Right just worked it out with OH . Had my girls one year
Ive got 12 birds @ £7 = 84.00
Pellets @ £8 = 54.00
Corn @ £8 = 24.00
Medication = 20.00
Rat poison = 20.00
Straw = 12.00
TOTAL £210
Offset
Sold eggs 100.00
never bought an egg 100.00
Total £200
So its cost me just £10 for a year of one great pastime + some heartbreak at times
Pleased I did this makes me feel goooooooooooood
Errrrr I think you've got the pellets a tad wrong here alby. !2 birds will go through a 20kg bag of pellets every 12 to 14 days so that's 26 to 30 bags a year which will cost, on £8 a bag, £240 to £208 (not £54). You can work on 900grams of pellets per week per bird and 20kg of layers pellets for £6.50 - £8.0 if you buy the standard stuff but if you get the Alan and page expensive specialist feed it will be significantly more. Poultry corn is cheaper (£6) but you shouldn't need more than 2 bags max. a year.
The other running cost is litter, a couple (or three) bales a year per house is fine so £16 - £24. 1 kg of mixed grit at £1.50 per year is advisable but you don't need Apple Cider Vinegar, Poultry Spice, or Garlic Powder these are optional panaceas. Don't get exbatts if cost is an issue as the risk of expensive vet consultations is high as is the specialist feeds if you want to do the best for them. A highly productive POL Hybrid should cost around £12 -£15 each or a pure breed £20 - £30 ish. Most hybrids will give around 260 - 300 eggs a year in their first year, a little less in their 2nd but will drop off very significantly after 2 years laying.
A drinker and feeder will cost around £8- £9 each for a 4 litre and 4kg resp. plastic ones (with the green trough don't buy the cheaper red ones which go brittle very quickly and don't last long). Using bowls or household utensils is usually a false economy as they will be tipped up spilling the contents or be contaminated with droppings and will be more difficult to make vermin proof.
Allow for a house AND a RUN, which is not an insignificant cost, and even if you make them allow around £100 or approx £400 if you buy a 6 chicken house and run. You will need to constrain them if they free range and a an electric net plus energiser will cost around £170 minimum for a 50m net. This is obviously optional but if you rely on fences or hedges you will have to risk fox attacks so you will need to access your own situation on how you deal with fox protection.
Allow £15 or so for a few basic medications.
Despite what you may budget if you breakeven on egg production I'd be surprised but house and equipment appart the ongoing running ccost for your hobby shouldn't be very much.
Regards