the result: how many eggs a hen lays, how much feed costs per egg, what rearing the hen cost, the mortality, and how long the laying cycle lasts. We build an illustrative model from public prices and standards — this is only a worked example, because feed and egg prices change, so always check current rates. The whole process is covered in the hub on <a href="/hodowla-kur-niosek">laying hen farming</a>.
verifiedFrom the team that has organised work on poultry farms for years.
Laying hen profitability does not depend on one number but on several that together make up the result. The key question is: how much do you earn on one egg and how many such eggs a hen lays over the whole cycle. On one side is revenue (number of eggs times price), on the other the costs: feed, rearing the hen, fixed costs and losses from mortality. This page shows the structure of the result and an illustrative formula so you know what to look at — it does not give a ready-made 'truth', because that depends on your prices.
Where do these numbers come from? Public prices and standards, not other people's farms
The model below is built from openly available data: feeding and lay-rate standards from breeders' management guides for commercial lines, plus public feed and egg price quotations (statistics offices, agricultural research institutes, market quotes). These are deliberately reference values*, not the results of specific farmers. Your numbers will differ — which is why what matters is the method of calculation shown here. Current buying prices can be checked in the buying prices tool.
First, the two numbers that decide everything
The financial result of a layer farm is most sensitive to two things: the feed price and the egg price. Feed is usually 60–70% of the cost of producing an egg, so every change in the price of grain or soybean meal moves the result immediately. On the revenue side everything depends on the egg price, which can swing seasonally. So instead of one figure we show a range and stress: calculate it for YOUR prices. How to feed layers is covered in the guide on layer feeding standards.
Six components of profitability — step by step
- 1
Lay rate — how many eggs a hen lays
The starting point of the whole calculation. A good commercial layer lays roughly* about 300–320 eggs per hen over the laying cycle (over more than a dozen months of production), with a peak lay rate of around 90–95% in the best period. This is an illustrative value from management guides — yours depends on the hen line, feeding, health and conditions. The more eggs per hen, the more the fixed costs (rearing, handling) are spread over a larger number of eggs and the lower the unit cost. How to spot a good layer is covered in how to spot a good layer, and breeds are compared in laying hen breeds.
- 2
Feed cost per egg
The largest cost item. A hen eats roughly* about 110–125 g of feed a day, and to lay one egg it needs about 2.0–2.3 kg of feed per 10 eggs (so roughly ~120–140 g of feed per egg, depending on lay rate and age). The feed cost per egg is that amount times the price per kilogram of the mix. At an example layer-feed price (prices change*) of ~1.6–2.2 PLN/kg this gives roughly ~0.20–0.30 PLN of feed per egg. This is why the price of grain and soybean meal matters so much. How to choose feed is covered in poultry feed mixes; the method of calculating feed per unit of product is similar to the feed cost per kg of broiler live weight.
- 3
Cost of a reared pullet
Before a hen starts laying it must be reared — a cost you spread over all the eggs it lays. The cost of a reared pullet covers the chick (a day-old or a reared pullet), feed during rearing (roughly up to 16–18 weeks), vaccinations and handling. Roughly* a reared pullet 'before lay' costs from a dozen to over twenty zloty — and you divide this amount by the number of eggs in the whole cycle to get the rearing cost per egg. Rearing is covered on the sister page on rearing laying hens.
- 4
Mortality — losses you must include
Not every placed hen survives to the end of the cycle. Mortality during lay is roughly* a few per cent (e.g. ~3–8% depending on conditions and health). Each dead hen is a rearing cost that will not be recovered and lost eggs. In the profitability calculation you include losses either by lowering the average number of eggs per placed hen, or by adding the cost of losses to the cost of an egg. Welfare and conditions that limit losses are covered in laying hen welfare and laying hen stocking density.
- 5
Length of the laying cycle
The laying cycle lasts roughly* about 14–15 months of production (after the rearing period), counting from when hens come into lay to flock culling. The longer you keep good lay, the more eggs from one reared hen — and the better you spread the rearing cost. Towards the end of the cycle lay rate and shell quality drop, which is why a flock is culled at the right moment. Housing conditions that help keep the flock in form are covered in henhouse requirements for layers.
- 6
Revenue and fixed costs — putting the result together
Revenue is simply the number of eggs sold times the egg price (plus, possibly, the value of culled hens at the end). From the revenue you subtract the costs: feed, rearing (spread over the eggs), fixed costs (energy, litter, labour, henhouse depreciation, treatment) and losses from mortality. What remains is your result per egg and per hen. Because profitability is not one price — it is the difference between revenue and the sum of all costs, most sensitive to the feed price and the egg price. Formal requirements of keeping hens are covered in legal rules for keeping laying hens.
A worked example — how to put the result together
The formula and example are purely illustrative. All numbers are reference values*, prices change — calculate it for your own current rates.
Formula: result per egg = egg price − cost per egg
The simplest view: margin on one egg = selling price of an egg − (feed cost per egg + rearing cost per egg + fixed costs per egg + cost of losses per egg). Multiply the margin by the number of eggs from the whole cycle per placed hen and you get the result per hen. This is an illustrative calculation — it shows the structure, and the specific amounts depend on your prices.
