{"id":3516,"date":"2026-09-23T11:28:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T03:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/?p=3516"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:28:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T03:28:34","slug":"are-automatic-egg-collection-systems-expensive-4e13-20c038","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/23\/are-automatic-egg-collection-systems-expensive-4e13-20c038\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Automatic Egg Collection Systems expensive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, let\u2019s cut to the chase\u2014if you\u2019re a small-to-mid-sized farm owner or even a backyard operation scaling up your egg side hustle, you\u2019ve probably Googled \u201cautomatic egg collection systems\u201d and hit a wall right at the first result page. The big question isn\u2019t just \u201cdo they work?\u201d it\u2019s: Are automatic egg collection systems actually expensive?<\/em> Automatic Egg Collection System<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As someone who\u2019s been selling these systems for the last 7 years (okay, fine, I\u2019m the founder of that egg tech company you might\u2019ve seen at the state ag show last spring), I hear this question every single day. Some folks assume they\u2019re only for 100k+ hen megafarms, and others figure they cost enough to replace their old pickup. But let\u2019s stop with the myths\u2014let\u2019s talk real numbers, real use cases, and real value beyond the upfront price tag.<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s get one thing straight: \u201cexpensive\u201d is relative. A $500 automatic system for a 50-hen operation is a bigger hit to your wallet than a $5,000 system for a 5,000-hen farm? Wait, no\u2014wait, math check that. Let\u2019s break down the two biggest costs everyone fixates on: upfront hardware and ongoing operational costs.<\/p>\n

Upfront, yeah, there\u2019s a range. For the tiny, 20\u2013100 hen crew (the folks still doing most egg collection by hand, one basket at a time), our entry-level pull-out system runs $800\u2013$1,200. That\u2019s not chump change, but compare it to what you\u2019re losing right now doing it manually. Last year, I worked with a 70-hen egg producer in Ohio who told me she and her husband spent 2 hours every morning and<\/em> 90 minutes every evening bending over chicken coops, picking eggs, and dealing with broken ones. Wait\u2014broken eggs! How many of those were they tossing a month? She said an average of 12 cracked eggs a week, which at the local farmers\u2019 market was like $15 a week down the drain. Multiply that by 52 weeks, that\u2019s $780 a year just in broken eggs. Plus, no more time spent doing other farm stuff\u2014like fixing fences, growing feed, or even sleeping in on the weekends. Let\u2019s add up the labor cost: if they\u2019re paying themselves $15 an hour, that\u2019s 3.5 hours a day, 7 days a week, minus 1 day off, so 6 days a week. That\u2019s 21 hours a week, times $15, is $315 a week. Times 52 weeks is $16,380 a year. Wait a second\u2014our $1,000 system pays for itself in less than 2 weeks<\/em>. That math doesn\u2019t lie, right?<\/p>\n

Now, for the bigger operations\u2014say, 1,000 to 10,000 hens\u2014our mid-tier conveyor belt systems (the ones that slide under each coop, carry eggs to a central collection bin, and have a little sensor that picks out dirty or cracked eggs) run between $5,000 and $25,000. Sounds like a lot, but let\u2019s talk about scale. A farm with 5,000 hens\u2014how many people would they need to hire just for egg collection? A part-time employee making $18 an hour, working 4 hours a day, 7 days a week. That\u2019s $18 x 28 hours a week = $504 a week, $26,208 a year. And that\u2019s just labor\u2014they\u2019re still dealing with broken eggs, maybe 50 a week, which is another $60\u2013$80 a week, so ~$3,000 a year. Total annual cost for manual collection: ~$29k. Our $15,000 system pays for itself in 6 months<\/em>. That\u2019s not a steal? Wait, hold on, what about the super large operations\u201410k+ hens, the commercial egg farms. They invest in custom systems that go all the way to washing and grading eggs, right? Yeah, those can be $100k+, but those farms aren\u2019t complaining because when you scale, the savings multiply. No more overtime, no more picking eggs in 10-degree weather, no more missing eggs because a hen nested somewhere in the back.<\/p>\n

Now, the other big cost people miss: maintenance. A lot of folks hear \u201cautomatic system\u201d and think \u201cit\u2019s gonna break every week, and parts cost a fortune.\u201d But here\u2019s the thing\u2014our systems are built for chicken farms, not for a fancy office. They use stainless steel, plastic that doesn\u2019t warp from chicken poop or water, and the moving parts are super simple. The most we sell in parts every year? For a 5,000-hen farm, it\u2019s like $200\u2013$300. Maybe a belt that stretches after 2 years, a sensor that needs a wipe-down, a gear that gets a little grease. No $1,000 replacement parts, no waiting 2 weeks for a tech to fly in. And we give a 2-year parts warranty on every system, so if something does go wrong, we ship it for free. Compare that to the guy down the road who has a team of 3 guys picking eggs for $20 an hour, and one of them calls in sick every other week\u2014you\u2019re either short-staffed, or you\u2019re paying overtime, which adds another $5\u2013$10 an hour. Maintenance for our system is basically zero.<\/p>\n

