With egg prices recently reaching historic highs, many people are eager to start raising chickens for a more reliable and cheaper source of eggs. Over the past few months, I have received many questions about how to get started with chickens. But before giving any instructions, I ask them, is it worth it?
The simple answer is no. You will pay much more for eggs if you start from scratch, compared to buying eggs at the supermarket. Even with an existing setup, it can be difficult for a backyard hobbyist to produce eggs cheaper than store-bought eggs. That's because chicken feed prices are also at all-time highs. Furthermore, if you start with baby chicks, by the time you even see your first homegrown egg, the prices of eggs will likely be lower than they currently are.
Still interested? Then consider the following.
The initial investments into raising laying hens (hens that are used for egg production) are substantial. The chicks themselves are not cheap, despite what providers might say. Assuming you begin with chicks, you will need a chicken coop or other structure that protects the young birds from weather and predators.
The idea of free-ranging yard chickens might sound quaint and appealing, but the reality is that they will get killed, even in small, fenced-in backyards within city limits. From domestic cats and dogs, to owls and raccoons, every predator enjoys it when chicken is on the menu.
How much room will your chickens need in their coop? Although chicks need relatively little space at first, they need much more room as they grow, ultimately requiring more than 2 square feet per adult hen. The least expensive coop at a popular local big box store costs around $200, and would comfortably house two to four standard-sized chickens. And even if you are handy, it would be difficult to make a coop for that price because - as you likely know - lumber and other building materials are also at record highs.
When raising chicks, you need a heat lamp and a 24-hour source of light, and the electricity to run those devices for the first six weeks. Immediately after hatching, chicks need a constant external temperature of 90F, gradually decreasing to a minimum of 70F after a month and a half. After that, they can regulate their body temperatures under the spring and summer ambient temperatures here in the Pee Dee region. Still, the adult chickens need at least 14 hours of light per day (16 hours per day is even better) for egg production. That means you will need a light with a timer on it during winter.
Next, you will need feeders, waterers, nest boxes, and litter. And of course, food. Egg-laying hens have nutritional requirements that are best met with commercial, pelleted diets. Kitchen scraps are not sufficient for consistent egg production, because chickens have particular feed needs.
For example, consider the dietary protein needs of a chicken. Hens need at least 16 percent to 20 percent protein. Even if there is enough protein in their diet, the protein has to provide the right ratios of specific amino acids. Let's say you fed your chickens only corn. Corn contains 8 percent to 10 percent protein, so it would not meet the bird's protein requirements. Also, corn does not contain enough of the essential amino acid lysine. Corn would not provide enough calcium for eggshell production, either. And corn is deficient in some other nutrients for the hen, as well. Therefore, a properly balanced diet, such as a commercial pelleted diet formulated for laying hens, is essential for consistent egg production.
Under ideal conditions, it will take five to six months for a chick to mature and lay its first egg. That means a chick hatched in June wouldn't lay an egg until October or November. And then, most breeds of chickens only lay one egg every other day, on average. Egg production gradually declines after two years, and some hens stop laying after four years. Because chickens can live for a decade, they might well live longer not laying eggs than they will laying eggs.
With all this being said, let's do some basic calculations. To get about a dozen eggs a week, you would need two laying hens. A chicken eats about a half pound of feed per day. If chicken feed costs around 50 cents per pound, you would be paying at least $3.50 per dozen eggs, not including the initial costs of setup and the feed needed to grow the chicks into laying hens (which would be hundreds of dollars). As I write this, the cheapest cost of a dozen eggs at a local store is a little more than $4, and that price is decreasing every week.
Additionally, consider the time commitment it takes to properly care for your hens. There are daily chores: changing out water, filling feeders, and collecting and cleaning the eggs. Occasionally, you need to thoroughly clean the coop of old litter, feces, feathers, and thick accumulations of cobwebs and dust.
There are no holidays or days off, and you need to spend even more time caring for the birds during bad weather. When a hen gets injured or sick, are you going to find a veterinarian that can help? After the hen has stopped laying eggs, what are you going to do with her?
I ask those who want to get started with raising chickens, "Is it worth it?" For most people, it is not, because of the costs and effort involved. Nonetheless, for those of us who are interested in raising chickens for eggs and are willing to put in the time and money, it is a worthwhile homestead endeavor.
In my next article I will describe how to get started raising chickens. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Happy homesteading!