coop cost justification

[Egghead_Jr]

I almost have as much in my birds and incubator ($300) that I have in the coop, run and grow out pen combined ($380). This last expense to make another coop and split the run in two should be the end of it ($200-250). *Knock on wood*

So my total in is about a grand in three years that I don't ever expect to get back in actual money. But I shouldn't need to put anymore cash in from here out excepting what amounts to about $2 per dozen in what I get back for fresh eggs. Not to mention the meat. Who knows, I may end with birds people want in a few years so even that could be greatly reduced.

 

[chickenlady772]

For me its my therapy. I truly love the peace I feel when I am around them. They know im mama. And im there to care for them.

Hubby took a little bit to get on board but, see how happy it makes me. But, yes total so far is around 650. And I'm not finished.

I recently added my raised box garden on the run with tomatoes and peppers which are already producing thats another therapy of mine. I love the farm life. If I could goats and pigs would be here.

 

[Blooie]

Some of us, unfortunately, don't have stuff laying around on our properties that we can repurpose. We finagled and tried all the usual resources - Craig's list, sale papers, ads - but just never found enough stuff to even get started. Our only "hit" was a window at the Habitat for Humanity restore. So we sharpened our pencils and drew a functional coop, got out our checkbook, and got busy.

We tried to be penny wise without being pound foolish. It's 100 miles one way to the nearest Lowe's or Home Depot, so we had to get our list right the first time. We failed so we had to make a couple of runs. <sigh - oh well, we combined it with several other errands so it didn't feel like such a waste of time and fuel> Ultimately we ended up with a coop that cost more than we planned, but it was doable with our questionable carpentry skills, and it is a good, solid structure. When we designed it we took into account the possibility that if we ever got out of chicken raising or sold this place, it would make a great storage shed.

Will it pay for itself? Probably not. But we are in our 60's, retired, with 3 of our grandkids living within walking distance, so the cost/profit ratio is less important to us than the benefit of seeing them learn about good, healthy foods, how to care for the animals who depend on us even as they help feed us, and the sheer enjoyment we get out of watching our chicks become chickens with unique personalities and little quirks.

 

[bustedchicks]

thank you all for such wonderful and positive answers! I was figuring that most people who raise backyard chickens are all in a similar situation and dont look at the cost but justify their actions .
For me I can justify working minimum-wage or less for myself as opposed to working for someone else with a good salary . If I did that I would have no time for my hobbies, to live my lifestyle and to enjoy life .

As I'm building this coop I am envisioning a new and improved ultimate coop, the dollar signs keep adding up but my happiness increases because I know I'm going to provide myself and the chickens with a self-sufficient's and easy to maintain lifestyle

 

[shewatson]

I just know they are a lot cheaper than a therapist.

 

[nayeli]

I am one of the rare people one here, it seems, who keeps cost in site at all times. I'm frugal, but I have to be. I'm a college student, we just bought a house, and my husband is the sole provider. My coop costs less than $60, and that is after I add a cement floor/slab expand it and add a window.

Here is a picture of it now

I will admit it isn't the prettiest thing but it is 100% repurposed/recycled materials other than the hardware as will be the addition other than the slab of course! I do have 3 safety concerns with it however 1.digging predators (which is why I bought stuff and am installing concrete this weekend) 2. How to secure the door 3. gap under the door

I will be fixing all of them when I expand/lay concrete though and it will still be under $60 TOTAL!

 

[nayeli]

Oh, for me I love my birds. They are endangered welsh harlequin ducks: sweetpea and drake. I'm expanding the coop because I liked them soo much I ordered in ducklings so I need more room. As much as I love them my goal in getting them was sustainable food. I probably won't use them for meat but I plan on eating the eggs and selling hatching eggs and ducklings!

Our duck coop costed $20 originally (for what you see in the picture) http://thenewdaybringshope.blogspot.com/2014/03/duck-coop-diy.html

We also have quail, their cage costed under $35 http://thenewdaybringshope.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-quail-cage.html

I know ours isn't the best looking or quality but it is functional and cost effective. I plan on painting both the duck and quail coop to make them more attractive and hopefully when we get chickens and do our expansion of the duck coop we have learned a couple things and get better as we go.

 

[graciecat]

My first egg will be worth about $2,500! I went chick crazy at a bad time. We didn't have time to build a coop so I hired someone to build the biggest part. I never really thought about making any money. I just wanted chickens and eggs.

 

[Blooie]

My first egg will be worth about $2,500! I went chick crazy at a bad time. We didn't have time to build a coop so I hired someone to build the biggest part. I never really thought about making any money. I just wanted chickens and eggs.

You know, come to think of it I should have named one of my chicks "Fabrege"...because the cost of my first egg will probably be about equal in price too!

 

[Lurch77]

I think I have you all beat. I mortgaged my coop.
We built our house in 2010. All the material I used to build our coop is leftover from the home build project. The home (and the material to build it) was mortgaged. So by default, the coop is now part of our $100,000+ mortgage.
Just depends how you want to look at it.