I dissagree about the stuff they "pump" into meat. People don't see, thanks to media and markeeting to folks like us....that those things also cost business ppl who latly have said, "ya know I don't gain anything from these habbits".
you can save by getting 100 + birds betwen friends, feeding lots of scraps, grass ect. I trade for my feed. Then, think of the things you are NOT spending money on... the mall, movies.. ect.
I've picked up 2 silkies. next year I'm planning to hatch eggs, sell the extra hens for feed money..and raise the roo's on back pasture so I can just go out back and kill 2 or 5 per week.