The other day I was at the post office and the sounds of cheeping chicks was almost comical. I could hardly hear the postal employee waiting on me. In my area, and all across the United States, raising chickens is the latest trend. Have you been tempted by those cute, fuzzy chicks or perky, pecky hens? I have. I had a pet chicken as a kid, and every time another neighbor brings home some chicks, I want to run and out and buy some, too.
But before you plunge into the world of chicken-keeping, you'll need to consider some important points.
Why? Begin by considering exactly why you want to raise chickens. If you want chickens to save money on ordinary grocery store eggs, you should probably take a pass on this trend. It's unlikely your home-raised eggs will cost less than what you can buy in the store. If you want to raise chickens to save money on organic, store-bought eggs, you can expect to either break even or save a wee bit of money. If you want to raise chickens because you like the idea of being that much more self-sufficient, well...it's hard to put a price on that. Too, truly fresh eggs taste a whole lot better than store-bought eggs.
Does Your City Allow It?
Once upon a time, not so long ago, many people living in the suburbs raised chickens. But as the 20th century progressed, cities began passing laws forbidding this practice. Other cities allow chickens in the suburbs, but make you buy a permit, and still others have very specific laws regulating just how much shabby chic can go into your hen house.
So your next step is to find out what your city laws say about chicken-keeping. To do this, first call the zoning board. If the zoning board gives the okay to your plans, call the health board, since they may have regulations regarding chickens, too.
Other Practical Considerations
Chickens don't like heat because they don't sweat, but they do need some sun. So if your yard is entirely shade, chickens probably won't thrive. Ideally, chickens need a location that has some sun and some shade, but it's possibly to only give them sun in a moving pen. All you need for this is some chicken wire attached to some posts; I have neighbors who use flimsy bamboo posts, making the contraptions cheap and easy to put together. Then you can move this "pen" around the yard on sunny days.
Which leads me to another consideration: How do you feel about chicken droppings? I know many folks who love it; they let their chickens scratch around in established gardens, knowing the manure they leave behind is great fertilizer. But it might be hard to keep your chickens only in your vegetable patch. What if they poop on the lawn? Are you worried about small children touching chicken droppings and then putting their hands in their mouths?
And if you go away on vacations, who will care for the chickens while you're gone? If the trip is short, having someone feed them and gather eggs will probably be sufficient, but if you're gone for a week or more, the care taker must also be willing to clean the coop of droppings.
What Will it Cost?
Prices for materials may vary from location to location, so the figures mentioned here should be viewed only as estimates.
Chicks: About $2 each.
The cost of chicks is cheap. They are about $2 a piece on average, although different breeds may cost more or less. Chickens are social animals, so you should purchase at least two. (Although, if you spend a lot of time outside and the chicken is free range, a single chicken will adopt you as her flock, following you everywhere.) No one can give you a 100% guarantee what sex chicks you are buying, so many people buy more than they need, in case one or more turn out to be roosters.
Warming lamp: $18-$25.
Most people who raise chickens will tell you chicks require a warming lamp for their first 6 weeks of life. My childhood chicken never had a heat lamp; we kept her in a large cardboard box indoors. However, a 2 week old chick needs about one square foot of space, so plan ahead.
Bedding: $10 - $20 a month.
Chicks and chickens need bedding material like pine shavings or straw. It should be replaced when it's soiled. If you have to buy bedding, it will cost about $10 - $20. How long it lasts depends on how many chickens you have, but expect to spend about that much per month.
Feeders and Waterers: $0 - 30.
These are a must, but many people make their own for nothing or next to it. If you have to buy feeders and waterers, expect to pay up to $30.
Feed: $20 - $30 a month.
How much feed your chickens need depend upon how much they are allowed to roam freely and how large your yard is. The average urban dweller doesn't have enough space to come anywhere near to providing enough bugs to feed a chicken exclusively. and even when you add table scraps, your chickens are going to need store-bought feed. On average, expect each hen to consume about 6 ounces of feed each day.
Hen House: $0 - $400.
When your chicks are about 6 to 8 weeks old, they need a chicken coop or hen house. Each hen needs a nesting box of about 18 inches and there should be enough room in the coop for each chicken to have about 3 square feet all her own. If you purchase a hen house, even if it doesn't have lots of bells and whistles, it will cost about $300 - $400 new. In some areas, you might be able to get a good deal on a used chicken coop via Craigslist. However, if you are creative and a bit handy, the coop can cost much less. The internet is full of hen house ideas, but do remember that in most parts of the U.S. the hen house must be insulated and should have great ventilation.
Run: $50 - $100.
Unless your chickens will be entirely free range, you need a chicken run. (Chicken runs are generally recommended, anyway, since they protect chickens from predators like raccoons, cats, dogs, and other animals.) Each chicken needs 5 square feet of run space. Chicken wire costs about $50 for 150 feet; if you don't have scrap wood laying around, that will add to the expense.
What to Expect from the Chickens
Chickens begin laying eggs at about 20 - 24 weeks of age. She'll lay about 18 - 20 eggs a year. If you have 3 hens, you can expect to gather about 2 eggs each day, except in the winter. Once the days get darker, hens stop laying altogether, unless you go to the added expense of putting lighting in their coop.
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