does this estimate seem too high? husband thinks so... / did I forget anything?

[flossyandprissy]

We are planning on getting chicks in a few weeks. I'm doing some planning. My husband thinks this is a lot of money to spend. What do yall think? (Already have coop, nesting box, and run.) I think it's more likely Ive forgotten something!

Chicks
Bulb (have light and cover) $5.00?
thermometer $10.00?
Sand $5.00
Chick feeder $6.00
Chick waterer $6.00
Hardware cloth for chick feeder/waterer platform $0.00 (have)
Marbles $0.00 (have)
Puppy pads $5.00
Paper towels $0.00 (have)
Chick feed $10.00
TOTAL $47.00

Pullets
Sealant caulk $5.00
Sealant paint $17.00
Red paint $25.00
White paint $13.00
Sand $5.00
Chicken heated waterer $40.00
Chicken feeder $15.00
Grower feed $15.00
5-10 gal bucket w lid for feed storage $10.00
2x2 roost $2.00
TOTAL $147.00

Hens
Layer feed $15.00
Oyster shells $6.00
Pine shavings for nesting box $5.00
Straw for nesting boxes $6.00
TOTAL $32.00

Copy and paste didnt transfer too well.

I'd absolutely love your thoughts and/or suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! How many chickens??? Probably your estimates are TOO LOW... Don't let hubby see this! Having home grown eggs and meat isn't about cheaper___ it's about better and more humane. Huge factory farms are way more efficient and can produce eggs and meat WAY cheaper, by sacrificing quality. Figure about 2.5 to 3.0 lbs of grower feed per pound of chicken; a six pound pullet will eat 15 to 18 lbs of feed to get that big. Then she will need food for maintenence and egg production the rest of her life. Multiply times the number of birds you have; I buy feed in 50 lb. bags and wish I had storage for more at a time. Large metal garbage cans for feed storage are a must; 100 to 150 lbs of feed will fit there. I try to ignore the electric bill when I've got chicks under the heat lamp, and only did cold weather chicks ONCE. I do try to break even on eggs and meat birds, but likely don't usually. Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I would get a black rubber bowl for water, cause if it freezes, you can stomp it out. I put my feed in an old hub cap, and my chickens think it is grand.

My coop has never been painted, but it does keep the wind out.

Thing is, I would not buy much of the stuff you have on your list. Get the birds, get a bag of feed, and something to put water in....... as time goes on, if you like this, well you can get a little here, a little there, and hubby probably won't even notice.

Mrs K

 

[bobbi-j]

First of all,

I agree with Mrs. K. I know you want everything "just so" and a cute little coop and all that, but really all they need is food, water and a place out of the elements. My chicks aren't even brooded in the house. I put them in the coop. My "brooder" is plastic lawn edging (about 4" high) for the first couple of weeks with a couple of heat lamps for them. Let's see where you can save. First, you really don't need a thermometer. Just watch your chicks. If they're crowding under the light, they're too cold. Lower it. If they're trying to get away from it, it's too hot. Raise it. If they're just wandering around, eating and drinking and chirping contentedly, it's fine. I'm not sure why you want puppy pads for them. Just put some straw in with them and change it out when it's dirty. Caulk. What are you caulking and why? The paint is not an absolute necessity. I do like a heated waterer, but I use a heated dog dish. The blue one you can find just about anywhere for less than $20. If you want easier cleaning, put one of the black rubber pans in it so you can just take that "liner" out and wash it, rinse it or scrub it with snow. You don't really even need oyster shells. Once they start laying, you can crush up the egg shells and feed back to them. No, this will not cause them to become egg eaters. Enjoy your chickens!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd nix the puppy pads and heated chicken waterer for sure. ~ Heated dog bowl does just fine. You can make your feeders and waterers. Check the threads on that subject. Check your local habitat store (if you have one) Paint can be bought for less than $5/gallon. Go to Good Will or other recycle stores for items that can be re-purposed. The nest box and coop will be just fine with shavings, you can nix the straw. For that matter, you can use the shavings for the chicks as well, and get rid of the sand. I'd also recommend that you use a 2 x 4 or 2 x 3 for the perch instead of the 2 x 2, both for strength and to give them a wider perching surface. You won't need both layer feed and oyster shells. The layer feed already has all the calcium they'll need. Or you can continue giving them grower, and supplement with oyster shells.

Does your husband have any hobbies? Consider this to be a hobby with benefits. You can certainly buy eggs at the store. BUT, they won't taste any where near as good, nor will they provide you with the nutritional benefits of home grown eggs. Add to that that the chickens will also provide insect and weed control for your yard. If you have a garden, they will be excellent little garden helpers, with appropriate supervision. They will till, weed, and fertilize the soil all in one single totally entertaining operation. Chickens also provide the health benefits of being outside, exercise received from tending the coop, and lots of walking, b/c you just have to go out to check on them many times a day because what they're doing outside is infinitely more interesting than anything you could possibly think of to do inside.

