Thinking of getting Chicks? Here’s What You Need To Know

PSA friends: sick of paying retail for eggs and thinking of getting chicks? Here’s what you need to know. (From a lifelong chicken owner) Every spring it seems like there’s a wave of interest in getting chicks. Trust me, I get the itch too! With current egg shortages it seems like there’s more interest this year than ever! 

A problem arises when people don’t realize the cost and commitment of owning poultry. In this blog post, I’m going to lay out the pros and cons of getting chickens, the breakdown of costs associated, and the commitment involved. Interested in owning backyard birds in general? This blog post Owning Ducks Vs Chickens may be a good read for you! 

​This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure policy 

Reasons to love chickens: 

• Personality: Chickens have much more personality than their reputation gives them. They are funny, mischievous, smart, and can be very personable. 
• Ease of care: Generally, chickens are very low maintenance pets. Usually, even young kids can complete daily chicken chores and maintenance. 
• Affordable: After the initial cost of housing, generally chickens are one of the more affordable pets. Their feed is cheap, they free range and eat kitchen scraps (find my favorite kitchen scrap bucket here!) and their bedding is also pretty affordable. 
• Eggs: An obvious benefit to raising chickens is the eggs! Depending on the breed, having chickens can feel very rewarding on a daily basis as you collect their eggs.

A Few things to consider before buying chicks: 

• The gender: Based on what is allowed where you live, you may need to only buy female chicks which cost almost double what straight run (unsexed) chicken cost. There also needs to be a balance between how many hens to roosters you have. Roosters can be too hard on the hens if there are too many. 
• The cost: The initial cost of chickens can range greatly. If you have an outdoor building or garden shed to convert into a chicken coop, your cost may be fairly low. If you are buying all new materials or a premade coup, the starting cost can be around $600 (at least in the midwest). On top of that, you need to buy the chicks themselves, a heat lamp, chicken feeder, chicken waterer, bedding, feed, you get the idea. 
• The temperament: Chickens can sometimes be aggressive, especially roosters. Which is something to consider if you have small children. Sometimes holding them at a young age and maintaining the relationship helps with this. But I have heard many times of roosters who were always friendly until one day… 
• Maintenance: Chickens are generally low maintenance, but they do require some sort of daily care. This daily commitment can be quite cumbersome during the winter, seasons of illness, or if you want to get away for a vacation. 

​Still thinking of getting chicks but needing more info? Let’s talk in-depth about chicken ownership to help you decide if owning backyard chickens is right for you! 

Time Commitment: 

Chickens tend to be lower maintenance pets. You don’t need to give them daily attention, walk them, feed them multiple times etc. . But there are daily chores involved. (especially at the beginning if you buy day old chicks). Let’s talk about the time commitment of raising chickens: 

1. Daily maintenance : Especially for newly hatched chicks, you need to check on them a few times a day for their well-being. You must maintain fresh water, fresh food, and check on them periodically to make sure their bedding isn’t too soiled or wet. That all the chicks have adequate heat, and look generally healthy. Full-gown chickens need less maintenance and don’t take much time. They do need daily fresh water and food as well. Aside from feeding and watering, letting them out the free range, (if you can do that), and collecting eggs, chickens are pretty low fuss birds. 

2. Housing: Chickens do need to have clean bedding to stay healthy. Especially if they cannot free range or you don’t have a chicken run or chicken tractor. Chickens that live their lives confined are more prone to parasites and nutritional deficiency. At the least, their bedding needs to be fairly clean and dry. Their nesting boxes, food, and water maintained in order to have a good life and stay healthy. Checking to make sure nothing is able to or actively trying to get to your birds from the outside, is a good practice to keep your birds safe. 

3.  Longterm commitment: Most chickens can live between 5-10 years. It’s also important to note, their prime laying years are until the age of 3-4 based on the breed. So you could have some hens around for years after they stop laying eggs daily. Considering how long they can live is important when thinking about getting chicks. They aren’t short-term pets by any means. 

Cost:

Chickens aren’t cheap. At least not at the beginning. Let’s talk about the cost considerations before you buy your brand new birds: 

Chicks: There is the cost of the bird themselves, based on the breed, where you purchase, number of chick purchased. A few chicks can range from $12 to a few hundred dollars. There is also the cost of a brooder (box, container, or cage that you first keep young chicks in. The heat source that all young chicks need whether that is a lamp, or a heat pad (we love this one ). The cost of the bedding, a feeder, waterer, and food. Chicks have different nutritional needs than fully grown birds, so you need to buy them specific food for their age (usually called chick starter). All of these costs can vary. You could possibly borrow a brooder, heat lamp, etc which can help with the initial cost. Overall, buying new chicks can range from $100 to $500 easily based on what chicks and supplies you buy. 

