Backyard Chickens - Is it Really Worth it?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 вер 2014
- In this video I discuss some of the benefits of having backyard chickens. About six months ago we decided that we were ready to buy some chickens and dive into animal husbandry in our backyard. While my wife and I had discussed this idea in the past we had always dismissed it since we live in a small suburban community. Although we are not in a big city and we do have enough room it just didn't seem like something that would fit with our lifestyle or living environment. After all, what would the neighbors say? Don't chickens smell? How much time would be invested in cleaning and feeding the chickens? How much does it cost to feed them, heat the coop, and provide overall care? These were many of the questions that my wife and I had that made us reluctant to get into owning chickens.
After having these chickens for about six months now my views and opinions have changed quite a bit. In this video I share some of my opinions about how the chickens have become a perfect fit into our family. If you have been thinking about getting into owning chickens I hope you find this encouraging!
Check out the Simple Suburban Living General Store for products used in the coop construction
- astore.amazon.com/simpsubulivi-20
For more information please visit www.simplesuburbanliving.com - Навчання та стиль
I went through the same questions with mine, but 1 year later with 15 hens and 1 rooster...I have no regrets. I haven't run through all the cost numbers, it simply doesn't matter, I've deeply enjoyed the project and I know I've spent far more for far less. In the end however, money is an imaginary thing, fresh eggs to fry for a tastey lunch isn't. No matter what happens, deflation, inflation, out right collapse or nothing at all...nothing beats going out in the yard and harvesting real food.
That is a great point and something I didn't really touch on in this video. There is something to be said about the security that no matter what happens we will always have some sort of food. These eggs are the best tasting I have ever had as well so that is a bonus:)
Yeah! I'm working as a helper at an organic farm and this week I had to clean new ground for planting new crops, there were some vegetables growing up there spontaneously and I picked some leafs to eat, surprisingly they tasted awesome, never in my life I tasted a more succulent leaf, it's really impressive the difference from stuff you buy on supermarket shelves.
Adventures with Jim
Amen brother!
Can you have chickens is Pennsylvania please reply!!
My chickens help my stress something about taking care of them helps me relax. The eggs are a plus, I don't eat mine they're pretty much pets.
this guy's a good egg!
jack dickinson- Nicely said lol
ahahahahaha
E T .........soo are we gonna just ignore the cannibalism here...lol
You should stop avoiding your psychiatrist.
Our hens have free run of the back yard during the day. Every morning, one of he hens comes into the house thru the doggie door and lays an egg in the bookcase! Then she cackles proudly before going back outside. Our hens are so FUN! I watch them patrol the yard, and have learned the meaning of all their little sounds. Watching them makes me relax after a stressful day at work. By the way, they LOVE "pasta worms" and "pasta grubs" (cooked spighetti and macaroni).
Wyn Kelly lol, my wife and I watched a documentary where a couple had a few hens that did that very same thing, that is great! We have also found that the chickens love pasta noodles just about more than any other scraps we give them
I guess u like them taking a dump on all ur stuff. Wait till they start laying eggs in places u don't see . But u will smell them when they pop
A
Wyn Kelly ... I’m looking forward to having chickens. Are they loud? Do neighbors complain?
@@ElizabethGonzalez-jt7ns look up Non noisy Hen's. Some video's out there that will show you what hen to get that aren't so loud. Like a Silkie.
Plus you don't need a roo
I keep all my chickens as pets, I would never let anyone eat them, they live out their life, even when they stop laying. You owe them that!
I dont owe them anything. That's a very strange way to think about livestock.
I'll agree. Raised them at chicks. Hope I dont cry when they die of natural causes.
@@cnmckenna Chickens are not livestock, they are living beings deserving of love and care.
@@cnmckenna He looks at them as his pets, his friends nd companies. You can eat something you don't know and don't love but you won't eat your own pets.
These chickens get used to you being their caretaker and the one who gives them treats and water, and gives them a home to live in safely. I couldn’t imagine eating a member of the family. My bantams are actually my favorite. They’re black austrolorps and they love getting on my lap to cuddle
I know this video starts off with some wind noise and I went back and forth on whether to put this one up or not. Unfortunately I ran short on time and thought something would be better than nothing in this case. Thanks for the patience and understanding!
We don't need not stinking license in Chile for Chickens! Good video. We have had chickens for years and ordered up some new chicks last week to start our first flock and chicken tractor here in Chile.
Jim Dorchak Chile! That is awesome and glad to hear that in other countries you can produce your own food without hassle! Thanks for watching!
most places will allow you unless you live in a place where you have an association. In south florida is almost everywhere unfortunately.
