Hello! Today I’m sharing a detailed guide on raising backyard chickens for eggs and what it costs to keep them. I’ve learned from several family members who raise chickens, so I’m familiar with the subject. When Chris suggested this guest post, I agreed because the financial side of chicken keeping is interesting. Enjoy!
Like many people, I didn’t plan my chicken-keeping adventure with a spreadsheet.
A visit to my parents’ new hobby farm in northern Vermont changed everything—chickens, ducks, and other useful livestock filled the yard and made me rethink what was possible even for someone who grew up in the suburbs surrounded by pets and only saw cows from a distance each summer.
I started dreaming about farm-fresh eggs, abundant natural fertilizer, pest control, knowing where my food came from, and the simple pleasures of caring for animals.
Waking to the soft chatter of chickens and spending weekends with feathered friends is delightful; if you want, you can read more about my story here.
But starting a chicken coop is also an economic decision, even if you’re not planning to profit from the eggs. To keep a coop sustainable, you need to consider all costs—from start-up purchases like the coop and chicks to ongoing expenses like feed and bedding, and unpredictable costs like repairs and vet visits. Understanding these expenses helps you plan for the yearly commitment of keeping healthy, happy birds.
Start-Up Costs of Raising Chickens for Eggs
The initial steps in starting a chicken coop can feel overwhelming. Many people with romantic homesteading ideas stop when they see the logistics involved. I nearly gave up after spending an hour navigating local websites to discover whether permits, noise regulations, or paperwork were required—only to find out at town hall that no permits were needed. Regulations vary, so check your local rules before proceeding.
The most obvious start-up cost is the birds themselves. Prices depend on breed and age. Hatching eggs for common breeds can cost under $5 each, but hatch rates average around 50 percent. Hatching also requires an incubator (around $100) and additional chick supplies (about $100). Overall, starting five hens from eggs can cost roughly $250.
Buying live chicks avoids incubator costs and the uncertainty of hatch rates. Common breed chicks typically cost about $5 each; rare or purebred chicks can be much more expensive. Raising chicks requires a brooder, heat source, and specialized feeders—about $100 in supplies—so starting five chicks usually totals around $125.
Another option is to start with older birds: pullets (young hens, about 4–16 weeks old) run around $25 each, while rescue hens are often available at lower cost. Pullets are a cost-effective choice and simplify setup since they’re closer to laying age and use the same coop and equipment throughout adulthood.
How Much Does a Chicken Coop Cost?
Coop cost is the largest single expense and rightly so—your birds need a safe, durable home. Cutting corners on the coop often costs more later through repairs or sick birds. As a general guideline, plan for four square feet per bird if they have an attached run or free-range access, and ten square feet per bird if they don’t. For a five-hen flock, a 20-square-foot coop (5×4 feet) plus a run is reasonable.
You can build your own coop from plans and repurposed materials to save money, but choose safe, durable, non-toxic materials. Prefab wooden coops can start around $160, while higher-end plastic or all-weather coops may cost several hundred dollars. Plastic coops clean easily and dry faster, which can be helpful in wet or snowy climates, while wooden coops are widely available and easier to repair.
Run costs vary too—you can build a basic run cheaply or buy a kit for about $150. Plan roughly 15 square feet per bird in the run. For five hens, that’s about 75 square feet, and basic fencing materials can be inexpensive. Together, coop and run costs for a five-bird setup typically range from about $171 to $850.
You’ll also need feeders, a waterer, nesting boxes, and perches. One feeder and one waterer is sufficient for five hens. Waterers run from around $6 to $30 depending on material and size. Feeders vary: wall-mounted models can be as little as $3, hanging feeders around $7, and trough feeders about $15. Nesting boxes usually cost about $10 each if not included with the coop—plan one box for every three hens. Perches are inexpensive and can often be crafted from a 2×4 for roughly $5.
Summing start-up expenses for a five-hen flock:
- $125–$250 for chickens and initial chick equipment
- $171–$850 for coop and run
- $34–$70 to outfit the coop
Total start-up: approximately $330 to $1,170.
Maintenance Costs of Raising Chickens for Eggs
After the start-up phase, recurring costs begin: feed, supplements, bedding, and other supplies. These ongoing expenses add up each year and should be budgeted carefully.
Adult laying hens typically eat a basic layer feed, which costs about $15–$25 per 50-pound bag. A good feeding estimate is six ounces of feed per bird per day, meaning a 50-pound bag will last five hens a little under a month. Chicks require starter feed or starter crumble until they transition to layer feed at around 18 weeks.
Essential supplements include calcium carbonate (often supplied as ground oyster shell) for strong eggshells—about $3 for a month’s supply—and insoluble grit to aid digestion—around $15 per bag. Free-range birds pick up some grit while foraging but should still have grit available.
Bedding options include wood shavings, straw, hemp, sand, or even shredded newspaper. Costs vary but a reasonable estimate is about $5 per month for bedding. Other maintenance costs, like increased water or electric usage, time spent on care, and occasional vet bills or repairs, are harder to predict. It’s wise to keep a contingency fund for unexpected expenses.
Based on these estimates, a five-hen flock will typically incur about $45 per month in maintenance costs, or roughly $516 per year.
Are Backyard Chickens Worth It?
Keeping chickens isn’t solely a financial calculation. The companionship, the satisfaction of producing your own food, the educational benefits for children, and the well-being that comes from time spent outdoors are all significant and hard to quantify. For me, the joy of seeing a child bond with a hen was priceless.
If you do focus on numbers, an average hen lays about 200 eggs per year (this varies by breed, age, and health). A five-hen flock can produce roughly 1,000 eggs annually. Including start-up and first-year maintenance, the first-year cost per egg ranges roughly from $0.84 to $1.69. After the first year, ongoing costs drop, producing a long-term per-egg cost of about $0.52. Many chicken keepers find these costs worthwhile for the benefits they gain.
Author bio: Chris Lesley has raised chickens for over 20 years and currently keeps 11 hens. She remembers learning to care for chickens from her grandfather and holds a certificate in Animal Behavior and Welfare. Her work has been featured on several outlets, and she writes at Chickens and More.
Are you thinking about raising backyard chickens for eggs? Have you considered the financial side of it?