hi needing help again

[internationalfarmer]

My mom has asked me to get a price list going for the things that i need to raise chickens. could somebody please help me.
thanks,
sam

 

[banter]

I found this site today and wish I had something like his to refer to when I first got chickens.

/shilala.homestead.com/candling.html

It has lots of pictures and lots of ideas on how to rig up homemade equipment.
I've always used homemade brooders with great success. I find chickens very economical if you only have a few. They can range when older, and love (healthy) scraps. They are excellent recyclers! Check out some of the sites on-line! This site is wonderful. In just a few days I learned a ton of things I didn't know! Just surf around on it!
Good Luck!

 

[internationalfarmer]

thank you , hope it is a big help to me

 

[Wildsky]

Start with a list of how many chicks - day olds?
Feeders waterers etc..... shavings. Some of the things you can make yourself, I made my chickens feeder out of a rubber bowl and a cat litter bucket.
Nest boxes I made out of storage totes with a piece of wood.
I used wire storage shelves to make a big cube to use as a brooder, lined it with a cardboard box.
I don't think there is a lot of $$$ involved, other than for feed.
Have fun!

 

[patandchickens]

The main cost is their living quarters (coop and run, unless you will freerange them in which case you only need the coop but you will lose chickens to predators).

Often you can adapt some other structure to make a coop (playhouse, shed, packing crate, etc); if not, you may at least be able to score some free or cheap materials if you scrounge around. It needs to be well and truly rainproof and predatorproof though, with predatorproof (screened) ventilation.

For a run, you are well-advised to use something sturdier than chickenwire, which despite the name is only *mostly* chickenproof and not really at all predatorproof. Price it, and scrounge around. It will need strong posts as well, preferably pressure-treated lumber if the posts will be set into the ground.

Feeders, waterers, nestboxes, and roost can be homemade from scrounged materials for essentially free if necessary, although personally I think a $4 plastic 1-gallon waterer from the store is a good investment (larger or sturdier is an even better, but slightly bigger, investment).

Feed is somewheres around $10 per 50 lb bag, which would last 6 chickens something like a month. Shavings (for bedding) are around $5 per bag; how mcuh you use depends on your setup, but for half a dozen chickens or so I'd be surprised if you would need more than a bag a month and there are lots of ways of using less than that.

Does that help? Good luck,

Pat

 

[internationalfarmer]

yes thank you i think i can manage getting cheep wood. thanks again,
sam