The Layer Flock Stats - January 22, 2020 @goldenoakfarm

Layer flock from January 1 – October 18th, 2019

I’ve spent the last few mornings working on the layer stats for the flocks of 2019. I run the stats on the calendar year, January 1 – December 31. There was the above flock of 10 Buckeyes and 8 Barred Rocks that were the flock from January 1 to October 18th. They had been diminished to 14 birds from April til the end in October.

New layer flock from late August until December 31st

The new flock was selected in late August and started laying in early September. They were hatched May 1st. They were 11 Australorps and 7 Barred Rocks until mid December when we realized one of the Australorps was a rooster. There are still 18 birds, but only 17 hens for the next year.

Between them they laid 4002 eggs, of which 3739 were able to be sold. That’s 93% of the eggs, the highest yet. That equaled 311.5 dozen of which we sold 213.5 dozen and 5 dozen little pullet eggs. We got $5.00/dozen for the regular sized organic eggs and $3.00/dozen for the pullet eggs.

Expenses this year for the flocks included organic feed, alfalfa pellets, grit, oystershell, bedding, and miscellaneous supplies. It also included the cost of the chicks for the new flock. It totaled $1466.76. That included the expenses for the 6 pullets I sold in October. I’d selected 24 birds to be layers, knowing I could sell 6.

The cost of a dozen eggs was $4.51 a dozen to raise. So this year, we made money on the eggs we sold. Makes a nice change from last year; they were $7.61 a dozen to raise.

Knowing the exact costs of what you raise enables you to change things, if they aren’t profitable. That’s why I keep as good records as I can of as much as I can on all things we raise here on the farm.