I agree with the bigger run, but just wanted to add: a tall enough run that you can walk into it and stand up comfortably. So much easier to look after the chickens that way and to clean around. I first got one I had to crawl into: it was a nightmare! My back was in bits and simple things like changing the water and refilling the food were a challenge. Now I can bring a crate in, sit on it, do a check on the chickens if needs be, clean the perches, bring a bucket to refill the feeder: oh so easy!
We arched cattle panels up to near the roof of our barn turned chicken house. Anchored the 4 ft sides with t posts then arched the 16 ft length. Used some non woven weed mat woven basket style under and over the panels to create shade. The run is 11 ft out from the barn and 28 ft long. It’s covered in chicken wire and bird netting. Most of the time our flock is free ranging in the pasture, but there are days I can’t be home to keep an eye on them. That’s when the run gets used.
The one thing I wish I did and regret...was waiting to get chickens until my coop was done. They grew so fast and timing is everything...and yes, go big or go home! They are addicting...who here looks during spring every time they enter the store? And that's where they get you...like OH! I don't have one of those...let me take three! Seriously...chicken fever!
That’s how I ended up with our first birds, just runnin around the gas station and I’d found a free coop on the street the week before, synchronicity strikes again!
I know that I have coyotes around here. We used to have a lot of raccoons but most of the other wildlife cleared out when the coyotes moved in. My girls are 5 weeks and we're getting their coop/run finished up this week, and I just keep adding more and more security. It's going to be worse than Fort Knox getting in that thing lol. I can't believe how much I love my girls though. I've never been a bird person but there's just something about chickens ♥️
2 attempts. The first great horned owl was coming in for a strike when it realized that there was netting over the top. It abruptly veered off. The second, also an owl, was more determined and managed to grab one of my girls through the fence. It couldn't pull her through but those talons did some damage. She's now in the house, under veterinary care and going through treatments twice day. She's doing well and should make a full recovery.
@@Thingys-Jill unfortunately I'm limited to 4 since I live in a "rural residential" area. But who's to say I have more or less 🤷♂️ (unless I have like more than 10, then it can be a problem I'm sure)
Update....I bought 8 layers and 2 meat birds. I have 1 Rhode island red 1 Barred Rock (by the looks of it) 1 Australorp 1 Buff Orpington 4 black stars (sex link) They are all about 7 weeks old and happy 😊
I got the coop free and I made them two play rooms with a tunnel to go from coop to big play room no problem with predators and I will only let them in the yard an hour a day or every other day and I only have 3
Your best friend when working with chickens will be the sleeve off a sz XL sweatshirt, just slide it over the bird until the head pops out the wrist and those flappers won't be beating your face and eyes when you give meds, trim nails, trim butt feathers, drain water belly etc. etc. Worth it's weight in gold!
I have a multi-age flock! I was gift a flock once i bought property in the country. One rooster and six hens. Plus a flock of Bantam chickens, one rooster and 4 hens. Found right away that i had to have two coups ×t runs and the Bantam's did get to free range. As of today only two of the original flock is still alive. Only one lost to an aerial predator and one to a neighbors dog who climbed my fence where they free range. Then one got her neck caugth in the wood picket fence and died...😢 the remaining got sick and died pretty quickly. I gave the Bantam's away to expand my flock.😊 I tried to hatch some eggs, three where successful hatched, three roosters! Two were Wheaten Aseel rooster. Their mother was very mean to the other chickens (i gave her away to the same guy who got the Bantam's) the last was a beautiful rooster that i still have. He is very agressive with me but my other rooster protect me from him while I'm in the free range area. Yesterday, the one year old rooster got into his attack position, but hefore i could grab him, my old rooster cut me off and they ended up fighting for a few minutes before my old rooster knocked him upside down and he had enough, so he walked off. I do the recommended treatment on the young rooster. I have to carry him out of the free range area to keep my older rooster from attacking him while I'm "training" the young rooster. His training normally only last a few days and he comes at me again. I have no fear of him, i simply pin him to the ground when he puts his head down and starts posturing toward me. Multi-age: 3 years gifted 1 year hatched and purchased 10 month old 2¾ month old 2 month old Total: 2 roosters 1 Buff Orrington 2 Easter Egger 1 Dominique 7 Golden Comets 2 Barred Rocks 1 New Hampshire 1 Gray Brahma
3 roosters here. Told each rooster one by one while they were looking at me that I had a big foot and it would be in their hind end if they dared to attack me, my dogs, cats, or each other. The two younguns have made that mistake and went flying. They haven't done it again. Lead rooster got swatted a while back. Knocked him off roost for going into attack mode while I was in coop. He spent the night in the trees outside of the coop. Good boy ever since. Don't mean I don't watch him. Great protector. Welsummer mix breed. These birds are smarter than given credit. I love my chicken babies of all ages.
I agree with all the comments, our biggest issue has been predators, mostly coyote, raccoons and hawks, we have lost several birds along the way, currently building a larger coop and run with everything we've learned.
@@alizaka1467 Two years going. No problems other than my chickens spreading compost every where. I guess I toss some dirt on it occasionally. Chickens will constantly stir it in their hunt for food.
Rats May not be able to get through hardware cloth, but mice sure can. At least they can the half-inch hardware cloth. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I like the idea of planting mint to detour mice . Might try a raised bed around the coop to maintain the invasive plant but yeah, worth a try.
