I am expecting this to be addictive so we are going to build a coop bigger than we need right now. Once the coop is built and all the "first time owner" stuff is done how much more expensive is it to have 12-14 chicken that 3-5? I don't need exact numbers, just an idea. Not much more, quite a bit??
Welcome to BYC! You are smart to start out with a big coop! Expenses depend a lot on whether you do any free range. There's a lot to be saved by allowing access to the bugs and grass in your yard. If you have some bantums in your flock of course they are much cheaper to feed. Table scraps can save on feed also. Other than that, it's just math. If 4 chickens eat a sack of feed per month then 12 will eat 3 sacks.
I have 37 chickens of different breeds (4 banties) and they go through a 50 lb. bag of Purina Flock Raiser a week which is about $16. I have not wormed anyone yet, nor had to treat for lice or mites, but that costs extra if you routinely will treat or just do it when you have a problem. You need extra feeders and waterers, since there are always bullies with more chicks, but those can be made easily with things you may have lying around. Flat 11 quart hog pans or big flower pot saucers work great for extras.
I've got 12 at the moment and they have taken nearly a month to go through a 50lbs bag of grower pellets. We let them out each evening to free range and they get a lot of kitchen scraps too. I found they waste a lot less food once I went from chick starter crumbles to grower pellets (when they got old enough for the switch) so that saves some money there. I haven't had to worm, vaccinate, etc, so haven't had those expenses yet. Building a coop cost enough and that was recycling some of it too. Did get a 50lb bag of DE though, which is a worthwhile expense and something you should do. There are lots of threads here on homemade feeders and waterers, etc. that can save you bucks too. Start up costs are steep if one just looks at chickens as an egg investment. If you consider the amusement factor in there too it kind of evens out. Still.....enjoy that first egg....it's the most expensive you'll ever eat.
For cheap chickens Get bantams ($40 for a year of vego layer mash) build your own coop, or modify a cheap ebay one! BREED YOUR OWN FOOD! Mealworm farms cost about $15 to set up then BOOM heaps of food within a few months for your hens AND enough to sell! I'm starting on crickets now too! Also feeding them scraps! mine also free range and therefore steal the dogs bones ok they're spoilt.....
We converted our front lawn to food garden. I grow mammoth sunflower seeds. We are saving the seeds for the chickens. Also, they can have our scraps. I am hoping this will help keep the costs down. Their run will be 160 sq ft. The coop is 32 sq feet. My idea is that I want happy chickens.
Quote:I cut up a carrot and replace the old carrot twice a week. Done! Most time would be getting the worms out when the bran they live in turns to dust, but you just chuck all of it in a colander and sift them out! not hard! I also put the worms I'm about to feed onto a oat and milk powder mixture a few days before feeding to boost the nutrients in their bellies!
I sepnt a lot of time on CL looking for free building materials made my own feeders, but I will say the biggest cost is hardware and time.