To me, you didn't answer the question you asked in this video. "Is it worth it"? To me that means is the end product cost effective for the cost input and upkeep of the birds? Do you get enough product out of the birds to justify the products you put into the birds.
Tim Hark The question of "Is it worth it" is really a subjective one. If you are looking at it from a purely economic point of view then no it is not worth it. However pure economics is an extremely poor basis to determine worth. Raising your own eggs is more humane than large scale hen batteries that the big producers use. In these batteries, the hens are confined in small cages and abysmal living conditions their entire lives. They never see the sun or get fresh living natural food. Generally the eggs you raise in your back yard are better for you and taste better as well, especially if you allow your birds to free range and eat what is natural for chickens to eat. Free range eggs are higher in Omega 3 and HDL than the supermarket variety. Finally there is the value of self sufficiency and the satisfaction of doing. Economically, my eggs probably cost 3 times what supermarket eggs cost, but I think they are not only "worth it" the are a bargain!
Hens live 8-10 years and only lay eggs reliably for the first 2-3 years. But the manure compost they continue to create is a fabulous additive to the veggie garden. Soil needs less watering, becomes much more fertile, and the weeds are kept down. I love my old non-laying hens!
I am planning to make a chicken retirement home in the back of our lot for the old hens to work our compost for us;)
Why not just eat them when they stop laying eggs
+Parabalani you can but the meat is not much good after the stop laying
SSLFamilyDad How tough are old chicken meat? I know they are no longer good for frying. But how about roasting them in an oven or at the grill?
I cook them in a pressure cooker. Delicious.
Just for the Zen they create...totally worth it. I've had chickens for 8 years. My girls are getting old...but they still give us an egg each every day...except in the winter. When the days get short, they stop laying for several weeks. I let them out of their area on the weekends to roam the whole back yard... they fertilize the lawn and my trees (OH the LIMES!) and they are so super zen. They don't want to be touched, but they will come close and scratch when you go sit in the yard....they'll hang out a few feet away. And if you sing to them, they will sing back :)
My girls get to run around a lawn, peck at bugs, and take dust baths under some bushes we have in the backyard. They are as happy as can be.
Factory chickens never even get to see the light of day. The way they are kept is disgusting. I do not want to support companies that keep chickens in spaces so cramped that they can't even stretch their wings.
I agree! I don't mind that people eat them, really. but I don't like that they never get to experience this. it saddens me.
I am not a vegan That’s why I have chickens.
T5E653Y.RYI
+@@×FWFURT2RW67RT2U4YET252ITWYWYWFAXcFqßfsgzvzgst
@@lenoretalon9958 do you eat em?
LIve in Huntington,Long Island,NY.We just had to give our 18 chickens to another farm because the zoning changed here.But the children raised all 18 from tiny yellow fluff balls and they all had names,and a pecking order flock organization and produced enough eggs to feed 9 families every week. We will miss them from now on,but it was a great experience.Chickens are very smart and affectionate.We always wonder now what Ember and Butterscotch might be doing from time to time...We had them almost 4 years.When they left they were huge.They slept in the huge pine tree next to the house,because we never clipped their wings. Children came from all around the area to feed them and watch them roost,but eventually their parents didnt want them in the neighborhood anymore.WE feel lucky to have known them,and will forever treasure the experience.
I had no idea how affectionate chickens could be until I started socializing my mother's chicks. Now every single one will eat out of my hand and a few will ride on my shoulder throughout the house. Some of them get jealous if I show the others too much attention.
New York.. seems like that state is against anything American.
Thank you for this video! I am going to do it and get me some chickens! Plus I will show this video to my husband so he will have no more doubts! Im excited and blessed I am able to do this but didn't have the drive to make up my mind! You and your wife have won me over to getting my chickens! woohoo!!
I had a few in a very urban environment. I can't even describe how great they were. It gives you such a deeper appreciation of where our food comes from. And they eat everything.
Hey, I'm the owner of BackYardChickens.com and stumbled on your great video. I love hearing stories of people going from "Nah, we can't have chickens in a suburban area." to "Hey, we can and we should!" Keep up the great work!
I just bought some baby chicks and I am very excited. I are alot of people around ware I live and they have chickens and I was ready to take the plunge and it's a good feeling taking care of them. Can't wait for them to be ready to go outside and lay eggs. It's a wonderful feeling.
Eggshells are actually good for the chickens because of the calcium
Good for plants too
And us too!
not really, they can learn to break their own eggs
That doesn't sound right for some reason
@@msosick9975
It's true!
I love the sound of my neighbour's chickens-I find them soothing. Yours are really pretty!
