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We have chickens & don't care what eggs cost in stores, or what ours are worth. We care about a longterm supply of food. Eggs are super foods, & in an economic collapse/depression, you will have guaranteed food. If you're growing food, you can feed your chickens. For ex, we grew lots more sunflowers for seeds for the chickens this yr. Through the Grace of God, they're 8'-13' ft tall w/12" diameter heads. It's a supplement for winter. They love greens, & bread as a treat. They're also so smart, & are great companions. I love gardening w/one of our chickens hanging out w/me:) I recommend getting them EVEN IF you don't save or make $ bc those eggs will be like gold in a grid down situation! God bless✝️
Amen! The only way to truly homestead is to go slowly, spend no money, make everything from what's on the land, trade for what's not on the land and truly enjoy the challenge and the benefits. It can be done.
I know some folks will be appalled by this, but I'm gonna brag on my grandson for his shooting skills. We've had a constant problem with raccoons - one grandson will relocate the trapped ones, but he works full time now, so he's not available for this service anymore - we live in the boonies. Our youngest grandson (21), sits outside at night listening to podcasts, and with his 4.10 and a headlight - he heard a ruckus - shot 5 shots up into a tree and got four huge raccoons on a tree limb, hanging over our coop - our chickies are saved from slaughter, once again. =)
I think you're 100% on everything you talk about. People nowadays just don't have a clue that Homesteading is real work. Very rewarding to be self-sufficient. Thank you for your videos.
When I was a child I would go into the grocery store with my grandma. This was a very long time ago. I remember oily red sawdust on the floors. She would go thru the store getting the things on her list, pay for them and my dad would carry them to his car. My grandmother would then count what was left of her grocery money( if any) and go back into the store and get what she would like based on how much money she had left. A lesson I learned well and have practiced all my life.
Now we go into the store and check our money to make sure the cashier gave the correct amount back, and then we have to show a receipt upon exit of the store as "proof" we made a purchase.
Lol bro I literally just got our first two eggs today! And I have about 30 dollars in the coop. It’s all found/donated material. I gave my neighbor the first egg cause I promised him I would cause he gave us the 4x4’s
My husband took Ill and passed away. We had already ordered the chickens and with how hectic life was I needed a coop fast. A friend had a travel trailer that was shot for that purpose, so I gutted it, put new subflooring in and turned it into a temporary coop. They are safe at night and I now gave time to build the coop with the materials we had already purchased. I am a 71 year old female and disabled but I can do this. I have the skills honed by years of being a homesteader, a DIYer, etc. What I didnt know, my husband and father taught me. Both have passed but their legacy lives on. Yes I grain my chickens and ducks, supplemented with house hold fruit and veggie scraps. I have purchased the seed to grow my own poultry feed. I cannot let the hens free range because I gave not only night predators but day predators. A funny story. We built a chicken yard and covered it all including the top with chicken wire. We let the hens out when done and were standing watching them enjoy their new plat ground. A hawk was circling and dive bombed in for the kill. Lmao he hit that wire going 100 miles and hour. Talk about one stunned bird. He sat their shaking his head, flopping around on the wire, doing this weird dance before he gave up and flew off. It was so funny, my sides hurt from laughing. The only thing I purchase for my chickens is feed. I did purchase a coop heater because our winters get to 40 below but I only run it when we start getting to around 20 below. Otherwise the coop stays around 40 degrees. I also dehydrate, freeze and pickle abundant summer eggs. That way when they molt and stop laying for winter, I will still have eggs. I also purchase cayanne pepper, or make my own, for use with the poultry. I add it to their water in the winter time. It brings up their internal temp and they will start laying again. Slower egg production though. No problem. We all need a rest period. I took thick log rounds from cutting our firewood and hollowed out chicken bowls for water and food. You do not need to purchase everything. Where there is a will, there is a way.
@@Anamericanhomestead Thank you. Sorely missed but we have a fantastic 50 years. He made every day an adventure full of fun an laughter. Great memories.
Raised 400 meat birds a few years back. I think all said and done I had about $12 a bird. You never can factor in time especially when raising them for yourself. This year I am experimenting… my heritage hen surprised me with a lovely hatching of roosters. I don’t need 14 roosters. So they are in a small chicken tractor moved many times a day, a little feed and all you can eat bugs. Going to see how close to broiler I can get without buying a broiler chicken. Sure it may take a little longer to reach weight but I’ve already saved the cost of the bird and the chicken tractor was built with extras laying around from deal buys. Either way they are going to taste good 😂
😂I hate it in August/September when I have to spend hours and hours putting away this beautiful harvest I worked so hard for. But always look forward to it again!
Wow someone doesn't homestead with those prices. We had several hundred birds. We started out with 2 dozen chicks paid $1 per chick, once they started laying we bought an incubator with turner for just under $100. We incubated our own, brooder was built with pallets. After we had about 100 birds we traded a dozen birds for ducks. After we saved $100 or so by providing our own meat we spent it on buying guineas. We kept hatching and ended up eventually running 5 incubators all summer long. We might have spent $10 a week for feed. They had free feed for when ever they wanted but was allowed to run free and preferred to forage. We didn't have a coop, we had a very large open hog house and the chickens roosted with the hogs, the ducks would sleep between the hogs and the guineas went to the trees. Hogs like having chickens around (if raised with them) and will chase raccoons and possums and other critters off (if the critters are lucky).
We bought our birds for 1.49 each for 20 birds, I fed them non gmo food so it was a little more $ but you are what you eat. we processed them ourselves also I canned them. my husband built a coop that we will use over and over again .... from wood he milled himself 😊. I love pickled eggs I do them once a month. Those prices seem high to me . Thank you for posting about this Zac ❤
Built my coop for 80.00 free cycled most materials, hunt shavings for free and we free range which requires very little bought feed and we process our own birds
We built a pretty big chicken coop, 8x24 elevated so they can get under for shade, and with an IBC tote rain catchment and recirc pump. well above what is needed. But both of us work OFF homestead too. If we were to do it again it would be chicken tractors and daily moves. Also feed very little, garden scraps overripe things and free range bug forage mostly this time of year. Also process our own. Turkeys way better for processing 5x the meat with each dispatch. But they stink. And chickens pick on turkeys
We buy maybe one bag of feed a year. Ours just free range and honestly don't like commercial feed. I also grow extra stuff for them. We also process our own. The broody ones hatch enough yearly to keep us going.
All good points except "pickling eggs", yeah I love them too but pickled eggs aren't very good for baking...lol. My girls go on vacation for about 3 months every winter so I water glass and freeze a few doz for that purpose.
Quitting homesteading right now is the worst possible time ever! Just because it's hard or the economics of it don't work out currently. Soon, when the dollar crashes and/or WW3 goes full speed, food will be valued beyond money. Having land, animals, crops and infrastructure will make you the most secure and "rich" person in this new era. This is NOT a hobby, this MAY be a business, this WILL ensure your survival. Good luck everyone and don't give up!!!
That's our approach to our farm. We don't see the value in dollars, we see the value in the ability to produce food at home. Because at the end of the day, food is one of the most essential NEEDS we have as humans/animals. Good luck to those living in big cities! Good bless you all!
My chickens are free range in my small town ,fenced in back yard. They eat very little feed in the spring/summer because they have a buffet of bugs, plants etc. The hardest part is keeping them out of my garden. Lots of fencing and netting required.
My husband wanted me to get rid of all of my chickens last fall. He said it didn't make since how much we were spending on chicken FOOD. Even though we were letting them free range and giving them scraps. Also, I closed my Beauty Shop in 2020 after 33 years of cutting hair to homestead. I was thinking the other day. I spend the day canning 7 quarts of tomatoes. If I worked those hours I could buy a lot of food.at Aldi. However, I love it so much and I couldn't imagine doing anything else right now. Rhonda from TN 💚🌞💚🌞💚
@@midsouthhomestead7527 Think of it this way. It isn't about getting food cheaper. You won't by the time you figure in supplies and energy. But you will get something you know isn't full of unwanted chemicals and fresher, better quality than any you can buy. You then have it on hand at any time without shopping. Money can then go towards other things. As you collect gear much is reusable reducing cost. Homesteading is a lifestyle choice moreso than a way to save money.
Appreciate your content and vids. I just wanted to mention that I follow all kinds of organic/sustainable farmers from all regions and walks. Something I noticed about 2 years ago was an increase in "fake" farmers. Meaning people, real or not, posting videos deliberately talking about data or experience about how costly it is to farm organically. Also a lot of posts like this, showing how much money they are losing. What I realized after some research is these accounts, real or not, are intentionally trying to mislead people. You can tell the difference between those who are truly showing the struggle, and those who are presenting a message. Thanks for breaking this down for those who don't know.
Just started gardening last summer. It was a total failure. This year it's better but not great. It is a learning process. At first I was in a hurry but came to understand I didn't know shiit about gardening, but I am learning. The people to wrote the page on loosing money haven't learned that leason yet. Keep up the good work, Zac and God bless you and yours...
It's definitely a learning process. After 40 or so years of gardening, I am still learning new things. Whoever that suit was that said something to the effect that "farming is easy, you just stick seeds in the dirt - what's so hard about that?" was obviously someone who had never actually tried growing anything.
Get rabbits - they speed up the learning process and make dinner for you, easy to raise eat grass or hay and butcher quicker, I raise all types of birds also, meat birds and bantes - they are the ultimate broody protective mothers, it takes years to get the right soil , keep making compost and feed the plants heavy and you will succeed. Good luck
This is funny Zack. We had a homestead in Idaho and we had to go to ND for work to pay the bills. Well bills are paid and now we are going back to Idaho to homesteading..So yes we are going to start all over again. Chickens, cows and so on. Yes we have to be careful with the wild live again. But we learned the 1st time so we can do it again. We always butcher the chickens, cows, and yes wild life. We don't need the government , just God oh and yes we are in our 60's too
We've had laying hens for years but this was our first year raising meat birds. $4/day-old bird, $100 for chicken tractor, I think 5 bags of feed so $65 then whatever the heating lamp cost, and freezer bags, which I forget. We also paid a friend $75 to come show us the ropes and use their equipment for processing. People seem to forget that just a few generations ago the majority of Americans were farmers and most of them were not near a feed store.
