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Love my 2 Ameraucanas - good natured, active, curious and friendly - blue eggs a bonus!

Welcome to the flock!

I'm very glad you found the information helpful. Thank you for being here on the channel.

I'm happy you found the information helpful. Let me know if you have any specific questions or if there is a certain topic that would be of interest to you. Thank you for being here on the channel.

I concur that has been our experience within our homestead flock as well that personality and heritage go hand in hand. I also intentionally select chicken breeds known for their gentle demeanor and great personality so that all the animals we have can happily coexist in our space. Thank you for your kind words about the video.

You're very welcome! I'm very happy you are enjoying my content. Let me know if there is any specific video you would like to see. Thank you for being here on the channel.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with your flock. Silkies are a wonderful chicken breed and I'm grateful to have them as part of my flock too.

Thank you for sharing your safe supplemental heating solution. I'm very happy to hear it keeps your flock safe and warm. Thank you for being here on the channel!

Thank you for your kind words. I'm very happy you found the information helpful. Thank you for being here on the channel!

I'm very glad it was helpful. Let me know if there is any specific topic you would like to see. Thank you for your comment!

You are very welcome. I'm glad it was helpful!

Thank you for your kind words. I'm grateful to have you here on the channel too. Welcome!

Thank you for your question. I wish I was able to see a picture of your set up in order to provide you with more informed recommendations. An additional question I have is are you intending for your garage to be your permanent coop or are you intending to build additional infrastructure (a coop and run) for your flock at some point in the future? I haven't seen anyone use a garage as livestock housing and although I'm sure it can be done I would encourage you if possible in the future to consider investing in a permanent coop and run when and if it is feasible. If your plan is to adapt your garage as the permanent coop, I would recommend installing a window in the garage door so your chickens have access to natural light. Sunlight helps regulate many aspects of your chickens' health, not just their laying cycle. A secondary option would be artificial lights on a timer which can be adjusted seasonally to correspond with the natural sunrise and sunset of your region. I would also recommend if that is the plan you will be implementing to have multiple sets of lights, at least two, so the light level decreases gradually similar to a sunset to indicate to your chickens it is time to roost. Otherwise, if it goes from full brightness to pitch black in their coop, members of the flock may become stranded on the floor and unable to roost to stay warm. Chickens are night blind so when it is too dark they can't see to move around and roost. Also when selecting artificial lighting choose warm lighting as fluorescent bulbs can be harmful to chickens and cause irritability and high levels of stress which detrimentally impacts their health. Chicken eyes are more sensitive to light and work differently than ours do. I would also recommend giving them access to their run as much as possible and as much as you can safely do so. Even if they choose not to utilize it on super cold days more space is always better when it comes to flocks of any size. Some flock members might choose to stay inside while others choose to utilize the run. My ornamental breeds also have a panel heater. It is good to periodically check your heater throughout the winter to check for malfunctions and ensure it is working properly. I hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any additional questions. I will do my best to help you find any info you are looking for.

Welcome to the channel! Thank you for joining the flock. I looked up some additional links for you since I don't currently create content centered around meat chickens. Disclaimer *I'm not officially associated in any way whatsoever with these links, I just hope this info will be helpful to you. Thank you for taking time to learn about your chickens prior to bringing home your first flock. Meat chicken resource links I located below: www.amazon.com/Butchering-Chickens-Humane-Small-Scale-Processing/dp/1635861659?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/2013/09/16/the-perfect-chicken-by-joel-salatin/ apppa.org/

Thank you for your comment and for being here on the channel!

Thank you for your question. I would recommend if at possible to add two more hens to your flock. Especially as winter nears many people will be downsizing their flocks and even giving away fully grown chickens for free. Rescues also exist that rehome unwanted hens. Chickens are flock animals and need the companionship of others chickens to live their best quality of life. If your hen will be remaining an only hen for whatever reason be sure she is getting lots of quality care and interaction. Check out my earlier content for additional tips and info and if you haven't already I recommend picking up at least beginner chicken care guide book. You can find these online and at farm box stores and also free chicken resources are at your local library and your local agricultural office. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for being here on the channel!

Chickens typically go through their first molt sometime between 16-18 months old so a little over a year old. They will experience several smaller juvenile molts as they are shedding their downy chick fuzz and growing their first set of adult chicken feathers. When and how severe molt will be for your flock depends on many factors including their general health, breed, stress levels, age, and nutrition to name a few. I see the spectrum in my own flock from hard molt, meaning they appear almost totally featherless, the midrange where they lose and replace feathers in patches, and then soft molt which is barely noticeable. It has also been my lived experience in my own flock that the first molt is the most severe and subsequent molts seem to be gentler. Molting chickens also benefit from access to a dust bath, excellent nutrition, increased protein intact during molt, and calcium and grit supplement. Calcium helps build strong feathers and shells and the grit helps them properly digest their food. If they are moved on fresh pasture daily they will naturally forage grit but if they live partly or in fulltime confinement I would recommend free choice access to these supplements. I hope this info is helpful! Thank you for your question.

