I'm a bit of a nerd, but I charted the average cost of chicken ownership as measured in dollars per dozen eggs over a two year period. I started my flock in March of 2011 and started getting eggs from the 6 birds in September 2011. I spent about $400 on the coop and covered run, but for the sake of comparison I charted one line that includes that cost and one line that doesn't. Obviously, as you get more eggs from your hens the average cost per dozen goes down. I still think it's interesting to look at. After two years my eggs have cost me about $3.50 a dozen if you exclude the coop, and about $6.50 a dozen if you include that cost. I also charted the volume of eggs per month on a secondary vertical axis (on the right) because I thought it was interesting.
Things to note about my figures...I don't light my coop and I rely too much on feed instead of scraps. I'm trying to get better about that, but we spend about $20 a month between feed and bedding. I hope that this chart helps explain the economics behind small flock ownership. If you have any questions, let me know.
![](https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5978239/width/500/height/1000)
Things to note about my figures...I don't light my coop and I rely too much on feed instead of scraps. I'm trying to get better about that, but we spend about $20 a month between feed and bedding. I hope that this chart helps explain the economics behind small flock ownership. If you have any questions, let me know.
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