Rising egg prices may have some people considering raising chickens — here's how much it costs
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. — Breakfast and baking keeps getting more expensive thanks to a key ingredient.
The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise another 20% this year. That might have some families rolling up their sleeves to go straight to the source.
Michelle Bruhn keeps a small flock in the backyard of her White Bear Lake home.
"It's an integral part I would say of our like backyard homestead," she said, joking that her family calls the chickens "pets with benefits."
Not only do they provide her with dozens of eggs each week, but their waste is also used as compost in the garden, and caring for them teaches her kids where the food comes from while giving them some responsibility.
"The average chicken lays one egg every 26 hours," Bruhn said.
Chickens lay more eggs in the summer than in winter, making the yearly average around 250–300 eggs per chicken. Bruhn will crack the excess eggs in the summer, beat them, then freeze the liquid for use in winter when the chickens are laying eggs as often.
"The biggest cost is going to be the coop," she said.
A backyard chicken coop can range from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars, but there are ways to save. Bruhn suggested DIY projects like building a coop from scratch and repurposing an old woodshed you might find on sale in an online marketplace like Facebook.
Bruhn said baby chicks cost $6-15 each. A brooder to keep them warm starts at $20.
"We want to probably have electricity run to the coop. I think it's a big benefit because we are going to need heat for the water," Bruhn said.
Heating sources, for water and the chickens, is another $50 or more. Add in a feeder and waterer, and your start-up costs could begin at around $500.
"Feed is for sure the most expensive thing to keep going," Bruhn said.
A 50-pound bag of feed ranges from $15-50. One chicken will go through nearly two bags each year. So, a flock of four chickens would need seven to eight bags. Add in hay for bedding and the yearly costs can easily push $200 depending on how many chickens you have and your preference for feed.
As for the time commitment, Bruhn said she makes three to four visits to the coop daily for a few minutes at a time to gather eggs, replenish food, and other needs.
"Then maybe once a week when you clean out the coop and little bit more, then that's another 20 minutes," she said.
There's no denying the work that goes into raising chickens. Cleaning up their waste can be a messy job, but Bruhn embraces it by using the droppings for compost and fertilizer. Her family also enjoys spending time with the chickens in the backyard, especially in the warmer months.
"You got to want to do it, otherwise it's not going to be a sustainable practice for you to do it for just the money," she said.
Before investing in raising backyard chickens, make sure your city allows it. You might need to get a permit.
