They are not 'great pets', but FABULOUS pets! Yes, as good as cats and dogs. I think I am a better cat mother now after having had budgies then chickens, they teach you to be more observant, especially for illness which chickens hide really well. My rescue cat has showed very subtle signs of being a bit off, and has been booked in to see the vet for tests and examination. I attribute that to having kept chickens.
This and more of your videos should be shown to every single person buying chicks from Tractor Supply or southern states, etc. and so forth. Having any animal is always a learning experience and you always think you’ve done your research before hand, but there’s always more to be learned and discovered and lamented over! I wish there were more breeds that weren’t such crazy producers of eggs, with longer life spans, and longer production years, even if it was an egg every three days or so.
I totally agree with you! I have a couple of Red Sex Links I'm so worried about. My first time with this breed and I got them because I wanted chicks but couldn't take on anymore roosters. I also only buy chicks locally since shipping is so stressful on them, and that left me with Red and Black Sex Links - got 2 of each. My Red Sex Links are almost 2 years old and haven't molted! They haven't had a break from egg-laying since they started laying. Very concerning to me. I'm worried I'll lose them to reproductive problems this year or next. I'll be doing a video on this topic soon, but it's so sad how our desire for nonstop eggs has hurt domestic hens. I wish there was a breed that would lay 1-2 eggs a week consistently for years. :)
@@thefeatherbrain oh no :( about three weeks ago I got six 6 month old red sex link hens from a local farm and have fallen in love with them. Then took your “chicken soul mate quiz” and got red sex link as my result lol. I’m sure it would be a lot of work but a breed profile rundown would be awesome. I’ve been “binge watching” your channel and really appreciate your viewpoint, knowledge and take on “chicken-ing” ❤️
@@katemolly100 Your sex links may be very different from mine. Sex links are cross-breeds and some have different breeds bred into them than others. The ones I bought locally are descendants of a commercial European line. That means they're meant to be factory farm hens and have been bred for maximum production and no concern for long-term health. Yours may very well be a healthier strain, so don't worry too much. There is so much variation in sex links...
I got into owning chickens I had a friend who had mental health problems and fresh batch of newly hatched chicks ended up saving his life, he now owns over 100 chickens
Texas Mad Dogs - Thanks for sharing about your buddy. Bless him and how well he is doing now. God works in mysterious ways. I am getting 6 babe chicks here soon. Know they will change things for the better for me, too. Have a good one, Friend.
@@americanpatriot7247 my friend is still an acholic and 10 years now since his last drink and is doing well with his new life and over 100 chickens to look after and protect
I have 13 hens and I get 8 to 11 a day. My chickens are 8 months old. I have had chickens for years. It depends on climate, feed, and age of chickens for laying.
Bri, you know I'm your #1 fan. I freakin' love you and your videos. I watch you very closely for all things chicken wisdom, and you've helped me so much since I've found your videos, and I consider you a youtube friend. But I do have to disagree with you here, and this is why: The title of this video is misleading and misconstrues the topic. Your video comes with the following absolutely correct premises and conclusion: Premise 1: Hens don't lay for their entire lives. Premise 2: Hens will need to be replaced if you want continual eggs. Premise 3: Hens will molt and will not lay from Fall through Winter. Premise 4: Hens will not lay eggs until they are at least 4-6 months old. Conclusion: Don't get chickens for eggs unless you understand these challenges ahead of time. Your title, however, only gives the first half of the conclusion as a definitive, exclamatory absolute, and the title alone is easily seen as an all-encompassing conclusion. But it's not true in itself, as you well state. It may dissuade and even scare-off potential chicken owners from even considering it further, or at the very least, plant the seed of doubt and potentially fear at the prospect. Some may even see the title and not even go further than that: Decision made. Curiosity and adventure, as well as need for our personal drivers, fuels us into chicken husbandry, and I'm concerned this title as it is may prohibit a very important stage of growth we are seeing as a society among viewers: Responsibility for one's own food sources, or at least an appreciation of where it comes from. I think your title would be better posed as a question, as opposed to a definitive, negative statement. I think the title should be changed to be more accurate to your true message, and less alarming. "Should you get chickens for eggs?" is more in line with what people are asking, and more in line with your message here. At least, that's my take on things. 💜 That is all. Please don't hate me, because I love you. Love you to bits n' bits. Barb