I love having my own chickens. I have 31 laying hens and they each have a different personality.
+Kyle Lesmeister is it sad when you eat their cousins? do you at least think about it?
+Amazon Amz I don't eat them. Just the eggs.
+Amazon Amz When I get a bit upset about the slaughtering process I usually start thinking that if evolution wanted me to be a vegetarian it would have provided me and my kids with vegetarian's teeth and digestive apparatus. Then the silly thoughts just evaporate
Alessandro Drudi well actually our teeth are not designed to consume meat, majority of our teeth are flat similar to what you see in herbivores. Also our GI tract is not made for meat consumption, where as a tigers GI tract is very short and made for just meat. We have very long long colons which are exact to herbivores, so your thoughts evaporating just reflects how poorly you utilize your intellect.
As a matter of fact, human teeth show a mix of characteristics: insisors for cutting food, canines for tearing food, molars for grinding. This pattern of dentition reveals an omnivorous diet.
Being a Vegetarian is a political and personal choice, not biologically determined. It certainly is a noble choice, but is not destiny. Please do not try to show your opinion as FACT. It is not!
So glad to see chickens in your urban backyard. I'm so glad they allow you to have them and I hope your neighbors are nice about it also. Loved your pvc pipe feeder setup... seems perfect for a small flock. No worries about the wind... the information is great!
Thanks Frederick, we have loved having these chickens. We live in an excellent neighborhood and have had no complaints about the chickens yet. We do try and give away extra eggs to everyone so they can enjoy them too. Thanks for stopping by!
SSLFamilyDad :)
I think neighbors are seldom a problem: any doubts they have are soon solved by free eggs! And if not overpopulated their poo and scratching actually improves the garden (if the chooks are free to roam there). Of course neighbors may not appreciate a rooster so much, which is why I won't ever get one without their agreement: always good to keep them on board.
Our chickens are pets and produce eggs...we love them and are part of the family....love the video.
Same as everyone else. Chickens have now become part of the family. It is no longer about trying to be selfreliant on eggs or make a little $. They are soooo funny. Each have their own personality. They get so excited and happy when they hear my voice or see me coming. They want to Pet and they always expect treats hahaha. They are amazing and just a bundle of Joy.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video!
we have had chickens for 6 months and honestly now cant imagine not having them.
It is strange to me sometimes that we have them out there but as you said I couldn't imagine living without them either! Thanks for watching!
I admire your philosophy greatly SSL. In post-World War II Britain, there were many hardships, food shortages among them. A change in the law in 1950 (when food rationing was still very much in place) made it possible for everyone, regardless of tenancy agreement, local authority bye-law, or restrictive covenant, to keep chickens in their backyard. Sometimes Governments can be enlightened.
+AntPDC Thanks, Hitler!
OK I reckon that's not what you meant. Still, it's horribly sad what it can take to let sense overtake bureaucratic momentum. A dozen years after food rationing? Jeezy Pete!
AntPDC i
This has definitely encouraged me to get going on having chickens.
Been thinking about it for a year, and this video drove the idea home for me.
Thank you. Gonna start prepping.
I recently got my 2 baby chicks and we absolutely are crazy about them, we have 2 coops, one indoors one outdoors, they are pampered but soon will be outdoors full time unless it gets too cold, even though it doesn’t get too cold here, they are very smart and know their names. Buttercup and Gina Cochina can do no wrong in our eyes. 🐔
Very nice coop. I love the feeders and watering systems
My Mom puts the egg shells in the food processor and grinds them up and puts them in the chicken feed. I guess it gives them back some calcium.
+Rand Jooe Morning, How do you market your egg sales? I am going to have a surplus and I don't really want to feed them back to the chickens, just seems like a waste of resources. Thanks in advance.
+Rand Jooe Thank you. I take very good care of my girls.
the shells are also good to put around roses. it helps them bloom.
Neesie Davis
Helps the hens to have strong shells on their eggs
I've heard that oyster shells are better.
I've had chickens for four years now and like Matt Carrasquillo said when you're having a bad day going out to the run ( the outdoor pin) and watching and listening to then is very relaxing almost like when a cat sits on your lap and purrs. There's just something magical about their (quiet) sounds.
Chickens are my favorite animal forever..gave mine up after a tornado hit our house in October 2021...I got to visit their new home once.. they'll adapt..hurts my heart to live without them...
I love your videos. They are informative and easy to understand. I have 7 hens that are tame and lovely. We love their eggs and their personalities. Another think that I don't believe you mentioned is that when you clean out the coop the waste can go into the compost pile for use on your garden for great organic fertilizer. Again thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for the video. You did an *excellent* job on your coop.