@@terywetherlow7970 lower gauge wire... need at least 19 (or smaller number). I assume the one at lowes was prob 23... animals can easily break it. (too thin)
Get a notebook! My gosh, every day I'm asking new questions because they constantly check-mate my decisions. They are so smart. I wrote down my questions and researched the answers every day for the first year. It was overwhelming.
Nice informative video regarding ooen range chicken breeds, really practical and well experienced knowledge, thank you for sharing such video stay blessed 😊😊😊
LOL Love the "iffa, coulda, shoulda, woulda"...aka. "Live & Learn" stuff...esp. on chickens. Crazy bird-beasts, indeed! My list: * A little Cheyenne pepper in their feed & in found holes keeps rodents away. * A little Diatomaceous Earth is a must in their feed, a little Apple Cider Vinegar in their water...great all-around preventers for lots of problems. * Chickens eat or smoosh down Everything in their paths!...As bad as goats! Protect gardens & seedlings. * Chicken runs make the best compost piles all by themselves...great good-dirt makers. * A good rooster is hard to find, blessed when you do...but, those that aren't make great dog/cat food. Love to the Chickie-folk!
I have 7 hens, 1 rooster, 2 ducks and 2 geese that all stay together. I woke up about a week ago and grabbed my coffee around 6am and heard a lot of noise coming from my coop. We have a breed of weasel that lives in the field behind my house and it was trying to get into my coup, as I went outside my rooster was beating up one of them and my biggest goose came over and assisted the rooster. I watched the fight and They actually killed it. I will always keep a goose and a rooster with my flock no matter what after that experience.
I don't put food or water in the coop, at all. I put a small water and food bowl in the run, and put it away at night. I've not had any rodents yet. I do the same in the yard where they free range. Put the food in bins at night. Dump the water too. No vermin.
I’d like to say that would solve my problem but I sat in the middle of the day and watched a rat run into the run to the feed and then back several times. Not just the night time that they are active 😞
@Pele Lua little stinkers! I agree that once they find a food source, they'll come back to it. Maybe a visit from a pest control company would do you good? Although if you live in a rural place, it might not do any good. I don't know. Good luck.
If you have hawks and owls in your area…and you probably do and not know it…put a cover on your chicken run. We made ours the cheap way with snow fence. Yes, it looks like a POW camp but my babies are safer. Use orange snow fence for a more cheerful spot 😊
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from butchering. Is the concept of rigor mortis. You have to let your birds rest 2 to 4 days before cooking them. Otherwise they’ll be very tough and chewy.
Depends on how you kill them. I don’t know if this way if better than any other way but try strangling it under running water. Then after you can drain them of their blood and after you’re all ready to go
The best way is to cut the chickens neck up to but not including the spine with a very sharp knife so that its fast and swift. Since the spine is still connected to the body, the heart keeps pumping and pumps out every drop of blood. That way, the meat stays tender for a long long time and the meat never becomes tough. It literally doesn't if it has no blood. And that is the Halal way. If you don't slaughter an animal this way, the meat is forbidden. Blood is impure and should be drained BEFORE the animal is dead
@@alizaka1467 lol ima guess you guys don't eat blood sausage... I don't either, sounds gross... but I could if I wanted too... can I say the same for you?
@@EC-dz4bq Yeah lol the thought disgusts me. Blood is a big No. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. The religion I follow is Islam. And thus I believe my Creator is the all-wise. So he knows what's best for me and what isn't. If Allah/God says no, then no. And it's a sin to do what Allah has forbidden against. Well that is my belief so since you asked whether I would still try or not, then I really wouldn't even if someone forced me. But I could ask out of curiosity what it would taste like lol
Absolutely do not use sand in the coop! I started with sand at the end of last summer/fall, chickens started laying in Nov. 3 weeks ago I shoveled ALL the sand out and went deep litter. My chickens just hit one year and overnight they crap a lot! Not all of it is scoop-able. The dust from the breakdown of their defecation cannot be cleaned out of the sand easily and became overwhelming even with goggles and a respirator. Breathing was fine, however after scooping the clumps (like you would a cat litter box) I would come out of the coop looking like I had been using a sand blaster. After three weeks of deep litter, I have not yet had to add more pine shavings. I turn the pine regularly, 1-2 times a week. I will never put sand in my coop again. Also, do not use chicken wire whatsoever if you have predators. Hardware cloth, hardware cloth, hardware cloth!
sand in the coop for sure. also straw in the run. weve had a crazy amount of rain this year in houston and the straw kept the birds out of the mud. dont agree that there is any possible way to calculate the cost of your coop. with so many creative uses of different materials, to free stuff, to stuff you have, a coop can come together for 10k to zero dollars LOL I love that I have gotten to hone my building skills. cant think of a sweeter group to build for. I sure love my girls.
1 or 2 day fasting and keep her Upside down every 4 hours or so(no set time) or massage her crop towards her beak. She wil release a smelly substance, do this until she stops vomiting. After that she should regain appetite, try to give rainworms snails bugs for her to regain power soon. Proteins yoghurt maybe boiled or raw egg. Anything to get her eating again but the first thing is getting that stuff out before she eats again. It's a delicate situation for her so be patient and prepare for the worst. I cured one from sour crop this way recently.
