It’s a new year, which means you may be looking for a new hobby. With a potential egg shortage on the horizon, what better place to start than with raising your own chickens in your backyard!
Raising chickens is fairly easy to do and collecting your own fresh eggs almost daily is truly a delight. I’ve laid out a few key factors to consider before getting chickens.
First, how many chickens do you need for your family?
Depending on the breed of chicken, the average chicken lays between 250-300 eggs per year. There are other factors that affect their laying ability such as their diet, outside stressors, molting season, weather and their age, however on average you can plan for one egg per chicken every day to day and a half.
For a family of four, four chickens should be sufficient to feed your family. If you’re wanting more than 4 eggs a day, then simply add more chickens. There are no rules in chicken math – ha!
Second, where will you keep your chickens?
In keeping with our number 4, the standard chicken needs 4 square feet of space to live. You will also need at least one nesting box per 4 hens and space for them to safely roost at night. The coop needs to be enclosed from predators and have room for them to get exercise and scratch around.
Lastly, how much does it cost to keep chickens?
The cost of chicks range from $3-9 per chick depending on the breed and age. I recommend checking out your local feed store to see if they order chicks and what breeds they will have to choose from.
The price of your chicken coop can vary greatly anywhere from $200-$3,000, depending on the size and materials of it. The coop is what keeps your chickens safe from predators and the climate, and encourages egg laying, so I definitely recommend investing something from the start if you plan to keep chickens long term.
This is a great affordable option to start from Amazon.
Check your local feed store such as Tractor Supply if you want to see in person before buying. They will have some pre-assembled available to purchase from the floor.
If you’re local to North Texas, we ordered ours from Clifton Visions and couldn’t be happier with it. You can check out their website here: https://cvoutdoorstructures.com
Your beginner set up for chickens includes the following:
Shavings ~$12
Chick Feed ~$15 or Organic Chick Feed ~$50
Heat Lamp & Red Light Bulb ~$25 or Heat Panel ~$60
Plan for roughly $100 in supplies to get started depending on the options you choose. From there, you can plan for $25-50/month for feed and supplements.
So when should you start?
The sooner the better, as chicks will not start laying until they are at least 20 weeks old. So if you purchased chicks in mid-January, they won’t start laying eggs until June! Baby chicks do need to be kept at a nice warm 95 degrees Fahrenheit, so keeping them where they can stay warm with a heat lamp (we used our garage in a tub) is ideal until they are fully feathered, which is around 6ish weeks.
We’ll dive into chick care next! Have questions? Let us know how we can help!
Some links on this site are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them at no additional cost to you. Happy raising chickens!
Backyard with the Burks 
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