Before we proceed, I'd like to offer a brief summary of the dietary requirements of chickens. The primary feed comes in 3-4 versions depending on the chicken's age, as they have very different nutritional requirements. "Starter" feed is for chicks up to 6 weeks. I would advise purchasing just a few pounds at a time as you don't want to be stuck with left-over feed you cannot use. At six weeks it is recommended to transition to "grower" feed. Then at 18 weeks, a "layer" formula is recommended, which is optimized for the nutritional needs of chicken as they start to produce eggs. You can purchase feed in either pellet or mash form. Pellets are slightly more expensive, but there is less waste.

You will also hear the terms scratch, shell, and grit. Grit is basically angular pebbles that chickens use to help grind up their food. Grit is necessary, unless your chickens are free ranged, where they can find their own grit. Oyster shell provides the calcium they need to lay eggs with strong shells. I suggest keeping both grit and oyster shells available at all times, as they will help themselves to their exact needs. Scratch feeds usually are cracked, rolled, or whole grains such as corn, barley, oats, or wheat, which are relatively low in protein and high in energy or fiber depending on which grains are used. There is disagreement as to whether scratch is necessary. If you do provide scratch for your chickens, it should be limited to no more than 10% of their diet. Personally, I have not fed scratch to my chickens and they do quite well. For those wishing to go organic, free range is the way to go, provided you have enough land area, and the risk from predators is acceptable. There is also organic feed available, but you still will not enjoy all the benefits of free-ranging such as better tasting and more nutritious eggs.

As for feed cost; this will vary according to breed, age, climate, and quantity of other feed sources available. I have found my feed costs to average between $1.50 and $2.00 per chicken per month. You will also have additional costs for hay and/or shavings for bedding and to line the coop floor if you will be employing the deep litter method.