@suckerburg thank you so much for your advice. She did move on to chicken heaven. I will try that faster in the future if it come up again. Hope not tho.
No one in my town under 2 acres is supposed to have roos... 😂😂😂😂 guess what? Everyone has roos 😂😂😂😂 so long as the neighbors don't complain, then nothing happens to anyone.
I haven’t gotten my chickens yet, probably won’t be able to for several years yet. I live in an apartment in the city so it isn’t feasible right now, so am firmly in research and study mode until I am in a place where I am able to get them. Which will be either at my parents place in the country or my own place outside the city limits. One other thing I am doing is gradually getting all the supplies needed to construct my coop and run as I have the budget for them, even if it’s just a little bit at a time. Another thing is research the lumber you are going to use since you want the coop to outlast almost anything, cedar and hemlock are the strongest types of timber out there as well as the longest lasting. If you can’t afford it at the hardware store, then do research and find a local lumber mill that carry’s it. Which is what I did and it’s a whole lot cheaper doing it that way. So I am stocking up what supplies I need and storing everything at my parents place for now… Still not sure about the size of my coop building though, the run is going to be about 10 feet long and maybe 7 feet wide since it will be attached to the coop building. I plan on it being 7 feet long and 5 wide which should be big enough for the chickens, the coop pare will be 5 feet by 5 feet with the extra 2 feet being used as feed storage/work area. My biggest concern is if the coop is big enough for 10 Jersey Giant Chickens, the only reason I am getting that many is because I was told that most stores won’t send out small orders. I initially only wanted a few like 5 chickens, 4 hens and 1 rooster. So am still uncertain about that part of my plans
I agree they are addicting. I wish I had room for more of them. My husband says no more! Lol. We need to build another chicken coop simply put. That way we can increase our flock without crowding. I bought 10 baby chicks two of which turned out to be roosters! At first one was super mean but I worked with him and he's sweeter than the other one now! Had to separate my girls half with each boy so technically I have two flocks in two separate coops. So now I want a third coop lol😂
I'm thinking of a hoop coop. This way it can double as an aviary, or hot house if you put plastic over part of it. You can make it as long as you want.
I wish I had started by getting g one good, comprehensive book like Storey’s. I wish I hadn’t spent so much time looking for information online. Everyone has different opinions and many are contradictory. Makes you feel overwhelmed and anxious thinking it some kind of secret society. Wish I had just got a book and trusted it first rather than watching 100s of videos to get one piece of info I didn’t know or scrolling through 1000s of judgmental and condescending social media group comments just to learn that everyone argues and most don’t have chickens anyway but just google the answers.
Here's one, "Wish I knew that roosters kept together will develop a pecking order like the hens and not kill one another!" I ended up with five roosters, as chicks. They grew up together and they treat one another like brothers. You get the occasional spat, but if you give them enough space and let the ordeal reasonably play out. Roosters can coexist. I free range. Only locking up my birds at night to protect them from the group of owls and other night predators in my area. I have four roosters (one got killed by a domestic dog raid) that manage to function with the company of one another. In fact, at night they all congregate together for the last few hours of the day until I come out to put them away for the night
If you use conventional feed ,wear a mask to go in the coup.i got pneumonia from the dust.better yet don't use any feed but organic.i wish I had known.that was 2013.
Two things in a couple books, I read that sand could cover food and could impact crops of chickens, so it might not be a good idea If you do you sand, it should be the right kind. New to me was flexible fence..thx!
I have a question maybe someone can help me with..what happens when a chicken eats a mouse, do they safely digest them, will it cause sour crop, is it of any benefit of the chicken to eat mice?
These birds are omnivores...they eat everything! As long as you don't have worry that the mice are being poisoned by neighbors, let them have at. Usually, tho, they sense an "off" food & will kill but not eat...throw such a carcass away as you find. Nature is pretty good to It's kinds, humans just forgot how to cooperate with Her. :)
@@Beatz4Yasharahla it depends on the laws where you live. I'm in Georgia, in the U.S. Here we have to have certain licenses to sell certain food products. In the case of chickens, small producers can sell up to 1,000 birds per year without having to have inspections and USDA processing etc. I'd have to have inspections and all of that if I wanted to sell to restaurants, stores, distributors and such. But I can sell to individuals at farmers markets or directly from my farm as a small farm selling fewer than 1,000 birds in a year.
I have a Sex Link breed hen. Her name is Bo. I was in the yard, moving lumber to a pile. I didn't notice a scorpion falling off a piece of wood. My hen was nearby and came running. Killed and ate that thing. She lived. My flock kills mice, lizards, baby birds. They wade into fire ant nests and eat them things.
Here’s one no one mentioned: You cannot plan any vacations or even a weekend away unless you have a (chicken responsible) someone who can babysit. If that person can stay at your house even better! Someone said get ready for twice as many as you plan. I say three times as many. If not more.
Hello, I have a baby hen Americauna that was born with a cross beak she is active and gets along with everyone no one is picking on her. I am wondering what to do with her? She is active loves to eat and scratch. Is it necessary to file her beak?
I'm new at this. 2 months in. I bought 11 Golden laced wyndottes. One was cross beaked. It did not make it a week. I think there was so much calcium the egg shell was too hard and the chick could not hatch out. Eyes were damaged and jaw may have been broken.
