Cost of chooks

[Nicos]

Having never really thought about having hens I'm suddenly wondering what sort of cost is involved.

I presume different varieties are different prices...anyone have any ideas????

Any sites worth looking at???

[di]

Can tell you ours cost £4.50 each(POL)We then got some at 8wks old(different breed) for £2.50.Have heard of people in same area paying over £6 for the same breed as our 1st ones@POL~I'd advise ringing round local suppliers & chatting to other keepers for best price/chickens.

[Topaz]

I recently bought 2 welsummers for 25.00 and 3 black rhodes for 36.00 i think you'll find its dependant on your location and what is available there on the isle of wight they are like gold dust so cost is average of about 12.00 a bird

[Birdie Wife]

Half of my hens were ftgh but the most I have paid is £50 for a trio (Scots Dumpies). I saw a trio of Scots Dumpy bantams go for £300 at a recent auction . But the latest way to make fellow chicken owners really jealous is to go for a new colour of Orpington that was developed last year and there's only about 2 or 3 people in the country with this - CHOCOLATE!! Fertile eggs are selling on ebay atm for upwards of £80 for 6 - and for that, you aaren't guaranteed a) they'll hatch and b) that even half of them will be chocolate, because of the nature of the genes.

But aye, go get standard brown POL hens for £3 each, or rehome battery hens @1

[armadillo]

Mine are hybrids- which are hardier less likely to become broody- they cost £12.50 each at point of lay. Several varieties are available, including one that lays purple ('plum blush' coloured) eggs. I've quite a few double yolkers from the one that's started laying.

[terrier]

I got some ex bats about a month ago via BHWT and they were asking for a donation of 50p a bird. They all lay regularly and the eggs are improving day by day, already nearly as good as our old chooks. They look very scraggy when you first get them but soon get a new batch of feathers and all seem more than happy in their new surroundings. Go for it

[Kristen]

I reckon the Coup and Feed is going to be more than the cost of the hens ... but I don't know how much we spend on that, except that we have an Eglu from Omlet (snazzy plastic coup), and they are far from cheap (even second hand)

P.S. Excellent piece of kit though, and highly recommended if the price doesn't deter you.

[janeyo]

Hi we have 3, they were about a tenner each in January, they are hybrids. The coop and run cost about £60 to build. The feed is about £6 for a big bag which lasts us a couple of months. PLus extras - grit, oyster shell, and corn which all last ages. Feeder was plastic - about £4 and bowl the same. But they kept knocking it over so they now have a big stone one with 'dog' written on it, lol, not been knocked over yet!
I also have poutry spice, disinfectant, wormer, redmite powder and things like that whick vary in cost but once bought (if you only have a few chooks will last a loooong time)

Hope this helps! Ours are more like pets which happen to give us eggs each day! (Just wish the cats could be trained to do something useful to earn their keep

janeyo

[knittywittywoo]

We paid £50 from a local farmer for the house with run attatched, 2 just normal brown hens nearly a year old and half a sack of feed. They also delivered it all and are just a phone call away if I need advice. I've joined forums though so I don't become a pest to them. They arrived on Sunday and have laid an egg a day each since. A feeder and water thingy cost me about £8 incl delivery.