How Much Does a Rooster Cost?

Last Updated on September 16, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Although there are a lot of reasons why someone might choose to raise roosters, the most common one is to use them to fertilize the hens. You might not know this, but hens can’t lay eggs without the help of a rooster. So you can only make more future chickens if you have a rooster to fertilize the eggs.

Although cheaper than hens, roosters still have a rather high price, especially the pure-breed ones. The cost of a rooster will generally depend on factors like the breeder you get them from, the breed of the roosters, and their age.

How Much Does a Rooster Cost?

The cost of a rooster will usually fall between as low as $10 and as much as $2,000, depending mainly on the type of rooster you want to get, although there are other factors that will influence its price. Even so, most of the time you won’t spend more than $20 and $100 on a rooster. a newly hatched rooster, as well as a very young rooster may cost anywhere between $5 and $20, which is considerably less than the cost of a full-grown rooster.

How Much Does a Fighting Rooster Cost?

According to a gamefowl breeder from North Central Alabama, called RedFoxFowl, game fowls from breeds like Roundhead, Claret, Pure Butcher, Regular Grey, Silver Grey, Dark Red Hatch, or Pure Lemon Hatch, are likely to cost $250 to $350 per pullet, with sets of two or three purebred roosters being priced between $500 and $700.

Good old English game birds will likely have an average cost between $50 and $120 as long as the roosters are high-quality, according to an article from Burke’s Backyard. The price of a rooster that can be considered an exhibition bird can reach as much as $900.

In Mississippi, different stags, pullets, and trios of all ages, both young and older roosters, will cost around $300 to $1,500, according to Rocky Top Game Farm, which is another chicken breeder. You will likely spend between $200 and $300 for crossed varieties.

Rare Breeds Rooster Price

If you want to buy a rooster from a rare breed, you’ll have to spend more than the average. If you need a rooster or gamefowl of a rarer breed may cost up to $2,000. As for the newly hatched rare breed chickens, they will have an average price of around $50. As for mature roosters from very rare rooster breed bloodlines, these are likely to cost upwards of $500.

Cost of Raising a Rooster

So we went over how much you will initially spend on a rooster, now let’s see how much it will cost to raise one. Among the most common costs related to raising roosters are:

Chicken Coop

The cost of a chicken coop will depend on the size of the flock you are planning to raise. If you only want to get a few roosters and hens, then you can build a smaller enclosure. You can cut down costs even more by using recycled materials for it. Usually, spending just $500 will get you a rather reasonably sized coop.

If you’re planning on raising a larger flock, then you can spend $2,000 or even more for a new, fancy coop of a larger size. Aside from the cost of building the chicken coop, you should also consider costs associated with bedding, feeder, waterer, nest boxes, and perches.

Feed

Of course, like all other creatures, a rooster will need to eat. Expect to spend between $0.30 and $0.50 on chicken feed if you buy it from a local feed store.

You should expect each healthy rooster to eat up to two pounds of feed per week. Aside from the amount you spend on chicken feed, you should also consider the price of any required nutritional supplements and treats you will give your rooster to boost its growth and weight. Adding everything up, you’ll likely get to a price of about $10 to $20 per month to feed your rooster.

You can lower the feeding costs considerably if you have a large area where the roosters and hens can roam around freely. This is because the free-range rooster will move around and eat grass and you won’t have to give it a lot of additional food.

Miscellaneous

There are other rooster-related costs as well:

You will need to budget for water bottles, repairs to the coop, wood chips, and more. These costs can easily add up to more than $50 per month.

Roosters will usually be used for egg fertilization, exhibition, and cock fighting. Although they are cheaper than hens overall, most people will still go for more hens as they are the ones making eggs.

Factors that affect the price of a rooster

Age

You are likely to spend more on a mature rooster than on a younger one. So for example, a quality Old English chick will cost less than $10, while a fully-grown, quality Old English game rooster, although of the same breed and gender, can reach costs of hundreds of dollars.

Also read about the cost of owning a penguin, a cockatiel, or a squirrel.

Source

You are likely to spend less on roosters bought directly from a breeder farm than getting them online, as you won’t have to deal with the shipping costs, that are rather high.

Breed

Pure breeds that can be used for shows or exhibitions will need to keep higher standards in terms of shape and color, which means that they will be considerably more expensive. As hybrid roosters are easily produced in bigger numbers, they will cost less.

What is going to be included in the cost of a rooster?

Any reputable breeder should include a shipping cage and a health guarantee when shipping the rooster.

Additional costs to consider

Shipping is typically a separate cost and depending on the distance between you and the breeder and how it’s delivered, the rates can be anywhere between $20 to $100. Most breeders will choose to ship live poultry through United States Postal Service Priority Shipping.

Tips to keep in mind when you purchase a rooster

Some breeders might need a breed dependent minimum order. This is to guarantee that they can securely deliver the roosters. Minimum order deals enable these breeders to broadly ensure live arrival.

If purchasing a rooster at a farm, ask the breeder about the rooster type along with the health condition of the bird.

Make to ask the breeder if they have subscriptions in companies that make sure the safety of chickens from various bird illnesses.

Due to the sounds roosters make, some cities do have rigorous regulations. Make certain to read your local laws prior to purchasing one. If you are permitted to have one, make certain you understand what the constraints are.

Questions to ask a breeder

• What breeds do you currently have for sale?
• Do you have a minimum order amount?
• What is your general price plan?
• How do you deliver live roosters?
• What is the smallest pack of roosters you can deliver?
• What are the dangers of shipping live birds?
• How long does it take my order to get here?
• How do you determine the shipping rate?
• Is the expense of shipping included in the rate?
• What is your policy on cancellations and refunds?
• What kinds of payments do you accept?

How can I save some money?

Some online providers periodically hold a sale. Benefiting from roosters on sale on top of the number of discount rates provided can offer you the very best possible price.

Purchase wholesale. Some breeders provide substantial discount rates to high-volume purchasers.

Look online for dealers that provide totally free shipping.

Purchase the rooster as a chick. Search for a hatchery or a neighboring source with an abundance of chicks in the spring.