Monthly Cost of Chickens & Ducks Beginners will Love

How much do chickens and ducks cost per. month?

When adding animals to your household cost is defiantly a factor. So how do you figure out the cost of chickens and ducks per month?

My flock has grown substantially since I was given 2 ducks by a coworker a couple years ago and yours will too.

I currently have 24 birds.

So, what is the biggest cost of chickens and ducks per month? The short answer is time.

Feeding, watering and collecting eggs is the easy part.

Most people don’t think about cleaning the coop, raking the run, reinforcing the coop, time spent recouping your costs, shoveling a path for them in the snow, taking care of any health issues, clipping wings/raising the fence etc.

With time and experience you will develop a routine that works for you. It really isn’t that bad I promise!

Now, lets get started!

Before you get your birds

There are some things you are going to need

Coop

The first and probably the most stressful is the coop.

Now, I could go on all day about chicken coops.

Here is the bottom line, the purpose of a coop is to keep your chickens safe and protected from the weather.

I promise the chicken won’t care if you spent $2,000 or $2.

Just make sure it is clean, dry and safe from predators.

If you are using something similar to an old dog house, I would add some nesting boxes.

When it comes to the size of your coop, plan for more chickens than you intend to get by at least 6 birds, this will prevent you from getting/making one too small.

For those with great self control. I applaud you! Your chickens will love the extra room.

For the rest of us, having a coop a little bit larger than you need from the beginning will save you some time, money and headache later.

You are also going to need a separate holding area for incoming, injured or troublesome birds.

This could be anything from a second smaller coop, large dog crate, a converted old dresser or small corner of your yard.

This is one of those things where it is best to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Misc. Items

You are also going to need feeders, waterers and bedding.

If you are getting ducks as well, make sure you have a water dish just deep enough for them to dip their head in.

The 7lb hanging feeders pictured above are about 13 bucks new at Tractor Supply.

Feed

I agree that not all feed is created equal, however, buy what you can afford.

Honestly, I buy the cheaper 50 lbs bags of feed and then give them extra goodies like veggie scraps.

Buying a few bags of feed before you get your chickens will also help keep you ahead.

Birds

There are a lot of different birds out there, do your research.

Some do much better in certain climates and others are designed for egg production etc.

I have a variety.

If you are looking for a multi purpose (used for meat and eggs) chicken I recommend Delaware (white hens pictured above).

When it comes time to purchase, you will need to decide if you want laying hens or chicks.

Buying chicks and ducklings are way cheaper than buying full grown birds.

This is the option I personally chose. I did not want to run the risk of getting an unhealthy, mean or senior bird.

Make sure you have a plan.

What happens to your birds when they stop laying eggs?

If you are going to keep them as pets, are you going to expand or buy eggs from the store?

Keeping older birds as pets brings the cost of chickens and ducks up substantially.

Do not get more birds than you can afford to feed using only your income currently.

Use the guide below to determine how many chickens or ducks you should get.

I will talk about combating the costs of chickens in a bit, but the chickens need care regardless.

Can you afford to provide for them if you don’t sell any eggs, meat, chicks etc.?

The reason I mention this is because it is going to take a while for your chicks to start laying eggs.

If you spend the extra money and get full grown hens it will still take a little while for you to get regular clients.

Monthly Costs

Right now, we are going through about 4 50 lbs bags of feed every month at $15 each plus 2 large bags of bedding each month.

I separated my 14 adult chickens, 5 ducks and 5 mini chickens to see the cost breakdown of each group.

14 chickens: 2 bags per month x $15= $30

5 ducks: 2 bags per moth x $15= $30

5 mini chickens (currently chicks): The chicks have gone through 50 lbs of feed since we got them at the end of August. 15 x 1= 15 / 3= $5 month

2 bags of bedding x $6=12

We are looking at a grand total of $77 per month.

From this we get roughly 10-15 eggs per day.

The number will increase to 15-20 eggs a daily as my flock ages and the weather gets warmer.

So why not just by a big flat of eggs from the store every week? Wouldn’t that be cheaper and a lot less work?

The answer is absolutely! Which brings me to my next point.

Combating the Cost of Chickens and Ducks

So, what will reduce how much chickens and ducks cost per month?

Sell eggs!

In order to break even using just eggs.

I would need to sell 15 dozen eggs per month at $5.00 each.

If your family and friends do not have chickens themselves this is quite achievable.

Keep in mind that egg production will not always be the same.

Having paying clients depend on you for their eggs could mean you have to buy some from the store at some point.

Those of us who live in rural communities have to be a bit more creative when it come to combating the cost of keeping our feathered friends.

A lot of my family, friends, neighbors and coworkers also have chickens. So a lot of people ending up giving eggs away.

There are a few things you can do to help off set costs without selling eggs.

There is one constant thing that chickens do that many people don’t think about.

Yes! I am talking about poop! A lot of it!

Create compost!

Aged chicken manure is fantastic for gardening.

Using homemade compost instead of store bought stuff will save you a lot of money.

1 large bag of potting soil from the department store is anywhere from $15-20 each.

Once you get the hang of it, sell what you don’t need.

Add more birds, less commonly kept animals such as ducks, quail, meat birds and turkeys help you stand out.

If your family and friends have a steady supply of chicken eggs already see if you can provide something else for them.

Just remember the larger the bird the more it costs to feed them.

If you get male birds also you can sell hatching eggs, chicks, or ducklings.

Selling meat, eggs for eating/baking or extra birds is also a great option especially if you have more than just chickens.

Raise Meal worms, as a great treat for your chickens and sell them to others for theirs.

The cheapest I have seen them for sale at a store $16 per lb.

Garden Scraps are a great way to feed your chickens. I still recommend that you keep chicken feed available.

However, the more scraps they eat the less feed they will go through.

You can also create a garden specifically for feeding your chickens.

Ultimately, how much chickens cost per month depends on you.

Tips

Do not put all of your eggs in one basket.

Depending on one source of income to cover the costs of feed is not a good idea.

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

Chicken math is a thing!

If you plan to free range your birds, make sure they are laying eggs only inside the coop first.

If not, you will have to hunt for eggs every day.

It is less fun that it sounds, especially in the winter.

Keep track of how much your chickens cost per month, this way you can budget and calculate how much to sell products for etc.

If you are interested in the homesteading lifestyle click here.

If you have found this post helpful, don’t forget to save it for later and send it to a friend!