Thank you for your kind words. Sounds like you have a large, diverse, beautiful flock! Thank you for providing them with excellent love and care. I'm certain they appreciate all of your efforts to give them an amazing quality of life. Hugs back and welcome to the channel!

Grateful for you too! Thank you for being here on the channel.

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I'm extremely passionate about backyard chickens and homesteading. Caring for my flock and learning self sufficiency skills has been a healing experience for me and I'm eager to share the love and peace it has brought me with the world. Thank you for holding space for my big feelings about how much I love my animals and my homestead.

Thank you so much! It is very meaningful to know my videos are helpful to others. Thank you for being here on the channel!

Blessings right back! Greetings from across the pond. Sharing love and peaceful energy from our homestead to yours.

Thank you for your kind words. I am sure your flock is going to enjoy their new perches! I'm grateful you are here on the channel. Wishing you a beautiful day ahead.

I am very glad you find them helpful. Thank you for being here on the channel.

You're very welcome! I am very happy you found it helpful.

Thank you for your comment. I think it is important to provide good information and to be supportive of others in the backyard chicken community. Rather than debate details I find more peace in sharing information and trusting others to make the best decision for their flock. Backyard chicken care is nuanced and one solution will not be right for every flock. I am very happy you have found my content helpful. Thank you for being here on the channel!

Thank you for your kind feedback and for sharing your experiences. That is way colder than it gets here! Thank you for sharing how you have been successful in those temperatures. Feel free to share additional information about your tips for keeping chickens safe in those temperatures. That is amazing! Hello back from the USA!

Thank you for your comment. That is great information. Yes, now is the time to begin winter preparations so bad weather doesn't catch you by surprise. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Welcome and thank you for being here on the channel!

I concur feeding chickens their own eggs in this manner can lead to really undesirable outcomes. Chickens are smart and learn very quickly. Feeding them their own eggs in egg shape and in this manner would very likely lead to egg eating behavior. It is important if you are feeding chickens their own eggs to process them in some way so they are not recognizably egg shape to avoid encouraging egg eating behavior. Once this undesired behavior begins it is almost impossible to stop. Thank you for your comment!

Thank you for your breed recommendations! It sounds like you have a very beautiful and diverse flock.

PS. I usually put h we m on corner of both and West sides, sometimes south too. Hose are the directions the winds come for my location. .

North, west and south sides

Thank you for sharing your experiences using straw bales in your chicken area. Welcome and thank you for your comment!

I'm very glad it was helpful to you! Let me know if you have any additional questions. I will do my best to help you find the info you are looking for.

Thank you, I am very glad you enjoyed the information in my video. Let me know if there is a specific topic that would be helpful to you!

Our flock serves two purpose, they are both egg layers but also pets and companions. I was very surprised after owning my first chickens what amazing and rewarding pets they are as well as useful, helpful livestock animals. Helpful coop designs and plans can be found in many beginner chicken guide books as well as online and at your local library. Searching for coop design or outdoor chicken coop is a great way to get started. Beginner chicken guide books are also available at farm box stores and they include lots of helpful info including coop and run plans! Our chicken infrastructure is 99% reclaimed and upcycled materials. You don't have to spend a lot of money to build your flock an amazing, fun, functional, and safe space. Thank you for your comment!

Thank you for your question! You have actually helped inspire my next video where I will go into temperature specifics and talk about more winter chicken readiness tips. I will be doing more research this week. I hope my next video will answer your question. In the meantime, here is my winter care tips playlist with all my current winter content. Winter Care Tips Playlist th-cam.com/play/PLchMJnb8LlPqzlYqo4N_tC-C_QshDJ_96.html

I am in Minnesota and we can go weeks w below zero temp and serious windshield I have used headlamps in past but looking for other options do add straw instead of or in addition to shavings very concerned about it be to cold for them to survive

You're very welcome. Thank you for being here on the channel!

Thank you for your question. Since you and others have asked specific questions about temperatures I will be dedicating my next video to this topic. I will be doing more research this week so I can answer your question thoroughly. Until then here is my complete Winter Care Tips playlist with all of my current winter chicken care content. th-cam.com/play/PLchMJnb8LlPqzlYqo4N_tC-C_QshDJ_96.html

Mine have survived -30 below zero as long as they stay dry. Please note that if you choose to use a heat source, they get accustomed to it and if it fails during a cold snap, they won’t be conditioned to it so will freeze 🥶 My main problem in winter is eggs freezing before I can gather them!

@@ChuckTheRooster thanks, I look forward to it, our girls are interesting to get to know, they aren't old enough to lay yet, but are as attentive as any 'pet' we've had before. Never raised birds before, so this was a surprise. I look forward to learning more

Thank you for your comment. I hope you will find the tips I share helpful this winter for keeping your flock comfortable, healthy, and productive.

Very happy you liked the video. Thank you for your comment!

You are very welcome. Let me know if you have any questions or if there is any topic that would be helpful to you!

Thank you for your kind words. I'm very glad you found the video helpful!

You are very welcome! Let me know if you have any additional questions about backyard chickens or homesteading. I will do my best to help you find the info you are looking for!