I just got 4 chickens last weekend. I've never had chickens in my life. Didn't even live on farmland. But we happened to move to an area where we are blessed to have 1/4 of an acre, so I asked my husband to build me a coop, which is spectacular, and we were finally able to get chickens! I'm so excited. It's so relaxing to watch them.
@@susangantzler7786 I used to go camping every year and visit friends overnight--but I can't do that anymore. I don't have anyone who'd care for my birds worth a flip, and I know I'd have a miserable time worrying about them.
Thank you for that. I have kept chickens my whole life. I’m 70. I learned from my grandmother who was a widow with 7 children. She raised her children all by herself. She had chickens, rabbits and a milk cow. There are many successful ways to raise chickens. 😊
You so correctly mentioned that people consider keeping chicken low class. I have always been fond of chicken, and as I had time due to my maternity break, I started raising chicken. I got to hear the "you are an engineer, this is not meant for you" more than once🤦♀️ If only people realized how much love and peace those chicken give you 😊
I waited years for an ordinance in my city to be lifted, so that I could have them. I was getting ready to move. Thankfully no more ordinance, and now I have 20 chickens!!!
By happenstance, I have befriended several retirees who have bartered with me trading their amazing skills for eggs. I have bartered eggs with a retired carpenter who just built roofing trusses for my mobile duck coop. I also barter eggs with a retired plumber. I trade eggs for wine from a local vineyard. I trade eggs for snowplowing. A small engine mechanic keeps things running for eggs. It has worked out great and everyone is happy! And all of the lovely fertilizer poop the chickens create helps the grow an abundance of vegetables that I give to these same people when I have extra.
I’m new to chickens but it got cheaper to use feed to supplement kitchen scraps (it’s 50/50). My rule is if things are older than 2-3 days in the fridge it’s chicken food. That’s allowed me to spend less on feed. Flies are attracted to the food and they eat those too. (Sounds gross but works). After it rains I “hunt” earthworms to give them. That forces me outside for air and a little sunlight too. Also I went for smaller chicken breeds for their smaller appetites. So far my chickens are healthy and happy at a low price. So excited to get eggs soon! Thanks for all the info! I’m still working my way through these helpful videos.😄
My husband and I moved out of the suburbs because we couldn't have chickens and our yard was very limited in space to have a garden. Between hanging out with my flock and my faith in Jesus Christ I am able to find peace in all the craziness going on in the world. Romans 10:9-10❤
Let me start off by saying my 5 chickens are like pets. They are pampered, protected, and treated very well. I'm very attached to them. I love the way they come running to see me! They're so friendly. I had a privacy fence built especially for them so they could have more room to roam without being an annoyance to my neighbors. My plans for supplementing their feed include not only table scraps, but growing a lot of my own. I planted sunflowers, kale, swiss chard, collards, beets (which I've never learned to like), blackberries, etc. I harvest the greens, dry them out, and am stockpiling them for winter feed. Instead of throwing the lamb's quarter on the compost pile, I now bundle it and hang it in my garage. It will also serve as winter feed. They seem to love it. Hopefully my pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and winter squash will produce great yields as well. The leaves of the sweet potato will make their way into my dried greens mix, too. I also am drying out mint and grass clippings to use as bedding. These last two things are free; they grow abundantly in my yard. For summer treats, I planted cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumbers and watermelon, not just for me but also for my hens. So, fingers crossed that my garden is productive. If so, I can provide a lot of chicken food which will reduce my feed costs substantially. Or at least, that's my plan. I'm looking forward not only to non-GMO organic eggs, but happy companionship with these bright, lovable little creatures. They bring me a lot of joy.
I use the lambs quarters leaves in cooking. Like you would use spinach. Yummy. And they have to be really good for you. My chickens love them, leaves and seeds! I plant a row of the seeds in my garden near their run. And pick them when I am feeding. I also footage for them in various places.
There is great savings in keeping hens. They still produce free unfertilized eggs and meat if needed. They provide fertilizer for your flowers, garden etc., they make great pets too. I started raising chickens in 2002. I haven't bought any store eggs since. If I want more chickens then I incubate them.
