Should I get backyard chickens?

[darleen]

I am thinking about getting some backyard chickens to lay eggs, but I was hoping to get some input from some people that have them. Does it make financial sense to have backyard chickens? What are the costs and are there any other things that I would need to know that might not be apparent for a newbie? What costs could I anticipate for building a coop and other related costs? For those that have backyard chickens, do you feel it was a good move or would you do things differently after knowing what you know?

[bjl584]

My aunt and uncle used to keep them. Initial costs were a bit pricey, as they had to build the coops and fencing to keep out raccoons and coyotes. Feeding them wasn't all that expensive though.

An average chicken will lay 1 or 2 eggs per day. They had more eggs than they knew what to do with and ended up giving a lot away to friends and family.

You don't need to get a rooster unless you want to breed chicks. Not having a rooster is also much quieter, since a rooster will start calling every morning at the crack of dawn and randomly throughout the day. I've also been told that if a rooster fertilizes the eggs it can change the taste. Not sure if that's true or not.

You should get a couple years of good laying out of a chicken. Then, you can eat it.

Before you proceed make sure to check local ordnances to make sure you can legally have the chickens where you live.

[Bob B.]

I am thinking about getting some backyard chickens to lay eggs, but I was hoping to get some input from some people that have them. Does it make financial sense to have backyard chickens? What are the costs and are there any other things that I would need to know that might not be apparent for a newbie? What costs could I anticipate for building a coop and other related costs? For those that have backyard chickens, do you feel it was a good move or would you do things differently after knowing what you know?

We have backyard chickens. The first answer is no, it probably doesn't make financial sense to buy layers. It all depends on what kind of premium you attribute to having absolutely fresh eggs with a brighter yellow yolk. Many will argue that home grown eggs are healthier, but I don't have anything to back that up.

The chicks will cost you about $2.50 each if you order pullets (only females), about $2.15 each if you order "straight run" (males mixed with females). I'd recommend Isa Browns. In our experience, they are the best layers. Start with a box of 25 chicks. Order more later if things work out well. Even if you order pullets only, expect that you will get one or maybe two roosters. Determining male vs. female very young chicks is difficult even for the most experienced eyes. And, the hatchery usually sends an extra chick (26 when you order 25) to account for any death loss during transport.

A bag of feed will cost probably $15, and will last about three weeks for 25 full grown hens. Our chickens are out on pasture for most of the day, so our feed cost is a bit lower. We live in the most rural of areas, so putting hens out on pasture is no problem for us. It would be a problem if you have close neighbors, or local ordinances, of course.

In our experience, you can figure two eggs for every three chickens per day. Not quite one egg per hen per day.

We're heading into fall here, and I'm not sure where you live, but you'll have to have heat lamps for the very young chicks for the first three or four weeks if it's very cold where you live. They need 85+ degrees F for the first weeks of their lives.

The most very important thing is to provide safe and very secure nighttime housing (coop) our first experience was very bad, and a family of racoons wiped us completely out over the course of three nights. Our current coop sits outside. It is a wooden frame, completely covered with chicken wire. It has worked well for over a year now.

You'll have excess eggs. Our local market will support $2 per dozen for locally produced eggs. If you have a market, you can do OK selling them, but don't forget about the hassle of moving eggs.

For us, we have young children. We have the land. It's fun, and teaches the kids some responsibility. We always have eggs, and I think they taste better than what you find in the store. But, let's face it. You can buy a dozen eggs for around 99 cents.

[riverwed070707]

I am thinking about getting some backyard chickens to lay eggs, but I was hoping to get some input from some people that have them. Does it make financial sense to have backyard chickens? What are the costs and are there any other things that I would need to know that might not be apparent for a newbie? What costs could I anticipate for building a coop and other related costs? For those that have backyard chickens, do you feel it was a good move or would you do things differently after knowing what you know?