God Bless you, Brother, in everything that you do!
Finally find someone on youtube that understands the plan God gave us. Ty you have a new sub for sure
Thank you, i appreciate the encouragement, my niece and i are planning on having chickens, a novice i am, so it is good to hear of others such as you, who have leaped in and done this.Rick.
Good luck to you Rick, it is a lot of fun!
If you're happy with the small, white shells & bleached nearly white yokes...... Then having your own layers is a waste of time. Our eggs 'sit' up very high when cracked in the skillet and the yokes are very yellow (duck egg yokes much darker). The taste is the best and our grandkids love the 'sunny-side' up eggs! Micky D's serves bleached out antibiotic infused eggs, fresh eggs are out of this world!.
+RanJo Believer ok show off
+Amazon Amz >> No Sir.... Not trying to hurt anyones feelings, just want to share the joy of 'home-grown, backyard brown eggs'. We just put into service 25 Lacy White Wynadotte Layers we got from Stomberg's, in Minn. They are 6 mos old on Nov 1....... just starteed lay small brown eggs BUT, the frist two we cracked open we double yokers! Cooked next to an egg from one of my 3 YO layers, they were identical in overall size but TWO YOKES!
Plus I know what they are fed and no crap goes into their diet, all organic.
RanJo Believer your a beautiful soul
If I Told My Wife, Right (Rat, South) Now That I Was Getting Rid Of Our Ladies..... She'd Leave me, With The Ladies! I also have a 'Turken' (Google That One) Which Has Got To Be The Ugliest But Sweetest Bird On The Planet. Only 2 brown eggs a week but very docile. Will sit on my lap, is not bothered by my 5 dogs or 6 cats.
Grandkids love to walk up and be able to pet "Giblet".
+Johan Horrell-Schmitz >>> My 'new girls' are now 6 and a half mos old...... getting about a dozen/day. That will pickup when the get another month or two on them.....My 'Turken' passed-away last Sunday???!! No marks or signs of stress, quite a mystery.
This video is so helpful! Thank you!🐔😊
Chickens are a must and truly, they are our partners. We provide them with food and shelter and they give us eggs and entertainment! We, my mother and I, share the work. I keep them, free range on my 1 acre lot in the summer and my parents built a chicken condo where, the chickens spend the winter in an insulated coop. Its the best of both worlds. We renew our flock by hatching just a few eggs in the spring and keeping the hens while donating the cockerels. Sustainable and easily possible. Love your video!
Thanks for this update. My wife and I are soon to be moving into our future retirement home and property. One of the things we will want to do is grow and raise as much of our food as we can without making it a full time job. your auto feed and watering is just the thing we will use.
Your dog looks really healthy
great job
Thanks Chad, Although sometimes annoyingly hyper she is loved by the family that is or sure.
Great Video! I too have backyard chickens. I love them! They are a pleasure to watch and the eggs are great!
Definitely encouraged me! I love the set up you have.
Gotten some chickens this year myself, 6 chicken too. 2-3 are just now laying. had chickens before. missed them... and still glad i have these now.
I live on a small farm and we have chickens, we have 3 roosters and multiple hens. although, we will mostly likely get about 20 more to raise and eat later (spring)(maybe) . One of our hens recently went broody and hatched out 4 chicks. I think your video is great. thanks for sharing, CHICKENS ARE DEFINENTLTLY WORTH IT!!!!!
+ItsMeJordan ;D i saw a chicken cry the night before it was going to be slaughtered, maybe he knew maybe just maybe
+Amazon Amz dumb ass
thank you!
Great vid, I also own TWO chickens in a 'small' suburban backyard!! NOthing like fresh eggs and NO they definitely don't smell. cheers!
They realy don't smell? I pretend to have 3 in my apartment
Thank you for the great video, and thank you for being open about your faith. I have subscribed and look forward to watching more of your videos in the future.
I'm heading to a local suburban farm and garden expo next month. They will cover gardening, bee keeping and backyard chickens. I've wanted chickens for so long but thought it wouldn't work out. What a great video to come across today, thank you for sharing! I know my kids and I will love some chickens of our own!
That is a gorgeous coop 😍 and adorable chickens 😀
xoMelodyox axxx
I think having chickens is worth it...
There's this guy on UA-cam I found who makes videos of them and gives them voices, lol. Channel name is TheChickenWingman for those interested.
The vast majority of people who have backyard chickens do not measure the worth solely by the dollar.
The value comes from taking care of the chickens, experiencing the joy of watching them grow, observing the peculiarities as they feed and scratch the grass, etc. The eggs may end up costing $1. an egg, but it is all worth it.
