Egg prices are out of control and we're all looking for ways to save. How about raising your own chickens?

Yea, seems like a good idea...right?

Depending on where you live, there's a good chance you can raise chickens in your backyard.

Casper for instance allows for 6 chickens to be raised at your families residence.

Cheyenne also lets you keep hens, in certain districts.

Gillette also lets you raise chickens, as long as you are in the proper zones.

Jackson, on the other hand, doesn't allow chickens to be raised in town.

So, make sure you check what the city code is when it comes to raising chickens.

Let's jump ahead a little. You've checked the code, it's ok to raise chickens, you know the proper amount of chickens you can raise, and it's time to find out if it will be cheaper to raise chickens than paying for eggs.

I feel that I can answer that for you...NO, not for quite a few years.

There you go.

Probably not the answer you thought you'd get, but that's the answer.

Even if eggs get to $10 per dozen, which if things don't slow down that could happen, it would take you years before you started saving money. Statistics show that the average person will eat 279 eggs per year. On a good year the average chicken will lay 250 eggs for 3-5 years.

279 eggs / 12 eggs in a dozen = 23.25 dozen per year x $10= $232.50 per year for the average person.

To start the process of raising chickens, you have to spend the money to buy everything to build a coop, chicken run, all the feeders, feed, bedding, miscellaneous chicken costs, and don't forget the time you have to put into raising chickens.

$232.50/person per year x 5 years = $1,162.50

Chicken startup price
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Once the avian influenza breakout has passed, which could take a couple years, the price of eggs will (should) go back down. By then, you may be close to saving on egg prices by raising your own chickens.

My Pet Chicken.com says the best time to get your chickens is in the spring, then it takes a couple months for them to start laying. IF they don't become mature until the late fall or winter, they won't start producing until the next spring because they usually stop laying in the winter.

Here are some negative parts of raising chickens from One Acre Farm.com

  • They stink
  • They're noisy
  • Rodents are attracted to them
  • Have to spend time daily maintaining them
  • Create horrible dust
  • Ruin your vacation
  • Predator attacks are a thing
  • They get old and stop laying
  • Can you deal with dead birds?

It's a lot of work to get, keep and be successful raising chickens. IF you're still thinking about it, check out these videos to see what really goes into raising them and see if its for you.

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