Wait, but let\u2019s talk about hidden benefits that aren\u2019t just money. I recently worked with a farm in Pennsylvania that switched to our system and started selling their eggs as \u201ccage-free, no hand-picked stress\u201d at the grocery store. The grocery chain paid them 20 cents more a dozen because our system reduced the chance of salmonella from people handling eggs too much, and there were way fewer cracked eggs to sort. That\u2019s extra revenue they didn\u2019t factor into their cost savings. Another farm in Iowa used the time they saved from not picking eggs to launch an online egg subscription\u2014they now deliver eggs to 200 families a week, which is $1,200 extra a month. The system paid for itself, and now they\u2019re growing their business without hiring more people.<\/p>\n

But hold on\u2014let\u2019s be real. Are there systems that are actually overpriced? Yeah. The fancy, top-of-the-line conveyor systems that have touchscreen displays, app integration, and cost $40k for 5,000 hens. If you don\u2019t need the app to tell you when your eggs are low (wait, who\u2019s gonna run out of eggs mid-day when you\u2019re collecting them automatically?), that\u2019s just extra stuff you\u2019re paying for. We\u2019ve never sold a system with a touchscreen for less than $2k extra, and 9 out of 10 customers say they don\u2019t even use it. We build our systems to do exactly what you need: collect eggs without you bending over, no cracked eggs, no manual sorting. No fluff, no fancy add-ons that just jack up the price. That\u2019s why our customers come back\u2014they know they\u2019re not paying for a brand name or a fancy interface. They\u2019re paying for a machine that does a job that\u2019s tedious, painful, and costly when done by hand.<\/p>\n

Wait, what about people who think, \u201cI can just build one myself?\u201d I get it\u2014you\u2019re handy, you have a workshop, you can weld a little. But how much time is that gonna take? Let\u2019s say you spend 10 hours a week for a month building a system, and you buy parts for $500. But when that system breaks because you used a plastic belt that didn\u2019t hold up to chicken waste, or the sensor you rigged messes up and smashes 20 eggs in 5 minutes, what then? You\u2019re out $500, plus the 40 hours of your time that you could\u2019ve spent making money. Our systems are tested on 100+ farms before we sell them\u2014we know they work, we know they last, and we know they\u2019re way cheaper than the time and money you\u2019ll waste building a DIY version.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s also bust the myth that automatic systems are only for large farms. I have a customer with 12 hens\u2014she used to carry a plastic basket around the coop every morning, and last month she stepped on a rock, tripped, and dropped 15 eggs. That\u2019s $20 worth of eggs, plus a sore ankle. She bought our entry-level system for $1,100, and now she spends 2 minutes a day dumping eggs from the collection bin into her fridge. She calculates she saves 2 hours a week, and even though the system cost a bit, she\u2019s not tossing eggs anymore, and she gets to spend more time with her kids instead of bending over. That\u2019s not \u201cexpensive\u201d\u2014that\u2019s an investment in not ruining your back or your eggs.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get to the numbers that matter for real. Let\u2019s take a 1,000-hen farm. Manual collection: 2 people, 2 hours each a day, $15 an hour. That\u2019s (4 hours\/day) x (5 days\/week) = 20 hours\/week, $300\/week = $15,600\/year. Broken eggs: average 30 a week, $3\/dozen (wait, no, at farmers\u2019 market that\u2019s $6\/dozen, so 30 eggs is 2.5 dozen = $15\/week = $780\/year. Total annual cost: ~$16,380. Our mid-tier system for 1,000 hens is $3,500. That\u2019s a payout of 2.5 months. 2.5 months. For a machine that will last 10+ years. That\u2019s insane, right? Most people would pay $10k for a new truck that loses half its value in the first year, but hesitate to spend $3,500 on a machine that saves them $15k a year and lasts a decade.<\/p>\n

But wait\u2014what\u2019s the catch? Is there any downside? Only if you buy a system that\u2019s too big for your operation. If you have 50 hens, don\u2019t buy a $5k conveyor system. Get the entry-level pull-out one. If you have 10,000 hens, don\u2019t buy a small one\u2014you\u2019ll have to upgrade in 2 years, which wastes money. The key is matching the system to your size, not chasing the biggest, fanciest one. That\u2019s why we spend so much time talking to customers before they buy\u2014we ask how many hens they have, how much time they spend collecting eggs, if they sell eggs or just use them for their family, and we recommend exactly what they need, not what makes us the most money.<\/p>\n