Hi Barb, Thank you for the thoughtful and honest response. I could never hate you! Got your email from awhile back, by the way. I'm not ignoring you - just takes me a long time to respond to emails - a looooong time. But I always appreciate what you have to say and consider you a friend too! I promise I'll get back to you one of these days!! Totally get your dislike of the title. I originally had the same title, but with a parentheses added at the end "(without knowing THIS)." Perhaps I'll add that back in. But the main reason I went with this title was because 1) It was beautifully short and in general my short title videos do better, and 2) Because I've had a million videos come up in my UA-cam feed telling everyone they need to buy chickens as a solution to the egg shortage/high prices, which I wholeheartedly disagree with. This title stands in stark contrast to that. I view myself as one of the very few chicken people online right now who always takes the side of the chicken. I like chickens more than I like people. I like to fancy myself a chicken advocate. And when you say the title may plant a seed of doubt or fear, that's generally what I'm going for with my chicken-raising advice. I dislike the viewpoint that everybody should own chickens (I know you're not saying that, but I feel it's prevalent in chicken advice). And I think people tend to jump into chickens with far too little knowledge of what they're getting into. This often leads to results that break my heart. As an example, we have new neighbors starting to build a house next to us and they lived there in an RV this year. These are rich people (one's a doctor) who can afford pretty much anything, and they decided willy nilly they would get chickens for eggs. They didn't even have a coop for them. Put them in a tiny run with a roof but that had no shade at some times during the day (in 100+ degree heat). They languished there in that tiny space. And one day, the chickens were just gone. I didn't ask what happened to them because I really didn't want to know. And the same is true of many others who live in my rural area, except they've been raising chickens for years - always in appalling conditions. I have a million more stories from people who email me about their problems who really never should have gotten chickens in the first place. My goal with all my videos is to try to peel people away from the view that chickens are commodities that are only here to serve us (again, I know that's not what you're saying). My hope is to slowly persuade people that chickens are just as intelligent, sentient, social, and special as dogs and cats. I'm not against raising them for eggs and meat, but I want us all to be very cognizant of who we're raising and killing, and to do those things in the most humane ways possible. To give our birds the (HIGH quality) lives they deserve, whether those lives be long or short. My hope with the title is to make people stop in their tracks for a moment. They are bombarded with advice to get chickens, and my hope is to make them think, maybe this isn't the best idea. I do like to plant the seed of doubt, and I also doubt that someone will read the title alone and be discouraged from buying. But you might be right and I will think on it and perhaps change the title. Love you too, Barb and you can always feel free to share your criticism with me. :) I love to hear your always-honest and well-thought-out viewpoints. Bri
Hi ladies!! Just read your reader comment and the "chicken lady" response. Both kind and well thought out!! After reading both, and thinking on my decision to get chickens in my fenced backyard for the first time, I have decided to go forward (I want the eggs and the experience with animals I have never had) but this time it's with the idea to get eggs and then enjoy "my girls" as they age. I would have to literally be starving to eat them. They may be chickens, but they are created by God and given His spark of life. I only have the space for a total of 12 chickens to keep them healthy and happy, so I am starting with 6 chicks and will plan on more as the 5-6 year mark comes around then add 2-3 more to the flock, having figured out by then the brilliant & successful way to get my established chickens to accept the new "future egg-layer teens" when the time comes to put them outside in their runs...... grin. Oh, sorry, dang, didn't mean to get into your conversation. Bye.
I have 9 girls And 1 boy, however my girls are more for my psychological welfare than egg production, 4 of which are 3 years old 2 are 6 years old and will live a happy lives for however they are with me.
I have hens over 4 years old. Not many eggs this winter... until I added solar path lights! I'm getting 6 to 8 eggs a day in March from 10 hens (Easter Eggers, a bantam, and an Appenzeller Spitzhauben).
I have zero chickens (HOA restrictions). But my parents and grandparents raised a lot of them for generations. Hence, I am very interested; and I watch a lot of chicken-related channels. Your channel is my favorite. Why? It's because you seem to love your chickens, and you possess lived experience. As importantly, it's also because you provide reliable, scientific, and accurate information not just information gathered from your individual situation. A lived experience (phenomenological or qualitative research) is an important piece of information; but it needs to be supported and confirmed by studies and data (quantitative research) - several of them. I also consult reliable sources about chickens like you do, particularly universities. An example would be all of the chicken keepers who say you shouldn't heat your coop, because your chickens will be just fine in 0 degree temps. A lot of them aren't paying attention to any other source aside from themselves in order to support whatever it is they decide they want to do or perhaps to pay for. Meanwhile, their chickens suffer in winter. In terms of this video, I personally stopped being able to give birth at a certain age, and I became more susceptible to certain diseases and negative health conditions. Why would anyone think chickens would be any different? Consult the scientific studies, folks. I say all of this to say: YOU and others like you - of whom there are very few - are important voices in the chicken community. I hope you will come back after your respite stronger and more determined to get correct information out there than ever.