They are composting machines. Toss your kitchen scraps and lawn clipping to them, they eat what they want, mix their poop in the rest and create the best compost you could ever put on your garden. I have plans to have small beds all the way around my chicken run next year with greens and herbs planted just for the chickens. I want them right there with easy access to chop some and toss to them daily and every time I walk by. That will reduce your feed costs as well.
Thank you for being a voice of reason in these times. We are growing corn and sunflowers this year for the first time to help offset the cost of feed. I waited 62 years to get chickens and I love them!!! Keep posting videos that encourage and teach. Thank you Madam President!
Good idea on the sunflowers. I'm 63 and thought seriously for 2 years, my ladies should be laying in August, although Georgette is George. Question: how long will sunflower seeds last before going rancid, and do I have to shell them? Thanks so much🐤❣
I think it's good to mention proper attitude and maintenance if you have farm animals in a neighborhood. I have lived next to neighbors who did it all wrong and we all struggled with the smell and the huge rats! Growing up on a farm, i know this shouldn't be an issue if properly done.
I absolutely love your channel! We've had a little flock of chickens for 12 days now...Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and Basil (the little rooster chick they snuck in!). Between the 2 hens and the 3 babies, we're looking at a bright future for eggs and entertainment because they've got the cutest - and sometimes the snarkiest - little personalities! Chicken-keeping is part of our journey to more intentional, slower, and more self-sustainable living and I couldn't be happier with our decision. Here's to hoping the rooster doesn't tick off our whole neighborhood...LOL!
I don't have chickens yet. But I will be getting my own flock in about a year, when I retire. My son is going to build a chicken coop for me from plans I recently obtained. I have been following your youtube channel for many months and I just need to tell you how grateful I am for all of the information you provide with every video and most of all for the aura of kindness and caring that your content has. I am so ready and excited to get my first batch of chicks and until and after I do, I will be visiting with you via your videos. Many many thanks!
this video is really heart warming... my chicken coop is made for recycled wood, and my neighbours were the biggest contribution. giving me their dried veggies and seeds. although I spent a bit of money just fencing its really not that hard. ive had chickens since I was 9 years old, and im 18 this and they've been quite a gem to keep especially when I got new battery hens( rescues). I spend my monthly allowance keeping them happy, cause It also puts a smile on my face.❤❤
I have enjoyed all of your chicken educational videos but I loved this one the best. I am Puerta Rican, grew up on a small farm and now live in a community with an HOA. It seems so purposeful in how large groups of people have been forcefully made dependent on large government and agriculture. Unless you work purposefully, access to our food sources, real hands-on work to care for our earth is not a reality but rather an imaginary ideal that only big companies and big government can “solve”. This could not be further from the truth. Encouraging food to be put back into the hands of the people and local farmers brings greater food responsibility, food availability and independence, empathy, joy, hard work, gratefulness and less waste and excess. Have you heard of the lady that is a lawyer and a chicken lover who changed laws in her area? Thank you for your colorful, fun and educational channel. We appreciate you!
THANK YOU FOR SHINING A LIGHT ON SUCH A RIDICULOUS, INTENTIONAL, SITUATION!!!!! BLESS YOUR SWEET SOUL!!!! My Great Grandpa was a poultry farmer. He was retired by the time I came along. But still owned like a hundred or so, chickens, his whole life. He would give away eggs to all those around him, who were poor. He passed away when I was like 7years old. But I learned so much from him. I can't thank you enough for your views, and your efforts to encourage others!!!!!!!!!
So agree with everything you're saying. I'm lucky to have my girls, and grow vegetables and berries to supplement their feed. Would rather do without eggs than buy anything from a factory farm. I share eggs with friends and family, and they notice the difference.
Agree. I will do without eggs if it came to buying them. I share with my neighbors and we do kind of a barter. One will share meals and being me a great homemade dinner. Another is going replace my deck steps for me. I don’t ask for anything in return. I feel God has blessed me with healthy chickens and I can share healthy eggs with neighbors.