If there are frequent predator raids in the area, make the run multi level so the girls aren't just fish in a barrel with a killer. They can flutter from level to level; they know where to hide, where the escape channels are. So many coops are planar, and all the predator has to do is trap then one by one in a corner. Give chickens a fighting chance.
I have 14 chickens 10 Rhode Island Reds and 4 Buff Orpingtons they are in separate coops and Runs..i live in the northeast section of Oklahoma and I have coyotes.. Bobcats..fox and hawks so i don't free range there Runs are big..my chickens are for eggs only until i see a Rhode Island Red or Buff Orpingtons used for meat in SuperMarkets i will not use them for meat..
Colloidal silver is natural antibiotic. Consider garlic and oregano. I try to stay natural for myself. Have chickens now for 2 months. Hope to never have a problem. Haha.
I keep my feed in metal containers to deter rats and mice. But, they are still here. Does anyone have any ideas on how to control them? I live near farm fields that grow corn or wheat. Im at my wits end after seeing a rat!
I don't see the point in "researching all the diseases" before you get chickens. They won't all get all diseases or problems. When you suspect something is amiss with one of the girls, just hit the chicken forums and describe what is going on, and someone usually knows. A better thing to do is be more observant of your chickens, know their personalities, and watch for a change in behaviour. One thing missed in the list, even with a small flock, avoid just adding one new chick or pullet, add at least two or three (three is better). That way they do not bear the brunt of the older ones bullying the newbie. Also, longer slow introductions are better, having them fenced off separately. Have a flexible coop and run that can be divided up for such purposes.
Made me feel good to just give eggs away. Until certain people had bright idea that when I handing out eggs that was code for drugs so ruined something I enjoyed doing for others to I just keep my own eggs. I couldn't even enjoy something simple passing out eggs. World is evil
I wish someone would dump some chickens at my place ...RIR , BCM, Orpingtons, Australorps , im not too picky lol but dual purpose birds seem to be the thing lol
And never bring chickens in your flock that are from somewhere else like Auctions because the risk of disease is high..the majority of diseases happen when chickens are from Auctions or free ranging..
Wow. I don’t believe anything you say!!! Every other statement is “if there’s one thing I wish I knew before” “the one thing I wish I learned “ Every other statement is an “epiphany “!!!! Well, is there’s one thing I wish I’d know before I watched this high school teacheresque video….is to not watch.
I agree with the bigger run, but just wanted to add: a tall enough run that you can walk into it and stand up comfortably. So much easier to look after the chickens that way and to clean around.
I first got one I had to crawl into: it was a nightmare!
My back was in bits and simple things like changing the water and refilling the food were a challenge.
Now I can bring a crate in, sit on it, do a check on the chickens if needs be, clean the perches, bring a bucket to refill the feeder: oh so easy!
We arched cattle panels up to near the roof of our barn turned chicken house. Anchored the 4 ft sides with t posts then arched the 16 ft length. Used some non woven weed mat woven basket style under and over the panels to create shade. The run is 11 ft out from the barn and 28 ft long. It’s covered in chicken wire and bird netting. Most of the time our flock is free ranging in the pasture, but there are days I can’t be home to keep an eye on them. That’s when the run gets used.
The one thing I wish I did and regret...was waiting to get chickens until my coop was done. They grew so fast and timing is everything...and yes, go big or go home! They are addicting...who here looks during spring every time they enter the store? And that's where they get you...like OH! I don't have one of those...let me take three! Seriously...chicken fever!
that's me right now, became a regular at the feed store, getting baby chicks =P
@@taravahnaI am amazed at how much joy they bring
I like extra bushes and plants around. Tables and stuff too. Gives them a place to hide from hawks
There's a couple of roosters running loose in our town have been for months. Everyone feeds them stops for them when they cross the road
We have a similar situation with a flock of Turkeys. They have and will stop traffic in the neighborhood. 😂
That’s how I ended up with our first birds, just runnin around the gas station and I’d found a free coop on the street the week before, synchronicity strikes again!
My son lives in a similar type town, only one difference.... they're Big Horn Sheep.
The consensus seems to be MORE CHICKENS! I w ish I had built my coop bigger and wish I had gotten chickens earlier in life, everybody together now!
Got that right! ❤❤❤
And greenery… if you want to keep a grass lawn or garden for example, fence it off. Otherwise, it’s fair game for our feathered friends!
I most certainly would have gotten chickens years earlier if I'd known as well. And they're definitely smarter than I ever thought.
Chickens can be very loving and like to cuddle 💖
Neighbor had hens that would come running and jump up on her knees if she sat down.
@@JustJoyHowdy Thats so cute!
I know that I have coyotes around here. We used to have a lot of raccoons but most of the other wildlife cleared out when the coyotes moved in. My girls are 5 weeks and we're getting their coop/run finished up this week, and I just keep adding more and more security. It's going to be worse than Fort Knox getting in that thing lol. I can't believe how much I love my girls though. I've never been a bird person but there's just something about chickens ♥️
Have your husband and sons pee around the perimeter of your yard - keeps the coyotes away.
Dog poopoo is also good. Or dog hair on fence or on coop. Hardware cloth. Cement floor. (I used 12x12 blocks) motion detectors.
