The Cost of Raising Chickens - Pullet Cost Calculator
Prices can easily cause controversy. Many home poultry keepers breed for the pleasure that the hobby brings. Money does not come into it and it is not about making a big profit. However when selling birds there should not be a need to sell at a loss. Typically these birds are pure breeds and well looked after. The price cannot be compared with mass produced birds.
This is a tool to estimate the cost of raising pullets. There are a number of variables involved. Enter your own details to try different scenarios (or just leave items at 0 if they are not relevant for your situation). This does not include your labour costs. There is a lot of work and time that goes into producing and rearing pure breeds, both traditional and rare.
Parent Breeding Stock
Only enter the parent poultry stock details. Exclude any poultry that is not kept for breeding. The value of the parent stock can vary depending on breed. There is a rarity value attached to pure breeds. If you want to calculate the total profit/cost of all your chickens check the poultry ROI calculator.
Enter the relevant housing costs (coop and run) for both parent stock and chicks. Housing and equipment are depreciating assets.
Enter the electricity power usage for the incubator in Watts. The electricity running cost is entered in the consumables section. Incubation cost is based on 23 days for large fowl and 20 days for batams per hatch. If you use a broody hen instead of an incubator then set all these items to 0.
Enter the electricity power for the Heat lamp in Watts. The electricity running cost is entered in the consumables section. Specify how many full days (24 Hrs) the heatlamp is used and how many nights (12 Hrs). If you do not use a Heat lamp then set all these items to 0.
Feed cost depends on breed and fowl size. Large Fowl eat almost twice as much as bantams. Free range chickens may not need supplementary feed products such as grit and vitamins. Welfare includes medication products to control parasites such as mites, lice and worms. Enter feed costs for both the parent stock and chicks per bag.
Consumables - Other Cost
Consumables include hen house bedding material, cleaning products and vermin control products. Other cost to consider are veterinary care. Enter the electricity running cost in Pounds per Kwh. For example, £ 0.10 per Kwh. This is used to calculate the incubator and heatlamp running cost. If you have a water meter then enter your total water cost per year. You can also specify transport related costs for looking after the chickens. For example the fuel expense to collect feed/shavings.
If required enter the time of culling the cockerels. Early culling can save on feed costs. There are some breeds that are impossible to sex early. For example, Polands, Silkies and Sussex in particular can be as old as five or six months old before it is clear what sex they are. The cost of rearing them has to be factored into the price.