We live in Vermont. We raised meat birds in the past. We processed our own birds. No fancy processing set up. Plucked the chickens manually. I will admit the second year, we borrowed my aunt's plucker. Our children are grown so we buy a few meat birds from my aunt's farm every year. As far as our laying chickens, we do not put a light in our chickens coop in the colder months. Egg production drops and we plan accordingly by changing our diet so consumption meets production.Not by water glassing. I think we have had to purchase two dozen eggs in the winter mainly for holiday baking.
Water glassing allows you to have eggs that can be used in baking during the winter. Up here in the North (Montana) the girls stop laying in the winter.
I’m glad that you and many of your subscribers have chickens, but I think many people are in my situation, be it disabled or unable to have/take care of our own birds. However I like to be prepared for situations. Thats why I water glass eggs, and I love having them on hand for any baking and cooking. I keep them in rotation with all of my other preps and haven’t had any issues, they are great. So please don’t laugh at those of us that are at least doing what we can for our families and trying. I enjoy your videos and even became a member, printed your books. Thank you for your encouragement, remember that many of us aren’t living on an active homestead. 🙏🏼♥️
I work 50 or so hours a week running a landscape design business, we brought home our first two children in less than 2 years...we moved to our new small homesteed 5 days after our first child was born. Its been a BUSY two years! We did chickens 1st thing when we moved in, i built a brooder box with scrap wood, a coop with cattle panels, and i made my nesting boxes out of 15gallon retail black tree containers like you see at plant nurseries. Thats all weve done for our chickens...over the last two years weve had an abundance of eggs and weve butchered about 60 meet bird's. It was a great learning experience. One day ill make a better coop but for now the cattle panel chicken tractor type coop is keeping them safe at night. I put plenty of roosting bars they use in the chicken coop but if it was up to the chickens they'd prefer to sleep ontop of the coop lol
I say start small, learn about chicken keeping, build a small protective shelter, and know how to process your birds. I look at this experience as gaining knowledge and skills. That in itself can't be bought or sold! I started with 6 chicks, the shelter was a dog house, and a grid run. I had an open area for my birds to forage. Unfortunately, the wild dogs and other predators wiped out my little flock. I learned from that experience and decided to build a Fort Knox. I learned about carpentry, and in the process, I built an 8x10 ft covered run and 50x35 ft open-air pen. There are aprons around the run and pen. Mind you, my skill working with wood is limited. It can be done! 😊
I was choking as you were going over those prices! I have Orpingtons. This year I decided to NOT run my incubator. This year, I had more broody hens than I have ever had! 2 were VERY successful, some were not successful, the rest were a little successful. I will have young hens laying during the winter. I have never had to preserve eggs. Just have to be sure I collect frequently in the winter so the eggs don't freeze. And I didn't spent no $2,000 for a coop!!
We have just 1 hen, Putty-Tat, who has gone broody, & she's just a little thing. Last yr, she had 2 chicks bc we took the other eggs not knowing she was broody. She sits for a while to have an egg. This yr she went broody, & had 12 eggs, some barely up under her! We figured we'd let her try, but she gave up on all but 6 eggs. So, we have 6 new babies, & she doesn't even fluff up anymore if we come near them. So cute:) Pretty sure 2 are roosters just from behavior. We don't care bc they're safe w/us. We don't want any more chickens right now, so we'll have to break her broodiness if she does it again! One of our hens eats her own eggs, & will eat others', too, so we separated her w/1 of our roosters, & they seem happy. We're right now planning a new big coop just for the roosters, w/individual little coops & runs bc they're all separated right now. No fighting on our watch! We have a rooster w/a severe crossbite, so he can't peck at things, but he can scoop his food, & he's thriving! We keep him w/Putty & another hen who each help clean his beak, & his breast feathers. He's the Daddy to our new chicks. We incubated the chickens we started w/& it was a barnyard mix, so we had no idea what we were getting. Ended up w/one that's a Jersey Giant, & he is huge, but very gentle! They're all just so beautiful, especially the RIRs:) I'm so grateful for our chickens, & thank God often for His miracles♡
There’s no money in farming or “homesteading”. We’ve just learned to break even so we can be more independent and raise and grow our own food. We have jobs to help with costs and pay for things as we go along rather than mortgaging our farm. But make no mistake about it, there is no money in selling eggs and anybody that tells you different is a liar.
A farmer / homesteader needs to have multiple income streams. Zack has said that often enough. Cut trees, sell eggs, run a youtube, affiliate programs, patreon, fix engines, make and sell T-shirts, whatever wherever.
I’ve had chickens for over 25 years and came to realize over the years that the best thing you can do is have eggs for yourself and sell or giveaway a few extras. There’s a reason why raised commercially raised chickens are kept in buildings and fed automatically. It’s because that’s just about the only way to be profitable with chickens.
We have raised meat birds and that’s crazy prices. We did use shavings the first two weeks as chicks until they are out on past. We process our own birds. We do spend money on ice for the 24hrs before they are packed up for the freezer. Our chicken tractors are cattle panel hoop coop style. One set of our layer girls do have a more expensive coop, but it was here when we lived in. Our other set of layers have the same cattle panel coop. Layers free range all day. We are wanting to start quail soon. So we’ll need to build something for them.
I agree, tho we don't rely on our freezers for much of anything bc of the risk. That means lots of canning, & I haven't tried water glassing yet. To new ppl: if freezing them, get those silicone ice trays bc they're easy to pop the frozen eggs out. Some ppl Crack them all & put them in a pitcher or something, then pour it into the trays, but I prefer 1 egg per section of the tray. Also, you must scramble the eggs a bit w/a fork bc it'll freeze funny w/an intact yoke. They're good for scrambled eggs later & for baking. We vacuum seal the eggs after freezing. The egg shells are great for growing tomatoes & other things, & you can add them back into your chicken feed - good for them. We have 1 hen that eats her eggs, which is a very bad habit! She's now w/1 of our roosters, separated from the other hens bc she'll eat theirs, too! If anyone knows how to stop that, I'd appreciate it! Lastly, all the Glory goes to God in all things. So, if you're wanting to grow food, raise chickens or w/e, the gratitude must be there bc even failures are teaching moments, & there will be plenty, which is life. I think gardening, raising things, etc are valuable skills, but it's not easy!
So far I’m just a chicken tender for the eggs for me and my friends but will eventually also eat them. I’ve started leaning towards the bigger breeds so they can be dual purpose birds. I volunteer my services when friends are butchering their meat birds so I can get experience doing that. I’m doing it again this Saturday! And I love my buff Orpington, she is such an awesome broody girl. She is sitting on another clutch right now.
One of the barnyard mix of eggs we incubated couple yrs ago ended up being a Jersey Giant! We don't eat our birds, but if it came down to it, just him alone would make many meals. I named all our roosters, so we can't kill them, tho I don't hold that against those that do. We're already in a silent depression, & it's a mathematical certainty that our economy cannot continue w/so much nat'l & personal debt. So, chickens are vital bc eggs are super foods. W/just eggs & potatoes, ppl could survive if need be! It's not about the $ to us as much as food security, just like our gardens, bc it doesn't have to cost a fortune to have chickens. Ppl can repurpose lots of things! We're tearing down an old barn on our property for a new coop. Luckily, my other ½ is a carpenter by trade, so that's a huge blessing. But, even amateurs build the best coops, & anyone can learn! The ppl who think it'd be easy to do all this may not understand the value of hard work that you're not compensated for. We could sell veggies from our garden, but would never be compensated for all the time tilling, planting, pulling weeds, fighting pests & critters, harvesting, etc. Experience = realistic expectations, & God either gives harvests or lessons, & both are blessings, IMHO!
We raise, process, and sell 100 cornish cross every 5 weeks. Very small scale. We have NEVER spent what that guy listed in that letter. Where the heck is he buying everything?!
I am from Bosnia, in Bosnia my mother would buy 50 one day old chickens, buy whole food and stuff and at end she will sell 20 proccessed and with that money cover all the costs and have 30 pieces (over 100kg chicken meat) for our family FOR FREE!
Yeah, those numbers are way off. I can put a bird in the freezer for less than $20 each and that includes labor. and that is fed with soy free, corn free, non-gmo feed. One problem though is he is trying to make make back the cost of his crates and tractor on the first batch.....those should be amortized over at least 5 years.
I hope to see you next Friday Zach. I will water glass my eggs temporarily because I don't have chickens and living in an apartment. Since I don't eat that many eggs it seems best for me to go to a local Amish farm and get eggs
Preach! Yes! It doesn't have to be costly, learn to do it within your means. When times get tough, there will be no processors around, no feed stores around, etc. We never spend that much for our meat birds. We built moveable tractors for cheap, they free range in electric net and we move them every so often. We butcher ourselves so no cost of butchering here. We haven't spent more than about $10-$12 per meat bird and that's the high side. Depending on how we feed, it can has been less. We raise them every year once a year and fill the freezer. Also, we have a flock of extra roosters that free range our 11 acres, we've not lost one and we def have predators around. We do have LGDs and we often annoint the corners of our property and pray over it. I'm thankful we haven't had an issue. You either pay with time or money. If you pay the money, you don't put the time in. If you pay in time, you put less money in. Our ancestors spent labor to live. Seems the world is scared of and doesn't value labor. And lol, we waterglass eggs just for the winter season. We don't keep them for years and years, that's silly, just enough for winter.
