Costs for raising chickens

How much does it cost for this wonderful, laid free-range eggs in your backyard barn?

Is chicken worth the cost?

How long will it take to re-coop begin the costs?

One of the first questions on the minds of future urban chicken farmers is to keep costs chickens. You could dream of free-range eggs can collect their yard, but do not want to fall financially for the privilege.

The good news is that keeping chickens is not expensive (if you live a place for them). Here is a general breakdown of how much it costs me my herd of 10 to begin Although your costs something could be different, this will give you a good idea from a launch site.

I bought my chick as newborns so that they ranged in price from about $ 2.50 to $ 3.50 depending on the breed. You will be on average they at $ 3.00. Since most city farmers have on the number of chicks smaller limits, they can have, let us support our prices three chicks on the purchase.

Three new baby chicks = $ 9.00

for a few weeks to get chicks this young agent also brooder (that is warm living a place for them) need. In my case, I have a big dog crate that I already had. You could also take a large plastic container, carton, or other containers that you have on hand to use. Since most people can free muster a kind of container, we assume you are one of them.

(If you want to start with older chickens closer to girls laying and avoid the baby stage expect 15.10 $ spend per chicken).

Homemade chicken brooder = free

For a light, I have a basic shop light with the reflective metal around him, and a regular light bulb. I Thread suspended an extension cable through the wire door of the box and the light at the inside of the door.

As the chicks remained in the house for the first month, that was good enough.

However, if you need to buy equipment, there are heat lamps and special lamps that go into them. I saw the lights for between $ 10-30, so let's average at $ 20. And the light bulb for another $ 6.12 to go in it, with an average of $ 8.00.

Brooder lamp and light bulb = $ 28.00

They are also a kind of food and water containers must. I think $ 5 I ever paid about for my first container. The water tank held a liter of water, which is perfect for a small flock of babies.

Food and water containers = $ 10.00

Of course, you need to put food in the container. Most places where you can buy the chicks have some chick starter. The larger size bag that you buy is the cheaper it per pound. You can leave your check on the starter until they eat it all and then switch to another food later, or you can buy a smaller amount of food for more money. It's your decision. (Because I bought 10 chicks, I started with a 50 lb bag of chick starter and it took me about 2 months). Roughly speaking, you can have a 5 lb bag of chick starter for around $ 5.00 or 50 lb bag of the same fabric for around $ 15.00. Let yourself go for the big bag for our example! (I've talked to people who never take off their chickens starters insisted that it is best for them.)

50 Lb Bag Chick Starter Food: $ 15,00

If you only have three chickens, this bag is a food you probably take about 6 months.

Next, you need some type of beds for the chicks. Some People Use Newspaper Shredding Or Recycled Paper for Free. Because my chick was in the house, I have sawdust. A big bag of it cost me about $ 12.00 and lasted months.

Wood chips (beds) = $ 12.00

Overall, chick set = $ 74.00

That's all you need to get started! For under $ 75.00, you can get your chicks, they provide for the first month of their lives, have enough to eat, enough to feed for 6 months and beds for at least a few months.

However, the actual cost is yet to come ...

Sooner or later (earlier in the rule - chickens grow at an astonishing rate), go the chicks outgrow their brooder box and you will be faced in finding them a new home. In my case, the chicks went out into