Can Owning Chickens Save You Money If you Live In Casper?
Everyone is always looking for a way to save money and you would think you'd be saving money by raising chickens and collecting the eggs...probably not.
If you're thinking of raising chickens in Casper, there's not MUCH stopping you in the form of restrictions. Chickens haven't always been allowed in town, but a few years ago it became a reality and chickens were permitted in the city limits of Casper. According to Casper Metro Animal Services you're allowed up to 6 hens (no roosters). The chickens must have access to a covered, enclosed and vented coop at all times and for their safety must be inside the coop from dusk til dawn. You are allowed to let your chickens roam your yard during the day, if you have a fence at least 6' high. You have to keep your chicken area clean and make sure you provide fresh water and their food must be in an airtight container.
There are Pro's and Con's of owning chickens and one of the obvious Pro's would be that it seems like a pretty easy way to save money on your grocery bill, right? You may also be asking yourself if raising chickens will cost more than the amount of money you save? For the answer to that question I turned to the very notable website Backyard Chicken Chatter.com.
According to site, your start up costs (before bedding, food and supplements) is just under $1,000. You have to build or buy a coop, buy the chickens and all the necessary equipment. In the first year of owning the chickens, you'll spend a couple thousand dollars getting the process rolling. When you get the hang of it you could be spending much less per year. Like with most things, if you can figure out how to cut corners you could lower the overhead costs and make it seem a little more appealing.
After the first year your costs will be lower, but you'll still have an added "chicken grocery" bill, medication/vet costs, bedding and maintenance. If you figure in the feed, time and work you have to put into raising chickens, the amount of eggs laid (According to omlet.us, the average number of eggs laid per year by a single chicken varies from 150-300 and that number falls each year), it could be a big investment and never pay off.
If you're contemplating the idea of raising chickens remember that they poop wherever they want and it stinks, daily maintenance is required, they can be noisy, cause friction with your neighbors and attract rodents & other unwanted guests.