Short answer is no, its not a cost savings. We have a flock of 6 and definitley get more eggs than we can eat but we just give away the extras a dozen at a time to friends and neighbors (deviled eggs have also become my signature potluck dish )

Start up doesn't have to be crazy expensive but it can be. We built our coop for about $130 in materials and paint. Chicks were around $2 each but we had terrible luck with our first batch of 5 -- 2 died and the other three turned out to be roosters even though the breeder swore he knew how to sex them... I highly recommend buying pullets so you can know for sure. Also, check craigslist. As our flock has died off, we've replaced some with older hens farms were phasing out and we still get plenty of eggs. You can get them cheap or free.

We go through about a $12 bag of feed a month, plus they eat a ton of kitchen scraps and yard bugs. <- this alone is enough to put anyone over the cost of just buying store bought eggs.

Are you in the city or country? At one point we had a run for ours but now they just free range our 1/2 acre fenced backyard. Our dogs keep predators out so relatively low risk (other than the neighbors dog breaking through the back of our aluminum shed and snatching one). If you're in the city, you should know that although roosters get the rap for being loud, hens aren't quiet. They can be very vocal when laying or when you don't get up early enough to feed them ASAP. I'd make sure neighbors aren't going ot have a problem with it. You can keep a small flock to keep costs down, but if you live in a place that gets cold in the winter, you'll want at least 4-5 so they can stay warm.

If you're in the country and have room for more birds, you might be able to sell enough to break even or come close to it but its rarely profitable on a small scale. You also have a lot higher risk of losing them to predators that way.

All that aside, we've found them to be great pets. They're funny and personable, easy for kids to take care of and relatively self sufficient in that we can go away for the weekend and not have to worry about them. Backyardchickens.com has a great community forum for learning everything there is to know.

[elessar78]

Overrated. But then again my wife's family has a farm and lots of people we know raise their own egg layers so we buy off them.

Just don't raise them without doing the research of the WHOLE life cycle of an egg layer. You'll have a lot of up front costs as the chickens mature to egg laying age. Then they'll go through "henopause" and no more eggs—be prepared to kill 'em or let them live out their life.

I hate all these craigslist ads putting egg layers up for adoption.

[TBH]

I agree start-up costs are not cheap. We spent over $500 getting our coop and run set up. We bought the coop, and built a run. But we hardly use the run--we just free range them. Our chickens and the feeders and stuff were free because we had a friend who wanted to get rid of them. Feed costs me about $20 every 5 or 6 weeks. We also give them kitchen scraps but because they free range they get some of their nourishment from eating plants and bugs around the yard.

We have four hens. For a while we got an average of 3 eggs a day, but right now one of them is broody and one of them is molting, so we're only getting 1 egg a day, average. Totally not worth the money, but I'm not really doing it to be frugal. I'm doing it because it's fun and it teaches my kid something about where food comes from. They're pets, basically.

[KTP]

It is like hydroponics. Costs $500 to set up, and then you get maybe $10 in herbs and lettuce plus a higher electric bill.

[riverwed070707]

It is like hydroponics. Costs $500 to set up, and then you get maybe $10 in herbs and lettuce plus a higher electric bill.

LOL sounds about right! But chickens are more entertaining to watch than plants growing

[KTP]

LOL sounds about right! But chickens are more entertaining to watch than plants growing

Yeah but plants don't poop and wake you up at 5am

[Mjenn]

No, No, No and No.

Unless you have the space and ability to take good care of chickens (ie. you live on a farm and have raised chickens before) -- please please just leave the chickens be. Find someone with chickens and buy their eggs. It will save you a lot of work and time and thus probably even money.

I write this as some of our neighbors are in a fight over a chicken coop down the street, there are threats of neighbors killing chickens, chickens being severely mistreated because the owner does not have a clue how to care for them, it is one big smelly noisy and cruel mess.

Start a garden, grow some squash, but leave the animal husbandry to the experts.

[riverwed070707]

No, No, No and No.

Unless you have the space and ability to take good care of chickens (ie. you live on a farm and have raised chickens before) -- please please just leave the chickens be. Find someone with chickens and buy their eggs. It will save you a lot of work and time and thus probably even money.