About roosters abusing one hen: I’ve done all you have suggested. I have watched and watched to see if he is being triggered to attack one certain hen (the same every time) she submits but, he just attacks her and pecks her neck and head extremely hard and won’t stop. This has been on going for about 3 months. The only thing that has saved him is his exceptional oversight of the hens. He keeps them very safe, except for the one hen. It’s as if he has decided she isn’t welcome in the flock anymore and he is ready to prove it by killing her.
I just found you today! I have 12-1 year old hens and 1 rooster and just got 6 more chicks 4 weeks ago. I so wish I would have found you sooner!! I really want to bond with them, is it too late? Some (mostly my 3 Houdans) are close to me but the others are not. I absolutely am loving watching all you videos!! Thanks for all the great information ❤
It's never too late to bond! Just spend as much time with them as you can - it may take weeks or months, depending on the individual, but most will bond to some degree or another.
Add meat in winter to up the protein. It helps bunches . And they lay again after the molt. I don’t eat hens. That’s what a rooster is for. But then again I kinda don’t eat them too. The lack of bugs in winter has a bunch to do with not laying I found.
I love my chickens and we are gonna keep it at 9. Our kids are grown and we just get so much joy from the chicks. They make us laugh every day. E joke that we are gonna have a retirement home for our chick. When they stop laying we will still love them.
Lay for a couple of years? REALLY? I had 9 barred rock hens that laid eggs on a regular basis for more than 8 years.....maybe it's what you're feeding them and how you're allowing them to live? The only time they didn't lay was when they were molting....But.... I used a light on a timer during the winter to trick their bodies into laying.
I have 10 hens and no roo. I have consistently getting 8-9 eggs EVERY day. Everyone says they're hens have stopped laying in the winter. There are a few things that I do for my girls that I think helps. 1) I always supplement their pellets with fresh veggies that have been marked down in the grocery i.e. coleslaw, lettuce mixes. Also, I keep their nesting boxes full of nice fresh pine chips and sprinkle Italian Herbs in each box. I don't know why, but they Love it and reward me with big beautiful eggs. In case you wanted to know, I have Golden Comets and White Brahmin hens. Ya'll better step up your game! Just sayin' it's not always true that the chickens stop laying in the winter!
Once they get some years on them, they tend to stop laying in winter. Mine were wonderful layers initially too. That's the point of the video. It's the biology of aging. The silver lining is that it's MUCH better for their health to not lay all year long. Their chances of ovarian disease and other reproductive problems go down drastically with less laying. I personally get very worried about hens that lay too much - I have a couple of 2-year-old Red Sex Links now that have gone 2 years WITHOUT molting and continue to lay almost daily. This is not healthy. They have a high likelihood of dying in the next year or two because of this from reproductive problems.
@@thefeatherbrain I agree with everything you're saying and have also wondered what effect laying every single day, large to jumbo eggs will have on their health. My Golden Comets have not molted yet either and they are in their second year. Makes me wonder if some of the hatcheries are producing chicks to do this more often now.
I named my 3 girls so i don't have the heart to "process" them for meat... Maybe I can find a pioneer person who would do it for me but doubt I have the courage to follow thru 🥲
@@saltyshieldmaiden I originally got dual purpose breeds for eggs and meat. I didn't want chickens for pets; I just didn't want to support factory farms any longer. I figured I'd breed them and kill the roosters for food. Only a few months later, not only did I realize I could never kill any of them, I took in more roosters someone had abandoned on the highway. Sigh. Now I just don't eat chicken. (But I do eat humanely raised beef from a nearby farm.)
I've had chickens a long time, this is the first time using western methods of keeping chickens, the reason I'm using a western method is to loose less birds to predators.
I am hoping to have chickens for pets and eggs. My plan is to have 4 chickens, and once they stop or not produce eggs then I would get another 4 chicks. They live around 8-10 years (?) so if you add new chicken every 4 years or so you can have a continuous production. But in my case they will be part of my family just like my kids, dog and cats are...So they will live their full life with me and then I'll burry them or have them cremated...not sure.. I haven't eat meat in 15 years and I just started eating eggs...so my as well have chickens. I can't wait!
