The cheapest way to raise backyard chickens in 2024

Chickens are one of the easiest and most productive animals to add to a urban or rural homestead to jump start your food production journey. It does not need to cost a lot of money. You can get a simple chicken operation going; a repurposed chicken coop, some laying hens from a local farmer, a bag of feed, and a watering bowl, for $100. You’ll have eggs for breakfast this weekend!

If you have more room in the budget for convenience and aesthetics; you can build a static chicken coop and run, include some beautiful ready-to-lay heritage birds, plus a hanging waterer and feeder, for around $2800.

Most of us will land somewhere in the middle. Let’s determine where we want to cut costs and where to splurge.

How much do chickens cost- a comparison chart

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How much does it cost to raise chickens?

*Note: Prices subject to change.

A Chicken Lover’s Dream- cost breakdown
The Savvy DIY’er – cost breakdown
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Keep in mind, many costs will be one-time purchases, and some will be on-going; such as feed and bedding.

How much does a chicken coop cost?

A backyard chicken coop can be as elaborate and expensive, or as simple and cheap as you want. My chicken coop is a back room in the shop. It’s not ideal, but it was the cheapest and easiest option that enabled us to get fresh eggs sizzling on the pan ASAP.

You can buy cute, ready-made coops from a local feed store, find easy plans online to make your own coop, or repurpose materials and build something scrappy. Consider repurposing a garden shed, granary, playhouse, or even a dog house.

Chicken coop ideas and prices

Ready-made coop with attached run- $400 (Tractor Supply, Peavey Mart)
Ready-made hen house- $300 (Tractor Supply), $330 (Peavey Mart)
8×10 Wood construction Storage/ Garden Shed- $2,800 (Home Depot), $2,100 (Rona)
Build your own 8×6 coop total: $275. Shed style: 9- 2x4x12, sheathing x8, nails, plywood door, hinge and latch kit. Not included: exterior siding and window (additional $500).

Things to keep in mind when choosing a coop

Ease of cleaning- are you planning to shovel out manure, or do you have machinery that could do the work for you? Make sure your doorways will accommodate your method of choice.
Winter- depending on your climate, you may want your coop to be insulated, have power for heat lamps, heated waterers, and supplemental lighting.
Ventilation- it is important to have proper air flow even during the colder months because this keeps the humidity down in the coop. A wet chicken is a cold chicken.
Safety from predators.

How much does a brooder cost?

For the first few years, we used a rubbermaid tote ($35). As our production plan grew and we brought home more day-old chicks, we built a bigger brooder out of scrap lumber and chicken wire ($0). A stock tank ($550) is a wonderful set up for a seasoned farmer with 100 or more chicks.

The brooder is a small space for your baby chicks to live before they have feathers and are ready for the outside world.

Keep it small enough to retain heat (and house a heat lamp because day-old chicks need to be kept at 32 degrees celsius or 90 F), but big enough to accommodate the number of chicks you have for approximately 6 weeks. Take into consideration their growth (6-7 square inches per chick)¹. Consider how much bedding you will be adding over the 6 week period, or if you will be cleaning it out every week. Prepare for 6 – 8 inches of additional bedding being added over the course of their stay in the brooder.

Brooder Ideas and Prices

189 L Rubbermaid Tote- $38.68 (Walmart), $34.99 (Canadian Tire)
Feed trough/ Stock tank- Galvanized steel- 2′ high by 8′ wide- $529.99, 2′ high by 8′ wide- $744.62
40 Gallon oval polyurethane stock tank- $49.99 (Wilco Farm Store), $87.99 (Princess Auto)
Summer wading pool- $16.88 (Walmart), $21.99 (Canadian Tire)
Large metal wire dog crate- $69.99
Scrap lumber wooden box- free
Cardboard appliance box- free

The Roosts

A roost is simply somewhere for egg-laying hens to perch, especially at nighttime. This can be a thick branch screwed to the wall, or a piece of 2 by 2. Chickens just like to be elevated during the night, they aren’t too picky.

