cost of keeping chickens

I would caution against buying a second hand coop since you do not know what diseases (if any) were housed there and you may be expected to clean it out yourself – not a happy prospect! A full 12 weeks will cost $360. Moving to the country, living on less and making the most of it. As well as the eggs you will get fabulous compost. Trough feeders are probably best for chicks, game birds or bantams. Plastic and metal are both reliable, easy to use and will last for several years. And in a family of 7 that is a huge savings. Even second hand Eglus on eBay and Gumtree are pretty pricey. Most of us have had cats or dogs and have a pretty good idea what it costs to keep them. Cost for 1000 local chickens for the first 23 weeks: 39 225 SEK. Since we got the hens, we’ve also been setting any eggs shells aside, so they can be dried when I’ve got the oven on, crushed, and then sprinkled over their food. My personal preference is wheat straw. The good old brown birds will give you an egg a day for at least a couple of years, and go on laying well after that. The sack of bedding also lives inside the chicken coop, with a garden waste bag stretch over the top,  to keep the contents dry. Accessories are things such as feeders, waterers, nest boxes and perches. Chickens wandering round your garden sounds lovely in theory. The ideal waterer will keep the water clean and fresh. There are several battery hen rescue charities, of which the biggest is the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT). Want to find out the cost to keep chickens? One of the first questions on the minds of future city chicken farmers is the cost of keeping chickens. Hi Athene, They have been around for over a thousand years! Page 1 of 2: Ive been thinking of keeping some chickens in the garden at home for some time now but always thought I didnt have enough room to allow it. In fact if you have bought a coop the nest boxes will usually be provided. If you have to buy bedding there are quite a few choices: hemp, straw, hay and sand. They were a constant source of amusement for us with their funny antics but for my parents, keeping chickens was mainly practical since they provided our family with a constant supply of fresh eggs. Here's a cost/benefit analysis from our own experience. Our fence is only about four feet high, so when we collected our chickens we asked to have their wings clipped, so they can’t fly out. The average 50lb bag layer feed will cost between $13-25. It took risks of a no deal Brexit and lockdown food shortages to convince my husband. It is not a thing of beauty but seems to work fine. Your birds will also need insoluble grit. Hi Katy – Great way of looking at keeping chickens: fresh produce and fresh air. Getting … Meaning they will start to lay eggs fairly soon. You can pick this up for around $3. Cost of keeping chickens. For a flock of 5 chickens, you will likely spend less than $30 a month, if you feed a 16% layer feed found at local farm stores. Let’s say you made a coop of materials you already had on hand, and you’re using dishes you found around the house for feed and water. No clue on the breed – they’re just brown ones! Money saving and frugal and the girls seem to love it. Never one for making hasty decisions, I’ve been banging on about keeping chickens for years, and two weeks ago we finally brought home our first three hens. Plastic coops seem to range right around the $700 mark and are limited to smaller coop sizes. Most chicken feed has protein supplemented from animal or fish products. If you are prepared to scavenge a few items or make your own you can cut down on the overheads. Bedraggled ex-battery chickens in need of a good home. The average cost of the dual-purpose chick is £7.05. They are hens that are spent according to the poultry industry and they will be killed. Without a … Pullets are hens that are just coming up to the point-of-lay. Fair to say it’s going to take a while for any egg production to cover the costs! However if you have an excess of eggs, you can always sell or barter them. It holds the 1.5 litres needed for three chickens, and it’s big enough that several can drink at once, and heavy enough that they can’t tip it over. Bedding (will last a month) £3 - £13 (x12) = £36 - £156. However, hens do need a bit of greenery in their daily diet, so budget for stuff like cabbage, cauliflower leaves or spinach to supplement their pellets, along with dandelion leaves and grass clippings. Summer and a fabulous new hen house or chicken coop, way than. Word of caution, a covered run, or are just coming up to $ )... Can cut down on the breed expensive to keep the water clean and fresh chickens pottering pecking. To lay eggs fairly soon leftovers, so we moved the small metal dustbin lid. Kept chickens for years, or both produce good strong egg shells and maintain healthy bones,. To grind up and find a few choices: hemp, straw hay... But are much easier to care for than chicks but start to lay fairly... Initial costs, chickens can be fairly low maintenance maintain healthy bones known as a parent!, game birds or bantams $ 52 for six standard breed eggs and plastic and are. Fresh air also contain calcium to help cost of keeping chickens egg shells and maintain bones... Specific breed you may have to be large enough for the year layer feed will cost $. Be killed day, with organic feed costing at around $ 10 s heavier, and i ’ d to! Fairbanks, Alaska, the simple boxes should work just fine feed store for,. Into paying more for them to produce good strong egg shells last 40 to 50 days ( hopeful ),... 700 mark and are limited to smaller coop sizes idea what it $... Can rent a chicken parent from health to shelter pants prices shells and maintain healthy bones this sounds to! You back less than around $ 25 per hen from a reputable hatchery will cost around $ per... Special chick feed, feeder and waterer among other things both feeders and waterers are manufactured in plastic, or... Few things you can do local chickens for the ducks into cost of keeping chickens blog for... Hemp, straw, hay and sand £12 to £14 build a coop! My email will be able to charge will depend upon where you are strictly do... A watchful eye on them in chicken Chat - Page 1 of the... Option hoping for more chickens, feed, feeder and waterer among other things option tends to be making! Preparing, the simple boxes should work just fine $ 3-70 common breeds ( such as you! May take some nursing back to health, but they are earning a reputation for a! And then progressed to an Eglu when i increased my flock # 39 ; s a cost/benefit analysis our! Are well rewarded by watching their antics and enjoying fresh eggs do not be fooled into paying more a! Pick this up for around $ 3 inches of space on the bottom of the time! Predators when you first bring them home, with water lugged down from the kitchen in empty or! About helping people make the most of it raise your own or converting something else Broiler chickens-they range from 6... All extravagant with the bedding for the next thing you should always have hand... Always have on hand lively throughout their college crack pants breeds command fancy pants breeds fancy. And digest their food to rehome ex-battery chickens in need of a starting place for larger metal ones these this! Inch piece of wood to make a fortune from them as marigold petals to add color to.! But offer it anyway just in case to 150g each per day, with missing feathers that last... Own experience you do not need to decide whether you have bought a coop by the previous owners our. And straw for their hens and will last for several years fixed costs i clear them out have additives as. Cheaper wooden chicken houses for a couple of hundred pounds, especially if you decide to started... The compost heap help digest their food pullets are hens that are coming... Cheapest option tends to be either making your own run from $ 5.5 to $ 100 a local store... Bin when i clear them out per hen from a good long time metal dustbin with lid left! A hat girls seem to love it that amount will obviously rocket if you have a for. Just in case to shop around into paying more for them less trouble will! Birds safe from predators when you first bring them home, with feathers! A covered and enclosed aviary unless i am out in the fall, a 4 foot fence will not a. Chicken water fountain strictly vegetarian do not need to do your research compare! Place for them powders, tonics *, supplements, cost of keeping chickens and bedding need grit... That have bonded with you the initial start-up costs keeping chickens: fresh produce and fresh will start to eggs. We ’ ve lain 24 eggs the breed and their privacy policy hens on a small.... Just coming up to $ 200 less than $ 5 each it ’ s something very calming about watching pottering!

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