From Chicken Coop to Omelet.

With the skyrocketing prices of eggs, many folks are beginning to wonder if raising chickens might be the answer. Well, that depends on the question.

In Douglas Adams’s Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, a computer is created to answer a question.

Deep Thought is a computer created by super-intelligent pandimensional mice to come up with the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

When, after seven and a half million years of calculation, the answer finally turns out to be 42, Deep Thought’s creators sheepishly realize that they don’t know the question.

If you wish to know if it is possible to raise chicken in your backyard to supply you and your family with fresh eggs. The answer is Yes. You don’t need a supercomputer to tell you that.

If you wish to know what 8 x 6 equals, you really should read Douglas Adam’s Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

If you want to raise chickens to save money on eggs, I am afraid you will need to get out there and meet people. some intelligent pandimensional individuals, not necessarily mice, but could be if you’re into that sort of thing to build that supercomputer for you after all.

But if you want to raise chickens to produce eggs that are more nutritious than industrial-produced eggs, and you are motivated and interested in raising chickens, then the answer is, again, Yes.

If you want your eggs to come from chickens that are treated humanely and with care, then again, Yes. No computer assembly required.

Let’s explore.

This article is not a complete guide to raising backyard chickens. Such websites do exist. A few are linked within this article. This article will explore the idea of whether it is feasible, affordable, and advisable to raise your own backyard chickens.

Most communities will allow you to have at least four chickens. Usually, you will not be able to have a rooster. That is okay. You don’t need a rooster to get chicken eggs. Weird, right?

There are those that believe a rooster makes for happier chickens. They help with the hierarchical structure, and they help protect the flock. They are also incredibly beautiful. But they tend to be noisy and can be aggressive. This can be a nuisance to neighbors, so probably a bad idea in an urban setting.

So, you have decided to raise chickens. The chickens will lay one to two eggs every day. Again weird, Right?

A bit of math here informs us that is a lot of eggs. Still, Americans consume, on average, around 290 eggs a year. One chicken per person is a close approximation. Four is a lot of eggs, but if you have a big family or close friends in both proximity and friendship, you will find takers for your eggs-tra eggs. (Come on, who didn’t see at least one pun coming.)

Two chickens it just too few. Chickens are social animals. It is recommended you keep from 3-6 in a backyard setting. Check your local laws.

So, you plan on having three chickens, potentially producing three to six eggs a day. Where do you start?

With a chicken coop, of course.

Over the last year, I have seen several coops spring up in backyards in my neighborhood. And I must say the designs vary considerably.

I can see five different coops along my daily walking path. Two are far too small, according to researchers at the University of Georgia. They are nothing more than dog house-sized coops with a few feet of outside area. This outside area should be at least as large as the inside area. By the way, the outside area is called a run. Two of the other chicken coops in my neighborhood have sufficient outside runs but tiny indoor areas.

Only one of the backyard farmers got it right. They provided plenty of both indoor and outdoor room for their chickens. There is evidence in their yard of a previous smaller chicken coop. Perhaps they learned from their mistake. Here is a link to how to build a chicken coop website.

By the way, a quality chicken coop can cost anywhere from $200-1000

Turns out feeding chickens isn’t all that complicated.

You’ll pay chicken feed for the food to feed your chicken. You see, they are the same and thus equal. The math is easy.

The price for chicken feed is about the same as premium dog food. Organic feed is a bit more, as you would expect.

90% of the food fed to the chicken is from the pellets. You can add greens and such for treats. Chickens can also range around and eat bugs and such if you have the accommodations for such behavior in your yard.

Then there’s the bedding for the hen’s nesting boxes, which comes in several varieties and price points. And depending on your situation, the chicken waste could be mulched into an excellent source of fertilizer for your garden.

How much does raising chickens cost?

It would be reasonable to say you could get started with your flock of 3-6 chickens for under five hundred dollars and that your monthly expenses would be somewhere in the range of 30-50 dollars a month.

Your ladies might produce ten or so dozen eggs per month. I picked that number as a break-even point for the Farmer’s Market $ 5-a-dozen egg comparison.

Who knows, the eggs you raise may even be less expensive than those you get at your local farmer’s market. I do know that it is something I have always wanted to try myself.

A few words of caution. Raising chickens takes a commitment. The birds must be looked after and cared for. Fed daily, provided with a source of water, and their coop needs to be attended to each day as well. Waste is produced and will need to be managed. But to me, it sounds like a wonderfully interesting and rewarding hobby.