Zac lives in the south, where it is much easier to produce the quantity of eggs needed for his family. However, the wise farmer, especially those of us up north, NEED to preserve eggs for winter, but it is easily and cheaply done with some pickling salt and water. A homestead brooder can be as simple as a cheap heatlamp bulb and a cardboard box. Let the brody mama hatch chicks, take them to brooder and let mama get back to her regular egg laying production job much sooner.
Chickens stop laying in winter in the South, too. They need the break, IMHO, & they'll only lay a specific amount w/in their lifetimes, so why rush it?
Excellent video! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. The yuppies just have no idea the struggles, failures, work and commitment that goes into a homestead. I had to explain some similar topics, just last week, to some newbies on the mountain. God bless you and your family
While I agree with nearly all of your views, the water-glassing is something I will defend. There is zero reason for me to keep eggs for 2 years, but waterglassing does get us through the winter. The reason why chickens stop laying in the winter is due to the amount of light hours during the day being diminished. I am a trad-wife and I make breakfast for my husband every single morning before he goes to work. We go through a LOT of eggs for his DAILY omelets. I only water-glass just enough eggs to get us through the winter without having to buy those horrible store-bought butt nuggets. It works for us. ;)
We think it's good for our hens to have the break from laying during winter. They'll only lay a set amt during their lifetimes, so why push it? I watch a YT creator who adds cayenne pepper to her hens' water so they'll lay during winter, & I disagree. Even tho they cannot taste the capsaicin, it's unnatural. W/5 hens they're laying plenty, & she could freeze/water glass for winter if it's that important. I'm not judging bc they're her birds, but for the chickens' sake, it's best IMO to let nature do its thing. God created them, & we've fine tuned the breeding, but they're still His creatures, & He knows best!
My MIL once yelled at my husband when she found out that I processed my own roosters and rabbits. She wasn't yelling at him to say that he should have helped me (no, he shouldn't, he was at work, where he belongs at that time of day), she was yelling at him for not paying a USDA processing plant to process for us. When he said that it's not a big deal, and he's done his own deer, she rage quit, and made my FIL call to tell him that he needs to obey his mother. 🙄 The worst part: she's a ranch kid. Her father was a rancher and hunter. She should know better.
If you are paying someone to process your chickens then you might as well buy the chickens in a grocery store already to cook/eat. Save your self all the head aches ...
Disagree. I have a processor 35 minutes away. He can process and pack for $4 (about, varies by qty). No way I can do it for that - labor , equipment, etc…. Plus it looks professional. We sell at for $5 to $6 a pound for whole birds. Corn free, soy free and pastured.
Most of the people that are having them processed are SELLING them. To other people. The birds have to be processed in a USDA facility to sell legally. Same with cattle. Now if someone wants to buy the live bird they can do whatever, but how many people want to mess with that?
@@FOMAHsince2014we do sell live birds only. Yes, the problem is that nobody these days seems to know how to process their own chickens. My 5 year old boy already knows the process and he helps us. People NEED to get educated about how food is done. I have lived in places where money doesn't put food in your belly. Good luck to those unprepared (useless generations)
Lol- I can’t believe that budget is real! The best little hens are the ones that everyone assume was taken by a hawk or whatever- then, after several weeks they appear in the yard one day with 5 of the cutest fat chicks💕 they don’t really need your intervention. War Games was fun movie! Hal’s voice- unforgettable 😆
I have two of those hens who did that to me! Went missing... and actually I did think a hawk got them! :) One had 14 chicks, the other turned up with 8! :)
Meat birds? We built a scaled down Salatin Tractor for approximately $200. Two of them for $400. I believe the originals are 10 x 12. We scaled ours back to 8 x 8 to keep them light enough. 25 birds in each. 50 per cycle. 3 cycles (total 150 birds) for $400. AND .. there's no reason those won't last 20 years of production. $20 dollars a year for coop for 150 brirds a year. LOL thousands of dollars ... Brooders? We sawed in half a $40 used IBC Tote. Good for lifetime use. 25 chicks each. Times 2 halves - 50 chicks a cycle. 3 cycles a year ... for effectively a single dollar a year amortized cost of The Brooder Boxes. Feed? Corn is les than $300 a literal ton at your local Granary/Elevator. Just sayin'. LOL $28 for a 40 pounder of o(LOL) Organic Chicken Chow at your local Big Box Farm Store is laughable.
Im so glad you broke down these numbers because we raise our own meat birds and my husband and I do EVERYTHING ourselves and it can be very profitable.
There is no great homestead. I've experienced more failure than success. All you can do is continue to do it and succeed. We process our own food. You will always have issues. Don't quit. Take care of your families.
I think i really needed to hear your speech on hard work today. I dont even have a homestead yet and im so overwhelmed with repairs and work and five kids. I will start as soon as i can but even pulling 12 hour shifts has gotten my brain scrambling.
@@steevs7912 I understand. You could always raise them to sell as pets or to other breeders. They are worth having just for the manure to me. Not like other animals, it doesn't need composting and can go right on the garden. Kids love rabbits. Let them do the work and it's a good lesson on animal husbandry without big investments.
Goodness, this was a surprise!! I can’t think of any food cheaper than eggs and chickens. I help our local butcher and get my meat raised chickens done “free”.
Even IF this was a regular occurrence or pricing, you’re still not buying a new coop and brooder every year! That cost would come out after the first initial year!
Lol, my daughter and I process all our chickens, turkeys, ducks, quail and deer. Men around here near me in TN take everything to the processor, it's a trip. One of them asked us if we would process his pigs, I said no because they are unclean, and I don't allow them on my land. As a farmer I could have made a lot of money from this, but I just couldn't. The only thing I had to buy for our chicken coop and brooder was the wire and screws the wood was taken from left over building materials from builders in the area. Of course I had to take out all the nails, chip away the concrete off but hey its free. The birds we continuously incubate the fertilized eggs other than the hens that do themselves. The only place I put hay is in the laying boxes and that last a long time. I only feed the birds twice a week other than that they are in the run feeding themselves. I don't even have a defeather machine I just do it the old fashion way lol.
Homesteading is like a marathon, it requires perseverance and the mindset of never giving up. The original homesteader’s had to figure it out, and they had to have grit/determination. Many don’t last the first winter because they are tender foot’s. Some people have the entitlement mentality.
I live in Maui, Hawaii and I have this little yard and it’s at the bottom of a gulch and when I first got here there were so many chickens and I squirt them and chase them off because they ruined my garden so there’s a lot fewer now but I don’t think it’s me. I think people are hungry out there. We don’t have a lot of predators in Hawaii people, taking the birds that’s what I think
Agreed that the coup is the most important feature to raising a flock. We use last years leaf litter for woodchips. We did purchase a large galvenized tub to brood in and only need A heat lamp during the early season. Grow your own millet, sunflowers, corn, clovers and other greens. Crush their shells and add calcium to the diet. Process as needed. We made our own kill cones and hand pluck but it is easy to make a drill drum with trucker rubber strapping that can expedite the process. Quitters won't eat or will be forced to eat cricket burgers. Improvise folks
My other ½ grew up being taught by his parents to simply boil the chicken, & the feathers will come right off, kinda like blanching tomatoes to remove the skin. We won't be eating our chickens unless the time comes when that's our only choice. The economy is failing, so having eggs will be like having gold! God will provide, but I think He expects a lot from us in return, such as hard work, perseverance, courage, & determination. Giving up means giving up on yourself, & until your body gives out, there's still potential♡
About 6 years ago I called tsc in 1 town for a plucker, $400+, called another in a different town $200+ on clearance .😊 Score . Let your fingers do the walking.
I have some ISA Browns, they love to forage and I had 1 of my hens that went broody and hatched 4 eggs, got 3 new hens and a rooster out of it....Get lots of eggs every day plus I did buy a couple Silkies to hatch egs for me but the ISA hen did it already and 2 other ISA hens seem like they want to go broody...maybe next year..I will see how many want to sit on eggs just for fun...And when it comes to butchering, people really need to learn how to do it, I grew up butchering animals, living on what you raised and what you grew. In no way shape or form would we ever think about hiring someone else to help butcher even when it came to the cows and pigs....oh and when it came to providing feed for the chicks that hatched, they grew just fine on their own with no special feed, the mama hen did a awesome job, and the chicks foraged for all their food needs.
14:00 I’m planning on raising chickens next spring. One of the main reasons is to not have the government involved in having healthy food for my family. Btw the way, been raising rabbits and regret it. Not much ROI.
LOLWut? Rabbits are even better than Chicken on ROI. They can be (and ours are) fed 100% free - from what we grow and harvest ourselves. We take 2 a week for The Dinner Table. The absolute, hands-diwn best ROI as far as smal livestock meat is concerned are Goose and Muscovy. Both are grazers. Like Zach's sheep. 100% grass/weed fed. Don't even need coop/housing if you've got ponds. They just head for the water when a predator shows up. Not a Fox nor a Coyote, nor a Neighbor's Dog has gone swimming after 'em when they head for the safety of The Water. Ours are semi-feral. No feed. No housing. Nof fencing. No watering. Let them do their thing in Spring (make babies). They live out there with the native Canada and Mallard and raise their babies... come September they are large enough to start harvesting. Free for the taking. Zero inputs.
I agree with on the coop My chickens free range. I have'nt bought any grain this summer. I let the hens take care of their own babies. Didn't use a brooder. My buff O and Marins (a french breed) are both good brooders.