For me, the eggs are a side benefit of the pet thing, I love my girls and would not think about dispatching them when production slows. I do (jokingly) tell them off and call them a bunch of freeloaders! Feed and breed play a part, as well as age, daylight hours and temperature. Wyandottes are supposed to be good winter layers, I now have two, and nope, that is just some rumour someone started! As for age, my champion mixed-breed layer laid well up until aged nine (then got injured, put down a few months later), but she showed the younger girls a thing or two about laying. I was never able to identify what breeds she was. My late aunt ran a commercial egg farm back in the 60s-80s. Yes, the flocks were 'rotated out' in the dinner table fashion. She also had artificial lighting for winter keeping the daylight hours up - but that is not something I would do, given I prefer a more natural approach. I think it is probably better for their long term health to take that break during winter, and not overtax their bodies during the cold weather when they need their energy to stay warm. On feed, I did see a tip years ago about feeding bread to them. This should be done with caution, only a treat sized offering torn into extremely small pieces and watch out for impacted crop. Having said that, I am currently in late winter, introduced some multi-grain bread as a treat, and a few of them are now doing some occasional laying. I think the bread probably helps with body warmth, so they do not expend all energy on keeping warm (just a theory). Others suggest more protein (again, only treat portions) of meat or cheese (perhaps mealworms, but I have not tried it). Treat foods should not exceed 10% of the diet. To get you through winter, look into egg glassing, fairly easy. So keep the abundance you get during the laying months, and store them whole for winter. People have also (mixed white and yolk, beaten) and frozen into trays.
@The Featherbrain. Very informative and we thank you so very much for all the effort and wealth of info! However, you never add a link to the videos that you say you're going to do!
I have a young flock but know they will stop laying as much next year or so. I could do the farmer thing but my husband wont lol. I have been getting an egg a day for two years from my RIR. Only one month in the winter they skipped a day or two a week. My one year old Wyandottes give me 5 eggs a week through the winter. My Buff Orpington’s lay everyday and are two. My Brahma has decided to stop laying and go broody this spring.
Did you mention how old your girls were? Maybe I missed it? I´ve been a bit bummed about production this year. Six 2-year-old hens laying 2 eggs a day. They keep going broody on me - like it's contagious: ¨Well if SHE is going to be broody then so am I!¨ Next it´ll be molting, then it´ll be short daylight hours. Ah well, they're my girls. And I´ve got new ones growing up for next year.
Hi , I was hoping you could answer this question. I purchased your raising chicks course and it was very very helpful so thank you. My question is, I am going to put a sand box under the roosting bar and clean it out regularly and wanted to know if I could put some kitty litter in their also to help with the moisture such. My chickens would not have access to the sand/kitty litter because I have wire over the bins. I am going to set up soon and would love to have your opinion. Thank you. Sandy
Hey I need your help I have a hand she's about 2 years old and I notice she's breathing kind of hard she's her legs her Or wider than the other henss when she's walking
Lol I know you didn't mean that as a joke, but as the most libertarian, anti-government, anti-corporatist, anti-authoritarian person you'll ever meet, it made me laugh anyway. I consider myself a chicken advocate, which often puts me at odds with the homestead types. I like chickens more than people. :)
I'd get chickens if I never got an egg. I just love chickens they make great pets and they help my depression
I'm with you, Patti. One of my hopes is to help others understand chickens are just as good of pets as cats or dogs.
They are not 'great pets', but FABULOUS pets! Yes, as good as cats and dogs.
I think I am a better cat mother now after having had budgies then chickens, they teach you to be more observant, especially for illness which chickens hide really well. My rescue cat has showed very subtle signs of being a bit off, and has been booked in to see the vet for tests and examination. I attribute that to having kept chickens.
This and more of your videos should be shown to every single person buying chicks from Tractor Supply or southern states, etc. and so forth. Having any animal is always a learning experience and you always think you’ve done your research before hand, but there’s always more to be learned and discovered and lamented over!
I wish there were more breeds that weren’t such crazy producers of eggs, with longer life spans, and longer production years, even if it was an egg every three days or so.
I totally agree with you! I have a couple of Red Sex Links I'm so worried about. My first time with this breed and I got them because I wanted chicks but couldn't take on anymore roosters. I also only buy chicks locally since shipping is so stressful on them, and that left me with Red and Black Sex Links - got 2 of each.
My Red Sex Links are almost 2 years old and haven't molted! They haven't had a break from egg-laying since they started laying. Very concerning to me. I'm worried I'll lose them to reproductive problems this year or next. I'll be doing a video on this topic soon, but it's so sad how our desire for nonstop eggs has hurt domestic hens. I wish there was a breed that would lay 1-2 eggs a week consistently for years. :)
@@thefeatherbrain oh no :( about three weeks ago I got six 6 month old red sex link hens from a local farm and have fallen in love with them. Then took your “chicken soul mate quiz” and got red sex link as my result lol.
