One aspect of green living is eating locally and raising one’s one food. This can be done with vegetable gardens and fruit trees, or by raising livestock such as chickens, goats, pigs and other animals. Chickens are easiest and are probably the first step for many. For those squeamish about butchering animals for food, chickens lay eggs that simply need to be collected once a day.
Roosters or not?
Some areas may have restrictions about roosters. Every rooster crows every day, generally very early in the morning just before first light. They also crow whenever they sense an intrusion in the yard. This might be you walking past, or it could be the neighbors out in their own yard, but within sight or earshot of the roosters. This can be annoying if you have nearby neighbors. It is not necessary to have roosters in order to get eggs from your hens. If you want to hatch your eggs to produce more chickens, however, then you’ll need a rooster for every 8 hens or so.
Getting started with chickens
To start raising your own chickens you’ll need some basic equipment to get going. The most expensive is the housing or chicken coop. If you have a barn or suitable storage shed already available, then you can save on the biggest expense.
- Read more about start-up equipment for raising chickens here
- Save some money by making your own chicken waterers with the information at this link
The cost of raising chickens
Raising your own chickens is not going to save you money on eggs or chicken meat compared to the grocery store unless you have a farm situation already. If you have existing housing for the chickens and they have access to food spillage and pasture used by other livestock then you can minimize food costs. Growing your own grains and greens for the chickens can save even more. Most chickens will need store-bought feed that is nutritionally balanced as either their main diet or a supplement. It’s not expensive, running about $10/ 50 lbs, but it is a continuing expense.
- For a good reason to raise your own chickens humanely, click here
- For more information on profitable small backyard chicken flocks click here
If you sell excess eggs, you might recoup some of your feed costs and other expenses, but hatching and selling baby chicks is probably the best way to get your flock to pay for itself. There may be state or local rules about animal breeding and sales in your area so check the rules before you begin.
More information about raising chickens
- For more information on hatching chickens click here
- Learn about candling chicken eggs here
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For a brief explanation of sex-linked chicken genetics click here
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