Two-legged predators are a real concern at any time, but especially when times are hard. Even without a rooster crowing, flocks are loud enough to be noticed by those searching them out. To help deter the more casual predators, I suggest padlocks on gates and doors. If your coop is sturdy, that is at least enough to slow down any thievery, and disabling or circumventing your locks should make too much noise to go unnoticed. Motion-activated lighting helps as well. Everyone will need to think about how much they are willing to do to protect their flock. If you rely on eggs from your birds to feed your family, now or in the future, you might need to evaluate how you plan to protect that family food resource. I offer this comment to provoke thought now, before it becomes an issue. Hopefully it never does become an issue for anyone.
Two-legged predators are a real concern at any time, but especially when times are hard. You not kidding - my main expense was predator proofing for them. The rest was simple. I need to add fencing zones now. The lights maybe an idea, I having been thinking on them - and motion sensors too. I have cameras and will add additional security over time too.
Yes yes yes. I love the mention about building a community. A strong community and people working together is the BEST way to get through these times. Also 100% agree with trying to make it accessible to everyone to have chicken keeping. I am on the mission as well to make sure people are aware that having chickens is not only easy but is also fun! I think a way to help people who can’t have chickens is to help raise chickens for them and they can help pay for some of the cost. Thank you for what you do and always willing to help you spread the message. Everyone if you aren’t already help spread her videos and getting people to help watch and learn from Chickenlandia!
I wanted to share something that I do to save cost on my feed bill. I always ferment my feed, I use mash and crumble mixed together and my girls love it!! I give them it each morning with cut up greens and any fruit scraps ontop. I have been getting my dandelion greens from my yard and any stray ones that pop in my my garden beds. I never use any pesticide so I know they are safe, they love them and I know they are getting some fresh greens each day.
I’m not only concerned with expenses but shortages as well. I’ve been stocking up on sprouting seeds after watching your channel. My babies love to eat their sprouts from my hands every evening before turning in. I bought a dish drainer from The Dollar Tree that holds four jars at a time. They also love oats. Thankfully my three canine rescues are good with the chicks so they get their share of bugs throughout the day.
My small contribution is sharing my eggs with my friends and neighbors. Any way I can help them to save money and eat better/fresher is a win. and then if they have an over abundance of fresh veggies, they share with me. It might sound archaic, but I love the barter system. I have people who buy me a bag of food every so often and they get free eggs whenever they need. Even if they have nothing to share, I share what I have to help. And it feels good!
We currently have 13 chickens. They have full access to our compost bin (which they LOVE and enjoy lots of high protein bugs and worms). We make our own chicken food, ferment it and give them scraps. We noticed that the food goes much much further and our costs are really low. With some creativity, composting and community food recycling, most of us could really cut down on most of our costs.
@@WelcometoChickenlandia I would LOVE for you to do a video about composting in the run. I do deep litter and when I clean out the coop I just rake it directly back into the run (about 1000 sq ft) but would love to do better if I can
Keeping quails can be a solution if chickens are not permitted. They take very little space, they don't make a noise and can fit into a yard , side of house etc without looking obvious. You can eat the eggs and the fully grown birds are a delicacy.
I got my first chickens in April of 2022. It has been a learning curve but my husband and I have been enjoying our 3 girls. We made our coop out of a Little Tykes play house and have built a 8ft run. We are in the city and so far haven't had any issues with neighbors. Thank you for your channel which is very encouraging and informative.
You couldn't have said it better, Mrs "President". I'm so glad you could move to a bigger place. I'd love to see the development of Community Gardens, with the inclusion of all social levels of the community.- Councils, HOA 's, Schools - even and especially the homeless.
I hope this helps. They can eat almost any veggie scrap, but sometimes I google just to be sure. Grapes for instance are a once in a while treat... they looove tomatoes, bananas, peppers, carrot peels (mine havent mastered taking down a whole carrot)... but I hesitate giving too many treats bc I want them to eat their actual food. I use her sprouting technique and I love it so much bc they're getting some protein from the grains, and it's so cheap! Just google if you have a question. Lol. Google is always there for you. Also, maybe tmi, but I save their shells, bake them just for a few min, and put them through my spice grinder to make a powder, and add the calcium back to their food...