2 attempts. The first great horned owl was coming in for a strike when it realized that there was netting over the top. It abruptly veered off. The second, also an owl, was more determined and managed to grab one of my girls through the fence. It couldn't pull her through but those talons did some damage. She's now in the house, under veterinary care and going through treatments twice day. She's doing well and should make a full recovery.
@@shortperson781 yeah... both myself and my two sons pee... still lost two cats to coyotes... not lost a chicken yet *knock on wood*
I breed Hollands, Cubalaya, Java, Buckeye, New Hampshire, Rhode Island White, Chantecler, Dominique and Delaware.
This was absolutely amazing for me as I'm planning as much as I can before I even start buying chickens! Thank you!
Start with 3 and expect to add every year. Chickens can live 8-10 years, but egg production slows 3 years after they start laying.
@@Thingys-Jill unfortunately I'm limited to 4 since I live in a "rural residential" area. But who's to say I have more or less 🤷♂️ (unless I have like more than 10, then it can be a problem I'm sure)
Update....I bought 8 layers and 2 meat birds.
I have
1 Rhode island red
1 Barred Rock (by the looks of it)
1 Australorp
1 Buff Orpington
4 black stars (sex link)
They are all about 7 weeks old and happy 😊
Chicken math hit us on a hike in the woods, where we found our white leghorn chicken. Someone dumped her in the forest, and we brought her home
Aw poor baby. I'm so glad you brought her home. ❤
I got the coop free and I made them two play rooms with a tunnel to go from coop to big play room no problem with predators and I will only let them in the yard an hour a day or every other day and I only have 3
Your best friend when working with chickens will be the sleeve off a sz XL sweatshirt, just slide it over the bird until the head pops out the wrist and those flappers won't be beating your face and eyes when you give meds, trim nails, trim butt feathers, drain water belly etc. etc. Worth it's weight in gold!
Wow I am going to try this! DIY does it again!!
This is a wonderful lesson gathered from the experience of poultry farmers from all over the world, I enjoy and decorate this article.👍
Good info. I am working on increasing my coop as I miscalculated space needed,lesson learned.
Perhaps BEST video I’ve seen on chickens 👏🏽 thanks so much 👍🏽
I have a multi-age flock!
I was gift a flock once i bought property in the country. One rooster and six hens. Plus a flock of Bantam chickens, one rooster and 4 hens.
Found right away that i had to have two coups ×t runs and the Bantam's did get to free range.
As of today only two of the original flock is still alive. Only one lost to an aerial predator and one to a neighbors dog who climbed my fence where they free range. Then one got her neck caugth in the wood picket fence and died...😢 the remaining got sick and died pretty quickly.
I gave the Bantam's away to expand my flock.😊
I tried to hatch some eggs, three where successful hatched, three roosters! Two were Wheaten Aseel rooster. Their mother was very mean to the other chickens (i gave her away to the same guy who got the Bantam's) the last was a beautiful rooster that i still have.
He is very agressive with me but my other rooster protect me from him while I'm in the free range area. Yesterday, the one year old rooster got into his attack position, but hefore i could grab him, my old rooster cut me off and they ended up fighting for a few minutes before my old rooster knocked him upside down and he had enough, so he walked off.
I do the recommended treatment on the young rooster. I have to carry him out of the free range area to keep my older rooster from attacking him while I'm "training" the young rooster. His training normally only last a few days and he comes at me again. I have no fear of him, i simply pin him to the ground when he puts his head down and starts posturing toward me.
Multi-age:
3 years gifted
1 year hatched and purchased
10 month old
2¾ month old
2 month old
Total:
2 roosters
1 Buff Orrington
2 Easter Egger
1 Dominique
7 Golden Comets
2 Barred Rocks
1 New Hampshire
1 Gray Brahma
3 roosters here. Told each rooster one by one while they were looking at me that I had a big foot and it would be in their hind end if they dared to attack me, my dogs, cats, or each other. The two younguns have made that mistake and went flying. They haven't done it again. Lead rooster got swatted a while back. Knocked him off roost for going into attack mode while I was in coop. He spent the night in the trees outside of the coop. Good boy ever since. Don't mean I don't watch him. Great protector. Welsummer mix breed. These birds are smarter than given credit. I love my chicken babies of all ages.
I agree with all the comments, our biggest issue has been predators, mostly coyote, raccoons and hawks, we have lost several birds along the way, currently building a larger coop and run with everything we've learned.
Have your husband and sons pee around the perimeter of your yard to keep coyotes at bay.
If you have a garden the amount of poop isn't a problem. Compost it and use it for garden gold
Compost it anyways, and let the chickens use it as food source. Heck, just leave it in pile somewhere. Nature will do it's thing.
@@meoff7602 If you leave a pile somewhere, doesn't it spread diseases and breed bad bacteria?
@@alizaka1467 Two years going. No problems other than my chickens spreading compost every where. I guess I toss some dirt on it occasionally. Chickens will constantly stir it in their hunt for food.
Rats May not be able to get through hardware cloth, but mice sure can. At least they can the half-inch hardware cloth. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I like the idea of planting mint to detour mice . Might try a raised bed around the coop to maintain the invasive plant but yeah, worth a try.
1/4” from Amazon
@@illinoisvideoatlarge8039 Lowe's had 1/4 " too. 20 bucks a 10 foot roll.