I’m sure it would be a lot of work but a breed profile rundown would be awesome. I’ve been “binge watching” your channel and really appreciate your viewpoint, knowledge and take on “chicken-ing” ❤️
Don’t shop there
@@katemolly100 Your sex links may be very different from mine. Sex links are cross-breeds and some have different breeds bred into them than others. The ones I bought locally are descendants of a commercial European line. That means they're meant to be factory farm hens and have been bred for maximum production and no concern for long-term health. Yours may very well be a healthier strain, so don't worry too much. There is so much variation in sex links...
I got into owning chickens I had a friend who had mental health problems and fresh batch of newly hatched chicks ended up saving his life, he now owns over 100 chickens
Love that!
Texas Mad Dogs - Thanks for sharing about your buddy. Bless him and how well he is doing now. God works in mysterious ways. I am getting 6 babe chicks here soon. Know they will change things for the better for me, too. Have a good one, Friend.
@@americanpatriot7247 my friend is still an acholic and 10 years now since his last drink and is doing well with his new life and over 100 chickens to look after and protect
I have 13 hens and I get 8 to 11 a day. My chickens are 8 months old. I have had chickens for years. It depends on climate, feed, and age of chickens for laying.
So true, Natalie.
And breed
I am an animal lover but I never realized how much I would love my chickens as much as I do!
Mine also stop laying while they are broody and it takes a while to stop them from being broody. Love 'em anyway.
Bri, you know I'm your #1 fan. I freakin' love you and your videos. I watch you very closely for all things chicken wisdom, and you've helped me so much since I've found your videos, and I consider you a youtube friend. But I do have to disagree with you here, and this is why:
The title of this video is misleading and misconstrues the topic. Your video comes with the following absolutely correct premises and conclusion:
Premise 1: Hens don't lay for their entire lives.
Premise 2: Hens will need to be replaced if you want continual eggs.
Premise 3: Hens will molt and will not lay from Fall through Winter.
Premise 4: Hens will not lay eggs until they are at least 4-6 months old.
Conclusion: Don't get chickens for eggs unless you understand these challenges ahead of time.
Your title, however, only gives the first half of the conclusion as a definitive, exclamatory absolute, and the title alone is easily seen as an all-encompassing conclusion. But it's not true in itself, as you well state. It may dissuade and even scare-off potential chicken owners from even considering it further, or at the very least, plant the seed of doubt and potentially fear at the prospect. Some may even see the title and not even go further than that: Decision made. Curiosity and adventure, as well as need for our personal drivers, fuels us into chicken husbandry, and I'm concerned this title as it is may prohibit a very important stage of growth we are seeing as a society among viewers: Responsibility for one's own food sources, or at least an appreciation of where it comes from. I think your title would be better posed as a question, as opposed to a definitive, negative statement. I think the title should be changed to be more accurate to your true message, and less alarming. "Should you get chickens for eggs?" is more in line with what people are asking, and more in line with your message here. At least, that's my take on things. 💜
That is all. Please don't hate me, because I love you. Love you to bits n' bits.
Barb
Hi Barb,
Thank you for the thoughtful and honest response. I could never hate you! Got your email from awhile back, by the way. I'm not ignoring you - just takes me a long time to respond to emails - a looooong time. But I always appreciate what you have to say and consider you a friend too! I promise I'll get back to you one of these days!!
Totally get your dislike of the title. I originally had the same title, but with a parentheses added at the end "(without knowing THIS)." Perhaps I'll add that back in. But the main reason I went with this title was because 1) It was beautifully short and in general my short title videos do better, and 2) Because I've had a million videos come up in my UA-cam feed telling everyone they need to buy chickens as a solution to the egg shortage/high prices, which I wholeheartedly disagree with. This title stands in stark contrast to that.
I view myself as one of the very few chicken people online right now who always takes the side of the chicken. I like chickens more than I like people. I like to fancy myself a chicken advocate. And when you say the title may plant a seed of doubt or fear, that's generally what I'm going for with my chicken-raising advice. I dislike the viewpoint that everybody should own chickens (I know you're not saying that, but I feel it's prevalent in chicken advice). And I think people tend to jump into chickens with far too little knowledge of what they're getting into. This often leads to results that break my heart.