Roost ideas and prices

stick- free
2x2x8- $3.62 each (Home Depot)

The Nesting Boxes

Chickens like a private little spot where they feel safe to lay their eggs. You can up-cycle many different items for your nesting boxes. We use 5 gallon pails tipped on their side and screwed to the wall. You could use a book shelf, milk crates, small totes, or make your own out of scrap lumber.

Nesting box ideas and prices

Plastic nesting boxes- $39.99 (Peavey Mart)
11 L Rubbermaid tote with lid- $8.99 *cut a hole in the front for an entrance
Heavy duty milk crate-$11.98 (US Home Depot), $9.97 (Can. Home Depot) *cut the front side off to create a deeper nesting space, rather than tipping it on its side
Cubby book shelf- $25 (Facebook Marketplace)
5 gallon pails tipped on their side- $4.99

The Bedding

Fresh bedding will be an ongoing expense. Pine shavings are the best choice for chicks because straw can be slippery and hard on their little legs (if using wood shavings, avoid cedar as it can cause respiratory issues). Upgrade your chicks to straw bedding around 4 weeks of age, if your prefer.

78 L large pine shavings bale- $7.99
Small straw bale- $6.00/each

How much does a chicken run cost?

You may need to keep your chickens contained, yet want to give them access to the outdoors. A static chicken run costs approximately $360. You may prefer the mobility of electric fencing which can costs around $500.

Here is a material breakdown for building a static chicken run that is 8 x 12 feet and 7 feet high (prices from Home Depot):

5- 2x4x8 lengths of lumber ($4.06/each) Cut into sharpened stakes and pound 1 foot into the ground.
3- 2x4x8 lengths for the gate and bracing
Gate package with latch and hinge- $23.98
16 gauge 2″x2″ square 48″x50′ stucco wire mesh, times two layers high $188.40
2″ nails ($5) – hammer in and bend over to secure the wire fencing
snow fence cover over the top if desired- $110 for 100 feet
Total: $359.86

Electric Netting

Allowing access to pasture or free ranging your chickens adds no extra cost, in fact it will reduce your feed costs by 20% . If you have heavy predator pressure, you may choose to use electric netting to protect your chickens and rotate them through your pasture.

Premiere 1 Brand
Shock-or-not- 100 feet with posts (good for chicks and adult birds)- $290
Solar Engergizer- $284
Plug in Energizer- $173
164 feet poultry netting- $155

Gallagher Brand -(Peavey Mart)
48″ x 82″ poultry netting– $249.00
40 acre Solar engergizer- $379.99
20 acre plug-in energizer- $99.99
Grounding rod- $18.99

Free Range

FREE- keep your flock locked in their new coop for 5-7 days. After that, you can release them to wander around. They will return to the coop as evening approaches without any help.

The Waterers

You can use any type of container that holds water and is shallow enough to allow a chicken to reach in and fill their beak! Most of these options are free: mixing bowls, margarine container, or an ice cream pail.

Chicken drinker ideas and prices

3 Gallon rubber feed pan- $12.99 (Tractor Supply), $18.99 (Princess Auto)
3 Gallon Hen Hydrator with nipples- $59.99 (Peavey mart)
1 gallon chicken water jug $10/each + 1 gallon jug base $10/each (Peavey mart)
Stainless steel dog bowl- $11.35
5 gallon pail with nipples for poultry– $20 (I prefer these nipples because they keep the water clean. I don’t have to swish out a dirty water pan everyday)

The Chicken Feeder

A simple DIY, a store bought system, or nothing at all- just spread your feed on the ground!

