[wakawaka28]

>And with bird flu I had to spend another decent chunk of money on a much larger & covered run, since we no longer let them roam our yard during the day.

Bird flu never stopped our ancestors from keeping chickens outside. In fact if you let them go, they would be feral animals much like stray cats and dogs. They only "need" food and sanitation, due to their feces building up if they are kept in one place.

[kdamica]

Yes I suppose letting your chickens be wild animals is the cheapest option. I hadn't considered this. Thanks for your useful comment.

[wakawaka28]

There are some problems with it that I didn't mention. They scratch up vegetation, crap a lot, nest wherever, and fall victim to other animals like dogs and certain predatory birds. They sleep in trees at night, to avoid some predators, but that isn't perfect and it has downsides. However, I've seen them stay wild for years. They can do it as long as they have enough food and water and don't get eaten lol.