Do you want to know the best ways to save money in backyard chicken farming? If yes, this guide is best for you.
Backyard chickens mean fresh eggs and garden benefits, but it often costs more than buying eggs from the store.
However, small flock owners can significantly reduce costs by adopting cost-saving strategies for feed, housing, and flock management.
Some of the key strategies include using cheap or recycled materials for coops and feeders, choosing efficient chicken breeds, and cutting feed costs with free-ranging, kitchen scraps, and even home-raised insect feed.
There is also value in composting manure for fertilizer and in having chickens as part of the management of gardens.
This article outlines 21 practical strategies, with steps for implementation, potential savings, and trade-offs to reduce the cost of backyard poultry.
How to Save Money in Backyard Chicken Farming?
1. Buy Birds Economically:
Buy common breeds, not exotic and older birds (pullets or hatching age) and not more expensive chicks or rare breeds. If you have a brooding setup, consider hatching your eggs or getting adult hens.
The cost of started pullets (young laying hens) is more. Local auctions, online classifieds, and farm rehoming networks are good options where flocks or surplus roosters often sell cheaply.
Some hatcheries sell males as “broiler” chicks for meat at a discounted price. Buying from neighbors or swapping agricultural products can save hundreds of dollars in costs to start a flock.
Why it saves: It reduces the upfront cost of birds.
Steps: Find local flocks for sale, auctions, or “free” listings. Check health. Quarantine new birds until they are healthy.
DIY: Trade eggs or garden produce for cash.
Savings: Up to a 50-70% discount on chick prices.
Trade-offs: Older birds may produce fewer eggs; thriftier birds may have quirks.
2. Build a DIY Chicken Coop and Brooder:
Build your chicken coop and brooder (chick nursery) from reclaimed or salvage materials. A pre-made coop will run you $500-1000, while you can build a DIY coop out of reclaimed lumber, pallets, or an old shed for under $100 in materials. There are many plans and guides (free online) to convert pallet wood, old playhouses, or garden sheds into secure coops.
Why it saves: It reduces the cost of construction significantly.
Steps: Plan coop size (2-3 sq ft per bird inside), scavenge wood/plywood/nails (construction sites/farms), and use simple coop plans (many roosts/nesting boxes). Use old plastic tubs or kiddie pools as brooders with a heat lamp.
DIY: Craigslist is a great place to find free wood. Look for driftwood or old fencing.
Savings: A DIY coop often saves 70-90% vs. retail.
Tradeoffs: Needs construction time/skill; safety depends on build quality. (For example, using pallets might save $200-$500.)
3. DIY Feeders and Waterers:
Make feeders and waterers out of household items. Store-bought feeders/waterers (especially “anti-waste” designs) can be expensive. Or use 5-gallon buckets with holes drilled in the sides for feeders and 2-liter soda bottles or other repurposed jugs for water. For example, cut notches in a bucket lid and attach it to a large shallow pan; as chickens eat, the feed gravitates and dispenses. For automatic waterers, invert a pet water bottle over a dish and drill small holes.
Why it saves: No commercial equipment cost.
Steps: Create or modify plans, e.g., screw feeding ports (tee-vent fittings) into a bucket; use cut nipple drinkers in PVC. Ensure they’re stable and wildlife-proof.
DIY: Use old buckets, old milk jugs, half wine barrels, or clean paint pots.
Savings: Homemade feeders/waterers can cost only a few dollars instead of $20-$50 each.
Trade-offs: May need to change sizes or refill more often; quality of DIY can be variable.
4. Simple Nest Boxes & Egg Collection:
Avoid fancy egg-handling gadgets. Use cheap or repurposed materials for nests and egg collection. A basic nesting box can be built from scrap wood or an old dresser drawer lined with straw. Collect eggs in any basket or bowl on hand; there is no need for “egg stampers” or plastic egg trays. Aside from a basket and nest boxes, most specialty egg tools are optional.
Why it saves: Cuts unnecessary equipment expenses.
Steps: Provide 1 nest box per ~4 hens, approximately 12” x 12” or larger, on the coop floor level. Bedding (straw or shavings). Gather the eggs in any shallow basket or cardboard egg carton.
DIY: Old plastic crates, wine boxes made of wood, salvaged plywood.
Savings: Nest boxes and trays are almost free versus $30+
Trade-offs: No need for more expensive accessories (egg washers, aprons). Requires manual cleaning/inspection.
5. Choose Efficient Breeds:
Pick chicken breeds to fit your goals. Smaller-bodied breeds (bantams or “delicate layers” such as Leghorns) eat less feed for the same egg production, and dual-purpose birds (e.g., Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks) produce eggs and meat. Cornish Cross or heritage roosters can be used for meat. Bantams (miniature breeds) lay smaller eggs but need only ~60% of normal feed.
