Looking for information!

Buff orpingtons and black australorps are by far the nicest chickens I have. Very sweet, easy to handle as chicks, just all around great birds.
 
Feed costs vary hugely depending on where you live...I've got the same size flock as chickens really, and I definitely don't spend $100 monthly on feed, more like $30 to $40.
 
It cost roughly $1,200 to buy material and convert the shed and build my run....
Sand cost about $100
My feed cost is high...As I mentioned I have Ducks also that eat a mix of four different feeds....
My feed is locally made and at $15 a bag....I go to the feed shop once a month and spend $100 ..That includes my bales of Shaving for my Ducks...
I spent $340 on 32 Chicks this spring...That included Shipping and Mereks vaccine....I then bought more pullets that cost another $100....Ended up will more Cockerels in my order so took them to the farm for Dinner...lol

Not to mention my Duck prices I paid....Plus I still need to buy straw bales for my Ducks...And the weekly fresh veg I purchase for the Ducks...
I never complain..All are happy and I love this Hobby....

Cheers!
 
Chicken really how much total besides feed do you spend. And what would be the overall cost to start up, and the monthly?
Depends on a lot of factors. The more birds you have, bigger the coop and run you need and the more those things will cost. Sexed chicks from the feed store usually cost about $2 to $3. Hatchery chicks cost about the same, but you also have to pay shipping. Feeders and water founts cost about $9 to $20. Then there is the brooder. You can build one, or you can try to find a very large cardboard box. Do not bother with using storage tubs. Those usually create an oven effect and are too small for more than a week or two of use. They grow very fast, doubling in size each week for the first 6 weeks. Chicks will also need a heat source. Heat lamps are the most frequently used, but there are other, more natural ways, to keep chicks warm. I prefer to use a heating pad on my chicks. It's much cheaper and safer.
Feed costs vary by region and the number of birds you have to feed. I usually spend about $40 on feed a month for a flock of 18, and $5 for crushed oyster shell.
 
I strongly recommend an all hen flock for the first year, especially with children. I would buy a variety of breed, and the ones mentioned above are good ones. It makes it easier to tell them apart, and sometimes you will get a chicken breed you don't really like.

I strongly recommend a coop that you can walk in. Just makes every aspect easier, and is healthier for the chicken as there is more air and ventilation in a 4x8x6 ft coop.

I have the worst predators, and I have found it better to lay chicken wire on top of the ground, sticking out a foot away from the fence, think of an L with the bottom part of the L on the ground. I put some rocks in places to keep it flat, and once the grass grows through it, it is pretty tough.

Last year I built this coop as a 4x8x6 in the front. I am very happy with it. It is clean and DRY with excellent ventilation, much better than my old coop. I have attached a large run. I have divided it, hanging a 'curtain" of chicken wire, for when I get chicks next week. It is big enough for 8-12 birds.

Buying the chicks is the cheapest part of the whole deal. The building the most expensive, depending on how you go. Many people want a nice look, that is expensive, chickens don't really care, they need protection from the wind, and safety from predators.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-clutch-hutch-chicken-coop

Knock on wood, but I have only had one sick chicken in 9 years. Keep chickens in enough space, clean feed and water, and mine have done fine.

Mrs K
 
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