@@terywetherlow7970 lower gauge wire... need at least 19 (or smaller number). I assume the one at lowes was prob 23... animals can easily break it. (too thin)
1/8 and/or 1/4 inch hardware cloth with a low gauge such as 19 from Amazon.
I love the wobbly fence! Totally deters escapes!
Greetings from the LooseNatural farm in Andalusia Spain where we currently introduce chickens. We learned a lot from this video.
Chicken math is real 🤯, 8 turned into 180
37 rescues to 96
Oh my you got it bad!
Do you need a 12-Step program?! I hope you have land! We know you have poop!
Thanks for all the info, it's appreciated 👍
Get a notebook! My gosh, every day I'm asking new questions because they constantly check-mate my decisions. They are so smart. I wrote down my questions and researched the answers every day for the first year. It was overwhelming.
Nice informative video regarding ooen range chicken breeds, really practical and well experienced knowledge, thank you for sharing such video stay blessed 😊😊😊
A run is a life-saver, always start with one.
LOL Love the "iffa, coulda, shoulda, woulda"...aka. "Live & Learn" stuff...esp. on chickens. Crazy bird-beasts, indeed! My list:
* A little Cheyenne pepper in their feed & in found holes keeps rodents away.
* A little Diatomaceous Earth is a must in their feed, a little Apple Cider Vinegar in their water...great all-around preventers for lots of problems.
* Chickens eat or smoosh down Everything in their paths!...As bad as goats! Protect gardens & seedlings.
* Chicken runs make the best compost piles all by themselves...great good-dirt makers.
* A good rooster is hard to find, blessed when you do...but, those that aren't make great dog/cat food.
Love to the Chickie-folk!
Do you use food grade diatomaceous earth?
I have 7 hens, 1 rooster, 2 ducks and 2 geese that all stay together. I woke up about a week ago and grabbed my coffee around 6am and heard a lot of noise coming from my coop. We have a breed of weasel that lives in the field behind my house and it was trying to get into my coup, as I went outside my rooster was beating up one of them and my biggest goose came over and assisted the rooster. I watched the fight and They actually killed it. I will always keep a goose and a rooster with my flock no matter what after that experience.
I don't put food or water in the coop, at all. I put a small water and food bowl in the run, and put it away at night. I've not had any rodents yet. I do the same in the yard where they free range. Put the food in bins at night. Dump the water too. No vermin.
I’d like to say that would solve my problem but I sat in the middle of the day and watched a rat run into the run to the feed and then back several times. Not just the night time that they are active 😞
@Pele Lua little stinkers! I agree that once they find a food source, they'll come back to it. Maybe a visit from a pest control company would do you good? Although if you live in a rural place, it might not do any good. I don't know. Good luck.
Thank you for sharing. 💕NonnaGrace 🐓
My chickens absolutely will land on a floppy fence and roost there
Just hit our first year raising chickens. The best animals I have EVER owned! Now we have added two geese and a duck ❤
If you have hawks and owls in your area…and you probably do and not know it…put a cover on your chicken run. We made ours the cheap way with snow fence. Yes, it looks like a POW camp but my babies are safer. Use orange snow fence for a more cheerful spot 😊
@ericdonner7199 most hawks are protected by many laws... I would just say... the hawk disappeared and you don't know what happened.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from butchering. Is the concept of rigor mortis. You have to let your birds rest 2 to 4 days before cooking them. Otherwise they’ll be very tough and chewy.
Depends on how you kill them. I don’t know if this way if better than any other way but try strangling it under running water. Then after you can drain them of their blood and after you’re all ready to go
The best way is to cut the chickens neck up to but not including the spine with a very sharp knife so that its fast and swift. Since the spine is still connected to the body, the heart keeps pumping and pumps out every drop of blood. That way, the meat stays tender for a long long time and the meat never becomes tough. It literally doesn't if it has no blood. And that is the Halal way. If you don't slaughter an animal this way, the meat is forbidden. Blood is impure and should be drained BEFORE the animal is dead
@@alizaka1467 lol ima guess you guys don't eat blood sausage... I don't either, sounds gross... but I could if I wanted too... can I say the same for you?
@@EC-dz4bq Yeah lol the thought disgusts me. Blood is a big No.
Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. The religion I follow is Islam. And thus I believe my Creator is the all-wise. So he knows what's best for me and what isn't. If Allah/God says no, then no. And it's a sin to do what Allah has forbidden against. Well that is my belief so since you asked whether I would still try or not, then I really wouldn't even if someone forced me.
But I could ask out of curiosity what it would taste like lol
Absolutely do not use sand in the coop! I started with sand at the end of last summer/fall, chickens started laying in Nov. 3 weeks ago I shoveled ALL the sand out and went deep litter. My chickens just hit one year and overnight they crap a lot! Not all of it is scoop-able. The dust from the breakdown of their defecation cannot be cleaned out of the sand easily and became overwhelming even with goggles and a respirator. Breathing was fine, however after scooping the clumps (like you would a cat litter box) I would come out of the coop looking like I had been using a sand blaster. After three weeks of deep litter, I have not yet had to add more pine shavings. I turn the pine regularly, 1-2 times a week. I will never put sand in my coop again.
Also, do not use chicken wire whatsoever if you have predators. Hardware cloth, hardware cloth, hardware cloth!
✏️🗒✏️🗒✏️🗒✏️🗒
I read in a couple books… impacted crops can result when they eat sand-covered food.
