• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Start Here
  • Money Pit Podcast
The Money Pit house logo

The Money Pit

Home Improvement Tips, Ideas & Podcasts

  • Media Kit
  • Posts
  • Spaces
    • Kitchens
    • Bathrooms
    • Home Exteriors
    • Garages & Sheds
    • Outdoor Living
    • Basements & Crawlspaces
  • Reno/Repair
    • Heating
    • Floors
    • Windows
    • Roofs & Gutters
    • Lighting & Wiring
  • Popular Topics
    • Storage & Organization
    • Painting & Decorating
    • Cleaning
    • Pests & Wildlife
    • Buying or Selling a Home
  • Features
    • DIY
    • Pet Friendly
    • Green Home
    • Quick Tips
  • Podcasts
    • Subscribe
    • The Money Pit Podcast
    • Your Calls, Our Answers Podcast
    • Money Pit Minute Podcast
    • Top Products Podcast
4 chickens

Cost of Raising Chickens for Eggs: Store Bought vs. Owning Chickens

Home » Outdoor Living » Cost of Raising Chickens for Eggs: Store Bought vs. Owning Chickens

Cost of Raising Chickens for Eggs: Store Bought vs. Owning Chickens

Outdoor LivingGreen Home Pet Friendly
Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0Email0
4 chickens
by Guest Leave a Comment
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Top 3 costs of raising chickens +−
    • Cost of housing and accessories 
  • Getting chickens
  • Maintenance and care of chickens
  • Price breakdown 
  • Summary 

Owning and raising chickens for eggs is no longer limited to farmers and rural residents. Keeping chickens for eggs has several appeals. Not only do chickens make wonderful pets, but they encourage self-sufficiency by allowing owners to produce some of their own food and avoid a trip to the grocery store for a carton of eggs.  But, if you are wondering if the cost of raising chickens makes this more of an expensive hobby than a smart money saving move, there are a number of factors to consider. 

Here’s what you need to know when comparing the costs of owning chickens for eggs to the cost of store-bought eggs. 

Top 3 costs of raising chickens 

The costs of owning chickens for eggs can be broken into a really three categories: housing and accessories, birds, and ongoing care expenses.  

Housing, accessories, and birds are more expensive and will set a backyard chicken owner back initially. However, these costs are not ongoing. The ongoing care expenses discussed are relatively cheap. 

Cost of housing and accessories 

Finding the best chicken coop

chicken coop with door

The biggest expense when it comes to keeping chickens for eggs is housing. A chicken coop can either be built from scratch or from a kit for upwards of $150. For those less skilled in carpentry, a pre-made coop can also be purchased. 

Pre-made coops have a wide price range depending on the size of the coop and the material it is made out of. Small, simple coops typically cost between $160 and $180. Larger coops are more expensive and can cost several thousand dollars. Money Pit recommends five inexpensive chicken coops, all of which are especially good choices for owning chickens in an urban environment. Even better, these coop options are all under $180. 

Options for accessories

The accessories needed for owning chickens for eggs include perches, nesting boxes, feeders and waterers.

Perches tend to be the cheapest of these coop accessories. All that’s needed is a 2×4 piece of wood, which typically costs less than $5. A sturdy tree branch could even be used as a perch to save money. 

Nesting boxes are also fairly inexpensive. In fact, nesting boxes tend to be already included in pre-made coops. However, a simple nesting box usually costs no more than $10 each. 

The cost of a chicken feeder and waterer depends on how simple or complex the feeding or watering system is. According to Chickens and More, a chicken coop should have one waterer and feeder for every eight birds. Simple hanging feeders and waterers can range between $7 and $30. A more complex feeder, such as an automatic chicken feeder, can cost upwards of $100. 

On average, a backyard chicken owner can expect to pay a total of around $200 – $300 for a coop and the necessary accessories.  

Getting chickens

Baby chicks on grass

Shopping for chickens is one of the most exciting parts for many chicken owners. However, it is important to do plenty of research on the various breeds of chickens in order to choose birds that are good layers, or in other terms, the breeds that lay the most eggs per week.  

There are plenty of chicken breeds that make great layers. Some of the best laying breeds are the Australorp, White Leghorn, and Plymouth Rock. Good laying breeds typically lay between four and six eggs per week.  

There are several options for buying birds once a breed is chosen. One option is buying fertilized eggs and then incubating and hatching the chicks. At less than $9 per egg, this is an inexpensive option. However, incubators can cost upwards of $100, not to mention that hatching chicks is very difficult and not recommended for beginners.

Another option to consider when calculating the cost of raising chickens is to purchase either chicks or pullets. Day-old chicks can be purchased for less than $5 each but raising chicks can be difficult and time consuming. Pullets are chicks that are between 18 and 20 weeks old and have typically already started laying eggs. Pullets are a bit more expensive at about $25 each. However, pullets are hardier than day-old chicks and are easier to care for. 

Maintenance and care of chickens

feeding chickens

When it comes to owning chickens for eggs, there are certain supplies that need to be regularly purchased to keep chickens happy and healthy. These supplies include feed, supplements, and bedding.

