Want ‘Free’ Eggs in Montana? Do the Math Before You Buy Chicks

Egg prices remain high.

Eggs have traditionally been one of the most affordable foods. I recall the days of being young, single, and broke. When my paycheck was gone, at least I could scrounge up enough spare change to get a dozen eggs. It wasn't that long ago that you could commonly find eggs on sale for around a dollar a dozen.

Prices gradually edged to around $2-ish per dozen in recent years, and in the last few months, prices skyrocketed nationwide, thanks to avian bird flu that has been decimating poultry in the US this year.

$5 a dozen?! Get out of here with that nonsense.

Perhaps these crazy egg prices are causing you to consider getting your chickens. The allure of "free" eggs is certainly tempting.

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So you want backyard chickens, huh?

Many communities in Montana allow a limited number of backyard chickens within city limits, including Billings. Residents are allowed up to six hens (no roosters), and there are a handful of rules in the City Ordinance that chicken owners must follow (read the PDF HERE).

Owning chickens can be quite rewarding, but before you race down to Shipton's or Tractor Supply to buy a dozen cute baby chickens this spring, you should probably run the numbers on the associated costs to get your "free" eggs.

Backyard chickens can be more expensive than you think.

We had chickens when I was a kid on the farm and my mom still has egg hens (and ducks!) at their place in the Gallatin Valley. In a thread on the Billings Customer Service Watchdog Facebook page, a local chicken owner broke down her expenses for 17 birds that include 15 laying hens.

• She gets 7 - 10 eggs per day on average.
• She pays $24.99 for a bag of feed.
• She pays $14 for a bag of cracked corn.
• She pays $50 for a bag of chicken treats.
• She supplements the hens' protein needs with table scraps - free.
• Her estimated cost is around $100 a month to feed 17 chickens.

This poster didn't include the cost of heat lamps, bedding, straw, etc. Not to mention the time spent cleaning the chicken coop and washing/collecting eggs. She estimated her break-even cost on the "free" eggs is right around $4.50 a dozen.

Sure, she could probably save a few pennies per pound if she was buying chicken food by the ton, but if you think you can raise your chickens and get eggs cheaper than from the giant corporate egg producers, you might want to think again.

There are other benefits of having your own hens.

Trust me, homegrown eggs are simply the best. They taste better, they look better (deep orange yolks!), and you can control what your chickens eat. Organic? Non-GMO? Free-range? You bet. Another upside is that when the next egg shortage empties the grocery store shelves, you can always walk out to your backyard and get some eggs.