As an example, we have new neighbors starting to build a house next to us and they lived there in an RV this year. These are rich people (one's a doctor) who can afford pretty much anything, and they decided willy nilly they would get chickens for eggs. They didn't even have a coop for them. Put them in a tiny run with a roof but that had no shade at some times during the day (in 100+ degree heat). They languished there in that tiny space. And one day, the chickens were just gone. I didn't ask what happened to them because I really didn't want to know.
And the same is true of many others who live in my rural area, except they've been raising chickens for years - always in appalling conditions. I have a million more stories from people who email me about their problems who really never should have gotten chickens in the first place.
My goal with all my videos is to try to peel people away from the view that chickens are commodities that are only here to serve us (again, I know that's not what you're saying). My hope is to slowly persuade people that chickens are just as intelligent, sentient, social, and special as dogs and cats. I'm not against raising them for eggs and meat, but I want us all to be very cognizant of who we're raising and killing, and to do those things in the most humane ways possible. To give our birds the (HIGH quality) lives they deserve, whether those lives be long or short.
My hope with the title is to make people stop in their tracks for a moment. They are bombarded with advice to get chickens, and my hope is to make them think, maybe this isn't the best idea. I do like to plant the seed of doubt, and I also doubt that someone will read the title alone and be discouraged from buying. But you might be right and I will think on it and perhaps change the title.
Love you too, Barb and you can always feel free to share your criticism with me. :) I love to hear your always-honest and well-thought-out viewpoints.
Bri
Hi ladies!! Just read your reader comment and the "chicken lady" response. Both kind and well thought out!! After reading both, and thinking on my decision to get chickens in my fenced backyard for the first time, I have decided to go forward (I want the eggs and the experience with animals I have never had) but this time it's with the idea to get eggs and then enjoy "my girls" as they age. I would have to literally be starving to eat them.
They may be chickens, but they are created by God and given His spark of life. I only have the space for a total of 12 chickens to keep them healthy and happy, so I am starting with 6 chicks and will plan on more as the 5-6 year mark comes around then add 2-3 more to the flock, having figured out by then the brilliant & successful way to get my established chickens to accept the new "future egg-layer teens" when the time comes to put them outside in their runs...... grin.
Oh, sorry, dang, didn't mean to get into your conversation. Bye.
@@americanpatriot7247 Oh gosh, that is so cute! You're gonna love your girls. :) Congratulations, and good luck!!
@@homeatlaska Thank you. I am looking forward to getting to know my chickens. Blessings, ma'am.
When your chickens are your pets the eggs are a bonus, but not a necessity.
I have 9 girls And 1 boy, however my girls are more for my psychological welfare than egg production, 4 of which are 3 years old 2 are 6 years old and will live a happy lives for however they are with me.
Great information for everyone thinking about getting chicks or chickens!
Your videos helped me bond with my new flock of chicks this year. They hop right into my hand and nuzzle me ❤️
I have hens over 4 years old. Not many eggs this winter... until I added solar path lights! I'm getting 6 to 8 eggs a day in March from 10 hens (Easter Eggers, a bantam, and an Appenzeller Spitzhauben).
I have zero chickens (HOA restrictions). But my parents and grandparents raised a lot of them for generations. Hence, I am very interested; and I watch a lot of chicken-related channels.
Your channel is my favorite. Why? It's because you seem to love your chickens, and you possess lived experience. As importantly, it's also because you provide reliable, scientific, and accurate information not just information gathered from your individual situation. A lived experience (phenomenological or qualitative research) is an important piece of information; but it needs to be supported and confirmed by studies and data (quantitative research) - several of them.
I also consult reliable sources about chickens like you do, particularly universities. An example would be all of the chicken keepers who say you shouldn't heat your coop, because your chickens will be just fine in 0 degree temps. A lot of them aren't paying attention to any other source aside from themselves in order to support whatever it is they decide they want to do or perhaps to pay for. Meanwhile, their chickens suffer in winter.
In terms of this video, I personally stopped being able to give birth at a certain age, and I became more susceptible to certain diseases and negative health conditions. Why would anyone think chickens would be any different? Consult the scientific studies, folks.
I say all of this to say: YOU and others like you - of whom there are very few - are important voices in the chicken community. I hope you will come back after your respite stronger and more determined to get correct information out there than ever.
About roosters abusing one hen:
I’ve done all you have suggested. I have watched and watched to see if he is being triggered to attack one certain hen (the same every time) she submits but, he just attacks her and pecks her neck and head extremely hard and won’t stop.
This has been on going for about 3 months.
The only thing that has saved him is his exceptional oversight of the hens. He keeps them very safe, except for the one hen. It’s as if he has decided she isn’t welcome in the flock anymore and he is ready to prove it by killing her.