President of Chickenlandia: We have a farm of rescued animals. I’m very alarmed by the prices rising weekly. We will not be able to take in more animals. It’s very stressful. Thank you for your tips about fermenting food and sprouting seeds for chickens. I’m vegan, but like to feed the eggs back to the chickens and also give the eggs to elderly or sick people. Im so grateful for my chicken companions!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us! My husband and I are just starting this chicken journey....in the city. It was a lot easier than we thought to get permission. I think many people just think they can't without trying (like we did for years) but we were so surprised at how much support we got from our alderman and mayor. Even our neighbors were fine with it. As far as the feed price, we are just looking at this from the perspective of food security, and I'm already feeding them kale, purslane and beet greens from our garden. We're still building our coop and our baby chicks are still in the house with us and we're documenting our journey here on youtube. I am also listening to allllll of your content. I'm looking forward to your book too. Thank you for helping me do something I never thought I would ever do.... keeping backyard chickens. We're hoping we can help others in our area to keep chickens too.
Thank you so much for doing what you do. I’ve spent that last several weeks getting everything ready to be a new chicken mom! I’m getting my first chicks this weekend and cannot get enough of your videos. You’re getting me off to being the best chicken mom that I can be ❤️
My chickens eat layer pellets, scratch, and food scraps from the kitchen. 2 or three times a day I pick weeds, grass, and clover for them. They love their grass!
Everyone talks about the practical side of raising chickens...but there is also the enjoyment and sense of fulfillment that happens...happy poultry parenting.. .
Your videos are great and I think that it is great that you encourage and educate people about raising backyard chickens. It's a great way to help make this world a better place. I want to do this and I want to teach our children to do this as well and hopefully they will teach their children and their children's children. Bring children into the world and teaching them how to make this world a better place creates a more beautiful future for us all. Not everyone is blessed to be able to have children but too many people who can let that opportunity go to waste or turn away from having children because they think bringing more children into the world is a bad thing or that this world is too messed up to bring more children into. If you are here to take, this is a horrible world. But if you are here to give and to try to make this world a better place, you could not ask for a better world to be born into. Looking forward to learning more about raising chickens from your videos. Thanks for posting them!
I had chickens for years but I moved. I now I have started a small flock here. I was so stoked about your fermented feed video & I am trying that now! We also feed the gals scraps & healthy “weeds” like dandelion greens from the yard. Canning season is about to kick off in my area, so they will have plenty more to snack on! I am so glad to have a flock again!
Yes, that feeling never leaves you. My dad is from Dominican Republic. Even though he worked full time we were always broke. I have hens now and a rooster. Just had some chicks hatch in May. Trying to get my veggie gardening skills up.
I grow a bunch of sunflowers and kale just for the chickens; the kale over winters and then starts growing the 2nd spring, and produce seed pods, so unlimited kale plants forever! Also have a couple junk apple trees that are for the chickens. I put all yard, garden, and kitchen waste in a huge compost pile in the chicken yard. I get yard waste and food scraps from friends and relatives, and pick up buckets of food scraps for free at a local restaurant twice a week. All this goes in a compost pile. The chickens eat some, leave some, poop on all of it. I turn it occasionally, and there are tons of bugs and worms for them to eat. The next spring, I have beautiful compost for my garden and the process starts over. I supplement with a small snack at night of bulk whole grains, sunflower seeds and dried mealworms. But that’s the only thing I pay for. I also use a deep liter system in their coop with free wood chips from my town’s highway dept and layer plenty of wood chips in places within their large yard. The chips decompose and create soil as well as providing food the for chickens as they love to scratch through it for worms and bugs. When I can I expand their yard using temporary electric fencing to give them access to more grass and digging area. All the lawn clippings either mulch the garden or are given to the chickens for food and to add to the compost pile.
