Chickens – To Buy or Not to Buy?

by andrea.danielle.thill | Mar 26, 2025 | Uncategorized

Numerous factors should be considered before deciding whether to buy your own flock of chickens. Some of these factors include:

1. How many eggs do you typically eat?
2. How often do you travel?
3. How much time do you have to care for (additional) animals?
4. Do you have enough space?
5. Do you have the upfront capital?
6. Do you have an HOA? If yes, do they allow chickens?

How many eggs do you typically eat?

If you are constantly going to the grocery store to replenish your egg stock, like I was, then getting chickens might be something on your radar. There are still a few things to keep in mind when considering egg production. Chickens (and other poultry), like humans, are born with the number of eggs they will have for their entire lifetime! So, like us, when chickens get older, they lay less and will eventually stop laying altogether. So, to continue egg production throughout your (homesteading) life, you will need to get new ladies every few years. In addition, your chickens will likely stop laying in certain seasons, like winter. The number of daylight hours can affect the hens’ cycles, just like the number of daylight hours changes a horse’s coat (but that’s for another blog). 

Young chickens will typically lay about one egg per day, but heavy egg producers can lay up to 2 eggs a day. Once hens reach full maturity, they will likely go into a more steady routine with their laying. Big egg producers typically lay about 250 to 300 eggs per year (which means  between 5-6 eggs per week). Some big egg producers include: Rhode Island Reds, Leghorns, Sussex, Plymouth/Barred Rocks & Golden Comets.  

THE BOTTOM LINE: Estimated weekly egg production (if you were to have a 5 hen flock): 25 eggs

How often do you travel?

Chickens are animals that need to be cared for, so long vacations or long bouts of travel may make it difficult to have a flock. If you have large waterers and feeders, chickens can go a few days without needing to be directly cared for. So, leaving for a few days shouldn’t leave your flock in disarray, but leaving for 4 or more days may not be good for your flock. If you have friends, family, or neighbors who don’t mind keeping an eye on your flock while you are away, then this may not be an issue for you. Keep in mind, it is recommended to grab those eggs daily for your health. Depending on the weather, eggs may be okay to consume after sitting in the coop for up to 7 days, but the likelihood of egg spoilage increases the longer they sit. The warmer it is, the more likely the eggs will spoil more quickly, and that will mean an unpleasant time for whoever consumes the spoiled egg(s). Eating spoiled eggs can lead to serious illnesses like salmonella, so be very mindful!

How much time do you have to care for additional animals?

Chickens are pretty low maintenance, but that doesn’t mean they are completely self reliant. Their coop needs to be cleaned regularly. Depending on the size of their coop and the number of birds, it is recommended to clean out their nesting boxes once a week.  If you have a very large coop with only a few girls, you can likely get away with bi-weekly cleanings. If your chickens are in a smaller space, like a coop with a run, you will also need to regularly clean their run. If they spend a large amount of time outside their run (roaming your backyard) then this will not be as necessary.  If you have a tiny backyard, you will need to clean it regularly. If you aren’t familiar with birds, they poop a lot, and they poop anywhere and everywhere! 

Of course, you will also need to be sure they are properly fed and watered. I like to check their feeder and waterers daily (unless I am away) to be sure they have plenty of sustenance.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Daily estimated time allowance: 10 mins | Weekly estimated time allowance: 120 minutes

Do you have enough space?

For happy hens you do need to have at least a small flock. Birds are social creatures and need to have friends, so I would recommend a minimum of 4 hens. A standard breed of hen requires a minimum of 4 sq ft of space in a coop and 8sq ft of run to have a happy amount of space. So if you are settling with the minimum number of 4 hens, you will need a coop that is at least 16 total square feet, with a run that is at least 32 square feet. 

THE BOTTOM LINE: The minimum amount of space needed  (if you were to have a 4 hen flock): A 16 sq ft coop with a 32 sq ft run.

Do you have the upfront capital?

It’s not necessarily cheap to start your flock. Once it is up and running the upkeep cost is not nearly as bad. There are always things you can do to decrease the upfront cost of starting a flock. Some of these strategies include: Buying used coops*,  buying used runs, building your own coop and run, buying used chick starter supplies, or buying mature hens. Mature hens do cost more than a chick, but will not require the chick starting equipment, or the time commitment required for caring for babies.

*It is imperative that you sanitize a used chicken coop before using it for a new flock.