Why it saves: Selects economical eaters and avoids birds that eat a lot of feed, thus reducing the feed cost per egg/meat.
Steps: Study feed efficiency by breed. Egg Feed Ratios for Layers: Use fast-growing broiler crosses for meat.
DIY: Keep mixed flocks with some purpose, e.g., have one breed that is prolific but slightly larger and one small breed.
Savings: Can cut feed bills by 10–20% through careful breed choice.
Trade-offs: Some efficient breeds are more flighty or less docile.
6. Buy Feed in Bulk and Ferment:
Purchase feed and supplements (layer pellets, scratch grains, and oyster shell) in bulk for savings. 50-lb bags are generally cheaper per pound than small bags. Store feed in a cool, dry place and purchase it on seasonal sales.
Some homesteaders also ferment whole-grain chicken feed (moisten it with water and let it sour for 2–3 days) to make it easier to digest and reduce waste.
Why it saves: Lowers the cost per unit and the amount of spoilage.
Steps: Buy in bulk from farm co-op and feed mills. Share pallets or totes with neighbors if needed. Scratch grains for fermentation are soaked overnight with a starter culture, then fed (smell for mold, and discard).
DIY: Make a “feed dispenser” or downspout feeder to hold large amounts of feed.
Savings: Bulk buy saves 10-25% per bag. Fermentation can cut feed use by ~10% through improving intake efficiency.
Trade-offs: Bulk feed must be eaten before it spoils; fermented feed takes planning.
7. Raise Insect Feed (Mealworms and BSF Larvae):
Make your own high-protein treats like mealworms and black soldier fly (BSF) larvae. Both are cheap to breed, and chickens love them, offering health and egg nutrition. One poultry homesteader, for example, used BSF larvae grown on kitchen waste to offset about 1/3 of her feed costs.
Why it saves: It replaces expensive protein feed with bug protein that is essentially free or low-cost.
Steps: For BSF, create a “BSF bin,” a container with moist kitchen scraps and a ramp for mature larvae to escape. The larvae are gathered in a bucket and given to hens, either fresh or dried. Mealworms: $15-20 for ~1,000 worms in a clear tub with oats or bran. Feed them vegetable peels, and they multiply. Regularly harvest larvae for treats.
DIY: Build a BSF larva “biopod” out of a plastic box and burlap; make a mealworm habitat with a plastic tub and carrots.
Savings: You can replace ~20-30% of commercial protein feed with BSF/mealworms (you save hundreds each year).
Trade-offs: Climate matters: BSF do well in warm/wet climates (USDA zones 7+); mealworms need a cool, dark space. Occasional cleanup is needed, as is labor to maintain bins.
8. Feed Kitchen and Garden Scraps (Safely):
Chickens eat many kitchen leftovers and garden weeds you throw out. It cuts down on feed bills. Typical scraps (vegetable peels, stale bread, and fruit) can constitute ~10-15% of a flock’s diet. Feed overripe vegetables, cooked grains, and leftover salad.
Why it saves: Converts otherwise wasted food into eggs.
Steps: Get a “scraps bucket” and add food daily (no mold; no meat/dairy except cooked; no raw potatoes/avocado). Add some grit (like crushed eggshell) to scraps to aid digestion. Scattered in the run for pecking or mixed in feeders with scraps.
DIY: You can make a simple chicken “worm bin” or bokashi to pre-compost scraps before feeding to hens.
Sources: Always ensure that scraps are eaten promptly to avoid rot.
Savings: Helps you to get free chicken feed and reduced kitchen waste disposal.
Trade-offs: Scraps are not a balanced source of nutrition, so you should also provide balanced layer feed.
9. Schedule Feedings (Prevent Waste):
Feed measured amounts in the morning and evening rather than free-choice feeding (leaving the grain out all day long). Timed feedings so birds eat fast and nothing spoils.
Why it saves: Less waste/spoilage. Keeps rats and other vermin away.
Steps: Feed each coop twice daily (half in AM, half late PM). Mix grains or break up pellets in a little warm water (porridge) to get hens to eat immediately. Fill it only when the birds are ready to eat.
DIY: Use a feeder with a moveable lid and cover to keep out stray hens/cats overnight.
Savings: Less feed lost in manure or lost in hot weather. Can save ~ 5-10% of feed costs by preventing loss.
Trade-offs: Daily attention required. Birds may become stressed by missing meals.