I write this as some of our neighbors are in a fight over a chicken coop down the street, there are threats of neighbors killing chickens, chickens being severely mistreated because the owner does not have a clue how to care for them, it is one big smelly noisy and cruel mess.

Start a garden, grow some squash, but leave the animal husbandry to the experts.

Having owned chickens for a couple years now, I'd say there isn't much to it. Not saying its a good idea to tick off the neighbors (as referneced in my above post) but I don't see this as any different than deciding to take care of a dog, cat, another variety of bird or any other household pet. They are not space intensive and do not require a farm to live happy, healthy lives, nor is there a steep learning curve for caring for them.

[KTP]

Having owned chickens for a couple years now, I'd say there isn't much to it. Not saying its a good idea to tick off the neighbors (as referneced in my above post) but I don't see this as any different than deciding to take care of a dog, cat, another variety of bird or any other household pet. They are not space intensive and do not require a farm to live happy, healthy lives, nor is there a steep learning curve for caring for them.

Having had a neighbor with 40 odd chickens and two roosters I have been on the other side of the fence and considered raising mongoose (mongeese?, mongooses?) or raccoons or something and accidentally leaving the gate open one night between our yards.

[LuckyRobin]

We have 11 hens and get about 8 eggs a day. We spend $25 on feed each month and get a bale of straw for bedding that costs $7 and lasts a couple months. We have enough excess eggs to sell in the neighborhood to cover the cost of our feed and bedding, so we break even. The bigger issue is you have to be there. You have to be there in the morning to let them out and you have to be there in the evening before it is dark to lock them up every single day. If you are late, if you miss one day, chances are about 95% that something will kill them and eat them. It is a lifestyle commitment.

The eggs are wonderful and they will ruin you for store bought eggs. Chickens are fun and have great personalities and most of them are quite intelligent. You will probably waste a lot of time just watching them interact.

The major cost is in housing them, but even that can be mitigated if you have an existing shed with windows (they need some ventilation). Nesting boxes can be made out of 5 gallon buckets ($2 or less at the big box stores) attached to a shed wall with some straw put in. Perches can be made with tree branches or an old ladder attached to the wall. Chickens old enough to lay will drink out of a bucket and eat out of an aluminum pie plate, so fancy feeders and waterers aren't necessary.

Spend some time on www.backyardchickens.com and reading chicken blogs. Read a couple books from the library on keeping chickens. Do your research. Don't jump into it blindly. Know what you are getting into and know whether or not you are the type of person who is willing to make the commitment.

[riverwed070707]

We have 11 hens and get about 8 eggs a day. We spend $25 on feed each month and get a bale of straw for bedding that costs $7 and lasts a couple months. We have enough excess eggs to sell in the neighborhood to cover the cost of our feed and bedding, so we break even. The bigger issue is you have to be there. You have to be there in the morning to let them out and you have to be there in the evening before it is dark to lock them up every single day. If you are late, if you miss one day, chances are about 95% that something will kill them and eat them. It is a lifestyle commitment.

Interesting to hear this. Are you on a farm or have an open yard? We leave our coop open at night so they can come out on their own in the morning. Our yard is fenced though, so they aren't totally out in the open. We've never had trouble with predators or with leaving for a couple days. Only time we close them up is in the winter to keep the temp up... and they'll stay in all day if there is snow on the ground.

The eggs are wonderful and they will ruin you for store bought eggs. Chickens are fun and have great personalities and most of them are quite intelligent. You will probably waste a lot of time just watching them interact.

Aint that the truth! Few things more entertaining than a game of chicken keep away over a treat!

[LuckyRobin]

We live in the city on .4 acre. We have raccoons, skunks, weasels, possums, and coyotes, all of which will kill a chicken. We've had a few massacres in the 3.5 years we have been raising chickens. So they have to be locked up every night and let out every morning. And I do mean locked, with literal locks. Raccoons can open doors. We have a fenced yard, but raccoons can climb trees and drop over. Weasels can get through very small holes. Skunks and possums can wiggle under fences. Coyotes will dig. The chickens free range the yard all day, but when it gets desk, they are safely locked away.