Thank you
sand in the coop for sure. also straw in the run. weve had a crazy amount of rain this year in houston and the straw kept the birds out of the mud. dont agree that there is any possible way to calculate the cost of your coop. with so many creative uses of different materials, to free stuff, to stuff you have, a coop can come together for 10k to zero dollars LOL I love that I have gotten to hone my building skills. cant think of a sweeter group to build for. I sure love my girls.
One of my girls has sour crop. She has been sick for 6 days now. I've tried everything. Any suggestions. Tried ACV. Regurgitating, epsom salt.
1 or 2 day fasting and keep her Upside down every 4 hours or so(no set time) or massage her crop towards her beak. She wil release a smelly substance, do this until she stops vomiting. After that she should regain appetite, try to give rainworms snails bugs for her to regain power soon. Proteins yoghurt maybe boiled or raw egg. Anything to get her eating again but the first thing is getting that stuff out before she eats again.
It's a delicate situation for her so be patient and prepare for the worst. I cured one from sour crop this way recently.
@suckerburg thank you so much for your advice. She did move on to chicken heaven. I will try that faster in the future if it come up again. Hope not tho.
No one in my town under 2 acres is supposed to have roos... 😂😂😂😂 guess what? Everyone has roos 😂😂😂😂 so long as the neighbors don't complain, then nothing happens to anyone.
LOL
I bought 10 hens. I think one is a male. I'll just tell this sick government it identifies as female. Hahahaha.
I haven’t gotten my chickens yet, probably won’t be able to for several years yet. I live in an apartment in the city so it isn’t feasible right now, so am firmly in research and study mode until I am in a place where I am able to get them.
Which will be either at my parents place in the country or my own place outside the city limits.
One other thing I am doing is gradually getting all the supplies needed to construct my coop and run as I have the budget for them, even if it’s just a little bit at a time.
Another thing is research the lumber you are going to use since you want the coop to outlast almost anything, cedar and hemlock are the strongest types of timber out there as well as the longest lasting.
If you can’t afford it at the hardware store, then do research and find a local lumber mill that carry’s it. Which is what I did and it’s a whole lot cheaper doing it that way.
So I am stocking up what supplies I need and storing everything at my parents place for now…
Still not sure about the size of my coop building though, the run is going to be about 10 feet long and maybe 7 feet wide since it will be attached to the coop building.
I plan on it being 7 feet long and 5 wide which should be big enough for the chickens, the coop pare will be 5 feet by 5 feet with the extra 2 feet being used as feed storage/work area.
My biggest concern is if the coop is big enough for 10 Jersey Giant Chickens, the only reason I am getting that many is because I was told that most stores won’t send out small orders. I initially only wanted a few like 5 chickens, 4 hens and 1 rooster.
So am still uncertain about that part of my plans
I agree they are addicting. I wish I had room for more of them. My husband says no more! Lol. We need to build another chicken coop simply put. That way we can increase our flock without crowding. I bought 10 baby chicks two of which turned out to be roosters! At first one was super mean but I worked with him and he's sweeter than the other one now! Had to separate my girls half with each boy so technically I have two flocks in two separate coops. So now I want a third coop lol😂
I'm thinking of a hoop coop. This way it can double as an aviary, or hot house if you put plastic over part of it. You can make it as long as you want.
@@winniecash1654 but the chickens will eat your garden if they have access
@glendaolsen9158 oh yes, you're right. They eat everything!
I wish I had started by getting g one good, comprehensive book like Storey’s. I wish I hadn’t spent so much time looking for information online. Everyone has different opinions and many are contradictory. Makes you feel overwhelmed and anxious thinking it some kind of secret society. Wish I had just got a book and trusted it first rather than watching 100s of videos to get one piece of info I didn’t know or scrolling through 1000s of judgmental and condescending social media group comments just to learn that everyone argues and most don’t have chickens anyway but just google the answers.
Here's one, "Wish I knew that roosters kept together will develop a pecking order like the hens and not kill one another!" I ended up with five roosters, as chicks. They grew up together and they treat one another like brothers. You get the occasional spat, but if you give them enough space and let the ordeal reasonably play out. Roosters can coexist. I free range. Only locking up my birds at night to protect them from the group of owls and other night predators in my area. I have four roosters (one got killed by a domestic dog raid) that manage to function with the company of one another. In fact, at night they all congregate together for the last few hours of the day until I come out to put them away for the night
If you use conventional feed ,wear a mask to go in the coup.i got pneumonia from the dust.better yet don't use any feed but organic.i wish I had known.that was 2013.
My biggest problem is in my area is I'm only supposed to have 4 hens and no rooster. Sad. My neighbors would love to have fresh eggs.
Don't need a rooster for fresh eggs. The hens will lay, anyway. The eggs just won't be fertile, and you won't have baby chicks.
Hens will lay eggs without a rooster, however the egg won't be fertilized.
Two things in a couple books, I read that sand could cover food and could impact crops of chickens, so it might not be a good idea
If you do you sand, it should be the right kind.
New to me was flexible fence..thx!
Interesting
I have a question maybe someone can help me with..what happens when a chicken eats a mouse, do they safely digest them, will it cause sour crop, is it of any benefit of the chicken to eat mice?