I am so glad I found your channel. You have answered so many questions for me and taken a lot of stress off my mind. I have 3 hens that are 4 months old and wondered many times in the last 4 months if I made the right decision but every morning when I go out to greet my girls I know I have.❤️
I started with my chickens in the city knowing we were moving to the country this spring. I love it! Now my roo is a stinker but he's worth my time and my girls are wonderful. We share what we can't eat with my neighbors and in return have started building solid relationships. I was raised just visiting my auntie and uncle's farm. So applying what they did and watching your vids has helped me with all questions that have arose thus far. She's right about there's no one way to raise chickens. Thanks so much for the time you put into you vids!
I'm getting my 3rd flock ever soon... It's been years since my 2nd flock (all banties) disaster. ;_; This time I'm getting Jersey Giants, six of them! & building my own coop from salvage.
another conundrum is that people with limited resources also are not eating the most healthy diets therefore don’t have healthy food waste to feed chickens. I’m thankful that our finances allow us to have hens but it’s stupid expensive and we definitely aren’t keeping hens to save money because there is no saving money with hen keeping
In the UK, we are not allowed 🚫 to feed chickens stuff from our kitchens (unless the kitchen scraps come from a vegan household). We aren't allowed to let our chickens to go through our compost bins if it has kitchen scraps in it.
@@ruthharris2697 There’s also alot of human food in America that Europe won’t feed their own citizens. So, be thankful you live in a place where there’s probably much better real food options for you. With that said, I’m thankful to be here where there were NO nationwide shot mandates - unfortunately, not everyone escaped it
I’m super nervous, but I just ordered chicks from a local hatchery for the first time ever. We pick them up in March but I feel like I’m nesting already. This video made me a little more excited and less scared about it. Thank you!
We live VERY urban on a postage stamp of land in Scotland. We have 7 girls and one blissfully quiet rooster. It has been the best thing we have ever done, and they have been more therapy for me than therapy has EVER done. We have more eggs than we can use ourselves and have donated some to the local food bank as we know the cost of living crisis is ridiculous, especially given my line of work. It has been a challenege and a learning curve but we have taken it all in stride and the neighbors have been incredibly understanding, and we reached out to them beforehand and they were fine with the idea. There are so many ways to do it, and initially we individually will never see the cost benefit, but the culture change HAS to happen. Once this does our childrens children will :)
I have 3 week old chicks. They have their starter feed. But daily I go dig up worms and grubs and they love the bugs grubs and worms! And its all free.
Hmm. Maybe because I only have 6 hens and a roo I don’t feel my costs are much. We go through a big bag of feed about every 3-4 weeks (costs about 15.00) and a bag of scratch about once a month (similar cost). So about 30.00 a month. I feed them scraps (not nasty rotten stuff but extra berries and veg that we don’t eat but are still good). When the store has fruit and veg on clearance I will buy for the chickens. I bought my chickens a cabbage head holder. Haha. I hung it in there w a head of lettuce in it and they are all terrified of it. They literally won’t even go by it. 🤦♀️
Tear off a piece of cabbage and lay it on the ground nearby, they'll discover it's good. And if all else fails just remove the holder and just place the cabbage on the ground. Just my suggestion. Fermenting feed keeps my cost down. I pay $22/50lb bag that lasts about a month, sometimes longer depending if they free range everyday. I also grow a bunch of veggies just for them. And I raise my own mealworms for them. I never feed scratch during the summer as any corn will increase their body heat.
Chickens helped our country so much ,during our founding through both world wars.No better animal to get to feed yourself.Love my flock.Im also in the PNW.
I really enjoy your videos. I have always wanted my own farm as a little girl but, I always lived in the city. I just recently relocated but, where I live isn't closed off to raise "free range" chickens so I went back and forth with myself trying to figure out a way to start my small farmland living in my Garage and although it's not the ideal way, it's working for me and my family and I'm loving every moment of it. Your absolutely right in saying find what works best for you!! I too encourage everyone to start where you are with what you have I just posted my first video of my one month old chicks in my garage. I take them out daily so there still able to get natural nutrients from God's green earth. Be blessed everyone.