I don't think I've ever been to your channel before, but this video came up and I have to say, "Right on!" My husband and I have been homesteading for about 30 years or more and in that time, we had more failures then successes but it hasn't stopped us from keeping going. We have learned a whole lot about what not to do. Amen? We never had a lot of money and we would never, ever consider taking our animals to be butchered. It was essential to us to do it all ourselves. We bought books, watched videos, asked old timers, and did everything we could to be students and then we just tried, failed, succeeded, and learned a whole lot in the process. I don't understand the woman who spent that kind of money to raise chickens. We have both kept them in a chicken yard and free ranged. Our chickens LOVE free range and they procreate like crazy. They are super healthy without our help. This year, we bought some Buff Orpingtons. Oh my gosh! After decades of raising chickens these are the best! They are so friendly and beautiful and just all around a great chicken. We find clutches of eggs in the right places and the wrong places but all of the eggs are great and we're so happy to have them. They are well protected at night and by day, they have 3 big dogs roaming around to guard them. We also have rabbits and turkeys. We just started with turkeys about a year ago. We hatch out most of our chickens and all of our turkeys. Honestly, dispatching and cleaning the chickens and turkeys is not the horrific thing people think it is. You just put your mind to it and get it done. Probably dispatching the rabbits is hardest for my husband because he gives them more attention. We raise these animals for eggs and meat - they are not pets and we do not create condominiums for them to enjoy their vacations and retirements. We all work the homestead and they do too! Every animal has a job and we have ours. We do have a family member who thinks that all animals should be treated by veterinarians for every minor thing and lots of money should be spent to make their lives luxurious and fun. Nope! Their fun is to forage - and love it they do! Sometimes, we lose a bird or a rabbit and sometimes it's several like in this intense heat we just went through for almost 2 months, however, that's just all part of it. You accept it and go on. My husband has had to cull a few of these animals and it's not easy for him but he does it because it's not good for the animal to live in the state it's in and we can't eat it. When we first moved to the country as city kids almost 40 years ago, we had a lot of conditioning to go through. A dear friend taught us that even the dogs have to perform their duties or they're not worth feeding. He grew up during WWII and watched his farm family struggle with many children. Last thing, this is NO time to give up homesteading! Now of all times, don't give up! You're going to need it more than ever - this is why we've all been preparing! Oh - IF we have an abundance of eggs, we dehydrate them, but honestly, I rarely use them - not because I don't like them that way, it's just that we flow with the chickens. When they produce, we eat eggs, and when they don't, we don't. It's just nature and that's okay with us.
Thank you for informing everyone about the misconceptions about raising chickens. We have a 8x12 chicken coop made out of scrap metal. We built it next to nothing. It has a water collection system & automatic watering trough. Another feature is a manure slide under the roost. It’s a 4x8 plywood at an angle with 2x4 fencing to keep the chickens from accessing the slide. There is exterior door to accessing the manure. We have a choice to collect the manure or just open the door & let the chickens clean it for us. It’s works great. We don’t clean the coop for months. They generally don’t mess up the inside of the coop. They are not stepping in their manure.
I have been homesteading for the past 5 years. What I underestimated is how jealous neighbors can be and how they have deliberately sabotaged greehouses, fruit and vegetables, sent their dogs out to kill my chickens. They shoot at my guinea's and disable them. I purchased the coops, feeders, waterers, many of which were stoen or vandalized as the local people are jealous. I enjoy rasing the birds as they produce delicious organic eggs, whose taste is unlike any store bought eggs. Organic eggs are going for $6-8 per dozen and the birds and guinea's produce daily.
THAT is outrageous. Are they coming onto your property or are the animals wandering to theirs (like guineas like to do). Can you put cameras and take care of trespassers legally? Very sad people are like that.
@@pattierwin4380 They come onto my property and hide out. They have dumped water catchments. iterally plowed down a newly installed gate. They were trying to steal the land I own across the county road, which is my legally surveryed land. It is ALL recorded and founf their used ammo under my no trespassing sign with 4 holes in it. I finally contacted Neighborhood Wars on A& E because teh local Sheriff is crap and related to everyone. April 11, 2023 A&E.
Not sure why you think pickled eggs are a preferred method over waterglassing for eggs. I personally havent seen too many cake recipes that utilize pickled eggs. Nothing wrong with calculating how many eggs you will need to carry your family through the winter when egg production slows down and waterglass enough during peak season to carry you through. Its no different than growing potatoes and storing them away in hopes to have them in winter. Just because someone says you can store them for 2 years doesnt mean you have to. Good vid.
We have chickens and we made coops out of scraps. It’s been 15 years and we’ve ad plenty of eggs. For the record, there are hawks and foxes during the day as well so coop security is important. They really enjoy the weeds from the garden and grass when we cut it while they’re stuck inside.
I've never heard of water glassing eggs, but I'm absolutely with you. The lady I used to buy eggs from accidentally misplaced two dozen eggs and found them NINE MONTHS LATER. Just for grins cracked one open and it was FINE. Said she used them normally, and precisely one egg had turned.
Also, let’s not forget that some just had breaks in generations where their babyboomer parents chose the city life and their children weren’t given the tools to adapt. I don’t blame the ones trying and failing. At least they tried. Not obvious for them to look at youtubers showing the perfect farm life and them wanting that thing without knowing about all the struggles and failures. Most would only need to be given a chance.
Waterglass your eggs just for that winter, not for years lol. It's preffered over pickled if you want scrambled, over easy etc. This was just for you buddy 😂
I also think that people need to decide if they are homesteading to save money or to change their lifestyle and have healthy food that the government involved in their food. Great chat
Hiya Zach My daughter and I have just sold up our 7acre property….WE ARE NOT QUITTING! We both sat down in tears, thinking about things on this property, we are 100% offgrid, debt free except mortgage it’s just us two and we know we do not have the strength to do what’s needed, nor do we have funds to pay anyone. We’ve had multiple men offer and vowed they will come to do those hard, heavy tasks… 18mths later, no one has come😞 So we decided to sell as is, pay off our mortgage and buy smaller in a cheaper area….. yep start again, but with most infrastructure already built… so really only establishing gardens all over again 💪🏼🙏🏼 Very sad that what I’ve established, garden wise will be all gone…. Especially my calendula (first time EVER been able to grow and harvest flowers 🤦🏼♀️)but I’m taking some pots with me😊. Settlement is in a weeks time… scary, but exciting!!!
I absolutely agree, Zac. It sounds like those folks didn’t understand what it takes. Heritage breeds are resilient, lay lots of eggs, forage, and are sometimes broody. Instead of pine shavings, they can just throw whatever vegetation into the coop. There are lots of ways to get free food for chickens and/or be creative with feed to save money on feed cost. The coop cost shouldn’t be factored in for next year if they expensed it for this year. That alone makes a big difference in their number. I definitely don’t want dumb-ernment more involved in our life than they already are. We are constantly learning and started back in NY with chickens and gardening. We were realistic about the effort it would take to live this lifestyle. It’s definitely lots of hard work, but I think it’s the best way to live. Some folks need encouragement, but if they don’t have good work ethic and a willingness to learn, they are going to have a very tough time. Nice share! Be well. - Colin
Buff Orpingtons are our favorite. We have one coop with just barn mix chickens and a second coop with pure Orps. The Orps frequently go broody and are great mamas.
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Hey Zac, my son & d-i-l are at Marshfield! I hope they found you!!
We have chickens & don't care what eggs cost in stores, or what ours are worth. We care about a longterm supply of food. Eggs are super foods, & in an economic collapse/depression, you will have guaranteed food. If you're growing food, you can feed your chickens. For ex, we grew lots more sunflowers for seeds for the chickens this yr. Through the Grace of God, they're 8'-13' ft tall w/12" diameter heads. It's a supplement for winter. They love greens, & bread as a treat. They're also so smart, & are great companions. I love gardening w/one of our chickens hanging out w/me:) I recommend getting them EVEN IF you don't save or make $ bc those eggs will be like gold in a grid down situation! God bless✝️
My main reason for raising my own stuff as nuch as I can is I know what ingredient are in them.
And that is priceless.
Yep
They dont want the chickens to eat the bugs.They want us to.
Amen! The only way to truly homestead is to go slowly, spend no money, make everything from what's on the land, trade for what's not on the land and truly enjoy the challenge and the benefits. It can be done.
I know some folks will be appalled by this, but I'm gonna brag on my grandson for his shooting skills. We've had a constant problem with raccoons - one grandson will relocate the trapped ones, but he works full time now, so he's not available for this service anymore - we live in the boonies. Our youngest grandson (21), sits outside at night listening to podcasts, and with his 4.10 and a headlight - he heard a ruckus - shot 5 shots up into a tree and got four huge raccoons on a tree limb, hanging over our coop - our chickies are saved from slaughter, once again. =)
Lol
They are very good with sweet potatoes. Remember to remove the musk glands (Kernals) from the hind legs.
@@ronaldsellers3717 Thanks, but they aren't on my clean foods list... 🤢
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
You can use the carcasses to draw in the coyotes, foxes, bobcats. That way you have bait for the other predators. 🦝🦊🧸🦨🔫
Nice good job
You should be proud of him. Job well done!!!
We built our coup. I did buy a plucker and scalder for processing, I process chickens for others and rent out my plucker. Helped recoup the cost.
I think you're 100% on everything you talk about. People nowadays just don't have a clue that Homesteading is real work. Very rewarding to be self-sufficient. Thank you for your videos.
Yup, It’s called “sweat equity” ... I have never worked harder until I became a homesteader, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
When I was a child I would go into the grocery store with my grandma.
This was a very long time ago. I remember oily red sawdust on the floors. She would go thru the store getting the things on her list, pay for them and my dad would carry them to his car. My grandmother would then count what was left of her grocery money( if any) and go back into the store and get what she would like based on how much money she had left.
A lesson I learned well and have practiced all my life.
Now we go into the store and check our money to make sure the cashier gave the correct amount back, and then we have to show a receipt upon exit of the store as "proof" we made a purchase.