10. Free-Range and Forage:
Free-range hens whenever it is safe. Chickens hunt bugs, worms, and weeds, supplementing their diet and providing pest control. In warm weather, free-range birds can forage and find up to half of their own food.
Why it saves: Reduces commercial feed needs and adds omega-3 from bugs/greens to eggs.
Steps: Build a safe daytime run or chicken tractor so hens can forage without wandering far. Give shade and water.
DIY: Source: Backyard flock keepers say free-ranging cuts feed bills dramatically, plus removes the need for a fixed run.
Savings: 20-30% less feed under ideal conditions.
Trade-offs: More danger of predators on the outside, hens may lay eggs in odd places, and gardens may get scratched up.
11. Grow or Provide Green Fodder:
Plant fast-growing chicken snacks in or around the pen. You can clip and give daily crops such as kale, clover, alfalfa, or sprouted grains (oats or barley). Fresh grass and leafy greens (dandelion and plantain) are a good source of vitamins for the chickens.
Why it saves: Low-cost nutrition booster.
Steps: Set aside a patch of yard for chicken greens and rotate the hens in to graze on it. Green forage in winter is provided by sprouting trays (growing wheat/barley sprouts 3–4 inches tall).
DIY: Compost around forage crops to form a “kitchen scrap garden.”
Savings: Less need for greens in feed. Small dollar savings but better nutrition.
Trade-offs: Needs space and water to grow plants; aggressive growers like clover can compete with the garden.
12. Use Affordable Bedding and the Deep Litter Method:
Straw, pine shavings, or even sand are cheap coop floors. Forget the costly hemp or cedar. Deep litter method: don’t clean out weekly; just add fresh bedding on top of old droppings. The coop floor litter composts in place over time, providing both warmth and organic matter.
Why it saves: Dramatically reduces the frequency of buying/adding new bedding and of manure disposal.
Steps: Cover the bottom of the box with 4-6″ of pine shavings or chopped straw. Mix the old weekly and add a thin new layer of bedding. Every few months (or at the end of the season), dump the well-composted material into the garden and add fresh litter.
Sources: Keepers say using cheap horse-bedding pellets or sand as litter saves money.
Savings: Bedding costs down to pennies per bird-year; can save $30-50/year.
Trade-offs: Deep litter can become hot or smelly if over-wet; needs occasional turning and good ventilation.
13. Compost Manure and Litter for Fertilizer:
Clean the coop (or use the deep-litter compost), then compost chicken manure and bedding as garden fertilizer. Poultry litter is a nutrient-rich soil amendment. “Excellent resource” with no drawbacks for the home garden.
Why it saves: It replaces store-bought fertilizer and makes good use of a waste product.
Steps: Mix manure + bedding with carbon (leaves/wood chips) in a bin or pile. Keep moist and turn every 4-6 weeks. The compost takes ~4-6 months to mature (120-day rule to kill pathogens) and be safe to apply.
DIY: Wooden crate or mesh bin, insulated with tarp in winter.
Savings: High-quality compost can save $50-$100 a year in fertilizer costs for a vegetable garden. Trade-offs: requires space, labor & attention to avoid raw ammonia odors.
14. Harvest Rainwater:
Put a gutter on the roof of the coop that leads to a storage barrel. Rain barrels or IBC totes. Collect free water for watering chickens (and the garden).
Why it saves: It reduces the minor cost of water (important in arid regions).
Steps: Set out a rain barrel ($50-$100) with a screen to keep mosquitoes out; hook a spigot or gravity feed to the garden waterer
DIY: 55 Gallon Barrels or Repurposed Tanks
Savings: Many municipalities charge for potable water. Using rainwater can save $10-20 a year (more in drought-prone areas).
Trade-offs: Up-front cost of barrel, periodic cleaning. Water is to be treated if stored long.
15. Predator-Proof Housing:
Design the coop and run to prevent the loss of birds. Use hardware cloth (½” or less mesh) on all openings and bury fencing 6-12″ into the ground to block digging predators. Provide a secure top (wire or netting) on the run to exclude hawks/raccoons. No gaps, and include lockable latches.
Why it helps: Stops expensive losses of chickens and eggs.
Steps: Enclose outdoor runs with 1″×2″ wire (poultry netting) or metal hardware cloth to the ground and extend it underground or outwards (L-shaped). Place a motion light near the coop as an additional deterrent.
Sources: Extension guides stress the importance of a predator-proof coop to keep the flock safe.
Savings: Even a few $20 bills save $ for replacement cost.
Trade-offs: Hardware cloth is moderately expensive (plan ~$15-$20 per 5×5’ panel) and labor intensive to install, but it’s a one-time cost compared to losing birds.