Brilliant video. As well as the physical benefits of keeping chickens, the food benefits and the benefits of reducing the need for factory farms, the mental aspect of chicken keeping can't be understated. They are a real positive package. Trying to have community flocks in community areas/gardens would be good. Chicken keeping in schools - not the dreaded hatching projects that we see here in the uk though. They end up with cockerels needing homes or being culled. Keeping chickens for eggs to be consumed in school or sold to fund the chickens. In the UK most new build homes have a clause in the title deeds stating that chickens must not be kept - this is so restrictive and such a shame. Lobbying councils and government needs to push for this sort of thing to be made illegal. Hope you and your flock are well. All the best. Mags
Ugh I hate to hear that about the restrictions. I also find it sad you cannot feed scraps in the UK. That's a real roadblock for many folks financially. All that being said, the UK has the best chicken products! Always a step ahead. ❤️
i think the people who do no not or cannot have chickens should partner with those who can. The people who have a yard should grow the grains that chicken eat. They can trade grain with the people who have chickens for eggs or meat.
I've been going back and watching your videos since I'm new to Chickenlandia. We raised chickens when I was a teenager living in Kentucky. I didn't do much with them except pla with the babies, lol. I just got 8 pullets this March. They will be 18 weeks old in a couple of weeks and hopefully start getting eggs. I don't have a coop, they are living in a 12ft x 12ft dog kennel. I put roots up for them and they sleep in the doghouse, it's a large one. They seem content. I also put up a 4ft tall fence in front so they can get out and eat grass and scratch around. It's only 3ft tall and they fly right out when they want. When I'm outside I let them outside the fence, but only if I'm out there with them. I live in town so I don't want them getting hurt or killed. I've got 2 Sapphire Gems, Betty and Karen, Betty for my grandma because she was hateful and Karen for, well all the Karen's who popped out of the woodwork in the last few years. I have 2 Isa browns, Carol for Carol Burnett and Scully from the X-Files because they are redheads. I New Hampshire I think, I named her after my niece because she's blond and bossy. My mom called my niece Flossy, her nickname when my niece was little. And 2 Black Sex links, they are both Black with like iridescence green tones in their feathers, so pretty. Ruby because she has a dark red in the feathers around her neck and head. And Raven because of the irreverence of her feathers. She has a crooked neck, bent to the neck. I'm not sure what happened but when she started getting older I noticed it. It doesn't seem to bother her, and I'm so glad. They got out of their fenced area and went into my garden but they didn't pick on my plants, although I had to watch them because while they were in there scratching around they got a little carried away around some the smaller plants. I do have a question though, any idea why my girls are such picky eaters? They have turned up their beaks at watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cheese, lettuce, cabbage and most kitchen scraps unless it's meat. I planted collard greens and mustard greens for them and they like them ok. They love plain noodles, and oatmeal but I read oatmeal is not good for them so I don't make it often for them. I have yarrow growing in my flower bed and in the lawn and they really like that. They are not too fond of the grains in scratch grains, and they will eat the grub Terra worms but they don't go crazy for them like I've seen them do on other TH-cam videos. Are my Chickens defective, lol. I do enjoy them so much. I go out and sit and talk to them, but they aren't to fond of being held or petted. I do get hold of them from time to time to check for parasites and check their butts. If you have any suggestions or answers i would truly appreciate it. Thank you
People think I'm just a chicken "nut"...we take care of our chickens with natural ways--they provide us with so many eggs, we just love them! :) And, have learned so much from you, dear! :) Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
I always grow a little "chicken garden" I love to grow things...they love to eat..tada we are both happy lol Jokes aside the chicken garden saves me a ton on feed, Last year was my first year growing year round and I think I will expand that this year!
After months trying to reach out to our HOA, and schedule meeting about having chickens... they completely ignored our messages or our calls. I live on very edge of country area. We pretty much just screw it and went ahead. Bought ourselves a small coop that holds three chickens, and prepared some small part of our yard for our chickens, and ordered four of them that will arrive on 18th of July. Honestly I'm nervous, but been watching all of your videos to get plenty of information to get us started. If HOA end up do send us a letter warning us that we must get rid of our chickens or we get fined, we do have a back up place to bring them to, so we're not too worried!
