

If you can’t do this work yourself, you’ll also be buying skilled labor. The materials to build and furnish a coop and a 20x5-foot run-including wood, fencing, and hardware-are going to set you back at least $300. How Much Does Keeping Chickens Cost?Īll of this costs money, of course. (Predators include your own Fido and Fluffy, too!) Add chicken-wire fencing to your list of equipment. They have places to take a dust bath and catch a few rays.) Either way, the space must be fenced in order to keep the chickens in and predators out. The birds will need a place to spread their wings, so to speak: a sizeable chicken run, for example, or a whole backyard. The more space, the happier and healthier the chickens will be overcrowding contributes to disease and feather picking. According to the University of Missouri Extension, one medium-sized chicken needs at least 3 square feet of floor space inside the coop and 8-10 square feet outdoors.


Ultimately, it depends on which breed of chicken you’re raising. Read more about raising baby chicks here! How Much Space Do Chickens Need? Young chicks can be bought from suppliers quite easily, or you can hatch your own if you have a rooster (which we do NOT recommend). With this amount, you’ll always have a steady supply of eggs, since an adult hen lays about two eggs every three days, on average.Ĭhickens are most productive in the first two years of their lives after that, egg production will slow, so you’ll need to think about replacing your flock with younger birds eventually.
#Chicken coop for 6 chickens how to#
How to Raise Chickens: Flock Size, Spacing, and Start-Up Cost How Many Chickens Should I Keep?Ĭhickens are sociable creatures, so plan to keep three to six birds.