16. Use a Chicken Tractor (Portable Coop):
Build or buy a movable coop/run. By shifting the tractor daily or weekly to fresh grass, chickens forage on new ground (bugs/weeds) and fertilize it evenly. This rotational grazing cuts feed needs and improves pasture.
Why it saves: Maximizes free foraging and spreads manure as fertilizer.
Steps: Construct a small coop on wheels or skids with a wire run attached. Move it regularly so chickens always have access to fresh turf.
DIY: Convert a garden shed on casters or a heavy-duty rolling frame.
Savings: Can feed fewer supplements on well-rotated grazing; soil health gains reduce garden fertilizer needs.
Trade-offs: More labor shifting the coop; not suitable for large flocks.
Save by purchasing materials in bulk (e.g., lumber, fencing, feed) and splitting costs with friends/neighbors. For example, buying 1000+ ft rolls of hardware cloth or a ton of feed yields a lower unit price.
Why it saves: Economies of scale.
Steps: Join forces with other poultry keepers/gardeners to buy in bulk. Stock up on straw/shavings in winter (off-season)
DIY: Swap extra supplies (trade excess feed for eggs).
Savings: Bulk discounts can knock 10–25% off regular prices.
Tradeoffs: Takes up storage space; spoilage if stored too long.
18. Maintain Flock Health and Biosecurity:
Preventative health (clean water, good ventilation, vaccinations) is so much cheaper than treating diseases or losing hens. Keep feeders clean to prevent disease.
Why it saves: Saves on vet bills and loss of productivity.
Steps: Vaccinate (e.g., for Marek’s disease) as advised locally, deworm if needed, and quarantine new birds.
DIY: Footbaths (lime/bleach) before entering the coop and rotate sand for dust bathing.
Savings: One healthy hen can lay dozens of eggs; one sick bird can wipe out savings.
Trade-offs: Time and attention investment; small initial costs (vaccine doses ~$1 each).
19. Optimize Egg Production:
Make the flock lay more so more of the feed investment goes into eggs. To prevent off-season molting in hens, set a timer to leave a coop light on for 14 to 16 hours a day in winter. Layer feed (16-18% protein) and adequate calcium (oyster shell or crushed eggshells) provide balanced nutrition. Watch for parasites (mites, lice) affecting laying.
Why it saves: More eggs from the same flock mean more value of eggs per dollar of feed.
Steps: In the winter, just hang an LED or incandescent bulb (~1-2 watts) on a timer in the coop. Put an extra layer of pellets around the point of lay. Clean nests and collect eggs daily to prevent breakage.
Savings: A 10 to 20 percent increase in egg yield can more than pay for the cost of any additional lighting.
Trade-offs: Cost of electricity (modest, ~$2–5/month); risk of reduced lifespan if left on too long.
20. Use Chickens for Garden Pest Control:
Free-range chickens in a garden can help protect fruit trees (off-season or with cage protection). They eat herbs, insect pests, and fallen fruit, so they lessen your work and chemical purchases. Chickens scratch for pests and eat Japanese beetles, hornworms, and snails.
Why it saves: Cuts herbicide/insecticide use and garden labor costs.
Steps: After harvesting, pen chickens in rotated garden beds to clean up debris and fertilize the soil. Fence or net them out after spring planting to protect seedlings from being destroyed.
Savings: Less money on pest control (e.g., predator bugs, slug bait); less hand weeding.
Trade-offs: May damage small plants; use enclosures (electric net or chicken wire) to limit damage.
21. Rehome or Process Non-Productive Birds:
When hens get old or stop laying (after ~2-3 years), or roosters start to pile up, put them in the freezer or rehome them (give them away) instead of continuing to feed them.
Why it saves: Stops paying for feed for birds that give nothing in return.
Steps: Sell or give away excess roosters (often desired for meat) or cull them for the family’s freezer. If not culling, list non-laying hens on Freecycle or local community pages.
DIY: Start a low-key “farm sale” to recycle flock.
Savings: Saves $20-$30 per bird per year in feed that would be wasted on non-egg producers
Trade-offs: Emotional or regulatory issues around butchering; ensure rehomed birds go to good homes.
Conclusion
Saving money is, of course, a great goal for any poultry keeper, but the real riches of backyard chicken farming are more than just the dollars you save on the grocery bill.
It is in the intimate connection with the cycles of your own food, the straightforward daily joy of a healthy flock, and the rich, sustainable life they add to your garden.
Whether you’re new to the coop or an old hand, keep in mind that each recycled feeder and hand-raised snack is a step toward a more self-sufficient, fulfilling way of life. Happy chicken farming!