Feeder ideas and prices

24″ Chick feed trough– I prefer this trough because it is open at the top, accommodating the rapid growth of our meat birds. It also has a swivel handle to prevent chicks from roosting on top and pooping in their feed!
Galvanized Mason jar chick feeder- $5.99 (Tractor Supply), $4.99 (Princess Auto)
3 Gal Rubber feed pan- $12.99 (Tractor Supply), $18.99 (Princess Auto)
17 lb capacity plastic chicken feeder– The dividers in the bottom prevent chickens from scratching all of their feed out; making a big mess and wasting it!
75 L galvanized steel garbage can with lid- $42.98 (Home Depot)- Beware: they do scratch out feed from the bottom.
5 gallon pail + 4 feeder cups – The feed cups prevent the chickens from scratching out their feed and making a wasteful mess.

A chicken feeder made from an upturned galvanized steel garbage can.

Winter considerations

When the temperature dips below freezing, you may want to make some adjustments to keep your chickens more comfortable, but in most cases it is not needed. Many chicken keepers don’t use artificial heat during the winter because it prevents the chicks from becoming climatized to the weather. In a power outage, the loss of heat would be detrimental. We turn on our heat lamps during extreme cold snaps and the chickens use it to warm up under, but they do not huddle there.

*It costs about $26/month to continuously run one heat lamp bulb².

Fresh water is essential to chickens, an egg is 76% water after all! But during the winter, chickens can eat snow instead. Some farmers report significant drop in egg production when hens are only eating snow for water intake, however my parents fed snow to their layers all winter and were happy with the outputs. Experiment! Try some of these winter chicken watering ideas before you invest in heated waterers.

Cold weather add-ons and prices

Heat lamp holder- $9.00 (Tractor Supply) $34.99 (Peavey Mart)
Heat lamp bulb- $9.99 (Tractor Supply) $13.99 (Peavey Mart)
3 Gallon heated drinker fountain style- $52.99 (Tractor Supply), $75.00 (Peavey Mart)
Fountain drinker- large heating pad- $80.00
Heated dog bowl– This is much more convenient to fill during the winter compared to the standard chicken drinkers that need to be tipped upside down to refill.
Slow cooker with warming setting- $35.00 (Walmart)
Slow cooker- second hand- $7.00
Supplemental light timer– set it an forget it. I like this one because we can set it to turn off again after the set amount of time.

How much do chickens cost?

Price of the bird! Rare breeds and heritage breeds can be much more expensive than hybrid layers, or a barnyard mix, that you could find from a local chicken keeper. A hen’s egg production decreases dramatically after 1 year. Some operations replace their layers every year to maintain optimum outputs. A hen will continue to consistency lay, although not as frequently, for around 3 years, so you may be able to find some very inexpensive hens to get started right away.

Here are a few hatchery prices for some common chicken breeds (note that prices may decrease the more chickens you order): *Check here and here for more options.

White leghorn – $5.53 per pullet (new chicks)
Brown Ready-to-lay $25.50 (full grown hens)
Ameracauna Heritage chicks- $16.80 (straight run)
Barred Rock Duel purpose chicks- $7.18 (pullets)
Kijiji/ Craig’s List- one year old hens- $3-$10 each

Brown chicken running through a field of lush green grass

Incubators

Once you have some experience and feel competent in your chicken keeping skills, you may consider budgeting for the initial cost of an incubator to hatch your own chicks. You can use eggs from your flock to hatch in the incubator (as long as you have a rooster), or you can purchase hatching eggs from a local poultry keeper. The average cost of one dozen hatching eggs are $15 for barnyard mix, and $45 for pure bred heritage birds.

Little Giant 41 egg incubator- $59.99 + $69.99 automatic egg turner (Tractor Supply), $219.99 + $119.99 automatic egg turner (Peavey Mart)
Hovabator Incubator- $166- $263 + $69 automatic egg turner. Here is the Hovabator incubator we use (don’t forget the turner).

Continuous costs

Along with making sure you have adequate bedding material on hand, you will need chicken feed. A small flock could potentially live on table scraps, garden refuse, and free ranging alone, but most chicken keepers supplement with commercial feed or grain.

The Feed

You can feed you chickens entirely on commercial ration, create a mixture of grain, or a combination of the two.

