Forget who came first—chicken or egg. The real debate is this: Is it cheaper to buy eggs or raise your own clucking crew in the backyard? TikToker @faithfullyshannan and her husband have been raising chickens, and often hear people say it’s more expensive than just buying eggs.
Curious, they ran the numbers to see if they would save money if they decided to just buy eggs weekly or monthly. Factoring in feed, kitchen scraps, and care, they were pleasantly surprised, and it wasn’t just because of dollars and cents.
Here’s how raising chickens can save more than money.
1. The Feeding Costs Are Low
Now, nobody’s saying chickens eat air and gratitude. They do need actual feed. But you can make feeding them cheaper by augmenting their food with scraps from your kitchen. Chickens are fluffy compost bins on legs—they’ll happily gobble down wilted greens, stale rice, mushy fruits, and whatever else your fridge has been judging you for not using.
That means you’re not just cutting your feed bill—you’re also reducing kitchen waste. For Shannan and her husband, the mix of purchased feed and household leftovers tipped the scale in their favor. So while not every setup will slash your grocery bill in half, a well-fed, scrap-happy flock can save you money, especially if you’re used to buying the fancy eggs.
2. You Get Healthier Eggs, Hence a Healthier Family
Backyard chickens mean backyard standards. You’re the one deciding what goes into their feed, how clean their space is, how much sunlight they get, and how often the eggs are gathered and washed (or not washed—some folks swear by the protective bloom).
You get your eggs without mystery labels and half-promises about pasture time. Just good old-fashioned transparency—because you’re the farmer now.
It’s easy to forget how long store-bought eggs sit around. They’re washed in chemical solutions, sometimes bleached, packed, and stored—sometimes for weeks—before they even reach your fridge. That beautiful white shell might look clean, but you may be getting an egg that’s already past its prime.
Backyard eggs are laid in the morning, on your plate by lunch. The yolks are richer, the whites firmer, and the scrambled eggs will be hitting differently.
3. Chickens Are More Than Just Egg Machines
Sure, they lay eggs. But chickens also pull their weight in other ways. They’re natural pest control—eating beetles, ticks, and grubs before they make a salad out of your garden. Their constant scratching helps till the soil, and their droppings offer free, nitrogen-rich fertilizer for your plants.
Add in the fact that they turn kitchen scraps into something edible, and they run a closed-loop system out of your backyard. Less waste, healthier soil, fewer bugs, and a steady supply of eggs. That’s more than breakfast—it’s backyard efficiency.
Should You Get Chickens?
Backyard chickens aren’t for everyone. If your HOA thinks hens are a gateway drug to goats, or you’re the type to travel every weekend, maybe skip the flock. But if you’ve got the space, the scraps, and a tiny bit of patience, those clucky ladies will pay you back in omelets, laughs, and a slightly smug sense of self-sufficiency. And yes, you’ll save money. Eggs-ponentially.
Ready to swap your receipt for a roost?
Read more
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