Backyard flock planner

Answer a few questions about your household, space and budget. Get a plan with hens, space, costs and what to check before you buy.

1 · What your household eats

Dozens of eggs your household eats per weekCount what you actually buy, including baking.

Eggs per hen per weekExample value, not an average. Lower it for winter or older hens.

Use a different number of hens (optional)Leave blank to use the suggestion.

Price of the eggs you buy, per dozen ($)Starts from the latest US average (BLS). Enter what you really pay.

2 · Your space and birds

Space you can give the coop and run (sq ft, optional)Coop and run together.

How will you start?ChicksBirds already close to layingChicks take about five months to lay (UNH Extension).

Weeks in year one before the first eggAbout 22 weeks for chicks. Ask the seller if you buy older birds.

3 · Money

One-time setup cost ($)Coop, run, equipment and birds. Use real quotes.

Price of a feed bag ($)

Pounds of feed in that bag

Other monthly costs ($)Bedding, grit, supplies.

4 · Are you ready?

I checked my city or county rules, and my HOA rules if I have one. I have a plan to lock the flock in every night and protect the run. Someone can care for the birds when I travel. I can feed, water, collect eggs and clean regularly, every day.

Build my flock plan

How the planner works

• Hens = eggs you eat per week ÷ eggs per hen per week, rounded up. See how many chickens you need.
• Coop floor: 2 sq ft per hen (Penn State) to 3 sq ft (UNH and Oregon State). Run: 8 to 10 sq ft per hen (Oklahoma State, Poultry Extension). Sources disagree and little research exists, so these are practical guidelines. Details in coop and run space per chicken.
• Roost: 6 to 7 inches (Maryland) up to 1 linear foot per bird (UNH). Nest boxes: one per four hens (UNH, Oregon State) or Penn State's rule of two for the first four and one more for each added four.
• Feed: one quarter to one third of a pound per hen per day (Mississippi State), at your bag price. This gives a range, not a single number.
• Cost per dozen: (monthly cost × 12 + setup) ÷ dozens in year one. After year one the setup is left out. The same formulas are on the method page.
• Your time, vet bills, replacement hens and permit fees are not included.

Sources

• University of New Hampshire Extension: Producing Your Own Eggs
• Penn State Extension: Successfully Raising a Small Flock of Laying Chickens
• Oklahoma State University Extension: Backyard Flock Production
• Oregon State University Extension: Living on the Land, Backyard Chicken
• Poultry Extension: Space Allowances in Housing for Small and Backyard Poultry Flocks
• University of Maryland Extension: Housing Requirements
• Mississippi State University Extension: Feeds and Nutrition

Prefer a quick number? Use the cost calculator.