I just found you today! I have 12-1 year old hens and 1 rooster and just got 6 more chicks 4 weeks ago. I so wish I would have found you sooner!! I really want to bond with them, is it too late? Some (mostly my 3 Houdans) are close to me but the others are not. I absolutely am loving watching all you videos!! Thanks for all the great information ❤
It's never too late to bond! Just spend as much time with them as you can - it may take weeks or months, depending on the individual, but most will bond to some degree or another.
Add meat in winter to up the protein. It helps bunches . And they lay again after the molt. I don’t eat hens. That’s what a rooster is for. But then again I kinda don’t eat them too. The lack of bugs in winter has a bunch to do with not laying I found.
But only a little meat, because they get runny poo if they have too much. Same goes for cheese too.
I love my chickens and we are gonna keep it at 9. Our kids are grown and we just get so much joy from the chicks. They make us laugh every day. E joke that we are gonna have a retirement home for our chick. When they stop laying we will still love them.
Good idea ma'am .thank you for sharing.happy farming 😘😘
Lay for a couple of years? REALLY? I had 9 barred rock hens that laid eggs on a regular basis for more than 8 years.....maybe it's what you're feeding them and how you're allowing them to live? The only time they didn't lay was when they were molting....But.... I used a light on a timer during the winter to trick their bodies into laying.
How about not using a light to trick them into laying and let their poor little bodies have a rest.
I have 10 hens and no roo. I have consistently getting 8-9 eggs EVERY day. Everyone says they're hens have stopped laying in the winter. There are a few things that I do for my girls that I think helps. 1) I always supplement their pellets with fresh veggies that have been marked down in the grocery i.e. coleslaw, lettuce mixes. Also, I keep their nesting boxes full of nice fresh pine chips and sprinkle Italian Herbs in each box. I don't know why, but they Love it and reward me with big beautiful eggs. In case you wanted to know, I have Golden Comets and White Brahmin hens. Ya'll better step up your game! Just sayin' it's not always true that the chickens stop laying in the winter!
Once they get some years on them, they tend to stop laying in winter. Mine were wonderful layers initially too. That's the point of the video. It's the biology of aging. The silver lining is that it's MUCH better for their health to not lay all year long. Their chances of ovarian disease and other reproductive problems go down drastically with less laying. I personally get very worried about hens that lay too much - I have a couple of 2-year-old Red Sex Links now that have gone 2 years WITHOUT molting and continue to lay almost daily. This is not healthy. They have a high likelihood of dying in the next year or two because of this from reproductive problems.
@@thefeatherbrain I agree with everything you're saying and have also wondered what effect laying every single day, large to jumbo eggs will have on their health. My Golden Comets have not molted yet either and they are in their second year. Makes me wonder if some of the hatcheries are producing chicks to do this more often now.
@@susanclare9618 It sure makes me worried. I'm very attached.
That’s why I got dual purpose birds. I might get attached but they’re purpose is for food so they’ll serve their purpose no matter what
Mine are pets. I love the eggs, and I choose to keep the little fluf-butts til they die. They bring me such joy.
@@winniecash1654 I feel ya, I say it now but who knows when the time comes I might not have it in me to butcher them.
I named my 3 girls so i don't have the heart to "process" them for meat... Maybe I can find a pioneer person who would do it for me but doubt I have the courage to follow thru 🥲
@@mochimama exactly!
@@saltyshieldmaiden I originally got dual purpose breeds for eggs and meat. I didn't want chickens for pets; I just didn't want to support factory farms any longer. I figured I'd breed them and kill the roosters for food. Only a few months later, not only did I realize I could never kill any of them, I took in more roosters someone had abandoned on the highway. Sigh. Now I just don't eat chicken. (But I do eat humanely raised beef from a nearby farm.)
I love them eggs or not!😊
Me too. :)
I've had chickens a long time, this is the first time using western methods of keeping chickens, the reason I'm using a western method is to loose less birds to predators.
That is normal every winter😊
You ARE the learning channel!
I am hoping to have chickens for pets and eggs. My plan is to have 4 chickens, and once they stop or not produce eggs then I would get another 4 chicks. They live around 8-10 years (?) so if you add new chicken every 4 years or so you can have a continuous production. But in my case they will be part of my family just like my kids, dog and cats are...So they will live their full life with me and then I'll burry them or have them cremated...not sure.. I haven't eat meat in 15 years and I just started eating eggs...so my as well have chickens. I can't wait!
Depends on breed, feed, situation, age, molting status.
Very true!