I haven't had my chickens for 2 weeks quite yet. But, I'm fermenting the starter feed, and my chicks love it! I will be sprouting too. We're growing worms and throw them in a bucket every time we find worms when we're digging the trenches to bury the hardware cloth. We'll be feeding out chickens the worms too. I talked to the manager of a local coop for produce and grain that isn't spoiled but they can't sell, we'll be saving our food scraps too. We've been collecting our pallets from a business that are giving them away for the taking, and have kept the best boards for the coop, and salvaging what we can. We bought vinyl for the floor as a second. I will use the chicken poop and the wood shaving for our garden. We don't spray, fertilize, our lawn. And some wild edible are growing in the yard, chickweed, dandelions, lambs quarters, Dames Rockets, a wild mint, and I'm growing sage, oregano, thyme, etc, and will feed the chickens this. These are all very nutritious for the chickens. Frontier Herbs sell these herbs in bulk. Since the weather became warm enough, our chickens were outside twice with some covering, and in their circle in the lawn, they ate ants, found a tiny earthworm, and ate some grass clippings. That's good nutrition too. What's so funny, is our chickens have turned up their noses at scrambled eggs! We are immensely enjoying our chickens, and find them very therapeutic for all of us in our family.
I just heard on a gardening podcast to not use wood shavings as compost? Unless it's actually composted. She has a video out about composting the poop and the pine shavings... for like a year... what the gardening guy said is the 'new' pine shavings will just suck up all the nutrients in your soil... I had been doing it wrong apparently. Live and learn! Lol.
I agree with you regarding the feeling of poverty never leaving one. I grew up with money always being tight - and now, 50 years later - I still have what I call my "poor mentality." I don't think that will ever leave me - regardless of how much money I might have. It's funny that.
Very inspiring! I like your thought about broadening our perspectives on how chickens can be kept. I also was just thinking today that my 7 hens are over-producing what my family can use and I feel like there's room to give some of our eggs away, if I can find the right venue to do that.
I wish we'd built our coop before the costs skyrocketed. Now it's on hold indefinitely, so I'm trying to use this time to increase my knowledge. Your channel helps a LOT!
@@WelcometoChickenlandia I have collected some 2x4s for free by checking the free section of Craigslist rather compulsively, lol. It's a slow process but we'll get there!
When we retired we decided to raise chickens for eggs. They are so funny and relaxing. My wife does a lot of their care and cleaning. She is really particular about their feed being no soy. Because of the cost, she takes the dregs of the bag and saves it until she has enough to make a ‘flock block’. She mixes in dried grubs and extra seeds to make it special.
Now I do like that small grass container thing you have. I do have chickens, and got some new babies getting their feathers now. I can use some instruction how to build one of those, can you make one, or show me a video that makes one? I think if they have a community garden, and talk to the city council about having just 4 hens no roosters on that spot for community gardens, and talk to those who actually want to help out with the care of them, it would help produce eggs for the community who actually grow in that garden area. Egg shells for calcium for plants, as well as food. It can also develop into a very nice Farmer market which benefit those not living near stores, or have to drive out of like 10 miles or 20 to do the shopping to aid in revenue for the city. It would be a win win idea anyway.
Hello madam Chickenlandia President. My family and I are new to backyard chicken raising and we love it. Your channel has taught us so much and we thank you! I know your channel is about chickens but will you or have you done a video featuring your ducks? We want to add ducks next year but need to learn about them first. We do know one thing about them, they are cute! Thanks again for the informative videos and making your videos fun!❤️
I have chickens and I know your show is about chickens, but if people want to have eggs to eat and they live in an HOA or an apartment they can have quail. 99% of the time HOA & apartments consider quail to be equivalent to a pet like a parakeet. Even though quail eggs are small, they lay one egg a day and three eggs equals one chicken egg. Just a suggestion. Also I do feed my hens layer feed, but they love when I cut a branch off of my avocado tree because they like the leaves. They also like when I trim my succulent plants or anything else from the garden. I do give them leftover healthy food scraps, but as I use their eggs I let the shells dry out on a paper plate and when they’re dry I use my mini food processor to pulverize almost into a dust from their shells. Then I add that back into the food scraps so they continually get calcium. They also love meat. I find all my hens lay eggs perfectly clean nice eggs after I have given them a little bit of meat or fish.
