If you are wondering how much it could cost to raise your own backyard chickens, you can’t expect a concrete answer. There are variables, but we’ll go over all those details coming up!
My husband and I started our backyard flock in March 2019. We were living in a subdivision then and had never thought about owning our own backyard chickens until we saw that some of our neighbors had their own flock.
One day when they were outside, we stopped by asked to see their chickens and coop set up. We didn’t know anything about owning chickens, so thankfully they were willing to answer all our questions. Turns out we fell in love with the idea and bought 25 of our own!
We’ve been raising our chickens for over a year now and I was wondering, what has the total cost been since we started raising our chickens? Is it worth it? If you’re wondering what’s really involved, then keep reading!
Let’s dive into the cost to raise your own backyard chickens…
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The Cost Of The Chickens Themselves
Let’s first start with the cost of the chickens themselves. This is where the variables begin because you can purchase your chickens as cute, adorable baby chicks, or you can wait till their “teenage phase” also known as pullets. Or, perhaps you purchase them full-grown, laying eggs already!
You can also purchase your chicks from a local farm and feed store, a major retailer like Tractor Supply, a neighbor selling them on Craiglist, or from a hatchery online. Of course, the smaller the animals are, the cheaper they will be because the food cost to raise the chicken so far has been very minimal.
My husband and I purchased our 25 New Hampshire Red chicks on strombergschickens.com. We loved the process and we knew what our birds were going to be eating from day one. This is especially important if you want them to have only organic feed so you can sell organic eggs in the future.
When you purchase your chicks online, they are mailed right after they are born. They can survive without food or water for the first few days. The post office then calls you when they arrive and you go and pick them up!
The cost to purchase baby chicks will vary depending on the breed. But, you can expect to pay less than five dollars per chick. Older chickens will likely range anywhere from $10-$50 a bird, or even up to $100 if it is a specialty breed.
When you decide on the breed and quantity of chicks you want to purchase, you’ll have a better idea of the cost to raise your backyard chickens.
Here’s how much we paid for our birds: 25 x $3.95 = $98.75 (We received a discount by getting 25 and free shipping as well.)
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The Cost Of The Chicken Food And Water
While purchasing baby chicks may be cheaper initially, they do have a few more expenses than purchasing a full-grown chicken. We’ll talk about other materials you will need in a bit, but first, let’s talk about the food and water.
Baby chicks first need “starter” chick food, then “grower,” and then finally “layer” when they are full grown. Check with a specific chart for your breed but typically chicks will be on “starter” from 0 till 12 weeks of age. Then they will transition to “grower” from 12 to 20 weeks of age, and then layer feed begins after that.
The amount of food you purchase will depend on how many chickens you own. You also need to consider if you are purchasing organic feed or not, as organic feed will be more expensive. Lastly, consider free-ranging your birds to save on feed costs.
Here’s a rough estimate of our costs:
6 bags of 50 lbs. starter feed x $20 each = $120
6 bags of 50 lbs. grower feed x $20 each = $120
$15 layer feed from there on out, about $150 per month for 25 birds. (This would be about $30 a month for only 5 birds if you are starting with a smaller flock.)
The Cost Of The Chicken Coop And Supplies
When you take your chicks home, you need a feeder and waterer along with a heat lamp and some sort of brooder for them to stay. We actually used an old dog crate, but you can also purchase a nice one like this.
Then, you will need a feeder and waterer for when the chickens are fully grown. We live in a very cold climate so we need an extension cord as well for our heated waterer.
You’ll also need to start thinking about their long-term home – a chicken coop! My husband built ours in the backyard with just some lumber and nails, but if you want to purchase one you can do that as well!
Another thing to think about that could add up is fencing. How big of a perimeter around the coop would you like? You will also need bird netting on top of the coop like this one to protect from aerial predators.
Lastly, there are lots of other chicken items that are not necessary but may be beneficial. This includes an egg basket, hay for nesting boxes, grit, mealworms, herbs, and other fun toys for them.
You can certainly save a lot of money here as we did by using grass clippings instead of hay, using scrap wood and materials to build the coop, and finding used fencing for sale in your area.