For me, the eggs are a side benefit of the pet thing, I love my girls and would not think about dispatching them when production slows. I do (jokingly) tell them off and call them a bunch of freeloaders!
Feed and breed play a part, as well as age, daylight hours and temperature.
Wyandottes are supposed to be good winter layers, I now have two, and nope, that is just some rumour someone started! As for age, my champion mixed-breed layer laid well up until aged nine (then got injured, put down a few months later), but she showed the younger girls a thing or two about laying. I was never able to identify what breeds she was.
My late aunt ran a commercial egg farm back in the 60s-80s. Yes, the flocks were 'rotated out' in the dinner table fashion. She also had artificial lighting for winter keeping the daylight hours up - but that is not something I would do, given I prefer a more natural approach. I think it is probably better for their long term health to take that break during winter, and not overtax their bodies during the cold weather when they need their energy to stay warm.
On feed, I did see a tip years ago about feeding bread to them. This should be done with caution, only a treat sized offering torn into extremely small pieces and watch out for impacted crop. Having said that, I am currently in late winter, introduced some multi-grain bread as a treat, and a few of them are now doing some occasional laying. I think the bread probably helps with body warmth, so they do not expend all energy on keeping warm (just a theory). Others suggest more protein (again, only treat portions) of meat or cheese (perhaps mealworms, but I have not tried it). Treat foods should not exceed 10% of the diet.
To get you through winter, look into egg glassing, fairly easy. So keep the abundance you get during the laying months, and store them whole for winter. People have also (mixed white and yolk, beaten) and frozen into trays.
I don't eat meat or eggs. I just want birds. They will have good lives here on the Hawaiian farm
Great video.This very important fact is hardly ever mentioned.
It’s the tractor supply feed and producers pride feed
@The Featherbrain. Very informative and we thank you so very much for all the effort and wealth of info! However, you never add a link to the videos that you say you're going to do!
I have a young flock but know they will stop laying as much next year or so. I could do the farmer thing but my husband wont lol.
I have been getting an egg a day for two years from my RIR. Only one month in the winter they skipped a day or two a week.
My one year old Wyandottes give me 5 eggs a week through the winter.
My Buff Orpington’s lay everyday and are two.
My Brahma has decided to stop laying and go broody this spring.
Do you need separate coops for chickens that are laying and those too young to lay since they eat different diets?
Please could you tell me what it’s the best boxes size’s for chickens lying? The biggest of my sweetheart is a Orpington Buff thank you❤
Did you mention how old your girls were? Maybe I missed it?
I´ve been a bit bummed about production this year. Six 2-year-old hens laying 2 eggs a day. They keep going broody on me - like it's contagious: ¨Well if SHE is going to be broody then so am I!¨ Next it´ll be molting, then it´ll be short daylight hours. Ah well, they're my girls. And I´ve got new ones growing up for next year.
In this video, I think they were 6 years old. But, you're right, once they catch that broody bug....
Hi , I was hoping you could answer this question. I purchased your raising chicks course and it was very very helpful so thank you. My question is, I am going to put a sand box under the roosting bar and clean it out regularly and wanted to know if I could put some kitty litter in their also to help with the moisture such. My chickens would not have access to the sand/kitty litter because I have wire over the bins. I am going to set up soon and would love to have your opinion. Thank you. Sandy
Mix sand and zeolite . It works well and the zeolite reduces ammonia. Zeolite is cheaper in the horse section of store
@@lisagayhart2482 thank you. Will do :)!!!!!
I have some pullets so they are least consistently lay this year in winter
What brand starter grower would you recommend?
Hey I need your help I have a hand she's about 2 years old and I notice she's breathing kind of hard she's her legs her Or wider than the other henss when she's walking
I'm sorry I don't think I can help. Any number of illnesses or injuries could cause that. So sorry.
me too, 14 chicks, 2 roosters, 1-2 eggs
i just dont know why some people kill their chickens if thet stop laying! they are animals too and their as good pets as a catt or a dog!
Make your own feed people buy more chickens
This video smells like propaganda
Lol I know you didn't mean that as a joke, but as the most libertarian, anti-government, anti-corporatist, anti-authoritarian person you'll ever meet, it made me laugh anyway. I consider myself a chicken advocate, which often puts me at odds with the homestead types. I like chickens more than people. :)
@@thefeatherbrain I like chickens more than people too!! :)
This is not true ....but hens do get killed for food . That's why you have them , right 🤣
Very dramatic video, mildly informative, but with no counterpoints. Seems more doom and gloom than helpful.
Lol! It's just chicken biology.