Coop and yard: If you have an outdoor building or garden shed to convert into a chicken coop, you’re in luck!  Your cost may be fairly low. If you are buying all new materials or a pre-made coop, the starting cost can be around $600 (at least in the midwest). You also need to consider their nesting boxes, roosts, bedding, and chicken tractor or run (if they cannot free range) into your costs. As well as maintaining equipment like their feeder, waterer, winter heating for cold weather and lighting if you want to keep lights on them during the winter so that they keep laying eggs. All of these materials and supplies can range greatly.

There is also the option of finding supplies from websites like Facebook marketplace or craigslist. I have seen people selling supplies, sheds, and coops for cheap or free. Overall, your initial coop and supplies cost can range from around $250 to $1-5k. Based on what you choose to do and where you live. 

Maintenance costs: A bag of chicken feed can range from $10 to $25. Based on how many birds you have, whether they get kitchen scraps or free range, and how old your birds are really can affect your overall food cost. Bedding can be multiple different materials from pine shavings, to hay, or other natural material. This can cost from $6 a bag, to $40 a bale easily. There may also be supplement costs like oyster shells, AVC, dewormer, Diatomaceous earth, pumpkin seeds, treats etc. Monthly maintenance of chickens can range from $30 to $100+

Vet costs: Vets who treat birds can be harder to find, and cost quite a bit. If you don’t know how to care for common ailments yourself, or have a friend who has the know-how, a chicken with a health issue can cost a lot! So that is something to consider if you are thinking of getting chicks. What will you do if one of your chickens get sick or has an injury issue? Will they go to the pot for soup, or will you have resources around you available to maintain a healthy flock?

Choosing the right breed: 

There are many factors to consider when choosing the breeds of your first chickens. There are a wide variety of chicken breeds to choose from. Let’s dive into the facts that may help you choose which chicken breeds are right for you before you buy your baby chicks. 

Utility: What is your primary reasoning for buying chickens? 

Are you wanting meat birds? To get good meat chickens you need to consider the best chicken breeds for meat production. There are multiple meat bird varieties to choose from like Cornish cross, or Red rangers. 

Wanting fresh eggs? Different chicken breeds lay a wide variety of egg colors. Chickens breeds have varying egg production, and are more or less likely to be good mothers. An example: Americaunas lay light green to olive eggs, Black Copper Marans lay dark brown eggs. Rhode Island red chickens are production layers. Buff Orpingtons are both great layers and mothers. 

Pets: If you’re mostly wanting a few cute bird pets, there are breeds that fit that category like bantam Silkies.

​Sustainability: If your goal is sustainability, there are even hybrid breeds of chickens that are dual layer and meat birds. You can find dual breeds on large hatchery websites, often the hatchery has their own special dual purpose breed. 

Where to buy:

Farm store: If you are hoping to buy day-old chicks, you can buy them at your local farm store (like TSC) during the spring, sometimes through the fall. They usually have scheduled arrival days for the chicks so ask a worker (if you are wanting first pick) so you know when to check for them! Farm stores typically get overstock chick from large hatcheries. Because of this, the chicks you get are much less predictable. Chicks labeled as pullets (sexed females) may turn out to be males, they sometimes mark the breeds wrong, I have even seen ducks and guinea hens marked as chicks, so you need to know what you are looking for!

The benefits of buying chicks from a farm store is that you can get them same day. They’re also usually the cheapest option to buy. You can find stores frequently mark down chicks to 1/2 price after a week of being at the store. 

Local breeder: Finding a local breeder to buy your chicks from is a good option if you’re wanting to support local small businesses and also get specific breeds. There are Facebook groups for local areas where breeders advertise when they’re hatching, and what breeds. To find these groups, you simply look up “*your state* chickens”  and at least one group should come up. The cons to buying local are: more expensive, limited breeds, usually not sexed. The pros to buying local: supporting a family, not shipping the chicks, potentially specialized breeds, someone to ask questions to if they come up. A local breeder is also the best choice for you if you are wanting ready-to-lay pullets which are often 6 month old female chickens, but they are much more expensive than chicks. 

Online: If you are wanting specific or specialized breeds, guaranteed gender, and sometimes a limited warranty, buying online may be the way to go. You will find online hatcheries have the widest varieties of breeds, and guarantees in place. They are often the most expensive choice to buy from, and the chicks are only available within a limited window, and must be shipped in the mail. I personally do not like shipping chicks through the mail. It can be very hard on the young chicks. There isn’t guaranteed climate control, and you need to be able to get to the post office ASAP once you get the call that your chicks have arrived.