The most common type of chicken feed is a simple layer feed. Layer feed is packed with vitamins and nutrients to help chickens lay healthy eggs with strong shells. According to Chickens and More, a 50-pound bag of simple layer feed will cost between $13 and $25. Organic or vegetarian feed will cost quite a bit more.

Poultry supplements are also necessary for the health of the chickens but these are relatively inexpensive. The three main supplements chickens should be fed are oyster shells (which help strengthen eggshells), insoluble grit, and vitamins. All together, these supplements will cost about $25, but don’t need to be purchased very often as they are only supplements to chicken feed. 

The price range of bedding for chicken coops is very wide—it all depends on how much one is willing to spend. The best bedding option for raising chicks is pine shavings, but pine shavings are quite expensive and can add up quickly. Cheaper options for bedding include straw, hemp, sand, and hay. These materials last a long time and are very inexpensive. For example, a bale of straw costs less than $5 and can last for weeks. 

A backyard chicken keeper can expect to add around $50 for supplies to the cost of raising chickens for eggs.

Price breakdown 

So how do backyard chicken eggs and store-bought eggs compare in terms of price?

This table shows the price breakdown of store-bought and backyard eggs over the course of one year. Keep in mind that initially it will be more expensive to purchase the equipment and supplies needed for owning backyard chickens. However, over time, this cost will significantly decrease.

Store-Bought EggsBackyard Chicken Eggs
Cheapest eggs: $1.99/cartonHousing and accessories: $250
Organic, free-range: up to $6/cartonBirds: $15 (three chickens)


Maintenance costs: $100
TOTAL: between $103.48 and $312 for 12 eggs per week (624 eggs per year)TOTAL: $365 for three birds, 12 eggs per week (624 eggs per year)

Summary 

White and brown chicken eggs

While the cost of raising chickens for eggs is slightly more expensive, most backyard chicken owners would agree that it is worth it. 

Owning chickens for eggs allows one to produce and harvest eggs from their own backyard. Backyard chicken owners can gain some peace of mind by knowing exactly where their food is coming from and knowing that there are no additives in their food. 

Furthermore, backyard chicken owners can operate in good moral conscious knowing that the animals behind their food are being treated well, and a price cannot be placed on animal welfare. 

Owning backyard chickens for eggs is a commitment but can help save money in the long run and is undoubtedly a fun and valuable experience. 

Outdoor LivingGreen Home Pet Friendly
Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0Email0

Related Posts

city chickensCity Chickens: How to Get Started Raising a Flock in Your Backyardraising chickens6 Simple Steps to Raising ChickensChild playing with a puppy on grassLifetime Cost of Owning a DogHomeowners Insurance Coverage OptionsA Closer Look at Homeowners Insurance OptionsHouse insurance form for homeowners and model of home.These 15 Home Improvements Deliver Big Insurance Discountshome repairs5 Ways to Save Money on Common End-of-Summer Home Repairs

Related Podcasts

The Money Pit Top Products PodcastPerfectly Warm Perfects Radiant Floor Heating at Greenbuild 2015winter storm preparednessInstall a Heated Driveway to Melt SnowThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoDeck Restore by SyntaThe Money Pit Top Products PodcastVelux Launches Solar-Powered Fresh-Air Skylight at Greenbuld 2015The Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoCalculate the Cost of Converting to Solar PowerThe Money Pit Your Calls Our Answers Podcast LogoWater Takes Too Long to Heat

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

About Guest

The Money Pit welcomes guest posts on topics that will benefit our readers from credible industry experts.

Favorite Posts

Installing a security camera

A Simple Guide To Security Camera Positioning Around Your House

HART Tools in workshop

Expecting a Tax Refund? Here’s 3 Projects You Can Totally Get Done for Less!

greenhouse

Grow Fresh Veggies Year-Round with a Backyard Greenhouse

Yaheetech 32in Outdoor Metal Wood Burning Firepit Square Table Lifestyle

12 Best Outdoor Fire Pits Under $100

Popular Podcasts

Lawn mower cutting grass

Episode #2090: Save Time Cutting Grass | Tips for Paint & Primer | Home Office Renos | Your Q & A

Realtor showing a home to a couple

Episode #2089: Buying a Rental Home | Tips for Terrazzo Floors | Garage Door Do-Overs | Your Q & A

Deer in the backyard

Episode #2088: Keeping Wildlife Out of Your Garden | Big Ideas for Small Baths | Stopping Closet Clutter | Your Q & A

Remodeled garage with floor and cabinets

Episode #2087: Easy Clean Garage Floors | Fun Closet Cleaning Hacks | Trends in Kitchen Design | Reupholstering Furniture

Newsletter

Get weekly updates with the latest tips and tricks to save money in your home.



  • Media Kit
  • Partners
  • Endorsement Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy and Cookie Solution
  • About
  • Affiliates
  • Cookie Policy (US)

Copyright © 2021 · The Money Pit · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!