Thanks for the tip. It may help me going forward. ❤
My grandad always said it's easy for a farmer to make a million dollars, he just has to start with two million dollars
😂
Agreed!!
Good one!
My father always said the same thing .....
Lol bro I literally just got our first two eggs today! And I have about 30 dollars in the coop. It’s all found/donated material. I gave my neighbor the first egg cause I promised him I would cause he gave us the 4x4’s
You go.... Amen!
My husband took Ill and passed away. We had already ordered the chickens and with how hectic life was I needed a coop fast. A friend had a travel trailer that was shot for that purpose, so I gutted it, put new subflooring in and turned it into a temporary coop. They are safe at night and I now gave time to build the coop with the materials we had already purchased. I am a 71 year old female and disabled but I can do this. I have the skills honed by years of being a homesteader, a DIYer, etc. What I didnt know, my husband and father taught me. Both have passed but their legacy lives on. Yes I grain my chickens and ducks, supplemented with house hold fruit and veggie scraps. I have purchased the seed to grow my own poultry feed. I cannot let the hens free range because I gave not only night predators but day predators. A funny story. We built a chicken yard and covered it all including the top with chicken wire. We let the hens out when done and were standing watching them enjoy their new plat ground. A hawk was circling and dive bombed in for the kill. Lmao he hit that wire going 100 miles and hour. Talk about one stunned bird. He sat their shaking his head, flopping around on the wire, doing this weird dance before he gave up and flew off. It was so funny, my sides hurt from laughing. The only thing I purchase for my chickens is feed. I did purchase a coop heater because our winters get to 40 below but I only run it when we start getting to around 20 below. Otherwise the coop stays around 40 degrees. I also dehydrate, freeze and pickle abundant summer eggs. That way when they molt and stop laying for winter, I will still have eggs. I also purchase cayanne pepper, or make my own, for use with the poultry. I add it to their water in the winter time. It brings up their internal temp and they will start laying again. Slower egg production though. No problem. We all need a rest period. I took thick log rounds from cutting our firewood and hollowed out chicken bowls for water and food. You do not need to purchase everything. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Very sorry for your loss.
Tough ole bird applies here.👍👍 now if you could rub off on younger people we'd be better off .❤
Excellent story and helpful advice. Thank you.
@@Anamericanhomestead Thank you. Sorely missed but we have a fantastic 50 years. He made every day an adventure full of fun an laughter. Great memories.
Raised 400 meat birds a few years back. I think all said and done I had about $12 a bird. You never can factor in time especially when raising them for yourself. This year I am experimenting… my heritage hen surprised me with a lovely hatching of roosters. I don’t need 14 roosters. So they are in a small chicken tractor moved many times a day, a little feed and all you can eat bugs. Going to see how close to broiler I can get without buying a broiler chicken. Sure it may take a little longer to reach weight but I’ve already saved the cost of the bird and the chicken tractor was built with extras laying around from deal buys. Either way they are going to taste good 😂
Homesteading/ gardening "how I hate myself in July and August but then forget about it come January and get all excited about it in February." 😂😂
😂I hate it in August/September when I have to spend hours and hours putting away this beautiful harvest I worked so hard for. But always look forward to it again!
Wow someone doesn't homestead with those prices. We had several hundred birds. We started out with 2 dozen chicks paid $1 per chick, once they started laying we bought an incubator with turner for just under $100. We incubated our own, brooder was built with pallets. After we had about 100 birds we traded a dozen birds for ducks. After we saved $100 or so by providing our own meat we spent it on buying guineas. We kept hatching and ended up eventually running 5 incubators all summer long. We might have spent $10 a week for feed. They had free feed for when ever they wanted but was allowed to run free and preferred to forage. We didn't have a coop, we had a very large open hog house and the chickens roosted with the hogs, the ducks would sleep between the hogs and the guineas went to the trees. Hogs like having chickens around (if raised with them) and will chase raccoons and possums and other critters off (if the critters are lucky).
We bought our birds for 1.49 each for 20 birds, I fed them non gmo food so it was a little more $ but you are what you eat. we processed them ourselves also I canned them. my husband built a coop that we will use over and over again .... from wood he milled himself 😊. I love pickled eggs I do them once a month. Those prices seem high to me . Thank you for posting about this Zac ❤
Awesome!
Built my coop for 80.00 free cycled most materials, hunt shavings for free and we free range which requires very little bought feed and we process our own birds
We built a pretty big chicken coop, 8x24 elevated so they can get under for shade, and with an IBC tote rain catchment and recirc pump. well above what is needed. But both of us work OFF homestead too. If we were to do it again it would be chicken tractors and daily moves. Also feed very little, garden scraps overripe things and free range bug forage mostly this time of year.
Also process our own. Turkeys way better for processing 5x the meat with each dispatch. But they stink. And chickens pick on turkeys
We buy maybe one bag of feed a year. Ours just free range and honestly don't like commercial feed. I also grow extra stuff for them. We also process our own. The broody ones hatch enough yearly to keep us going.
As it should be. :)
All good points except "pickling eggs", yeah I love them too but pickled eggs aren't very good for baking...lol. My girls go on vacation for about 3 months every winter so I water glass and freeze a few doz for that purpose.
This is probably the most helpful and informative push back on the stance for water glassing eggs. Thank you.
Quitting homesteading right now is the worst possible time ever! Just because it's hard or the economics of it don't work out currently. Soon, when the dollar crashes and/or WW3 goes full speed, food will be valued beyond money. Having land, animals, crops and infrastructure will make you the most secure and "rich" person in this new era. This is NOT a hobby, this MAY be a business, this WILL ensure your survival. Good luck everyone and don't give up!!!
That's our approach to our farm. We don't see the value in dollars, we see the value in the ability to produce food at home. Because at the end of the day, food is one of the most essential NEEDS we have as humans/animals. Good luck to those living in big cities! Good bless you all!
My chickens are free range in my small town ,fenced in back yard. They eat very little feed in the spring/summer because they have a buffet of bugs, plants etc. The hardest part is keeping them out of my garden. Lots of fencing and netting required.
My husband wanted me to get rid of all of my chickens last fall. He said it didn't make since how much we were spending on chicken FOOD. Even though we were letting them free range and giving them scraps.
Also, I closed my Beauty Shop in 2020 after 33 years of cutting hair to homestead. I was thinking the other day. I spend the day canning 7 quarts of tomatoes. If I worked those hours I could buy a lot of food.at Aldi.
However, I love it so much and I couldn't imagine doing anything else right now.
Rhonda from TN
💚🌞💚🌞💚
@@midsouthhomestead7527 Think of it this way. It isn't about getting food cheaper. You won't by the time you figure in supplies and energy. But you will get something you know isn't full of unwanted chemicals and fresher, better quality than any you can buy. You then have it on hand at any time without shopping. Money can then go towards other things. As you collect gear much is reusable reducing cost. Homesteading is a lifestyle choice moreso than a way to save money.
It definetly costs us more to raise them than to buy eggs. But we do it so if SHTF then we can have food still.
@@Sarah-psalm127
Exactly
The quality of the product you canned is so much better than what you would have purchased.
Be proud ofyourselves, both of u are the less vulnerable if foodncrisis arise. Do not measure it with money if u just buy itfrom the store
Appreciate your content and vids. I just wanted to mention that I follow all kinds of organic/sustainable farmers from all regions and walks. Something I noticed about 2 years ago was an increase in "fake" farmers. Meaning people, real or not, posting videos deliberately talking about data or experience about how costly it is to farm organically. Also a lot of posts like this, showing how much money they are losing. What I realized after some research is these accounts, real or not, are intentionally trying to mislead people. You can tell the difference between those who are truly showing the struggle, and those who are presenting a message. Thanks for breaking this down for those who don't know.
Just started gardening last summer. It was a total failure. This year it's better but not great. It is a learning process.
At first I was in a hurry but came to understand I didn't know shiit about gardening, but I am learning.
The people to wrote the page on loosing money haven't learned that leason yet.
Keep up the good work, Zac and God bless you and yours...
It's definitely a learning process. After 40 or so years of gardening, I am still learning new things. Whoever that suit was that said something to the effect that "farming is easy, you just stick seeds in the dirt - what's so hard about that?" was obviously someone who had never actually tried growing anything.
Get rabbits - they speed up the learning process and make dinner for you, easy to raise eat grass or hay and butcher quicker, I raise all types of birds also, meat birds and bantes - they are the ultimate broody protective mothers, it takes years to get the right soil , keep making compost and feed the plants heavy and you will succeed. Good luck
This is funny Zack. We had a homestead in Idaho and we had to go to ND for work to pay the bills. Well bills are paid and now we are going back to Idaho to homesteading..So yes we are going to start all over again. Chickens, cows and so on. Yes we have to be careful with the wild live again. But we learned the 1st time so we can do it again. We always butcher the chickens, cows, and yes wild life. We don't need the government , just God oh and yes we are in our 60's too
We've had laying hens for years but this was our first year raising meat birds. $4/day-old bird, $100 for chicken tractor, I think 5 bags of feed so $65 then whatever the heating lamp cost, and freezer bags, which I forget. We also paid a friend $75 to come show us the ropes and use their equipment for processing.
People seem to forget that just a few generations ago the majority of Americans were farmers and most of them were not near a feed store.
We live in Vermont. We raised meat birds in the past. We processed our own birds. No fancy processing set up. Plucked the chickens manually. I will admit the second year, we borrowed my aunt's plucker. Our children are grown so we buy a few meat birds from my aunt's farm every year. As far as our laying chickens, we do not put a light in our chickens coop in the colder months. Egg production drops and we plan accordingly by changing our diet so consumption meets production.Not by water glassing. I think we have had to purchase two dozen eggs in the winter mainly for holiday baking.