Starter chick feed(0-6 weeks)- 20 kg/44 lbs feed bag- $22.99
Grower feed (7-20 weeks)- 20 kg/44 lbs- $20.99
Layer Ration 17% protein (after first egg appears)- 20 kg/44 lbs- $23.99
Oyster shells calcium supplement (for hens actively laying)- 25 kg/55 lbs- $29.99

Hanbury House has listed a number of Organic feed retailers in the United States and Canada.

How much does it cost to feed a layer chicken ?

How much will it cost to feed one chicken for an entire year? $36.02³

This equates to 9 cups of starter feed⁴, 55 cups of grower feed⁵, and 24 cups of layer ration⁶ for one chicken over its first year of life.

How to reduce feed costs

$36.02 per chicken/year in feed cost is based on feeding your chicken entirely on commercial poultry feed. You can quickly reduce your cost by offering kitchen scraps and supplementing with grain.

Check with local farmers in your area. You may be able to shovel grain spills or clean out a bin to source free grain for your chickens. Fermenting feed can also reduce consumption by 50%.

You very likely have more than one chicken. Check out this chicken feed calculator, to determine how many cups (or bags!) of feed you will need for your entire flock everyday.

Extra ideas and prices

There is no shortage of gadgets to help make your chicken chores easier, however they are not mandatory!

Wire Egg basket
Automatic Coop door– Make sure it’s solar powered, we don’t need to remember to change batteries too!
Roll Away Nesting Box- $157- $650

Recoup your costs!

A great way to get some of that start up money back in your pocket is to sell you extra eggs. A dozen farm fresh eggs generally sell for $5, but organic or free-range eggs can be upwards of $7 a dozen. Don’t forget about selling those fertilized eggs as hatching eggs, too.

Eat eggs! The average person eats 250 eggs a year⁷. That’s saving you about $330 in eggs for a family of 4.

Create and collect compost. Never again will you need to buy compost or fertilizer from the store!

Three brown chicken eggs in a grassy nest

Total cost for a fancy chicken set up:

Coop with outdoor run- $ 2100 + $360	$2460
Bedding- pine shavings and straw bales	$20
Waterer- hen hydrator with nipples	$60
Feeder- Hanging chicken feeder	$45
Chickens- 10 Heritage breed chicks- Easter egg layers	$165
Brooder- extra large rubbermaid tote, chick waterer, chick feeder, heat lamp supply	$101
Feed- Store bought feed ($30 a month)	$360
Winterizing- heated water dish + power $312	$367
Extras- roll away nesting box, automatic coop door, wire egg basket	$391
Total:	$3,969

Total cost DIY chicken set up:

If you are really on a tight budget and itching to get some chickens ASAP, here are some recommendations:

repurpose something for a chicken coop- a shed or use free pallets to build something ‘new’
avoid day old chicks- grab some one year old hens from Kijiji or Craig’s list and get started. Don’t bother with a brooder, heat lamps, or smaller feeders and waterers. Year-old hens can be as cheap as $3 a bird, and are still very productive.
free range- no need to build a run or purchase electric netting, it will also reduce your feed costs by 30%
reduce feed cost by collecting grain from local farmers, ferment your feed, and supplement with commercial oyster shells.
if possible, minimize winter gear- you can get away with refilling water daily during the winter or shovelling in some snow, no need for heated waterers or heat lamps- although they are nice and your flock will appreciate it, they are not absolutely necessary

The absolute cheapest way to raise chickens:

Coop- Repurpose shed with nesting boxes and roosting bar	$50
Bedding- Dry grass clippings or leaves for bedding	$0
Waterer- 5 Gallon pail with chicken nipples	$18
Feeder- Pour feed on ground to encourage foraging or tilling	$0
Chickens- 10 one-year-old hens (or 10 leghorn day-old chicks)	$30 ($55)
(Brooder- cardboard box, heat lamp, pine shavings, small waterer, small feed trough)	$0 ($66)
Feed- Store bought feed for one year- fermented $15 a month	$180
Total:	$278 ($369)