Cost to Raise Chickens
What a backyard flock actually costs, broken down by size — one-time startup, a full first year of feed, and what it costs to keep going after that.
Figures reviewed against university extension guidance · Last reviewed August 2026
4 Chickens
$146/yr feed$879 first-year total (coop + birds + setup + year 1 feed).
6 Chickens
$219/yr feed$960 first-year total (coop + birds + setup + year 1 feed).
10 Chickens
$365/yr feed$1522 first-year total (coop + birds + setup + year 1 feed).
12 Chickens
$438/yr feed$1603 first-year total (coop + birds + setup + year 1 feed).
Why the number changes by flock size
Feed cost scales smoothly with flock size — twice the hens, twice the feed. Coop cost doesn't: it steps up once you cross from a small prefab coop (built for up to 6 birds) to a larger one (7–12 birds), which is why the per-bird cost is best right at 6 and worst right after it. These pages are capped at 12 birds because that's the largest size our sourced coop-price defaults actually cover — past that, use the Startup Cost Calculator with your own coop price instead of a page guessing one for you.
Every page here combines the same two sourced calculators: the Startup Cost Calculator for the one-time setup and the Feed Cost Calculator for ongoing feed. Not sure what size flock you're planning? Start with How Many Chickens Can My Coop Hold?
Sources
Feed intake follows the sourced 0.25 lb per hen per day rate; equipment and bird prices are editable 2026 US-retail defaults, not extension figures. Last reviewed July 2026.
- Oklahoma State University Extension — Simple Budgeting and Pricing Calculations for Backyard Hens
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System — Feeding the Laying Hen