Water glassing allows you to have eggs that can be used in baking during the winter. Up here in the North (Montana) the girls stop laying in the winter.
I’m glad that you and many of your subscribers have chickens, but I think many people are in my situation, be it disabled or unable to have/take care of our own birds. However I like to be prepared for situations. Thats why I water glass eggs, and I love having them on hand for any baking and cooking. I keep them in rotation with all of my other preps and haven’t had any issues, they are great. So please don’t laugh at those of us that are at least doing what we can for our families and trying. I enjoy your videos and even became a member, printed your books. Thank you for your encouragement, remember that many of us aren’t living on an active homestead. 🙏🏼♥️
I work 50 or so hours a week running a landscape design business, we brought home our first two children in less than 2 years...we moved to our new small homesteed 5 days after our first child was born. Its been a BUSY two years! We did chickens 1st thing when we moved in, i built a brooder box with scrap wood, a coop with cattle panels, and i made my nesting boxes out of 15gallon retail black tree containers like you see at plant nurseries. Thats all weve done for our chickens...over the last two years weve had an abundance of eggs and weve butchered about 60 meet bird's. It was a great learning experience. One day ill make a better coop but for now the cattle panel chicken tractor type coop is keeping them safe at night. I put plenty of roosting bars they use in the chicken coop but if it was up to the chickens they'd prefer to sleep ontop of the coop lol
I say start small, learn about chicken keeping, build a small protective shelter, and know how to process your birds. I look at this experience as gaining knowledge and skills. That in itself can't be bought or sold! I started with 6 chicks, the shelter was a dog house, and a grid run. I had an open area for my birds to forage. Unfortunately, the wild dogs and other predators wiped out my little flock. I learned from that experience and decided to build a Fort Knox. I learned about carpentry, and in the process, I built an 8x10 ft covered run and 50x35 ft open-air pen. There are aprons around the run and pen. Mind you, my skill working with wood is limited. It can be done! 😊
I was choking as you were going over those prices!
I have Orpingtons. This year I decided to NOT run my incubator. This year, I had more broody hens than I have ever had! 2 were VERY successful, some were not successful, the rest were a little successful. I will have young hens laying during the winter. I have never had to preserve eggs. Just have to be sure I collect frequently in the winter so the eggs don't freeze. And I didn't spent no $2,000 for a coop!!
We have just 1 hen, Putty-Tat, who has gone broody, & she's just a little thing. Last yr, she had 2 chicks bc we took the other eggs not knowing she was broody. She sits for a while to have an egg. This yr she went broody, & had 12 eggs, some barely up under her! We figured we'd let her try, but she gave up on all but 6 eggs. So, we have 6 new babies, & she doesn't even fluff up anymore if we come near them. So cute:) Pretty sure 2 are roosters just from behavior. We don't care bc they're safe w/us. We don't want any more chickens right now, so we'll have to break her broodiness if she does it again! One of our hens eats her own eggs, & will eat others', too, so we separated her w/1 of our roosters, & they seem happy. We're right now planning a new big coop just for the roosters, w/individual little coops & runs bc they're all separated right now. No fighting on our watch! We have a rooster w/a severe crossbite, so he can't peck at things, but he can scoop his food, & he's thriving! We keep him w/Putty & another hen who each help clean his beak, & his breast feathers. He's the Daddy to our new chicks. We incubated the chickens we started w/& it was a barnyard mix, so we had no idea what we were getting. Ended up w/one that's a Jersey Giant, & he is huge, but very gentle! They're all just so beautiful, especially the RIRs:) I'm so grateful for our chickens, & thank God often for His miracles♡
There’s no money in farming or “homesteading”. We’ve just learned to break even so we can be more independent and raise and grow our own food. We have jobs to help with costs and pay for things as we go along rather than mortgaging our farm. But make no mistake about it, there is no money in selling eggs and anybody that tells you different is a liar.
A farmer / homesteader needs to have multiple income streams. Zack has said that often enough.
Cut trees, sell eggs, run a youtube, affiliate programs, patreon, fix engines, make and sell T-shirts, whatever wherever.
you sound like those quiters.
@silver-en7kl
Yep
@@fatbikeexpedition9841
Grow up
@@Fordgroup00 you first
I water glass and freeze dry and GIVE my excess to the elderly who cannot keep their own birds.
i make egg noodles for my extra eggs that i dont sell.
I love egg noodles
Yum
I’ve had chickens for over 25 years and came to realize over the years that the best thing you can do is have eggs for yourself and sell or giveaway a few extras. There’s a reason why raised commercially raised chickens are kept in buildings and fed automatically. It’s because that’s just about the only way to be profitable with chickens.
We have raised meat birds and that’s crazy prices. We did use shavings the first two weeks as chicks until they are out on past. We process our own birds. We do spend money on ice for the 24hrs before they are packed up for the freezer. Our chicken tractors are cattle panel hoop coop style.
One set of our layer girls do have a more expensive coop, but it was here when we lived in. Our other set of layers have the same cattle panel coop. Layers free range all day.
We are wanting to start quail soon. So we’ll need to build something for them.
We scramble and freeze our eggs. Yes we have backup power for the freezer 🙂
I agree, tho we don't rely on our freezers for much of anything bc of the risk. That means lots of canning, & I haven't tried water glassing yet. To new ppl: if freezing them, get those silicone ice trays bc they're easy to pop the frozen eggs out. Some ppl Crack them all & put them in a pitcher or something, then pour it into the trays, but I prefer 1 egg per section of the tray. Also, you must scramble the eggs a bit w/a fork bc it'll freeze funny w/an intact yoke. They're good for scrambled eggs later & for baking. We vacuum seal the eggs after freezing. The egg shells are great for growing tomatoes & other things, & you can add them back into your chicken feed - good for them. We have 1 hen that eats her eggs, which is a very bad habit! She's now w/1 of our roosters, separated from the other hens bc she'll eat theirs, too! If anyone knows how to stop that, I'd appreciate it!
Lastly, all the Glory goes to God in all things. So, if you're wanting to grow food, raise chickens or w/e, the gratitude must be there bc even failures are teaching moments, & there will be plenty, which is life. I think gardening, raising things, etc are valuable skills, but it's not easy!
So far I’m just a chicken tender for the eggs for me and my friends but will eventually also eat them. I’ve started leaning towards the bigger breeds so they can be dual purpose birds. I volunteer my services when friends are butchering their meat birds so I can get experience doing that. I’m doing it again this Saturday! And I love my buff Orpington, she is such an awesome broody girl. She is sitting on another clutch right now.
One of the barnyard mix of eggs we incubated couple yrs ago ended up being a Jersey Giant! We don't eat our birds, but if it came down to it, just him alone would make many meals. I named all our roosters, so we can't kill them, tho I don't hold that against those that do. We're already in a silent depression, & it's a mathematical certainty that our economy cannot continue w/so much nat'l & personal debt. So, chickens are vital bc eggs are super foods. W/just eggs & potatoes, ppl could survive if need be!
It's not about the $ to us as much as food security, just like our gardens, bc it doesn't have to cost a fortune to have chickens. Ppl can repurpose lots of things! We're tearing down an old barn on our property for a new coop. Luckily, my other ½ is a carpenter by trade, so that's a huge blessing. But, even amateurs build the best coops, & anyone can learn! The ppl who think it'd be easy to do all this may not understand the value of hard work that you're not compensated for. We could sell veggies from our garden, but would never be compensated for all the time tilling, planting, pulling weeds, fighting pests & critters, harvesting, etc. Experience = realistic expectations, & God either gives harvests or lessons, & both are blessings, IMHO!
We raise, process, and sell 100 cornish cross every 5 weeks. Very small scale. We have NEVER spent what that guy listed in that letter. Where the heck is he buying everything?!
I am from Bosnia, in Bosnia my mother would buy 50 one day old chickens, buy whole food and stuff and at end she will sell 20 proccessed and with that money cover all the costs and have 30 pieces (over 100kg chicken meat) for our family FOR FREE!
Yeah, those numbers are way off. I can put a bird in the freezer for less than $20 each and that includes labor. and that is fed with soy free, corn free, non-gmo feed. One problem though is he is trying to make make back the cost of his crates and tractor on the first batch.....those should be amortized over at least 5 years.
From the tajmahal... And it's all good plated
I hope to see you next Friday Zach. I will water glass my eggs temporarily because I don't have chickens and living in an apartment. Since I don't eat that many eggs it seems best for me to go to a local Amish farm and get eggs
Preach! Yes! It doesn't have to be costly, learn to do it within your means. When times get tough, there will be no processors around, no feed stores around, etc.
We never spend that much for our meat birds. We built moveable tractors for cheap, they free range in electric net and we move them every so often. We butcher ourselves so no cost of butchering here. We haven't spent more than about $10-$12 per meat bird and that's the high side. Depending on how we feed, it can has been less. We raise them every year once a year and fill the freezer. Also, we have a flock of extra roosters that free range our 11 acres, we've not lost one and we def have predators around. We do have LGDs and we often annoint the corners of our property and pray over it. I'm thankful we haven't had an issue.
You either pay with time or money. If you pay the money, you don't put the time in. If you pay in time, you put less money in. Our ancestors spent labor to live. Seems the world is scared of and doesn't value labor.
And lol, we waterglass eggs just for the winter season. We don't keep them for years and years, that's silly, just enough for winter.
Zac lives in the south, where it is much easier to produce the quantity of eggs needed for his family. However, the wise farmer, especially those of us up north, NEED to preserve eggs for winter, but it is easily and cheaply done with some pickling salt and water. A homestead brooder can be as simple as a cheap heatlamp bulb and a cardboard box. Let the brody mama hatch chicks, take them to brooder and let mama get back to her regular egg laying production job much sooner.