To start chicks, you will need a container to keep them in, typical containers that are used are called “brooders”. You can use all kinds of containers as a brooder. Most people in my area use stock tanks. Stock tanks come in steal and Plastic, which will both work; however, plastic will be susceptible to melting when too close to heat lamps. You do need to make sure the brooder is large enough for the number of chicks you are starting. Consider the size they will need to grow before putting them into your outdoor chicken coop/run. They will need space in their brooder to grow to at least 6 weeks of age, but this can vary between breeds, and outdoor weather conditions. 

In addition to the brooder, you will also need heat lamps, in colder climates, you may also need heating pads. Additionally, you will need bedding, shallow water dishes, and feeders. 

(More detail in chick raising is in a different blog. The general idea of this post is only to outline the costs and requirements needed to consider before buying and raising a flock).

If using cost saving strategies it is very hard to estimate the cost. It depends on if you are using all cost saving strategies, and what deals you can find. Some people may want to buy mature hens, which will eliminate the need for many items on the list. Some people may find a free used chicken coop on Facebook Marketplace, while others will find something close to the price of a new coop. Others may want to opt in for an extremly fancy coup and run. For this reason, I did an estimated price based on if you were to buy everything new from Amazon and or Local California Feed stores:

Those are all the basic necessities, but it is nice to have some additional items for your flock, like: false eggs, mealworms, nesting herbs, oyster shell, ect.  

THE BOTTOM LINE: The cost can definitely vary, but expect so pay somewhere around $906

Long term costs:

After the initial startup of your flock, the ongoing costs are far less expensive. Ongoing costs will include feed, bedding, and treats. Treats can include fresh fruits and veggies, mealworms, and/or other bug treats. Chicken feed can range widely depending on the kind you wish to feed your ladies. Bedding can also vary greatly. If you get high-quality hemp bedding, this will be more costly, but will need to be swapped out less frequently. A bag of hemp bedding will run you about $25. Basic wood shaving bedding will be less expensive, but would need to be swapped out more frequently. Basic shaving bedding will be around $8/ bag. Organic feed will cost about $30/ 40 lb bag, while the basic feed will likely run you about $20 for a 50lb bag. 

Feeding organic at the above stated price will run you about $30 per month. With the premium bedding, you will likely need about ¼ a bag per month, costing about $9/month. With the basic feed and bedding, at the above price, it will likely cost about $17/ month for feed and about $8 for bedding. 

THE BOTTOM LINE: For a 5 chicken flock, the higher end ongoing monthly costs (w/out treats) will look to be about $39 while on the lower end (w/out treats)  would be about $25 / month

Price compared to buying eggs: 

The first year will cost about $1,290

Ongoing years will be about $384, and a little more if you introduce more chicks into your life. 

If your sole purpose is to save money on eggs, if you eat a minimum of 2 eggs per day, (like me!), then consider the cost of owning chickens, and the cost of buying eggs from a store. If you are like me, and care about the brand you are buying, based on what you perceive to be a less hostile environment for the hens that produce the eggs you are eating, then you are likely spending around $8 per carton of a dozen eggs. That means you are spending about:

The table above represents Egg inflation at about 5.2% annually (which is an estimate, as it is nearly impossible to predict). The right column estimates that the average inflation of feed and supplies for chickens will increase at a lower rate, at an estimated 3.5% annually. All calculations are rounded to the nearest dollar. 

These are vague prices, and the cost can vary widely depending on a variety of factors. Just to list a few:

1. How many hens you plan to have
2. If you continue to add to your flock
3. If you have roosters (which can protect your chicken, but will not provide any food source for you, unless you cull and eat them)
4. If you lose chickens to predators or illness
5. If you replace chickens that have been lost
6. How many eggs are you actually buying for yourself and your family.
7. Do you have eggs delivered to your home, if so, they are likely costing you more than more than the estimated cost.
8. If you are spending $20 in gas to go to the store only to buy eggs, then this is something else you need to include in your own calculations. 

If your intention is to have chickens to enjoy the homesteading lifestyle, then chickens are a perfect addition to your family!  

CONCLUSION: 

When comparing the cost of buying eggs and buying chickens, cost efficiency is dependent from person to person, but it appears it is less expensive to purchase eggs, until about year 7. Depending on your upfornt investment, its likely the year you break even would be around year 7 or 8. If you want hens because you love animals, want to be a homesteader, participate in 4H, or want to be more self-sustaining, then chickens are a great way to start!