Here’s a rough estimate of our costs when you consider the cost to raise your own backyard chickens:
Chick feeder and waterer = $15
Heat lamp = $15
Coop building supplies = $100
Fencing and bird netting = $50
Total cost = $280
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Other Possible Chicken Expenses
Life doesn’t always go as planned and you may run into a sick or injured chicken here or there. You’ll want to consider what you are comfortable spending on medical expenses before starting your flock.
My husband and I don’t mind butchering our chickens and eating them when they are no longer healthy. We are careful if they are sick; however, and only eat them if their meat is unaffected. If it is, we put the chicken out of their misery and use the other parts of the bird around the homestead.
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This was one of the reasons we purchased a dual breed chicken, one that is good for both egg-laying and meat. We have not spent any money on medical expenses. Instead, we feed our garden scraps to the chickens and add apple cider vinegar to their water and herbs to their food every once in a while to help strengthen their immune systems.
This book is my favorite when it comes to keeping a healthy flock of chickens in your backyard!
Income From Your Chickens
So, as you can see, having your own backyard chickens certainly does cost money. And, while you can’t determine the exact cost to raise your own backyard chickens, you can see that it does not require a lot.
In fact, they are one of the easiest animals for homesteaders to raise. And you get eggs and meat in return!
One way we off-set the cost of our chickens is by selling our surplus of eggs to neighbors and friends. Nowadays you can sell a dozen free-range or organic farm fresh eggs for $3-$6 a dozen depending on your area.
You could also sell the chicken manure your flock produces, but this is less likely to be successful. Chicken manure is considered “hot” manure, which means that it needs time to decompose before you can place it directly on your garden plants.
If you have a fresh compost pile growing though and you allow the manure to age properly, you can try listing it for sale and see if any local gardeners in the area are willing to purchase it.
Lastly, you could try raising your own chicks and selling them; however, this is a hard process and will require some micromanaging. You will need a rooster and a broody hen to make this possible, which both are often more of an inn usance than helpful. Or you could purchase your own incubator to make things easier!
Is It Worth The Cost To Raise Your Own Backyard Chickens?
Basically, selling eggs is the best form of making an income from your backyard chickens. And while it doesn’t bring in a huge income, only a few dollars per dozen, it still helps offset the cost.
If you are looking for a business venture in raising your own flock, it is probably best to look elsewhere. You will likely break even and not make a profit, if any, from your backyard chickens.
Also, when comparing costs to the supermarket, be sure you are comparing to organic, free-range eggs and not the standard white ones. You aren’t necessarily saving money by raising your own instead of purchasing them from the store, but the farm-to-table benefits still outweigh purchasing them from the store.
When it comes to the question of is it worth it, that really is up to you. Do you value farm-fresh food that hasn’t been washed and sanitized and then takes weeks of transit to the grocery store and then finally to your home before it is consumed?
There is great value in raising fresh produce, where you know exactly where it came from. Your backyard flock will be eating the grass, insects, and seeds they find in your yard. You can avoid GMOs and eat fresh, organic eggs. And remember, you are essentially eating whatever your chickens are eating!
There is just no denying that your own home-grown eggs are better for your overall health. For my family, it is completely worth it!
Let me know in the comments below what questions you have regarding the cost to raise your own backyard chickens!
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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My friend’s family recently started raising chickens, and her two young sons have been helping out and even selling the eggs by the dozen. It looks like they’re learning a lot about running a business through the experience!
Yes, it is such a good practical life skill to learn! (:
This is so useful – it’s really important to know what you’re getting yourself into financially with something like this! I like how you really break it down to the numbers.
Thank you!!
A few people in my neighborhood (in the suburbs) have been inquiring about this in our local FB groups. I will send them your post!
That is so sweet – thank you!
I love how you broke down the costs here – will be very helpful for those looking to do the same! My dad raised chickens for a time when he had a country home.
Very cool…I hope this helps lots of people!
I’ve definitely thought about this a few times, right now it probably wouldn’t really work with our yard and space, but maybe someday. I love the idea of getting farm to table food more than buying things from the store, so it’s definitely an option in our future
Ahh love it! Come back and check out all my blog posts when you are diving in – I’d love to help you!
This is such a great breakdown! There is a lot here that I never considered, and always thought of having chickens as a way to get free eggs. But it’s a lot more involved than that!
Yes! But also, they are one of the easiest animals to own so I hope it doesn’t overwhelm anyone! (: