Raising backyard chickens has become a popular trend for homesteaders, suburban families, and even urban dwellers—but is it actually saving you money? With grocery store egg prices fluctuating and feed costs on the rise, many are asking whether backyard egg production is truly worth the investment.
In this post, I am going to break down the real numbers behind raising chickens in 2025, including start-up costs, ongoing expenses, and how many eggs you can expect in return. Whether you’re just getting started or trying to decide if your current flock is paying off, here’s everything you need to know about the true economics of backyard egg production.
How Much Does It Really Cost to Raise Backyard Chickens?
Average Monthly Cost of Keeping Backyard Chickens in 2025
Keeping backyard chickens in 2025 isn’t just about collecting fresh eggs—it’s also about budgeting for the little things that keep your flock healthy and happy. On average, you can expect to spend around $25–$50 per month for a small flock of 4–6 hens. This includes feed, which is usually the biggest recurring expense (about $15–$30), along with bedding like pine shavings or straw ($5–$10), and grit or calcium supplements for strong eggshells. Add in the occasional coop cleaner or health booster, and those eggs start to feel a little more golden.
Something to consider that can decrease the cost of grit or calcium supplements required for your flock is feeding your eggshells back to your chickens. Going this route can help stretch your dollar a little further and has other benefits as well but I do recommend that you check out this post beforehand as it is packed with important information and the do’s and don’ts of feeding eggshells back to your chickens.
Initial Investment Vs. Ongoing Expenses for a Backyard Flock
🐓 Initial Investment (One-Time Costs)
Coop setup: $200–$1000 (DIY or prebuilt)
Fencing & predator protection: $50–$200
Feeder & waterer: $20–$50
Heat lamp or brooder for chicks: $25–$75
First batch of chicks or pullets: $3–$10 per chick
Total startup cost: Typically $300–$1200
🔄 Ongoing Monthly Expenses
Feed: $15–$30
Bedding: $5–$10
Grit & supplements: $3–$5
Coop cleaning products: $5–$10
Occasional health care or treats: Varies
Total per month: Roughly $25–$50 for 4–6 hens
Please note that this is simply an estimate and expenses will vary from person to person based on a number of factors.
Cost Comparison: Backyard Chickens Vs. Store Bought Eggs
With grocery store egg prices climbing to $4–$7 per dozen, raising your own chickens is starting to look a lot more appealing for some families. While backyard hens still come with monthly costs—like feed, bedding, and grit—your homegrown eggs will typically cost you around $2–$4 per dozen, depending on your setup and flock size.
Not only can you save money over time, but you also gain fresher, tastier, and more ethically raised eggs. For many homesteaders and families, the value isn’t just in the savings—it’s in knowing exactly where their food comes from.
Startup Costs: Building a Coop and Buying Supplies
How Much Does it Cost to Build A Chicken Coop from Scratch?
Building a chicken coop from scratch can cost anywhere from $200 to $600 on average, depending on the size, materials, and features you choose. If you’re handy and use reclaimed wood or pallets, you can keep costs on the lower end. But if you want a larger, weatherproof coop with nesting boxes and predator-proof fencing, expect to spend a bit more.
The good news? A DIY coop lets you customize your setup—and save money compared to buying a prebuilt one.
Best Budget-Friendly Chicken Coop Kits Under $300 You Can Buy From Amazon
What Supplies do you Need to Start Raising Chickens at Home?
When thinking about what you need to start raising chickens at home you should first think about the basics; food, water, and shelter. I highly recommend having a hanging feeder and waterer. For shelter, you will need some sort of coop and a run. Your coop should have enough nesting boxes for the number of hens you have. You do not want to overcrowd your flock so make sure to provide a run that has ample amounts of space for your flock to move around and forage freely. Another thing to think about is what type of predators you have in your region so that you can predator proof your coop accordingly. Solar powered coop doors are a great place to start for any predator proofing. Adding solar lights around your coop can also help deter some predators.
Once you’ve gotten the basics out of the way, it is important to think about enrichment for your chickens. Bored chickens will resort to bullying other members of the flock so you will want to provide enrichment for them as early as you are able.
Ongoing Expenses: Feed, Bedding, and Healthcare for Your Flock
How Much Does Chicken Feed Cost per Month in 2025?
One of the first questions people ask when considering backyard chickens is, “How much will I actually spend on feed each month compared to just buying eggs at the store?” The answer depends on your flock size, but let’s break it down realistically.
On average, a standard laying hen will eat about 0.25 pounds of feed per day. That’s roughly 7–8 pounds of feed per month per bird. A 50-pound bag of quality layer feed usually costs between $18–$25, depending on your area and whether you buy organic or conventional. That means one bag can feed about 6–7 hens for a month.
So, if you keep a small flock of 4 hens, you’re looking at going through about 30 pounds of feed monthly, which comes out to around $12–15 per month in feed costs. A larger flock of 8–10 hens would eat closer to a full 50-pound bag, costing $20–25 per month.
Of course, this doesn’t account for extras like scratch grains, oyster shell, or kitchen scraps (which chickens happily devour and which can lower feed needs a bit). Compared to store-bought eggs, where a dozen might cost $2–6 depending on whether they’re conventional, cage-free, or organic, backyard eggs often cost more in pure dollars—but the trade-off is in freshness, nutrition, and the joy of gathering eggs from your own hens.
Best Affordable Chicken Feed Brands for Egg-Laying Hens
When it comes to feeding your hens, not all chicken feed is created equal. The best feeds for laying hens are those that provide the right balance of protein (around 16%), calcium, and vitamins to keep eggshells strong and production steady. Some trusted brands that many backyard chicken keepers swear by include Purina Layena, which is widely available and formulated with the right nutrients for consistent egg production, and Nutrena NatureWise Layer Feed, which includes probiotics for digestive health. If you prefer organic, Scratch and Peck Feeds and Kalmbach Organic Layer Crumbles are great choices, though they tend to cost a bit more. No matter the brand, look for a feed labeled specifically as “layer” once your hens are about 18 weeks old, so they’re getting the extra calcium they need for strong eggshells.
Cost Of Bedding, Grit, and Cleaning Supplies for Coops
Beyond feed, backyard chickens come with a few other recurring costs that are easy to overlook: bedding, grit, and cleaning supplies. Bedding is probably the biggest of these. Most chicken keepers use pine shavings or straw, which typically run about $6–$7 per bale or bag and last a small flock about a month if you’re cleaning regularly. For larger flocks or deep-litter methods, expect to spend closer to $10–15 per month.
Grit, which helps chickens grind up food in their gizzards, is inexpensive. A 25-pound bag costs around $10–15 and can last a small flock several months, especially if your hens also free-range and pick up natural grit outdoors.
Cleaning supplies don’t have to be fancy—a simple coop brush, scraper, and a safe disinfectant like white vinegar or poultry-safe cleaners are usually all you need. Many keepers spend just a few dollars a month here, since vinegar and scrub brushes go a long way.
Altogether, bedding, grit, and cleaning supplies often average around $15–25 per month for a modest backyard flock. It’s not the biggest expense compared to feed, but it’s worth factoring into the true cost of keeping hens.
How Many Eggs do Backyard Hens Lay?: Calculating Daily and Monthly Yield
Average Egg Production Per Hen by Breed
If you’re raising chickens primarily for eggs, breed choice makes a big difference in how many you’ll collect each week. Here are 10 of the most popular laying breeds and their average annual production rates:
White Leghorn – 280–320 eggs per year (excellent production, white eggs)
Golden Comet – 280–320 eggs per year (brown eggs, early layers)
Rhode Island Red – 250–300 eggs per year (brown eggs, hardy breed)
Australorp – 250–300 eggs per year (brown eggs, known for consistent laying)
Sussex – 250–280 eggs per year (cream/light brown eggs, friendly temperament)
Plymouth Rock (Barred Rock) – 200–280 eggs per year (brown eggs, reliable layers)
ISA Brown – 280–300 eggs per year (hybrid, prolific brown egg layers)
Ancona – 220–280 eggs per year (white eggs, active foragers)
Hamburg – 200–250 eggs per year (small white eggs, lightweight breed)
Ameraucana / Easter Egger – 200–250 eggs per year (blue, green, or tinted eggs, colorful and fun for variety)
How Seasons and Age Affect Backyard Chicken Egg Production
It’s important to remember that even the best-laying hens don’t produce the same number of eggs year-round. Egg production naturally slows in the winter months, when shorter daylight hours signal hens to conserve energy. Many keepers use supplemental lighting in the coop to keep production more steady, but it’s normal for flocks to take a seasonal dip. Age also plays a role—hens usually lay most heavily in their first two years, often hitting their peak in the first 12–18 months. After that, egg numbers gradually taper off, though older hens can still contribute eggs for several more years, just at a slower pace.
Raising Chickens on a Budget: Tips to Save Money Without Sacrificing Quality
Cheap DIY Chicken Feed Alternatives
One of the easiest ways to cut down on chicken feed costs is by supplementing with DIY feed mixes and kitchen scraps. While it’s important to keep a balanced commercial layer feed as the foundation of their diet, you can stretch it further with homemade blends and leftovers your hens will love. Just avoid foods that are unsafe for chickens, like chocolate, salty foods, raw potato peels, and avocado.
Here are a few simple recipe ideas:
Kitchen Scrap Mix – Toss veggie peelings, leafy greens, fruit scraps, and stale bread into the run. Chop larger pieces so hens can peck easily.
Protein Boost – Mix cooked rice, beans, or scrambled eggs with a handful of oats for an inexpensive high-protein treat.
Grain Mix – Blend cracked corn, rolled oats, and sunflower seeds to make a scratch-style feed that keeps hens active.
Garden Extras – Feed excess zucchini, cucumbers, or pumpkins by slicing them open and letting chickens peck at the seeds and flesh.
Herb Blend – Dry extra herbs like oregano, basil, or parsley and crumble them into feed for natural health support.
Using scraps and simple mixes like these won’t replace feed entirely, but they can cut your monthly costs while giving your hens variety and enrichment.
Is Backyard Chicken Keeping Worth it in 2025? Final Thoughts and Real-Life Examples
When you add everything up—feed, bedding, grit, and the occasional cleaning supply—keeping a small flock of backyard hens usually costs somewhere between $25–40 per month. On average, a healthy laying hen produces about 5 eggs per week, which means a flock of 4 hens could give you roughly 7 dozen eggs a month. At today’s store prices, that same amount of eggs might cost you anywhere from $15 for conventional to $35 or more for organic, depending on your grocery store. So, in pure dollars and cents, backyard eggs often come out a little more expensive than buying them in the carton.
But cost isn’t the whole story. With your own flock, you know exactly what goes into your eggs. They’re fresh, often richer in color and flavor, and collected right from your backyard. Plus, you get the joy of watching your hens scratch, forage, and follow you around the yard, not to mention the steady supply of fertilizer for your garden. These are “hidden benefits” that store-bought eggs just can’t compete with.
At the end of the day, raising backyard hens isn’t just about the cheapest dozen of eggs—it’s about the quality of food, the sustainability of knowing where it comes from, and the small but daily joy of gathering something real and nourishing from your own yard. If saving every penny is your top priority, the store is probably your best bet. But if you’re looking for freshness, flavor, and the satisfaction of living a little closer to the land, those homegrown eggs are worth every extra cent.