These birds are omnivores...they eat everything! As long as you don't have worry that the mice are being poisoned by neighbors, let them have at. Usually, tho, they sense an "off" food & will kill but not eat...throw such a carcass away as you find. Nature is pretty good to It's kinds, humans just forgot how to cooperate with Her. :)
@@vinagerie427 Thanks! My next question is can I sell Chickens I raise in my backyard coop (I have a large back yard) to distributors or restaraunts?
@@Beatz4Yasharahla it depends on the laws where you live. I'm in Georgia, in the U.S. Here we have to have certain licenses to sell certain food products. In the case of chickens, small producers can sell up to 1,000 birds per year without having to have inspections and USDA processing etc. I'd have to have inspections and all of that if I wanted to sell to restaurants, stores, distributors and such. But I can sell to individuals at farmers markets or directly from my farm as a small farm selling fewer than 1,000 birds in a year.
I have a Sex Link breed hen. Her name is Bo. I was in the yard, moving lumber to a pile. I didn't notice a scorpion falling off a piece of wood. My hen was nearby and came running. Killed and ate that thing. She lived. My flock kills mice, lizards, baby birds. They wade into fire ant nests and eat them things.
Mini raptures. Haha.
Here’s one no one mentioned:
You cannot plan any vacations or even a weekend away unless you have a (chicken responsible) someone who can babysit. If that person can stay at your house even better!
Someone said get ready for twice as many as you plan. I say three times as many. If not more.
Hello, I have a baby hen Americauna that was born with a cross beak she is active and gets along with everyone no one is picking on her. I am wondering what to do with her? She is active loves to eat and scratch. Is it necessary to file her beak?
I'm new at this. 2 months in. I bought 11 Golden laced wyndottes. One was cross beaked. It did not make it a week. I think there was so much calcium the egg shell was too hard and the chick could not hatch out. Eyes were damaged and jaw may have been broken.
How far away from your coop and run does your quarantine setup need to be?
If there are frequent predator raids in the area, make the run multi level so the girls aren't just fish in a barrel with a killer. They can flutter from level to level; they know where to hide, where the escape channels are. So many coops are planar, and all the predator has to do is trap then one by one in a corner.
Give chickens a fighting chance.
Good To Keep a Rooster as He'll Stop The Hen's
From Picking On Eachother. .!!
I have 14 chickens 10 Rhode Island Reds and 4 Buff Orpingtons they are in separate coops and Runs..i live in the northeast section of Oklahoma and I have coyotes.. Bobcats..fox and hawks so i don't free range there Runs are big..my chickens are for eggs only until i see a Rhode Island Red or Buff Orpingtons used for meat in SuperMarkets i will not use them for meat..
You'll never see Rhode Island Reds or Buff Orpingtons used for meat in SuperMarkets..
❤
So does one have to go to the vet to get antibiotics?
aquamox, water soluble amoxicillin... (normally used for fish tanks). Just add to their drinking water.
Colloidal silver is natural antibiotic. Consider garlic and oregano. I try to stay natural for myself. Have chickens now for 2 months. Hope to never have a problem. Haha.
Eggs seriously wtf
Best thing ever
I keep my feed in metal containers to deter rats and mice. But, they are still here. Does anyone have any ideas on how to control them? I live near farm fields that grow corn or wheat. Im at my wits end after seeing a rat!
Hmmm. A good tom cat that knows his job is to protect the flock. Hard to find probably.
I don't see the point in "researching all the diseases" before you get chickens. They won't all get all diseases or problems. When you suspect something is amiss with one of the girls, just hit the chicken forums and describe what is going on, and someone usually knows. A better thing to do is be more observant of your chickens, know their personalities, and watch for a change in behaviour.
One thing missed in the list, even with a small flock, avoid just adding one new chick or pullet, add at least two or three (three is better). That way they do not bear the brunt of the older ones bullying the newbie. Also, longer slow introductions are better, having them fenced off separately. Have a flexible coop and run that can be divided up for such purposes.
Birds of Prey are the biggest threat where I am.
I have a Buff rooster and he’s a huge jackass lol definitely will chase you if you run 😂
Grass produces only a few eggs
Made me feel good to just give eggs away. Until certain people had bright idea that when I handing out eggs that was code for drugs so ruined something I enjoyed doing for others to I just keep my own eggs. I couldn't even enjoy something simple passing out eggs. World is evil
Don't give in. Let your light shine. Add egg salad sandwiches. Invite people over for pancakes and scrambled eggs.
I wish someone would dump some chickens at my place ...RIR , BCM, Orpingtons, Australorps , im not too picky lol but dual purpose birds seem to be the thing lol
Anybody else want to help me??? I got a hen that’s stepping all over her baby chicks! And they’re dying! Idk what to do. 🤦🏻♂️
Could it have been the bedding. Possibly mites or lice irritation.
Expensive to feed
Must depend on where you are. I feed my chickens very high quality, organic food and costs about $1.30 of feed for a dozen eggs.
And never bring chickens in your flock that are from somewhere else like Auctions because the risk of disease is high..the majority of diseases happen when chickens are from Auctions or free ranging..
Wow. I don’t believe anything you say!!! Every other statement is “if there’s one thing I wish I knew before” “the one thing I wish I learned “ Every other statement is an “epiphany “!!!! Well, is there’s one thing I wish I’d know before I watched this high school teacheresque video….is to not watch.