Chickens stop laying in winter in the South, too. They need the break, IMHO, & they'll only lay a specific amount w/in their lifetimes, so why rush it?
I don't raise hens for cheap eggs; I raise hens for better and healthier eggs.
BINGO ❤👍👍
Hey Zac, my son & d-i-l were at Marshfield, & loved your session! Summer was going to try to find you, just to say 'Hi' from me.
Excellent video! Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. The yuppies just have no idea the struggles, failures, work and commitment that goes into a homestead. I had to explain some similar topics, just last week, to some newbies on the mountain. God bless you and your family
While I agree with nearly all of your views, the water-glassing is something I will defend. There is zero reason for me to keep eggs for 2 years, but waterglassing does get us through the winter. The reason why chickens stop laying in the winter is due to the amount of light hours during the day being diminished. I am a trad-wife and I make breakfast for my husband every single morning before he goes to work. We go through a LOT of eggs for his DAILY omelets. I only water-glass just enough eggs to get us through the winter without having to buy those horrible store-bought butt nuggets. It works for us. ;)
We think it's good for our hens to have the break from laying during winter. They'll only lay a set amt during their lifetimes, so why push it? I watch a YT creator who adds cayenne pepper to her hens' water so they'll lay during winter, & I disagree. Even tho they cannot taste the capsaicin, it's unnatural. W/5 hens they're laying plenty, & she could freeze/water glass for winter if it's that important. I'm not judging bc they're her birds, but for the chickens' sake, it's best IMO to let nature do its thing. God created them, & we've fine tuned the breeding, but they're still His creatures, & He knows best!
Glad you gave the young ones a lesson on need and want! 👍
My MIL once yelled at my husband when she found out that I processed my own roosters and rabbits. She wasn't yelling at him to say that he should have helped me (no, he shouldn't, he was at work, where he belongs at that time of day), she was yelling at him for not paying a USDA processing plant to process for us. When he said that it's not a big deal, and he's done his own deer, she rage quit, and made my FIL call to tell him that he needs to obey his mother. 🙄 The worst part: she's a ranch kid. Her father was a rancher and hunter. She should know better.
oh good grief!
I'd hate to find out what she thinks about dressing & hanging deer!
If you are paying someone to process your chickens then you might as well buy the chickens in a grocery store already to cook/eat. Save your self all the head aches ...
Not really. The amish do ot very cheap. 😉😉
Disagree. I have a processor 35 minutes away. He can process and pack for $4 (about, varies by qty). No way I can do it for that - labor , equipment, etc…. Plus it looks professional. We sell at for $5 to $6 a pound for whole birds. Corn free, soy free and pastured.
Most of the people that are having them processed are SELLING them. To other people. The birds have to be processed in a USDA facility to sell legally. Same with cattle. Now if someone wants to buy the live bird they can do whatever, but how many people want to mess with that?
@@FOMAHsince2014we do sell live birds only. Yes, the problem is that nobody these days seems to know how to process their own chickens. My 5 year old boy already knows the process and he helps us. People NEED to get educated about how food is done. I have lived in places where money doesn't put food in your belly. Good luck to those unprepared (useless generations)
@@zaynesalmon3070 Question: what do you feed chickens if they are corn free and soy free?
Lol- I can’t believe that budget is real! The best little hens are the ones that everyone assume was taken by a hawk or whatever- then, after several weeks they appear in the yard one day with 5 of the cutest fat chicks💕 they don’t really need your intervention.
War Games was fun movie!
Hal’s voice- unforgettable 😆
HAL was in 2001, not War Games.
I have two of those hens who did that to me! Went missing... and actually I did think a hawk got them! :) One had 14 chicks, the other turned up with 8! :)
Haha! Yes! I mixed them up
Now I’m trying to remember if he had a name? I think the program’s creator used his sons name for the password?
Love it!
Meat birds? We built a scaled down Salatin Tractor for approximately $200. Two of them for $400.
I believe the originals are 10 x 12. We scaled ours back to 8 x 8 to keep them light enough. 25 birds in each. 50 per cycle. 3 cycles (total 150 birds) for $400.
AND .. there's no reason those won't last 20 years of production.
$20 dollars a year for coop for 150 brirds a year.
LOL thousands of dollars ...
Brooders? We sawed in half a $40 used IBC Tote. Good for lifetime use. 25 chicks each. Times 2 halves - 50 chicks a cycle. 3 cycles a year ... for effectively a single dollar a year amortized cost of The Brooder Boxes.
Feed?
Corn is les than $300 a literal ton at your local Granary/Elevator. Just sayin'. LOL $28 for a 40 pounder of o(LOL) Organic Chicken Chow at your local Big Box Farm Store is laughable.
Time? It's literally 12 minutes in the morning, 12 minutes in the evening. Only half the year. For 150 birds a year.
when the only things you want are the things that you need its a win.
Im so glad you broke down these numbers because we raise our own meat birds and my husband and I do EVERYTHING ourselves and it can be very profitable.
There is no great homestead. I've experienced more failure than success. All you can do is continue to do it and succeed. We process our own food. You will always have issues. Don't quit. Take care of your families.
Right on young man !
Deuteronomy 8:3
HalleluYah !!
Why does anyone want support from the government?!?
I think i really needed to hear your speech on hard work today. I dont even have a homestead yet and im so overwhelmed with repairs and work and five kids. I will start as soon as i can but even pulling 12 hour shifts has gotten my brain scrambling.
@@steevs7912 Try rabbits. Less work than chickens. Although eggs are nice to have.
@@pamsloan84 I would if I ate them. I only eat biblically clean animals. I appreciate the advice though!
@@steevs7912 I understand. You could always raise them to sell as pets or to other breeders. They are worth having just for the manure to me. Not like other animals, it doesn't need composting and can go right on the garden. Kids love rabbits. Let them do the work and it's a good lesson on animal husbandry without big investments.
Goodness, this was a surprise!! I can’t think of any food cheaper than eggs and chickens. I help our local butcher and get my meat raised chickens done “free”.
Even IF this was a regular occurrence or pricing, you’re still not buying a new coop and brooder every year! That cost would come out after the first initial year!
Excellent video. I often refer the to the Buffs as dragons when they go broody too. Keep inspiring us to do better. Cheers.
Learn to be frugal 🌞
Lol, my daughter and I process all our chickens, turkeys, ducks, quail and deer. Men around here near me in TN take everything to the processor, it's a trip. One of them asked us if we would process his pigs, I said no because they are unclean, and I don't allow them on my land. As a farmer I could have made a lot of money from this, but I just couldn't. The only thing I had to buy for our chicken coop and brooder was the wire and screws the wood was taken from left over building materials from builders in the area. Of course I had to take out all the nails, chip away the concrete off but hey its free. The birds we continuously incubate the fertilized eggs other than the hens that do themselves. The only place I put hay is in the laying boxes and that last a long time. I only feed the birds twice a week other than that they are in the run feeding themselves. I don't even have a defeather machine I just do it the old fashion way lol.
That is a true statement. I never seen so many wild chickens while working in St. Croix the US Virgin Islands there everywhere.
Homesteading is like a marathon, it requires perseverance and the mindset of never giving up. The original homesteader’s had to figure it out, and they had to have grit/determination. Many don’t last the first winter because they are tender foot’s. Some people have the entitlement mentality.
Redneck/hillbilly ingenuity♡
FYI- MFA has the cheapest feed in my neck of the woods (Ozarks). 30% cheaper than TSC.
I live in Maui, Hawaii and I have this little yard and it’s at the bottom of a gulch and when I first got here there were so many chickens and I squirt them and chase them off because they ruined my garden so there’s a lot fewer now but I don’t think it’s me. I think people are hungry out there. We don’t have a lot of predators in Hawaii people, taking the birds that’s what I think
Agreed that the coup is the most important feature to raising a flock. We use last years leaf litter for woodchips. We did purchase a large galvenized tub to brood in and only need A heat lamp during the early season. Grow your own millet, sunflowers, corn, clovers and other greens. Crush their shells and add calcium to the diet. Process as needed. We made our own kill cones and hand pluck but it is easy to make a drill drum with trucker rubber strapping that can expedite the process. Quitters won't eat or will be forced to eat cricket burgers. Improvise folks
My other ½ grew up being taught by his parents to simply boil the chicken, & the feathers will come right off, kinda like blanching tomatoes to remove the skin. We won't be eating our chickens unless the time comes when that's our only choice. The economy is failing, so having eggs will be like having gold! God will provide, but I think He expects a lot from us in return, such as hard work, perseverance, courage, & determination. Giving up means giving up on yourself, & until your body gives out, there's still potential♡
About 6 years ago I called tsc in 1 town for a plucker, $400+, called another in a different town $200+ on clearance .😊 Score . Let your fingers do the walking.
I have some ISA Browns, they love to forage and I had 1 of my hens that went broody and hatched 4 eggs, got 3 new hens and a rooster out of it....Get lots of eggs every day plus I did buy a couple Silkies to hatch egs for me but the ISA hen did it already and 2 other ISA hens seem like they want to go broody...maybe next year..I will see how many want to sit on eggs just for fun...And when it comes to butchering, people really need to learn how to do it, I grew up butchering animals, living on what you raised and what you grew. In no way shape or form would we ever think about hiring someone else to help butcher even when it came to the cows and pigs....oh and when it came to providing feed for the chicks that hatched, they grew just fine on their own with no special feed, the mama hen did a awesome job, and the chicks foraged for all their food needs.
Ummm. We process them ourselves... and beat store prices... 🤔
I always enjoy your content Zach... I would love to raise chickens! Maybe one day 😄
Thank you for everything, Zac!! We appreciate you so much!! Wish we could see you next weekend.
14:00 I’m planning on raising chickens next spring. One of the main reasons is to not have the government involved in having healthy food for my family. Btw the way, been raising rabbits and regret it. Not much ROI.
