How much do chickens cost per year?

[Puck-Puck]

Sounds like you're off to a good start. The obsession part comes later!

 

[swtamour]

Quote:
I said I live in an expensive part of the country! Bay Area, CA.
And I thought that was actually a *very* good price - especially given what I pay for dog and cat food monthly!

If you're willing to drive to SJ, my feed store sells layer pellets for $13 for 50lb bag. Look up Sam's feed store.

 

[CMV]

If you have the opportunity then I say go for it. I got my chickens on a lark a couple years ago and have never regretted it for one second. I didn't intend to become a hobbyist but that's what happened. Chickens are a great hobby. You can spend as much or as little as you want on them.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[pekkahead]

Vet care???
I love my chikens but it ends with vet care. Learn to recognize disease/untreatable injury and cull, cull,cull.
Always been livestock first and pets second.
There are many animals that I would gladly spend money on for vet care but chickens are not one of them.
Sorry to seem cold......

 

[underground chickenman]

I have calculated that at $2 per dozen, I will break even on my 8 hens, coop, feed and other supplies in about 14 years, not including replacement hens. It's not about the money, although it could be. For now, I am having fun and learning. If economic conditions deteriorated to where I would need to subsist on chickens and eggs, I will have knowledge to do so and I am sure I can do it for much, much less than it is costing me now.

PS. I agree with the no vet care. Come on. They're great! They're wonderful! But...they're chickens. I will always take care of them the best I can, including treatment to the best of my home-grown ability. Beyond that, they go to the great free range in the sky. So far, that hasn't happened. Farm life is tough, even city farm life.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I agree -

survival of the fittest works best here on the farm, IMO.

I've seen chicks or chickens (even my own) who have been doctored and pampered back to health, only to be weak, and die of some other problem further down the line. My current philosophy is a result of seeing that happen more than once here on my own farm.

I have the standard OTC rememdies and a few natural remedies that come from the garden and woods on hand for such instances where they are treatable. I will home doctor my chickens, but I would never take one to a vet.

If they have something THAT bad or are injured that badly, they get killed humanely and I don't prolong the suffering.

I also don't treat for every little mis-shapen turd or dust induced sneeze - they either become immune or they get culled.

I am NOT knocking anyone who chooses to utilize vets or will take extra effort to preserve their chickens - I just do not do so myself.

as of today, I have over 200 healthy (almost too healthy, they need to cut back on their rich diet) chickens, quail, ducks and geese.

meri

 

[The Zoo]

If I took one of my chickens to my vet he wouldn't know what to do with it! How does one even find a vet who knows chickens??

 

[chickenbottom]

i pay roughly around 20 dollars a month and every other month its 28 for the nest box bedding and thats like every two months so around 300 a year for 14 chickens thats the most im willing to pay

 

[Whispering Winds]

I just talked to my egg guy about this; since I don't have mine yet, and he said he spent right at $100 a month for 30 chickens, but he makes enough from his eggs just to break even, and he enjoys it so much, I don't think he thinks in terms of what they "cost" him. I will be the same way. I will give up new clothes and stuff, not that I am a clothes horse anyway, but being in Real Estate . . .to have my chickens and Alpacas!! And goats, and hopefully ducks and peacocks next year.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
I said I live in an expensive part of the country! Bay Area, CA.
And I thought that was actually a *very* good price - especially given what I pay for dog and cat food monthly!

If you're willing to drive to SJ, my feed store sells layer pellets for $13 for 50lb bag. Look up Sam's feed store.

And we have that same 50# bag of Layena in Concord for $15. Not sure if we're closer.