Revenue (illustrative example*)
Assume ~300 eggs per placed hen over the cycle (already accounting for mortality) and an example egg price (prices change*) — e.g. 0.50 PLN per egg at buying. Egg revenue ≈ 300 × 0.50 PLN = 150 PLN per hen. Plus the possible value of a culled hen at the end. This is only an illustration — at a different egg price the result changes in direct proportion.
Costs (illustrative example*)
Feed: ~300 eggs × ~0.25 PLN of feed per egg ≈ 75 PLN. Rearing: ~18 PLN per reared pullet ÷ 300 eggs ≈ 0.06 PLN/egg, i.e. ~18 PLN per hen. Fixed costs + treatment + losses: assume illustratively another dozen to twenty-odd zloty per hen. Total costs ≈ about 110–120 PLN per hen. All amounts are examples, prices change*.
Sensitivity — why it is only a range
In the example above the result per hen is a difference of a few dozen zloty — but it is enough for feed to rise by 20% or the egg price to fall by 0.05 PLN, and the result can collapse or double. Feed is 60–70% of the cost of an egg, so the model is most sensitive to feed and egg prices. That is why we do not give one figure — we show how to calculate, and tell you to calculate it for current buying and feed-shop prices.
The most common mistakes in calculating profitability
These mistakes make it look beautiful 'on paper' while the farm does not actually earn.
Omitting the cost of rearing the hen
Counting only the feed during lay, without the cost of the chick and rearing up to lay, overstates the result. A hen only starts laying after more than a dozen weeks of feeding with no revenue — this cost must be spread over all the eggs in the cycle. What rearing looks like is covered in rearing laying hens.
Taking the feed price 'by eye' instead of the current one
Feed is 60–70% of the cost of an egg, so an outdated or understated mix price distorts the whole calculation. Multiply the feed amount per egg by the current price per kilogram of layer mix, not last year's. How to choose and price feed is covered in poultry feed mixes and layer feeding standards.
Ignoring mortality and the drop in lay at the end of the cycle
Multiplying the full flock by the maximum lay rate across the whole cycle gives a number of eggs the flock will not reach. Some hens die, and towards the end of the cycle lay rate drops — the real number of eggs per placed hen is lower than 'peak times days'. Conditions that limit losses are covered in laying hen welfare.
Giving one 'certain' profit figure
Feed and egg prices are variable and seasonal, so one profit figure quickly goes out of date. Instead, work on a range and recalculate the model under several price scenarios (cheap/expensive feed, low/high egg price). Current buying prices can be checked in buying prices.
Frequently asked questions about laying hen profitability
Is keeping laying hens profitable?add
It depends above all on the feed price and the egg price — the two most variable numbers in the whole calculation. Profitability is the difference between revenue (number of eggs × price) and costs (feed, rearing the hen, fixed costs, losses from mortality). No single universal figure can be given, because prices swing seasonally. Instead, calculate the model for your current prices and check it under several scenarios — this is shown in the worked example above (reference numbers*, prices change).
How many eggs does a hen lay in a cycle and why does it matter?add
A good commercial layer lays roughly* about 300–320 eggs per hen over the laying cycle, with a peak lay rate of around 90–95%. This is a key number because all fixed costs are spread over it — the more eggs per hen, the lower the unit cost of an egg. The real number depends on the hen line, feeding, health and conditions. How to spot a good layer is covered in the guide on how to spot a good layer.
How much does feed cost per egg?add
A hen eats roughly* ~110–125 g of feed a day, and roughly ~120–140 g of mix go into one egg (depending on lay rate and age). The feed cost per egg is that amount times the price per kilogram of layer mix — at an example (prices change*) ~1.6–2.2 PLN/kg this gives roughly ~0.20–0.30 PLN of feed per egg. Feed is 60–70% of the cost of producing an egg, so it most strongly decides the result. How to choose feed is covered in poultry feed mixes.
Why include the hen rearing cost in the cost of an egg?add
Because before a hen starts laying it must be fed and reared for more than a dozen weeks with no revenue at all — a real cost (chick, feed during rearing, vaccinations, handling). You spread this cost over all the eggs the hen lays in the cycle. Omitting it is the most common mistake that makes the calculation look better than it is. Rearing step by step is covered in rearing laying hens.
How long is the laying cycle of commercial hens?add
Roughly* about 14–15 months of production after the rearing period — from coming into lay to flock culling. The longer you keep good lay, the more eggs from one reared hen and the better you spread the rearing cost. Towards the end of the cycle lay rate and shell quality drop, which is why a flock is culled at the right moment. Conditions that help keep the flock in form are covered in henhouse requirements for layers.
Where do I get current prices for the calculation?add
Egg and feed prices are variable and seasonal, so for every calculation take current rates: the mix price from the shop/feed mill and the current egg buying price. The model in this guide is illustrative (reference numbers*) — it serves to show the structure of the result, not to be plugged in as a ready-made 'truth'. Current buying prices can be checked in the buying prices tool.
Calculate profitability on your own data
DlaFerm.pl helps you keep flock, lay-rate, feed-use and farm-cost records in one place — so your profitability calculation rests on real numbers, not estimates. Create a free farm account or write to us.
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