Keeping home chickens as a pastime has continued to grow since the pandemic. But if eggs are the goal, remember that it takes planning and investment to raise the chickens and protect against bird flu. Costs might go well beyond the nationwide average of $4.15 a dozen that commercial eggs sold for in December.
*****
Trust me, it's cheaper to buy them from the store. By the time you factor in the cost of the birds, feed, bedding, feeders, waterers, and the price of a coop to protect your birds whether you build it yourself or buy a kit, it's going to be quite a while, and I'm talking years, before you even come close to saving money on eggs.
If you buy chicks, you're also going to have to buy heat lamps and it will be at least 4 to 5 months before you even see an egg, and they're going to be much smaller than you see in a store. If you buy hens that are already laying, you're going to pay more for the birds with no guarantee they're going to lay for more than another year before that part of their life cycle ends. Pullets are easier, but again, you're going to wait until you see eggs. Not only that, but most breeds of chickens either slow waaay down on egg production or quit laying entirely during the winter, so you continue to dump money into feed without getting any eggs. Chickens in the winter are kinda like liberal humans - they take and take but give nothing in return.
If you want to save money and get fresh eggs, find somebody that already has birds and is selling eggs on the side in an effort to recover their costs.