There is a convenience factor to ordering online, you can usually pre order, the exact breed and gender you want, within a certain time frame so if you’re a planner who likes to think ahead, this is a great perk. 

Climate considerations:

Some chickens do better in warm climates, and some chickens handle cold climates better. Finding climate information for breeds can be difficult, but generally a large hatchery will have some notes on the climate certain chickens do well in. So check the breed profiles on a hatchery website like : Murray Mcmurray hatchery.

You also have to take your climate into consideration when buying equipment for your chickens. How will you keep them warm during the winter (in you have extreme cold temps) and how will you keep them hydrated and give them shade if you have extreme heat. 

Temperament:

Chicken temperaments can greatly depend on the breed. It is a good ideas to research chicken profiles for different breeds before purchasing can help you find information on the temperament of the specific breed you are interested in. 

Legal and Zoning Considerations:

In the US, there are different local laws and regulations based on if you’re in an urban area or rural, in an HOA or not. Many urban areas allow only up to 4 chickens and they must all be female. They also may not be allowed to free-range.

Some information to figure out before you purchase your chickens would be: 

1. Local regulations : are chickens allowed in your area?

2. Permits and restrictions: You’ll have to check with either your county clerk or HOA board for this information

3. Noise and space limits: considerations if you live in an urban area 

The Coop: 

This is by no means a complete guide to how to build a chicken coop, but here are some tips to get you started. Pinterest has some great blueprints and ideas for a DIY chicken coop. 

What is a chicken coop: A chicken coop is a building or structure where chickens are housed to keep them safe from predators, harsh  weather, and give them a place to sleep at night. It often includes both an indoor area where chickens sleep and lay eggs, and an outdoor space for them to roam, scratch, and forage called a chicken run. If your chickens can free range, you may not need a run, but they can be useful for a mother hen with young chicks, or a chicken that needs to be monitored. 

How big should a coop be: The size of the coop depends on how many chickens you have and the breed of chicken. A general rule of thumb is 2-3 square feet of floor space per small chicken (like bantam silkies) and 3-5 square feet for regular sized breeds (like isa brown) inside the coop. For good health,  chickens should have  8-10 square feet per chicken in the outdoor run. Chickens need space to move around, and overcrowding can lead to stress and health problems. Free-range chickens will use their coop to lay eggs and roost at night, but not much else. 

Proper Ventilation: Ample airflow is essential for preventing the buildup of moisture and ammonia the coop, which can harm chickens. Look for or build a coop design with windows or vents that can be opened or closed as needed. Changing bedding frequently also minimizes these issues. 

Protection from Predators: A good chicken coop needs to keep your chickens safe from predators like raccoons, foxes, and hawks. To ensure the coop is secure use strong materials and multiple different materials. Using hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, which can be more resistant to predators. Since air predators are also a threat, be sure the top of the coop and run are completely covered. It’s surprising that even owls can fit into very small holes! 

Nesting Boxes: Laying hens  prefer a quiet, private place to lay their eggs, especially if they go broody. These nesting boxes should be placed in a corner of the coop, be complete encore sure with a top, and should be filled with straw or wood shavings.

Roosting Bars: Chickens prefer to sleep off the ground, some even fly into trees to roost! Roosting bars or perches are their favorite place in the coop, and are important for their comfort and well-being. These bars should be placed higher than the nesting boxes.

Food and Water: For your own convenience, and the chickens health, your coop needs to have a reliable system for providing fresh water and food. Automatic watering systems and feeders can help ensure your chickens have constant access to clean food and water. These can be bought online or at your local farm store. 

Chicken FAQs: 

Do I need a rooster: Roosters function as flock security, and ensure your eggs are fertilized. If you are wanting fertilized eggs, yes. But, hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs. 

What does “go broody” mean: A broody hen is a hen that is preparing to incubate a nest of eggs. She will stop laying and focus on sitting on the eggs for 20+ days. You can tell a broody hen by her temperament and how often/protective she is on the nest. Not all hens go broody. 

How long does it take a hen to lay eggs: Typically 20 to 24 weeks. 

Can you make chickens more personable: Certainly! By holding them often while they are chicks, and continuing that relationship through adulthood you will create very personable chickens. 

Conclusion: 

If you have dreamed for years of owning your own flock of chickens, this might be your year! I hope this post informed you of how owning chickens can be a rewarding experience, but it’s important to weigh the cost, time commitment, and responsibilities before diving in. If you’re ready to jump in, chickens can bring joy, sustainability, and companionship to your life. So, whether you’re looking for fresh eggs, or to simply enjoy the quirky charm of these feathered friends, owning chickens might be the right fit for you—just make sure you’re ready for the responsibility!

Are you ready for your own flock?

Let me know in the comments! 

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This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure policy here