SAN ANTONIO – Peter Cortez started raising chickens in his backyard in 2017. His first few years didn’t go so well; it was a learning curve, but he quickly caught on.
When Cortez married, his family and kids also became chicken fanatics. The San Antonio couple says the chickens are pets.
“After the kids got more interested in the chickens, that’s when we (built) a bigger coop. That way, you know, the kids can still play in the yard and have a lot of pet chickens,” Cortez said.
We asked how many eggs they consume; surprisingly, they’re egged out. But their flock produces about three dozen each week.
“Now we’re kind of tired of eggs. I think I’m the only one that eats eggs now. So, me and maybe the kids every now and then. But yeah, those first two years that you just have eggs coming in, you’re like, I’m kind of tired of eggs now,” Cortez said.
Cortez doesn’t know what the price of eggs is because he has so many he gives them away.
The cost of getting started with eggs wasn’t too bad for him.
“There’s pre-made coops. I prefer to make my own coop because you can usually make a bigger coop. And that’s why I’ve done the recycled coops and then resorting to the DIY coop,” Cortez said.
His chickens are grown now, but ready-to-lay chickens can be purchased.
A 50-pound bag of feed costs $14 and will last him about a month. He says a $6 bag of shavings has lasted him several months. A $10 bag of diatomaceous earth to keep the chickens' coop mites and bugs free will last him over a year. He treats the chickens with probiotics and supplements every few months to keep them healthy.
“That’s it. That’s all I do. And then fresh water and make them feel good,” he said. He says anyone who is interested in getting chickens should expect to spend about $500 as an initial investment.
“I think it’s definitely worth it. Especially if they are going to be your pets, it’s worth it. You know, everybody loves their dogs. Everybody loves their cats. You’re willing to spend money on your dogs, your cats and the other little pets,” Cortez said. “If you have chickens and you want to give them the best life, they’ll give you the best eggs.”