To Chicken or not to Chicken?

[RjCorazza]

I certainly don't regret getting chickens perhaps 10 years ago, but the reality for us was that they were some very expensive eggs!
Coop, run, feeders, waterers, water heaters for winter, food, bedding, etc added up and I'm sure we never came close to breaking even.
That said, they were a great experience for my 4H / FFA daughter.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

We raised them when I was a kid. The startup can be an issue I guess, unless you start really small. I think we "made" money on them, but you sure weren't going to pay for a new Lincoln to go to town with the egg money. This was 60's-70's. Might be even harder right now with the recent "bird flu" flair up.

Here's a guy in NY that raises both chickens for the pot (broilers) and layers for eggs:

https://www.youtube.com/c/JustaFewAcresFarm

He has various episodes where he talks about the business side of things.

 

[Roadworthy]

Read carefully what RJ said then factor in a lack of dependability. If the weather is too hot or too cold they won't lay as many eggs. If the weather is perfect you may have too many eggs. Roosters are generally too noisy for in town though they are good eating. We got ten newly hatched chicks about a year ago. The eggs from your own chickens are better than anything from a store but at this point I'd rather deal with the lower quality eggs.

 

[Jrasband]

I think chickens are great, easy to keep and not expensive.

 

[Jstpssng]

I’ve been raising hens for 10 years or so. If you are diligent, have a pen good enough to keep predators out, and find the least expensive place to buy feed you will probably do OK. I have 11 older birds (2&3 years old) and get 7-10 eggs per day. 2 bags of feed per month at 19.99$/bag... figure about 240 eggs/40$. They cost me 8$/bird at 8 weeks old but that cost has long been written off.
In winter they do slow down but also don’t seem to eat as much... they require 10 hrs of light per day. I have plans to build a small greenhouse for them to scratch in but that hasn’t happened yet.

If you plan to let them free range expect to lose a few to predators. If you have weasels around expect to lose birds to weasels; they really raised Cain with me for a few years until I moved the henhouse out from under the trees and into the field. Somebody in town lost over 2 dozen laying birds in a couple of days to a weasel.
I once planned to sell eggs but everyone else had the same idea; there are at least 8 other people in town raising them and there are only about 230 residents here.

I raise them as much as anything because my dog likes them; also the pigs, turkeys, and meat birds. When he is gone, there won’t be an animal on the place.

 

[cholland]

I have 20 chickens. You won't break even on cost. But they are the best fresh eggs. If its just a couple of people or a small family I recommend about 3-4 chickens. They need a decent and safe coop, but they are really pretty hardy in cold temps. Unless you free range or pen them in a decent sized yard they will strip it to bare dirt pretty quick. Keep that in mind when you plan where to put them. Predators and rodents getting into your feed are also considerations to plan for. If you start with chicks you won't get eggs for 6-8 months. My local feed store sells egg laying age pullets for around $15. First year chickens will generally lay through the winter. But older need supplemental lighting when the days get shorter. I give my chickens a break through winter, no extra lighting. Different breeds have different temperaments, egg colors, and rates of laying.

A good forum for chickens is Raising Chickens 101 - Chicks, Breeds, Coops, Tips
BackyardChickens.com

 

[shooterdon]

Waste of time and money.

It’s an egg...how wonderful can it be?

 

[sea2summit]

The most expensive food I’ve eaten has been the food I raise…until recently. My milk and my eggs are now cheaper than the store’s. Makes me both happy and sad.

 

[jaxs]

If you and your family injoy having chickens around,that makes them a good investment even if they never lay an egg. If you do it for economic reasons,you will be in the red but not so far it really matters. Ditto for other livestock,,,,unless you are experienced but then you wouldn't need to ask.

 

[scaredychicken]

YES TO THE CHICKEN !!!