Cost Of Raising Chickens

In our new economy, many people are looking for a way of cutting cost and living a simpler more self-sufficient lifestyle. One of the things that many people are considering doing in order to save money is to start raising chickens. One of the things that people are curious about is what it will cost to raise chickens if they decide to have their own small flock.

There are many variables to consider when talking about the cost of raising chickens. The number of chickens is one variable, where you live is another variable, and the type of chickens you decide to raise is another variable. Even with all of these variables to consider you can still come up with a basic cost for raising chickens.

The first thing to consider is the chicken coop; this will be your largest expense. Even if you build the coop yourself, it will still be your largest expense. Premade coops are rather expensive but they save you the trouble of building your own. Another thing to consider with the coop is if you need a mobile coop or a stationary coop, and the size of the coop will affect the cost. The larger the coop the more it will cost, and mobile coops cost more because there is more to a mobile coop. A mobile coop would be used for those that live in urban areas. For the sake of the article, we will put the cost of the coop at $500.00 dollars. You should purchase the coop before you purchase any chickens.

The next cost will be the chickens themselves. For a typical family three to six chickens should provide more than enough eggs. If you get newborn chicks, they will cost $2-$3.00 each. That is $18.00 for six chicks. The next cost of raising chickens is the brooder for the chicks. A brooder is just a place for the chicks to stay and be warm. They will only need the brooder for a limited time so do not spend much on a brooder. A brooder can be a cardboard box with a heat lamp or other type of lamp that will keep the chicks comfortably warm. You should be able to set a brooder up for free; most people will have a box and a lamp around their home.

You will also need to purchase starter feed for the chicks. You can get 50 lbs of starter feed for less than $20.00 and depending on the number of chicks you have it will last for months. None of the starter food will be wasted because you can feed it to the chicks until the food is gone. Containers for the food and water will add another $8.00 to the cost of raising chickens. You will also need to provide your chicks with bedding material, most people use wood chips that cost $12.00 a bag. A bag of wood chips will last for several months. This is all that you need to get your chicks ready, but there are some other expenses you may have depending on your situation.

Once you have the chickens to this point, the cost of raising chickens is low. If you can let your chickens roam and feed themselves, you will have very little cost when it comes to feeding them. Even if you have to purchase feed, it is relatively inexpensive. Your chickens will need occasional supplements but they are also inexpensive. When all cost is considered, the money you will save raising chickens will outweigh the cost of raising chickens.

S. O'Connor is the owner of Chicken Houses Plus located in Archer, Florida. In addition to raising healthy, happy chickens the company also provides fertile chicken eggs, egg incubators, and Amish built chicken coops. Customer service is available via Live Chat.