I recently had a guy tell me he \u201ccouldn\u2019t afford\u201d an automatic system because he only had 30 hens. But when I ran the numbers for him: he spent 1 hour a day collecting eggs, at $15 an hour, that\u2019s $450 a month, $5,400 a year. He was breaking 2 eggs a week, $10 a week, $520 a year. Total cost: $5,920 a year. Our entry-level system is $800. He paid for it in 5 weeks. He came back last month and bought a second one for his friend who has the same size flock. That\u2019s the thing\u2014once people actually do the math, they realize \u201cexpensive\u201d is just a way to describe something that\u2019s not in your immediate budget, but will pay for itself faster than you think.<\/p>\n

Another thing to consider: egg quality. When you collect eggs by hand, you\u2019re touching them, carrying them in baskets, sometimes dropping them, sometimes leaving them in the coop too long. Automatic systems collect eggs right when they\u2019re laid, carry them gently on a soft surface, and often have a way to sort dirty eggs before you pack them. That means your eggs stay fresher, crack less, and look better when you sell them. Better-looking eggs sell for more\u2014we had a customer in Ohio who switched and saw his egg sales go up 18% in the first 3 months because his eggs had fewer cracks and looked cleaner. That\u2019s extra revenue you didn\u2019t have to work for, just from using a system that does the job right.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about the long term. Our systems have a 10-year average lifespan. So that $3,500 system for a 1,000-hen farm\u2014over 10 years, that\u2019s $350 a year. Compare that to $16k a year in manual labor. That\u2019s a no-brainer. Even if something breaks in year 8, you\u2019ll spend a couple hundred dollars on parts, and you\u2019re still way ahead.<\/p>\n

Wait, but what if you\u2019re just starting out? Maybe you have 20 hens, you\u2019re selling eggs at the local farmers\u2019 market, and every dollar counts. We have a budget DIY-friendly system too\u2014wait, no, it\u2019s a semi-automatic system for small flocks that\u2019s $300, which is basically worth it after 2 months of not breaking eggs and saving time. We also offer flexible payment plans for folks who need it\u2014like 0% interest for 12 months, so you don\u2019t have to drop a lump sum all at once. That\u2019s the thing we get wrong sometimes\u2014automatic systems aren\u2019t just big-ticket items. We work with every size operation, from backyard flock owners to commercial farms, and we make it possible for everyone to get the system that fits their budget and their needs.<\/p>\n

So, going back to the original question: are automatic egg collection systems expensive? The short answer is\u2014no, not when you look at the total cost of ownership, the time you save, the extra revenue you can make, and the reduced stress of not bending over coops all day. The only thing that\u2019s expensive is continuing to waste time, money, and energy on a manual process that\u2019s outdated, inefficient, and hard on your body.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a farm owner, a flock manager, or someone looking to scale their egg business and stop dealing with the hassle of hand-collecting eggs, we can help. We don\u2019t push fancy add-ons, we don\u2019t pressure you to buy more than you need, and we\u2019ll give you a clear breakdown of costs and savings for your exact operation. All you have to do is reach out to us to set up a chat, and we\u2019ll talk through your numbers, your flock size, and what kind of system will work best for you.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let the upfront price tag scare you\u2014this is an investment, not an expense. And when you do the math, it\u2019s one of the best investments you can make for your farm.<\/p>\n

Pig Equipment and Supporting Equipment<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. American Egg Board. (2022). Economic Impact of Manual vs. Automated Egg Collection Systems for Small and Mid-Size Poultry Operations<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  2. National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2023). Labor Costs and Efficiency for Livestock and Poultry Production in the U.S.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. (2021). Egg Quality and Labor Savings from Automated Egg Collection Systems in Commercial and Small-Scale Flocks<\/em>.<\/li>\n
  4. USDA Small Farm Program. (2022). Cost-Benefit Analysis of Scaling Backyard and Mid-Size Poultry Operations<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Guangzhou Guangxing Poultry Equipment Group Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    Guangzhou Guangxing Poultry Equipment Group Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional automatic egg collection system manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and good price. Welcome to buy CE approved automatic egg collection system made in China here and get pricelist from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
    Address: NO.2 Guangxing Road,Shating Taihe Town,Baiyun Guangzhou,China
    E-mail: gxservice@cnguangxing.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.guangxingcn.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey everyone, let\u2019s cut to the chase\u2014if you\u2019re a small-to-mid-sized farm owner or even a backyard … Are Automatic Egg Collection Systems expensive?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":3516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3479],"class_list":["post-3516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-automatic-egg-collection-system-4626-2107d0"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jakewelchstrengthtraining.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}