Meanwhile, my chickens cost exactly the same as they did 12 months ago. :)
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We have had chickens in the past, and while I fully support anyone wanting to do their own chickens, the level of effort to keep them clean and healthy, safe from predators, and the labor to take care of them is non-trivial. They were the most expensive and labor-intensive "free eggs" we ever had.
the labor is somewhat enjoyable and the chickens are incredible child-leftover disposal machines. but when you factor infrastructure and labor youll probably never recoup your “investment” in eggs.
for anyone dealing with land predators, get electric poultry net. it’s magic.
But they can keep laying for quite some time.
You can reduce the feed costs by letting them graze (though even a few chickens will lay waste to an average sized backyard if given the chance) and/or using household food waste.