When we add in labor cost (what is one's labor worth per hour?), cost of grain, the pen, etc. it becomes even more expensive, but it is still worth it.
My family once had 100 head of chickens, bred and sold meat and eggs. Wyandotte, Polish, Rhode Island Red, Bantam/Banny, and (personal favorite) Barred Rock. Every color of eggs imaginable! Pink, blue, tan, brown, green(?)...either plain or speckled. Best part of my day was gathering eggs. :)
great video brother. GOD BLESS
Thanks! Sorry for the wind noise and thanks for watching!
You've only cleaned the coop twice in six months? Wow. I clean mine every day. Why? Because poop is laden with moisture and moisture, coupled with cold weather, is the leading cause of frostbite. And you don't feed eggs back to your chooks? That is a huge source of protein. As a matter of fact, scramble a couple of eggs every days and give them back to the chooks. But before you scramble them, throw them in the blender whole and blend them up well. Then, when you feed them to your birds, not only are they getting plenty protein but they are getting plenty calcium. as well. That's a beautiful coop, you've done a good job on it and the food and water delivery systems. Great job and thanks for the video.
Thanks Robert! I have found that this winter we need to clean the coop more than in the summer so I will probably be cleaning it out about 3-4 times during the colder months. Since they spend most of the day in the coop it gets messy much quicker! We have also started feed feeding them some leftover cooked eggs as well but we still avoid feeding them chicken meat:) Thanks for sharing your experience!!
Robert Giese Please? Nobody listen to Robert Giese advice. Do not ever feed chicken to chickens, Do not feed them dog food because it has chicken additives, Your chickens can get all the nutrients they need from scratch, Grains and your non-chicken table scraps. Lets not be stupid and start a mad-chicken disease. Some people down the street are doing what Robert is doing, And when it came time for me to buy 50 more chicks, I sure the heck didn't buy there's. Just because you can put transmission fluid in your power steering pump don't mean you should...
Samco Kansas Great advice Samco, not a big fan of feeding chicken too the chickens either and we have plenty of other scraps for them anyway. Our dog loves the chicken though:)
Samco Kansas Where above did I say I feed chicken meat to chickens? If you read that, please tell me where. Lots of people feed boiled eggs and egg shells to their chooks. Neither did I advocate feeding dog food to chooks. Where'd you get that? Scratch is not good, nutritious food for chickens. Feeding them scratch is akin to a person eating potato chips. You owe me an apology.
Bob Giese sorry boss
Its MORE than just worth it. I remember having just 4 hens and 1 rooster and it grew into 10 hens and 2 roosters. Went every morning to check if I had eggs in the coop for breakfast. Once they grew old my dad would make them into soup (don't get pissy with me petards)
But raising them was a true experience to have.
Just got our Coupe very informational thanks for taking the time to share
They are also a nice prevision to have as a precautionary food source for events such as economic collapse.
LOL. Yeah, if there is economic collapse, you're going to need a lot more than a half a dozen chickens.
I'd rather have a half dozen chickens laying a half dozen eggs per day. I will not have meat birds, ever!
Like now, March 31, 2020.
Really well done videos and great advise! We are thinking about getting some chickens and you answered all my questions. Love the Bible passages also! :) Thanks!
Excellent! Glad I could help! Thanks for checking it out!
My chickens give back in many ways. Just watching them interact is a great stress relief after a bad day. We produce enough eggs that I can sell the extras to friends and coworkers covers food costs.
This is what i needed, that push to harvest our own eggs with the family, Thank you!
Could be great to have a tour at this very nice chicken coop.
Sergio W. Baptista Thanks! I have many videos of the coop but not a "tour" so to speak. I will put something together this spring, thanks for checking it out!
Nice coop and beautiful doge and I'm wondering if the chickens and the doge are getting along? Do they irritate him or vice versa? Can they both be outside in the yard? Did you train him at all to be around chickens? Thanks in for sharing your experience with us.
Worth it! I will never recoup money from the supplies ive purchased setting up. I do sell enough eggs to pay for their feed monthly. The chickens mainly eat our kitchen scraps, things that sat in the fridge to long for our comfort, cuttings from fruits and veggies and occasionally i find the coleslaw mix bags on sale for .50Cents. I buy them nice green leafy veggies in the winter and i even feed their eggs including shells (cooked) back to them. I no longer feel bad about wasting food because it feeds the chickens. I enjoy the project and daily care of keeping them. I have never had odor or neighbor issues. My neighbors were concerned about us having roosters which we have none. Their relaxing and its fun to sit outside and watch them mill around the yard among our cats and dog. We just went from 13 chickens to 5 because i sold several and downsized to save some money. I recently took a pay cut and my husband was unemployed for three months. We never worried about going hungry. We rented a chicken coop for almost a year while deciding if chickens were right for us. Now im sending back the rental and beginning to build my own coop. One thing i was surprised about is that even though we don't have a rooster that the hens can be pretty loud themselves.