LOLWut? Rabbits are even better than Chicken on ROI. They can be (and ours are) fed 100% free - from what we grow and harvest ourselves. We take 2 a week for The Dinner Table.
The absolute, hands-diwn best ROI as far as smal livestock meat is concerned are Goose and Muscovy. Both are grazers. Like Zach's sheep. 100% grass/weed fed. Don't even need coop/housing if you've got ponds. They just head for the water when a predator shows up. Not a Fox nor a Coyote, nor a Neighbor's Dog has gone swimming after 'em when they head for the safety of The Water.
Ours are semi-feral. No feed. No housing. Nof fencing. No watering. Let them do their thing in Spring (make babies). They live out there with the native Canada and Mallard and raise their babies... come September they are large enough to start harvesting. Free for the taking. Zero inputs.
I agree with on the coop My chickens free range. I have'nt bought any grain this summer. I let the hens take care of their own babies. Didn't use a brooder. My buff O and Marins (a french breed) are both good brooders.
I don't think I've ever been to your channel before, but this video came up and I have to say, "Right on!" My husband and I have been homesteading for about 30 years or more and in that time, we had more failures then successes but it hasn't stopped us from keeping going. We have learned a whole lot about what not to do. Amen? We never had a lot of money and we would never, ever consider taking our animals to be butchered. It was essential to us to do it all ourselves. We bought books, watched videos, asked old timers, and did everything we could to be students and then we just tried, failed, succeeded, and learned a whole lot in the process. I don't understand the woman who spent that kind of money to raise chickens. We have both kept them in a chicken yard and free ranged. Our chickens LOVE free range and they procreate like crazy. They are super healthy without our help. This year, we bought some Buff Orpingtons. Oh my gosh! After decades of raising chickens these are the best! They are so friendly and beautiful and just all around a great chicken. We find clutches of eggs in the right places and the wrong places but all of the eggs are great and we're so happy to have them. They are well protected at night and by day, they have 3 big dogs roaming around to guard them. We also have rabbits and turkeys. We just started with turkeys about a year ago. We hatch out most of our chickens and all of our turkeys. Honestly, dispatching and cleaning the chickens and turkeys is not the horrific thing people think it is. You just put your mind to it and get it done. Probably dispatching the rabbits is hardest for my husband because he gives them more attention. We raise these animals for eggs and meat - they are not pets and we do not create condominiums for them to enjoy their vacations and retirements. We all work the homestead and they do too! Every animal has a job and we have ours. We do have a family member who thinks that all animals should be treated by veterinarians for every minor thing and lots of money should be spent to make their lives luxurious and fun. Nope! Their fun is to forage - and love it they do! Sometimes, we lose a bird or a rabbit and sometimes it's several like in this intense heat we just went through for almost 2 months, however, that's just all part of it. You accept it and go on. My husband has had to cull a few of these animals and it's not easy for him but he does it because it's not good for the animal to live in the state it's in and we can't eat it. When we first moved to the country as city kids almost 40 years ago, we had a lot of conditioning to go through. A dear friend taught us that even the dogs have to perform their duties or they're not worth feeding. He grew up during WWII and watched his farm family struggle with many children. Last thing, this is NO time to give up homesteading! Now of all times, don't give up! You're going to need it more than ever - this is why we've all been preparing! Oh - IF we have an abundance of eggs, we dehydrate them, but honestly, I rarely use them - not because I don't like them that way, it's just that we flow with the chickens. When they produce, we eat eggs, and when they don't, we don't. It's just nature and that's okay with us.
We did meat birds this year for the first time. Way better than grocery store chicken for sure, and healthier.
Thank you for informing everyone about the misconceptions about raising chickens.
We have a 8x12 chicken coop made out of scrap metal. We built it next to nothing. It has a water collection system & automatic watering trough. Another feature is a manure slide under the roost. It’s a 4x8 plywood at an angle with 2x4 fencing to keep the chickens from accessing the slide. There is exterior door to accessing the manure. We have a choice to collect the manure or just open the door & let the chickens clean it for us. It’s works great. We don’t clean the coop for months. They generally don’t mess up the inside of the coop. They are not stepping in their manure.
I would never water glass my eggs. I have dehydrated them stored them in jars with vacuum seal. They are just fine that way.
I have been homesteading for the past 5 years. What I underestimated is how jealous neighbors can be and how they have deliberately sabotaged greehouses, fruit and vegetables, sent their dogs out to kill my chickens. They shoot at my guinea's and disable them. I purchased the coops, feeders, waterers, many of which were stoen or vandalized as the local people are jealous. I enjoy rasing the birds as they produce delicious organic eggs, whose taste is unlike any store bought eggs. Organic eggs are going for $6-8 per dozen and the birds and guinea's produce daily.
The usual suspects
THAT is outrageous. Are they coming onto your property or are the animals wandering to theirs (like guineas like to do). Can you put cameras and take care of trespassers legally? Very sad people are like that.
Wow, that's horrible. Just my two cents, but I'd put up cameras and do everything I could to get them arrested.
I hope it gets better for you. 🙏
@@bullheadedgideon1673 They have used a wifi jammer and disrupt the cameras, even trail cams. It's too much to type here.
@@pattierwin4380 They come onto my property and hide out. They have dumped water catchments. iterally plowed down a newly installed gate. They were trying to steal the land I own across the county road, which is my legally surveryed land. It is ALL recorded and founf their used ammo under my no trespassing sign with 4 holes in it. I finally contacted Neighborhood Wars on A& E because teh local Sheriff is crap and related to everyone. April 11, 2023 A&E.
Oh boy Zack you just poked the water glassing bear. lol. We’ll you in Marshfield again next week. God bless.
Ducks are always laying when the chickens slow down. I give eggs away like its my job.
I recommend Astrolorps as brooders. I have one hen that steals eggs to have a larger clutch.
Not sure why you think pickled eggs are a preferred method over waterglassing for eggs. I personally havent seen too many cake recipes that utilize pickled eggs.
Nothing wrong with calculating how many eggs you will need to carry your family through the winter when egg production slows down and waterglass enough during peak season to carry you through. Its no different than growing potatoes and storing them away in hopes to have them in winter.
Just because someone says you can store them for 2 years doesnt mean you have to.
Good vid.
We did 100 this year , didn’t cost even 1/3 of that. This includes building two hoop coops, we processed our birds ourselves.
😂 great video and commentary. So true we have lost our way as a Culture on how to really survive.
Not sure if I could do this with today's prices, but I always considered my costs as quality of life and educational costs since we homeschooled.
Appreciate your comment on waterglassing! I have chickens!
We have chickens and we made coops out of scraps. It’s been 15 years and we’ve ad plenty of eggs. For the record, there are hawks and foxes during the day as well so coop security is important. They really enjoy the weeds from the garden and grass when we cut it while they’re stuck inside.
i am going to Ozark homestead expo i hope to see you
I've never heard of water glassing eggs, but I'm absolutely with you. The lady I used to buy eggs from accidentally misplaced two dozen eggs and found them NINE MONTHS LATER. Just for grins cracked one open and it was FINE. Said she used them normally, and precisely one egg had turned.
Also, let’s not forget that some just had breaks in generations where their babyboomer parents chose the city life and their children weren’t given the tools to adapt.
I don’t blame the ones trying and failing. At least they tried.
Not obvious for them to look at youtubers showing the perfect farm life and them wanting that thing without knowing about all the struggles and failures. Most would only need to be given a chance.
Waterglass your eggs just for that winter, not for years lol. It's preffered over pickled if you want scrambled, over easy etc.
This was just for you buddy 😂
We see raising chickens as an investment. We did spend 2k to build a coop that was tough and will last.
I like the tarp idea ! Thanks
I'm 54 and I've been doing it all my life and it is not cheap unless you have corn fields wheat Fields stuff that you can plant yourself
I also think that people need to decide if they are homesteading to save money or to change their lifestyle and have healthy food that the government involved in their food. Great chat
Hiya Zach
My daughter and I have just sold up our 7acre property….WE ARE NOT QUITTING!
We both sat down in tears, thinking about things on this property, we are 100% offgrid, debt free except mortgage it’s just us two and we know we do not have the strength to do what’s needed, nor do we have funds to pay anyone. We’ve had multiple men offer and vowed they will come to do those hard, heavy tasks… 18mths later, no one has come😞
So we decided to sell as is, pay off our mortgage and buy smaller in a cheaper area….. yep start again, but with most infrastructure already built… so really only establishing gardens all over again 💪🏼🙏🏼
Very sad that what I’ve established, garden wise will be all gone…. Especially my calendula (first time EVER been able to grow and harvest flowers 🤦🏼♀️)but I’m taking some pots with me😊.
Settlement is in a weeks time… scary, but exciting!!!
I absolutely agree, Zac. It sounds like those folks didn’t understand what it takes. Heritage breeds are resilient, lay lots of eggs, forage, and are sometimes broody. Instead of pine shavings, they can just throw whatever vegetation into the coop. There are lots of ways to get free food for chickens and/or be creative with feed to save money on feed cost. The coop cost shouldn’t be factored in for next year if they expensed it for this year. That alone makes a big difference in their number. I definitely don’t want dumb-ernment more involved in our life than they already are. We are constantly learning and started back in NY with chickens and gardening. We were realistic about the effort it would take to live this lifestyle. It’s definitely lots of hard work, but I think it’s the best way to live. Some folks need encouragement, but if they don’t have good work ethic and a willingness to learn, they are going to have a very tough time. Nice share! Be well. - Colin
100% Facts. Well said.🔥
Oh and built all my own brooders
Buff Orpingtons are our favorite. We have one coop with just barn mix chickens and a second coop with pure Orps. The Orps frequently go broody and are great mamas.