I mentioned earlier this week, that we made a chicken tractor and bought some chickens. We are doing this for a couple of reasons:
- So we can have free range eggs (the chicken tractor is mobile, and allows the chickens to free range around our yard when we move the tractor).
- So my children can see where their food is coming from (great education).
- So I know what is in our food.
- Because it’s fun!
The ultimate questions with this is the following: Is it cheaper to do this vs. buying eggs from the store. My answer is: Probably not. But it’s still too soon for me to really say that this is the case, one way or the other. Here is a break down of our costs so far:
Chicken Tractor: $100.68 in materials (we built it ourselves).
It could actually be done for cheaper, depending on the materials you find. See how to make your own chicken tractor here. More tutorials:
Tutorial for Our Chicken Tractor
Cost of Four Chickens (two layers, and two more that are almost laying): $48
Cost for feed, waterer and two babies chicks we purchased: $12.99 + $13.66 = $26.65 (will show pics of the babies soon).
Total cost for start-up: $175.33
I’m going to have to start hunting down deals on chicken feed though, to see if I can keep our monthly costs down. The chickens are getting table scraps as well as chicken feed. I haven’t been able to find an organic feed locally yet, so I had to settle for the “natural” stuff at the local feed store which is over $8 for a 25 lb bag. Not the best deal by a long shot, so I am on the prowl.
Do you have advice for me as a new chicken owner? I’d love to know how to find the best deals on chicken feed, and what I should expect in the coming months in regards to chicken care.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I wish you luck with your chickens. We’ve been doing it for about 10 years now and its been a learning experience. Mind you we dont raise layers, we do heavy broilers, just for butchering, but Im guessing the concepts are about the same. Have fun!
perfect timing! we have been discussing as to wether or not we want to get chickens. thanks for the helpful info. I will also be hunting chicken feed so i’ll let you know if i hear of anything.
You can make your own!!!! Here are the two recipes I found:
http://123buildingchickencoop.com/Organic-Homemade-Chicken-Feed.php
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/organic-chicken-feed-cheap.html
The latter one seems a bit longer, but I think making either in bulk will save you in the long run and I’m sure your kids would love to help make food for the chickens, haha.
Now I want a chicken
My best advice is do not get a rooster! I grew up on a farm and still shudder at the memory of our nasty, aggressive roosters and the way they would attack anyone who came into the chickenyard. Definitely stick with all girl chickies!
Your right, it’s probably not cheaper getting eggs this way but there are so many other factors involved. You know your getting healthy eggs. The kids are getting a lot of fun out of the experience. Your not supporting the horrible living conditions that chickens are commercially raised in. It is also very therapuetic.
.-= Larry Harwell´s last blog ..Build Your Own Chicken Tractor =-.
In my opinion (we have 9 layers) it is definitely not cheaper, but that shouldn’t matter. The experience for you and the kids is worth every penny and the eggs are super super healthy and tastey. They say spend your money on quality food now that may be more expensive or spend it on your medical bills later. I got some free store bought eggs the other day and we cracked them next to each other and the difference is amazing. Our farm eggs are super bright orange and the yolks seem firmer. Also, the chickens are a great place to give you’re extra food scraps too. They love all types of scraps so you don’t waste anything. People today are so removed from their food source and where it comes from. You’re teaching your kids a super good lesson that will follow them for years to come. We love our chickens and will probably be life long chicken owners. People keep telling me to watch “Food Inc.” I gotta get around to seeing it. You’ll never look at your food the same.
Well, we made our own chicken tractor, and my advice is to make sure you use wire with small holes. (I think the one we used is meant to be chicken wire–with about a 2 in. diameter hole. The raccoons figured out how to reach in through the wire, and they’ve killed all but 1 chicken. All the work and money and love we put into those chicks is gone! Also, if you are planning on using it on your lawn, be prepared to move it daily. They eat the grass down to the nub really quickly!
ditto be careful of raccoons (and coyotes we have them in the city!)- they will kill any birds and it is not pretty
I’ve read that hens love to eat the seeds out of a sunflower head. If you grow sunflowers in your garden, save the heads for the chickens! (Not sure how much you should let them dry first…)
Kind of hate to break this to you, my dear and (highly respected, may I say!) Thrifty Mama Crystal, but your chickens are, in no way, “free range.”
Free range is not equivalent to caged. Your chickens appear to be caged and are thus unable to run about a barnyard clucking and pecking the way chickens were created to cluck and peck and run about. Moving your enclosed cage to different places in your yard doesn’t make up for that. Chickens need to move about and scratch and “flutter” (that sort of attempt they do at flying.) This is entirely different than moving their cage over a few feet to cluck and peck on a different patch of grass. Making sense? That cage looks tiny and crowded to me.
This way, they don’t get to pursue their normal desired, healthy behaviors, and they get fat and make for plump juicy chicken dinners. But they are certainly not able to move about your “range” freely.
Just getting picky on your post. But otherwise, Crystal Collins, you have to know that I do love your blog, your very hard work and so admire your seeming devotion to your children and family and faithful blog followers. So keep it up. (And meantime read a bit more about all things chicken-farmy.)
Read in the New York Times about a year ago of Brooklynites and others raising chickens in their backyards. I’m in Chicago and tempted to do it, but it just won’t work for me.
As for the economics of it, it is a wonderful thing to be able to supply your neighbors with free eggs–they’ll love them AND you. An you can also get your kids to sell a few to neighbors, teaching them a thing or two about managing a little business, marketing, record keeping, pricing and charity.
.-= Broke Girl´s last blog ..Self-interested cheapskates: an extremely brief history, 250 BC – 2010 AD =-.
Re-reading my post I’m thinking it may come across as a little bit rude–SO not my intention. So let me back it up a bit–I mean, I’m no chicken farmer, although I grew up on a farm and as journalist, once published a news story about an organic farm business.
Btw, the reason a chicken “tractor” such as yours is built to move about the yard is not about the chickens. The benefit is to the organic farmer, such that the chickens’ organic fertilizer (read: manure) can enrich the ground / farmland as it moves around the yard.
Being a city girl, I do not have a yard so much as a potting garden, but I am totally into the idea of letting a yard run weed-wild, that is, not killing all the weeds with chemicals. Bring on the dandelions, I say. See the excellent opinion piece in this regard published 20 April 2010 at this New York Times blog: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/the-dandelion-king/
.-= Broke Girl´s last blog ..Self-interested cheapskates: an extremely brief history, 250 BC – 2010 AD =-.
Broke Girl,
I agree with what you’re saying. Those chickens appear to be very cramped. In my experience, chickens need lots of room to roam in order to live happily.
Having said that, I do enjoy this blog very much!
Thanks for the feedback. As mentioned in a comment on my previous post, we are working on making them something bigger so they can move around more freely.
We live near a busy road and intersection, so it’s either this option, or we loose chickens to the cars on the road.
And for the record, I admire bold commenters
Everyone does not have to agree with me.
You are going to LOVE having chickens! We’ve been raising a flock for about a year and a half now. They are so entertaining! My kids LOVE having chickens. Nothing like fresh eggs!
it might not be cheaper to get eggs this way; although, i hear chickens are great at pest control in the yard when they roam free