Getting chickens may sound like something fun to do, as well as something that may save you money in the long run, especially with today's rising food prices in 2022. But I am here to tell you something: not all sustainable lifestyle choices will save you any money. And some, may cost you more in the long run. So, you have to ask yourself, are you becoming more sustainable to save money? Or are you doing it to actually life more sustainably?
To answer this question, let's dive into what living sustainably really is.
- Sustainability allows you to be less dependent on others for your needs. Whether that's food, kitchen items, cleaning items, clothes, beauty items, and other things. Which means if these items ever stop getting produced or there is a shortage, you will still have access to them.
- Sustainability means it's better for the environment. Which means that instead of being mass-produced, the item(s) are produced by you, a single person or your family. Which means less pollution, less garbage and waste, and most likely, produced in such a way with reusable items.
- And lastly, sustainability can mean something is cheaper. Creating your own beeswax lip balm is mostly cheaper than buying it. Or making your own clothes or buying them used is way cheaper than buying new. But price should not be the only reason you are doing it. The first two should be just as, if not more, important than this one. Even though this one is true in many cases.
So, is having backyard chickens cheaper than buying eggs at the store? The answer is simply, no. Not if you're just raising enough hens for your family's egg consumption. The only time they start paying off is when you have enough to a) sell their eggs or b) sell their meat. Egg laying hens can be more expensive to buy as chicks than buying chicks for their meat. Especially if you buy easter eggers, meaning hens that lay different colored eggs (like blue and green--who knew those existed, I didn't!). For fifteen baby chicks (the minimum where we got them) cost us around $100. We did get the special colored egg-layers, along with five Rhode Island Reds. And we had to buy a heat lamp (actually we got a heat plate, but it didn't work out for us, so I returned it), a container to use as a brooder, bedding, food, a feeder, and a waterer. The container we already had (a large Rubbermaid bin). The food is cheap, as is the bedding, and the waterer and feeder were around $5 each. So the initial investment was less than $150.
But now they are bigger. And we live in an area where bird flu is going around due to migrating birds, so we have to keep them indoors. So now we had to go buy them 5 tarps (from Family Dollar at $5 each), 12 bags of sand at some odd price I don't know each, a full-size waterer and feeder at $10 each, and a mirror (a full-length mirror from Family Dollar because chickens LOVE mirrors to play with--for real, they love to look at themselves like all day long LOL). Still, that's not a huge investment, but we have to add in the time it takes to clean up after them, build them stuff, as well as feeding them and having a heater on in our basement for them to keep warmer (though that may go off soon as they grow bigger).
And they still will not produce eggs until another three months (they start at around sixteen weeks old). Then we have to switch their feed to egg-laying feed, and then also provide them with nesting boxes.
Oh, and I forgot the cost and time investment for the chicken run. For us, we had a fenced in garden that we turned into our chicken run. So we had to buy chicken wire to line the entire thing, because the fencing is too big and would let predators in and chicks out. Plus, we had to expand it to go to the front of our chicken coop. And if you don't already have a coop, you have to add in that cost, too (we already had one, as the house came with one).
And I'm telling you, the cost of buying eggs at the store is WAY cheaper than all the work we're putting into these chickens. Which was starting to wear on me when I really thought about it. But then I shifted my thinking. What if the reasons we have these chickens has nothing to do with the cost of a dozen eggs? What if the reasons we're doing all this goes far beyond how much it costs? So, we came up a list of reasons we want to raise chickens:
- We're stopping any type of animal abuse that comes along with how we get our eggs. Our chickens will be mostly free-range (when the bird flu is gone and they can go outside) and will be treated like family, rather than being stuck in a cage popping out eggs without getting any exercise at all.
- We know what we're feeding our chickens. We can choose whatever we like to feed them, as well as know the ingredients of the feed we purchase for them. If they can be free range in the spring, summer, and fall, then we know they are getting the most nutrition possible. So we know the eggs the produce will be better quality.
- We will have eggs even if the bird flu decimates much of the chickens in the commercial industry. Let's hope that doesn't happen, but if it does, we will have access to eggs (eventually).
- If we get meat chickens later on (which was our plan), then we will have access to chicken. Whereas right now, we haven't had chicken in months. Now, we'll have to invest more money into building them a larger indoor coop if the bird flu keeps up, but eventually, it'll pay off. Though, as long as the bird flu is an issue, I don't think we'll end up doing this.
- We can grow our own baby chicks if we ever get a rooster (though we live in a neighborhood right now and I refuse to get a rooster until we live on much bigger land) and have an endless supply of chicks to either sell or have more hens to lay for us. Which means more eggs, which we can either sell or give away if we have too many.
- We are learning how to have a homestead. We're starting with chickens and eventually, we'll expand to much bigger things. But this is our start. Eventually, we'd like to have bees, pigs, a fruit orchard, a nut orchard, a large garden, etc. Essentially, we want to have a farm. But we're starting with chickens.
- And lastly, we may never have to pay for eggs again.
So, for us, having chickens isn't about the cost of eggs. That's the least of what's on our minds for this venture. It's a starting point for something much bigger, and more sustainable. My goal? Is creating a food forest, as well as a veggie farm. My boys' goal, is to grow their own meat. And for all of us, eventually, living off grid, if at all possible. One thing at a time, though. And we chose to start with chickens. It's not as easy as we thought it was going to be, but nothing ever is. Especially if it's worthwhile.
So, if you're thinking about getting backyard chickens, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I ready for the cost of raising chickens? Do I have the cash to begin this venture?
- Am I ready for the work of raising chickens? Do I have the time to begin and sustain this venture?
- Am I in it for the price of eggs, or is this about something more? Or does any of that extra stuff even matter to me?
- And, do I have the patience for this venture?
Raising chickens isn't as easy as you think, but it's also not terribly hard, either. And I do feel it's wonderful watching your chickie babies turn into big birds (not Big Bird!) and seeing each of their personalities develop. But again, it's a lot of work. So do your research before getting them. Also, call the Dept. of Agriculture in your county or state to see what their recommendations are if the avian flu is still an issue. Because you don't want to expose your chickens to that and possibly lose your entire flock.
To reiterate, sustainability isn't always about lowering your daily costs. It's also about not depending on others for your needs, as well as doing right by the environment. So, strongly consider your reasons for getting chickens if you're thinking about it. Because a backyard flock isn't going to save you any money on eggs. At least not for a long time. But in the long run, it can give you so much more.
Good luck and share your chicken pictures below if you have any!
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