Monthly Expenses

[tdgill]

any ideas what its gonna cost me to keep 3 chickens?

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

It depends on whether you already have your coop and run built. Just the feeding and maybe shavings or straw for 3 chickens will be very cheap and the eggs they provide should cover your feed bill. But....if you still have to build their home - that cost will depend on how elaborate you go.

 

[JustChicky]

A 50# bag of feed lasts me about 2 - 3 weeks, for 15 chickens (half are pigs...

I mean roosters). 50# of feed cost me $11.95 & 50# of scratch is $8.99. Over the past year, I've spent less than $200 on feed & scratch for them and I've had more than enough eggs (from 7 pullets). So, I think it works out, but they also entertain me for hours. And I get a lot of exercise chasing all my roosters

. Oh yeah, I also free range and I think that helps lower the feed bill.

It shouldn't cost that much to build a coop for 3 chickens. I have 3 girls that I wanted to separate, so I built them a tractor out of stuff we had sitting around.

I hope this helped.

 

[tdgill]

thanks a bunch. a sigh of relief again

just figured out my 4 cats cost me close to $20 a week in cat food! They love canned and its supposed to be better for them but phew!

was starting to stress about adding more pets.

 

[98 gt]

Cheaper than you think... A 50# bag of feed for 3 chickens should last indefinately..... Just odding of course

 

[sara]

Quote:
I wish my chickens would get that memo!

 

[Teach97]

3 will become 6 will become 12 will become a full blown addiction!!!

 

[Buster]

I have 27 grown chickens (5 are roosters) and even with it being the middle of winter, I go through a 50# bag in about 8 days. That's .23148 of a pound per chicken per day. For your three birds that is about 5 pounds per week. So a 50 pound bag may last you as long as 10 weeks and that doesn't count free ranging in the summer time when they can get extra food elsewhere or treats you may feed them in the winter.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Buster's got a good point. Free ranging really helps keep our feed costs down.

We have 5 hens and a bag of feed lasts us at least a month I'd guess. We also let them roam free during the day.

 

[phalenbeck]

Make your coop/yard like a safe or storm room/fallout shelter. Everyone likes to eat chickens and all the wildlife in miles will drop by for dinner. To raise them, become attached to them, then have a raccoon/dog/hawk/owl/fox/outer space people stop for lunch is tough.