 

[donrae]

I agree with the above posters. Not going to repeat what they say, just see if I can see anything else.

Are you planning to brood your chicks in the coop? How many chicks and how big is your coop and run? Do you have a way to enclose them to a smaller space during the brooding?

I've never used sand, I use pine shavings. 11 cubic feet is less than $10 for me, and that 11 feet goes a long, long ways. Deep litter method is the way to go, imo. I have no interest in scooping through sand to clean a coop.

I don't think a 10 gallon bucket will hold 50lbs of feed. Plastic or metal trash cans are the way to go, depending on your rodent/pest issues. I've just opened the feed sack and fed out of it with no problems. It's not like it goes stale, as long as you keep it dry.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Chicks
Bulb (have light and cover) $5.00?
thermometer $10.00?
Sand $5.00
Chick feeder $6.00
Chick waterer $6.00
Hardware cloth for chick feeder/waterer platform $0.00 (have)
Marbles $0.00 (have)
Puppy pads $5.00
Paper towels $0.00 (have)
Chick feed $10.00
TOTAL $47.00
(When I have to brood chicks myself I just use a desk lamp and let the chicks get close or move away as they heat & cool. That's $15 you can save. Sand, puppy pads, guess that's for bottom of brooder, I use an old bath towel and shake the dried poop put each day, that saves another $10.)
Total: My cost $22 vs your $47.





Pullets
Sealant caulk $5.00
Sealant paint $17.00
Red paint $25.00
White paint $13.00
Sand $5.00
Chicken heated waterer $40.00
Chicken feeder $15.00
Grower feed $15.00
5-10 gal bucket w lid for feed storage $10.00
2x2 roost $2.00
TOTAL $147.00
(I've never used paint, sealer, sand or heated water or bought a 5 gallon bucket. I save $115.)
My cost $32 vs your $147.





Hens
Layer feed $15.00
Oyster shells $6.00
Pine shavings for nesting box $5.00
Straw for nesting boxes $6.00
TOTAL $32.00
(Oyster shells unnecessary and I use mowed yard grass for nesting box straw.)
My cost $15 vs your $32.


I can raise the same chickens for $69 vs your cost of $226. But I'm a tightwad. I'm so tight I squeak when I walk.
As far as the pullet's $15 feeder, I put wet crumbles in an old burnt out skillet but I'm not going to penalize you for using a proper feeder.
Yep your hubby is right, you're spending too much of his money!!

 

[Folly's place]

I'd like to add a few words here. I was assuming that this is a first time chicken owner, getting day old chicks. The thermometer might be helpful because it's a new setup and an inexperienced person. Open water dishes are dangerous for very young chicks, so a waterer is essential. i use newspaper and shavings, bought from the feed store, and good grower feed, bought in 50 lb bags, and stored in a large metal trash can. How many chicks? I get 25 or 50 at once, so a heat light. Never did a smaller number, unless a broody hen was doing all the work! I agree totally about the puppy pads, paint, and caulk. I use saplings or tree limbs for roosts, and recycle as much as possible, but we all had to start somewhere; wish I'd done more planning up front when I started with chickens!!! Mary

 

[ChickenCurt]

For brooding I happen to have a round cattle trough that work great because it lacks corners so chicks don't pile on each other (not necessary), a 60-100wt incandescent bulb, bedding consists of chopped straw for first week with some crushed oyster shells and assorted grass straw with oyster shells until they can get outside to scratch around then I revert to plain straw for bedding. Never give them grains without oysters or such for their digestion. My chicks are only on starter for about two weeks. My feral chicks have never had starter, they go straight to scratching off the ground.
Agreed, no open waterers unless they are shallow and even those aren't recommended because they'll poo in their drink. A trick to use on all feeders/waterers is to keep them at chest high to your birds; they stay cleaner and the birds waste less.
If your brooding a small number talk your supplier out of the shipping box, remove the dividers and instant chick brooder. Coop doesn't have to be fancy, though we all want palaces, an old shed, unused dog house, part of the barn or garage, etc. It all varies on space, flock size and most importantly resources.
If you have oddities laying around you can make your own feeders/waterers from 5gal buckets, PVC pipe or wood just go to YouTube and search DIY links. That may help you win your spouse over.
Happy flocking.

 

[cstronks]

You can easily make a chick feeder and chick waterers with old 2 liter soda bottles. It only saves you $12, but it's a start!