Been raising chickens for about a year and a half now, and can conclude that what you put into it is 110% worth it! You make just enough money from eggs to break even, but the fun you have with the chickens makes you a fortune in happiness.
W.Co.VIDS Agreed! Fresh eggs are definitely worth it and the chickens are truly a blessing.
Very nice video, not often you hear about how awesome God's creation is and how perfect it all works together :D God Bless and keep up the great work!
McProseph Gaming God bless you. Did God put self sustainability on your mind, as well?
We just got 6 straight run chicks this past Saturday. Sadly one died in less than 24hrs. But the other 5 are doing great. The property we live one has a few “pens” that our landlord had kept goats in. I plan on converting one or 2 into a coop for the chickens. I still want more chicks but this is our first time. I love listening to the chicks 😍
Great video and I love the verse at the end. God bless you guys!
I like the pugi puppy
Chickens can eat a lot foods even molded they have strong scavenging digestive tracts.
I have 4 pet chickens I found them in my backyard well my grandpas backyard and I feed them we don't have a chicken coop so they roam freely so we have to keep them in the backyard cause my grandpa lives super close to train tracks the road and a lot of people and there's a lot of cars near my grandpas house and I have tamed them
I can now hold them and pet them I love
My pet chickens 🐓🐓🐓🐓
I really like your feeding and watering system. It's a great way to keep them clean from the chicken droppings. You also did a nice job on your pen (coop). I had chickens when I was a young teenager out in the country in Ohio. I also had 200 rabbits breeding. Here in Redding, CA one has to make sure there is plenty of water and shade. It gets really hot here. I saw it once get up to 123 degrees in my back yard. Generally it is in the low 100s here in the hotter part of summer.
This our first year raising chickens so thanks for all your good ideas
Do you have plans for this coop? Would really like to build one.
Love my girls. Free range them. Keep my farm pest(ticks) free. Even had them kill and eat mice. Give me eggs every day and are sweet and loving pets as well.
Hiya, I have thought about buying chickens now for some time and after watching your clip it's made my mind up for me, I live in the UK, and was concerned about the winter months, but after watching your clip, speaking to a breeder, we are gonna go ahead.
Thanks
Roy
My wife came home with 4 baby chicks...We haven't built a chicken coop yet. I have to say I was a bit reserved and not sure I wanted them...But like you said they don't smell or make noise. Not to mention the are pretty cute as babies. Great video.
Put some sand or extra dirt in the pen occasionally they like dirt baths to keep the lice at bay.
I was just commenting to my wife on that the other day. We put play sand in the run and they bury themselves in it when it is warm
yeah they like their dirt bathes
Use wood chipings instead of hay to help keep live at bay
+Warlords87 lice
yes lice it is common , especially if wild birds come in contact with them they can also get grass fleas just like a cat or dog. check into it.
Homegrown is always the best, the stuff from the store doesn't come close and it's pumped with crap and also they treat the animals thousand times worse.
+iriyabran agreed!
I thought so too. After visiting the local egg producer, it was made clear over and over that an unhappy, unhealthy chicken doesn't lay an egg. They were most concerned for the health and care of the hens and try different living conditions to keep them happy and healthy.
Thank you so much. This video is wonderful as well as the one with your wife speaking. My family is having a garden "installed" next month and we're also strongly considering raising about 6-10 chickens and a bee hive later. My husband's initial ideas were the same as yours and he seems to be very open at this point. Much success to you and your lovely family.
+Kim Carrington thank you for the kind words and I hope that this info helped you in your decision! Good luck with your garden and hopefully chickens!
Thanks for the video. We built chicken coop last year. We love our chickens and family and friends buy the eggs.
The title had me looking forward to a dollar break down of the costs to benefits. Too bad it's just a "do it" video.
they are worth it
I think the more of us get over the idea that cheaper is better, when it comes to food, the better off we'll be. I had this attitude for many years, raising a bunch of kids, but now that more and more info is coming out about corrupt farming practices, I think it's worth it, just for the increase in quality. And if you have kids, raising animals is a wonderful experience.
