how much money have you spent on your setup?

[Hens4Fun]

dunno ... afraid to add it up .... all I know is they are really expensive eggs! But I don't care I ADORE watching my chickens

and wouldn't spend any less.

 

[ema.whte]

I haven't spent too much as I've built a coop for just 3 to 4 chickens, I am still deciding on the exact number. After getting some materials for free from my neighbors and family, I've spent around $100 on waterers and other necessary accessories. All in all, building a coop yourself is much cheaper than buying a ready-made one.

Emma

 

[gsim]

Around $1700 - $1800 and all home built from scratch. Only 5% recycled stuff so was expensive. Ordered 24 pullets from Meyers in Ohio Got RIR, BA, BC, BR in early June. Ended up with a lighted coop 8 x 16 with 4 operable windows. Gable and one turbine vent and continuous soffit vents front and back. AC outlets inside coop with two dual 48" fluorescent lights. Ceiling fan, linoleum floor, yard hydrant for water that I ran to site along with 20 amp buried line and 8 wire telephone cable (Mozart for the girls some day?) Vinyl siding, gutters, 6-panel door, four flower boxes (Yeah, I know), 40 year roof (who wants to do it again if they are already 67 years old ?) 6 ft welded wire fence set in cement for a 2,000 sq ft run. 5-mile fence charger and 4 courses of hot wire all around.

Why? First, I do not believe America will ever really 'recover' economically this time around. I am dead certain that the dollar is a sinking ship, with only politics and the power of the international bankers keeping it in use this long. So why not put my money into something tangible with practical and tangible benefits? (we also did a 1200 sq ft organic garden this year for same reason) Secondly, we can see the thing from our house. It is within 100 ft of our house, and we can see it from our driveway, so appearance was and is important to us. If not for the economic situation, I would have never started either gardening or poultry. Having done so however, I can say that I can see why so many love both gardening and poultry raising.

We took two camper chairs out into the run last eve and soon I had 3 of our hens in my lap wanting attention and to be petted. If my wife stops to sit down in the run, same thing happens to her. We love having our chooks and spending time with them. If I was not a dinosaur stuck in the 35MM era, I would have some pics. Am going to get some help on that and will upload a ton of them when I do.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
{gigling}

My husband says I do NOT have to keep the economy going all by myself!

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
My thoughts exactly. So you spent an ounce or two of gold. What's that old saying? - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

<writing note to husband - add phone line to coop>

 

[cybercat]

This year we built our fisrt coop. It is and 8x8 to reduce cutting and I ordered 25 chicks. Went up real fast but not finished as we still need to put shingles on whick we have from our house left over. So fat coop copst us under $250. I am using a branch perch which is working great and cat litter boxes for nest since I have a broody breed. No run as they free range but next spring run will go in to protect babies and momma first couple of weeks. We will also be expanding coop then too.

 

[poultrygeist]

Can't count food but about a grand in all new materials!

 

[BJS]

I spent $790 in total for coop, equipment, and chickens. That does not include food and other consumables like straw/ wood shavings. I have 17 chickens at present (first acquired in April 2009 as chicks). Next year we are planning on raising meat chickens as well as the egg producers, so the total might go up a bit...

 

[Gallusfarm]

Wow, thanks for all of the input! I'm glad ya'll understand that it's OK to spend money on the little sweeties. We've spent about 1,000, and will be spending about 1,000 more soon. That seems like a lot - I'm sooo cheap- I never spend money on anything, but I have finally found a hobby that is so fulfulling...

 

[gottalovemychickens]

$2,400 + more to spend