Chickens Price: How Much Does a Chickens Cost?

People buy chickens for eggs, for meat, or as backyard pets, and the price depends on how old the bird is when you buy it. A day-old chick costs a few dollars. A started pullet or a laying hen costs several times that, because someone else has already spent months feeding it.

This guide covers the price of chicks, pullets, and hens, hatchery prices, the cost of a coop and other setup, and the monthly cost of feed and bedding for a small flock. Figures come from published guides and hatchery listings with a check date of Oct 12, 2026.

The life stage sets the price. A Rhode Island Red chick is listed at $3 – $5, and an Easter Egger chick at $5 – $12. A started pullet, which is a young hen not yet laying, is listed at $15 – $30. A point-of-lay pullet, meaning a bird aged 15 to 22 weeks, is listed at $35 – $46. An adult laying hen is listed at $20 – $50.

Buying older birds costs more per bird but skips the early weeks of raising chicks. Buying chicks is cheaper, and the birds take time to grow before they are ready for the coop. Which is better for you depends on your budget and how much time you have, and both routes are common.

Mail-order hatcheries sell chicks in bulk, and many have minimum order sizes. Prices differ by breed and by whether the chicks are sexed. A production breed chick sold straight run, meaning unsexed, is listed at $4.50 – $5.65 before shipping. A sexed pullet is listed at $5.30 – $7.15 before shipping.

Hoover's Hatchery lists a Rhode Island Red chick at $3.91 and a Cornish Cross broiler chick at $3.71. Those are live listings, and prices vary by season and by order size. Shipping, minimum order requirements, and any handling fees are on top, so check the hatchery's current terms before you total up an order.

• Breed. Common production breeds cost the least, and less common breeds, such as Easter Eggers, cost more.
• Age. Chicks, started pullets, and laying hens are priced at different levels.
• Sexed or straight run. Chicks sold as sexed pullets cost more than unsexed chicks at the same hatchery.
• Seller. Hatcheries, farm stores, local breeders, and private sellers each price differently.
• Quantity and shipping. Hatchery orders can have minimums, and shipping adds to the cost of mail-order chicks.

The coop is the largest expense in getting started. Published guides list the total cost to get started at $300 – $2,500, and the coop itself at $200 – $2,000. The gap is wide because a simple pre-built coop and a larger custom one are very different purchases.

Feeders, waterers, and bedding add to the first bill. Check what is included in a coop kit before you buy, and compare it with the size of flock you plan to keep.

After setup, feed is the main recurring cost. Published guides list feed for 4 to 6 chickens at $15 – $30/mo, and bedding at $5 – $15/mo. The total monthly cost for a small flock is listed at $20 – $60/mo.

These figures are for small flocks. A bigger flock costs more to feed, and feed prices change from year to year and between stores.

Sources describe chicken costs at different points. One may quote a chick's price, while another includes shipping, the coop, and a year of feed. Hatchery prices reflect volume and exclude shipping, while a farm store may sell one or two chicks at a higher unit price. The table below shows how three sources compare for the chick itself.

Before comparing numbers, check whether each one covers a chick, an adult bird, or the whole cost of keeping a flock.

Many cities, counties, and homeowners associations regulate backyard chickens. Rules can limit the number of birds, ban roosters, require a permit, or set how far a coop must sit from a property line. Some places ban keeping chickens in residential areas altogether, and a rental lease may add its own limits. Check your city and county rules, and your lease or HOA terms, before you order birds or build a coop.

• How old are the birds, and are they sexed?
• Is the price per bird, and does it include shipping or a handling fee?
• Is there a minimum order?
• What happens if a bird arrives in poor condition?