Thanks for the info Great video I can't wait to get my chicks for years My wife and I would talk about it but think now is the perfect time Thanks 😊
Awesome video brother ! 👍😃
Chickens are worth it
This is something i am looking into for the future since a still stay at my parents they wont be happy with chickens round the back garden lol but be good to do .. Nice video thanks for the tips
I live in the city and I absolutely love having chickens. I only have four but I am hooked.
Tie that dog up, open that coop door, and let those chickens free range in your backyard. Egg quality will go to the next level if you let them free range in the backyard.
+Paul McWhorter they do free range quite often. Also use the chicken tractor sometimes
Train the dog, my hens free range with my dogs.
What happens when the hens stop producing? I'm a meat eater, but I can't slaughter my own pet chicken nor could I give them away to someone who will.
+Sam A That is a battle that I am having with my wife and kids as well:) The ideal thing to do is to take them to be slaughtered after about 2-3 years. However, they should continue to lay eggs until about 3-4 years although not as much as they did in the beginning. So if you do want to eat your pets, you can just keep them until they pass on naturally. Life expectancy of the breed I have is 4-5 years
+SSLFamilyDad I guess I'll let them pass naturally. If they fed me with eggs for all those years, there is no reason to repay them with death and eat them. I think of them as pets first, the eggs are an added bonus :)
+SSLFamilyDad I also eat chicken, but I could never kill my pet ones. I mean, when the have been giving me breakfast for the past 5 years and I've named them it would be so hard to. But then again I have a pretty big farm and I have room for about 50 chickens, so really its not a problem for me.
+Sam A I will keep ours until the pass naturally. We are thinking of moving to the country in the next few years so when we finally can get them in our town, we will keep them as pets and maybe move by then so we can add to the flock.
I have chickens and I think of it as a responsibility. If I can't slaughter and eat my chickens then why should I be allowed to own them? If your not strong enough to eat your chickens then I personally would not own them. But if the chicken you own is a "pet" than of course your not going to eat them!!! Don't eat your pets!
In the heat of the summer, my chickens LOVED a pice of frozen watermelon. So much fun to have chickens and they are so lovable and they will play with you like a dog and they like to sit on your lap and be stroked.
Love raising chicks, hens and bunch of roosters. We love fresh egg and fresh meat for our big family. We got lots of video on this and we are new at this backyard chicken raising. Our first time was in May 2016 and now we hatched our own chicks too ! We do what feel naturally and what work for our kids and us in taking care of our small flock. Thanks for sharing. Yes it is worth it to live off the land !
My mother has about 8 cats and are very expensive with food, climbers, toys, and vet bills, they even took over her enclosed patio and the list goes on. Unlike my chickens which give me food in return, compost for my garden, teach me about farming, and some of them follow me around the yard and sit in my lap more than mom's cats ever did. By raising chickens, it teaches us what God intended for us to do.
I have had chickens now for about 7 months and now I'm hooked and want to raise more. I like all the different varieties and personalities of each one. They add life and excitement to my back yard. I look forward every morning before and after work to be greeted by my chickens running up to me for treats and love.
JERRYR708 7 months that is about the same time for us..well said...totally agreed with you...check out my new video that I just upload yesterday about hatching your own egg to add to my flock
hi nice videos and watched and enjoyed overseas ... UK and europe.
To comment on one part of your video regarding checking to see if you are permitted or not...
With specific regard to UK law, permission does not have to be sought to keep hens and rabbits regardless of any tenancy agreement. If cocks or cockerels, (a cockerel is specifically defined as a young cock under 1 yr in UK), are kept then there may be grounds to have them done away with on grounds of noise pollution if complaints are received. It is my experience that in my conversations with allotment holders and other rented house holders who want to keep chickens but are told the can't, are unaware of their statutory rights, and can.
The relevant legislation is Section.12 of the 1950 Allotments Act.:
"(1) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any lease or tenancy or in any covenant, contract or undertaking relating to the use to be made of any land, it shall be lawful for the occupier of any land to keep, otherwise than by way of trade or business, hens or rabbits in any place on the land and to erect or place and maintain such buildings or structures on the land as reasonably necessary for that purpose:
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall authorise any hens or rabbits to be kept in such a place or in such a manner as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance or affect the operation of any enactment."
Sections 1 to 11 are specifically headed "Allotment" but S.12 headed: "abolition of contractual restrictions on keeping hens and rabbits". and specifically states "any land".
Laying aside all the legal mumbo-jumbo providing no other Parliamentary Act is contravened i.e. animal welfare, health and safety or noise pollution S.12 of this act over rides any contractual agreement that prohibits hens.(or rabbits) on any rented property.
As for noise pollution; neighbours have to give due tolerance at such a low dB level.
