What it costs to raise chickens

Startup costs

Coop and run: the largest single line. Building from salvage costs a fraction of a kit, and a kit coop is usually smaller than advertised.

Birds: chicks are cheapest, started pullets cost more but lay months sooner, and point-of-lay hens cost the most and pay back first.

Brooder gear: heat plate or lamp, feeder, waterer and bedding for the first six weeks.

Fencing and predator-proofing: hardware cloth, buried apron, secure latches. Chicken wire keeps chickens in, not predators out.

Ongoing costs

Feed, by far the biggest recurring line. Layer feed consumption is roughly a quarter pound per bird per day, more in cold weather.

Bedding — shavings or straw, refreshed through the year.

Grit, oyster shell, and occasional medication or wormer.

Replacement birds: laying drops after the second year, so budget for a rotation.

Do the eggs pay?

Divide your yearly feed and bedding cost by the eggs you actually collect — including winter, when lay rate falls.

Home flocks rarely beat commercial egg prices on cost alone once you count the coop; they win on quality, control and enjoyment.

Selling surplus eggs helps, but check your state's cottage food and egg sale rules before you sell.

Where people overspend

Buying a fancy small coop and outgrowing it within a year. Build for more birds than you plan to keep.

Heated coops. Most breeds handle cold better than damp; ventilation matters more than heat.

Straight-run chicks when you want layers — half of them will be roosters.