The Honest Cost of Keeping Six Laying Hens
By Bertie Holcombe, Poultry Editor — Published 20 April 2025 · Last reviewed 18 January 2026
The math on backyard chickens almost always looks better in the planning stage than the accounting stage. Here is the honest version.
Fixed costs: year one versus ongoing
A proper coop for six hens — built or bought, with a secure run — costs $400-1,200. The $400 version is a DIY 4×6 structure with a welded-wire run. The $1,200 version is a prefab kit with decent ventilation and hardware-cloth skirt. The $300 kits from Amazon are feed-store decoration, not predator-proof housing. I have seen a determined raccoon open the slide latch on every prefab under $500 within 30 days.
For purposes of honest accounting: amortize the coop over seven years. That is $57-171 per year in coop depreciation.
Feeders: $20-40 for a metal tube feeder that holds 10 lbs of feed. Waterers: $30-60 for a metal fount or nipple system. Heat lamp or low-wattage flat panel: $20-45. These are three-to-five year items.
Chicks: $35-70 for three to six sexed pullets plus shipping, or $90-150 for six point-of-lay pullets from a local farm.
Feed costs per year
Six hens eat approximately 1.5 pounds of feed per day, or 547 pounds per year. Layer pellets or crumble at $0.50-0.75 per pound (mid-2025 national average) costs $275-410 per year.
This number is highly variable. Fermented feed reduces consumption by 20 percent. Free-range supplementation during active foraging season (May-September in temperate zones) reduces consumption by 15-30 percent. Feeding kitchen scraps legally (regulations vary by state) reduces consumption by 5-10 percent on average.
Realistic feed cost for six hens with responsible scrap supplementation: $200-330 per year.
Egg production math
Six hens at peak production yield 4-5 eggs per day, or 28-35 per week, or roughly 130-180 dozen per year. Good production layers in optimal condition can push this to 200 dozen.
At $5 per dozen for backyard free-range eggs at a farmers market, 150 dozen is worth $750. You are not going to sell all your eggs for $5 a dozen. Most backyard keepers sell or give away surplus at $3-4 per dozen to neighbors and coworkers. Call it $450-600 in egg value per year.
Subtract feed ($265 average), coop depreciation ($114 average), bedding ($50-80), and miscellaneous vet costs ($20-60), and the net economics look like this:
Egg value: $525 Total costs: $449-519 Net: $6-76 per year before your own labor
This is the real number. Not a profit, not a loss. A wash, with fresh eggs.
The costs most guides ignore
Bedding: 2-4 cubic feet of pine shavings per month for a six-hen coop in deep litter, or $60-90 per year. More if you clean more frequently.
Medications and supplies: Permethrin dust for mites ($15), Corid for coccidiosis if you have chicks ($12), VetRx for respiratory issues ($8). Budget $40-60 per year for a healthy flock; $120-200 if something goes wrong.
Veterinary care: Most vets do not treat chickens. The ones who do charge $65-95 per consultation. Budget $0 for most years and $150 for bad ones.
Predator infrastructure upgrades: Every experienced keeper eventually spends $100-300 on hardware cloth, apron wire, and better latches after their first predator attack. Budget this into year one, not as a surprise in year two.
Your time: 10-15 minutes per day for feeding, watering, and egg collection. One hour per month for coop cleaning. Four hours twice a year for deep cleaning. This is not nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to buy eggs or raise chickens?
For most backyard keepers keeping 6 hens, the net economics are roughly break-even against buying $4-5/dozen free-range eggs. You are not saving money; you are trading money for fresher eggs, the experience, and the entertainment value of the flock.
What is the biggest unexpected expense in backyard chicken keeping?
Predator-proofing. Most keepers start with insufficient hardware and lose birds within the first 18 months to raccoons, hawks, or dogs. Replacing birds costs $15-25 each. Upgrading to hardware cloth, apron wire, and auto-latches costs $150-400 and should be done before you get birds.