Keep them without cruelty, clean, healthy, well housed and fed and none can stop you. It is your right by Act of Parliament.
(for readers outside the UK... 'Allotments' are strips of arable land, cheaply rented to the people, for the production of non commercial fruit and vegetables, generally in urban areas. They came about to pacify the poor when common land, the commons, was inclosed by the plutocrats and the poor were herded into cities as industrial wage slaves. It is interesting to correlate that mass emigration peaks to the USA occurred during the high points of land inclosure between 1604 and 1914 when nearly 7 million acres, (11,000 sq miles) was lost by the people to the few on this small island.)
It’s worth it when the grocery stores limit us to one dozen eggs. I feel like I’m living in communist cuba
No way! Where do you live?
Raising chickens is probably similar to growing potatoes. Potatoes are really cheap in the store, but nothing beats digging them out of the ground. And you know what kind of chemicals were used.
Just got my first egg chicken. Stoked to add more to my brood. Love your videos.
Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer
Very clever Mastte2 however I personally live more closer to this verse:) - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (with my two hands working). Philippians 4:13. Thanks for stopping by!
Mastte2 it only takes the faith of a mustard seed in prayer to do more work than a thousand hands at work ever could!
Amen brother!!!! Preach
Tammy Freitas yes,Tammy!!
Thanks for the Christ-centered passage at the end of the video. Thank you for recognizing God's brilliance in the order of creation. I enjoy your videos.
We are getting ready to move to So. Arizona to a house on 16 acres. .My sister lives there and already has chickens. We plan on it and I can't wait !!! I have to read up on how to keep them safe. Between hawks, rattle snakes, Ravens ( who will steal the eggs if you don't watch out) they need some protection. Can't wait to set everything up and you gave me great ideas with feeding and watering systems.... God Bless you and thanks for this video !
Thanks for that video. Very good. I'm getting ready for my 2 first chickens. Hopefully, my cats will love them.
My wife wanted to start growing her own hens about 4 years ago. It is definitely NOT worth it financially. We are up to about 110 hens and about 40 eggs per day. I have built 3 coops, the largest of which is 8 foot by 32 foot. It has 2 by 6 walls, double insulated Pella windows and a $2,700 pellet stove for our cold New York winter nights. One hen was hiding under another coop tonight and I had to crawl under, on the frozen ground to go get her. What a bitch. HOWEVER, my wife of 35 years could not be pried away from her chickens now. Think she likes them more than me lately. She'll be getting more in the spring.
My wife started with 12 back in February 2012. The next month, she bought another 24. She has increased her number every year since. She doesn't breed them. Most of them came from a farm in Ohio, two states away. they get here priority USPS. That way you have more of a guarantee at getting just hens. I say she's gone off the deep end with them, but I end up helping her with the chores every morning before we go to work. Between the harvest in the morning and the evening, she gathers about 40 eggs each day.
Since some of them are now 4 years old, their production has gone down. Since they don't sign the eggs, you can't tell exactly who is still producing and who has gone into retirement.
Our upstate New York back yard was 5° below zero this morning and it was 54° inside the coop. Some days, it does seem like overkill, but you just have to crack open the insulated windows a bit. That wasn't the case this morning. These are probably very expensive eggs if I tried to divide their value into all I've put into the coops. Cost doesn't seem to bother her.
+Scott9084 Chickens- if unhappy (like being too many in the coop) are less likely to lay eggs- culling the herd down, may increase the productivity. - you can look this info up to verify :)
They can either be a profitable hobby or an expensive hobby... it's how you handle it.
110 hens. Yikes. My family only has 2 hens that lay eggs daily. It's a bit much to maintain. I can't imagine 110 hens. Maybe you guys should give away a few hens. IJS.
uh...The financial aspect of building chicken coops like they are buildings for people is kinda dumb. If you're doing it because you like to build chicken mansions, that's fine but it's not a necessary part of having chickens.
I build homes...large homes...professionally and I just don't see the point of spending 5K or more on a chicken coop for "backyard chickens"
buy a shark not chickens
Broc Theil I think I found a kid. Hint: It's you, I can tell just by your first comment
I did the pet shark thing but the frikkin lasers got a bit tiring.
New sub here. I learned of your channel from a gardening channel that used your defence from deer getting into your garden fence using strong fishing line. I have watched a few of your video's and love them! You do a great job putting them together and information is great! Thank you! And one of the things I love the most are the scripture text at the end of every video. Awesome from beginning of the end!
Thank you for the video. My husband and I own 5 acre and we're thinking about adding chickens to our family. :)
A few short years later and you're building a massive hoop house! cool video thanks for posting!