CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — With egg prices at a record high, the price of a chicken is about the same as the price of dozen eggs, but how long would it take the savings from not buying eggs to offset the cost of keeping chickens?
Amid an ongoing bird flu outbreak, egg prices reached a national record high last month of $4.95 per dozen. Egg prices are expected to get even higher this year, according to predictions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a spike expected around the Easter holiday.
Some restaurants have even added surcharges to their menus to offset the cost, leaving some people wondering if they should just raise their own chickens.
The price of a female chick isn’t that expensive—about $5-8 from big-name retailers like Rural King and Tractor Supply—but that’s not the only expense. A person raising chickens for the first time will need to buy at least three to six chicks because chickens need to live in groups, and according to Tractor Supply’s new chick care checklist, the keeper will also need a bunch of supplies, including a coop, feeder, heat lamp, bedding, and cleaning products.
Even without taking into account that feed and bedding need to be replenished, the cost of purchasing chickens and everything needed to keep them—if you’re starting completely from nothing—is several hundred dollars, minimum.
You can get a poultry starter kit, with a lamp, bulb and feeders for as little as $40, but coops even just for a few chickens start around $200. Add a regular cost of $15 for feed and $15 for bedding, and it could take around 100 dozen eggs before you break even.
Granted, if you already have a shelter that could be used as a coop or are planning to sell eggs to make up some of the cost, it could be worth the investment. A group of three healthy chickens would lay about a dozen eggs per week in warm weather.
Also, keep in mind that some municipalities have ordinances against keeping livestock.