@@WelcometoChickenlandia Thank you. I love your channel and I have learned so much from you. Hopefully, as a community, we can help anyone who may be struggling with food insecurity and give them confidence to keep chickens, ducks, quail or whatever their hearts desire. 🥰
I live in one of those “No chicken” HOA’s but I found out a neighbor 3 doors down is doing it, and that’s all the permission I needed. The other neighbors really don’t even hear them. I never knew they were there and they are only 3 doors down. So, chicks are here, coop on the way, learning curve…..also on the way. Thanks for your channel. Do your neighbors love you or hate you? Just curious.
I have to live cheaply. Find a store that sells older produce at reduced prices. Some lower-end supermarkets have a rack in the produce aisle with repackaged fruits & veggies, where I snag corn, grapes, and lettuce for my brood, all staples of their summer diet. They also love spaghetti noodles, and stores often mark down ripped or opened packages.
Grow a small garden and feed them the left overs..also ours will follow us around the yard so we turn over rocks and boards etc. And they love the bugs we find..also a bale of alfalfa is a good addition feeding a little at a time along with everything else..
We buy food for chickens and ducks by the ton, but we have the store room and drive to go get it. If you live in wyoming NE Order from "our wyoming life" meats and you can get veggies.
I've had chickens for about 2.5 years. They are awesome! Learned a hell of a lot, but I learn more and more from your channel. Thank you sooooooo much for the clay in the nesting house thing! Making it into compost. Just started that. Chickens aren't easy, but they are super easy? Does that make sense? I'm also sprouting grains for them thanks to you... they loooove the sprouts! Anyhoo. Thank you for what you do, and please keep doing it!
I inadvertantly grew fodder for my girls this year, lol. I planted lots of broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage, but the weather was all wrong. So I have a TON of leaves, and no broccoloi, cauliflower and cabbage. So, the chickens get some choice fresh greens every day for awhile while I clear them out of the garden to grow something else! In the fall, I plan to fill every empty garden bed with cold hardy greens, like kale, so that I can keep feeding them fresh greens through most of the winter.
Also, I underestimated how many eggs chickens would lay in season. I share my extras with everyone. My hairdresser, my husbands boss and coworkers, friends from the yarn shop, and my young adult kids, etc. People are so pleased to have fresh eggs in pretty colors! Its so much fun to see how excited they get when I hand them a free carton, or more, of farm fresh eggs. Its a way for me to say thank you, or to barter, or to bless someone who really needs the food.
my issue has been getting my chickens to eat garden scraps, like brassica leaves etc, they just turn their noses up to it, but some useless white rice from a Chinese meal they love! I rarely even attempt to feed garden scraps to my chickens, but leftovers food from our meals they love. why is this happening?
I need to add something to this. About backyard chickens in neighborhoods and it. It being allowed. You always have to keep in mind your neighbors that live close. If you want them to accept backyard chickens, you have to be diligent about cleanliness and aesthetics. Don’t throw to together a bunch of pallets and tarps and call it a coop when you live in a neighborhood that does not appreciate the property near them looking like a junk yard. That is fine if the neighborhood, as whole is lax on aesthetics. But not if you live amongst people that like things neat and tidy. Offering eggs to your neighbors doesn’t hurt either.😊 We used to trip ride our horses. The rule of trail riding horses on property that is not our own is to leave nothing behind but hoof prints, (well and a little manure that will be broke down to dirt in no time). We wanted the property owners to not even notice we had passed through. Always keep your neighbors in mind and even invite them over to see your chickens and how you care for them. Especially the children. If you include them, you are less likely to have problems with them either. 😊
I live in a town setting so I don't have much predator pressure, so I got a second hand greenhouse frame. You know the ones that come with the plastic skin from box stores? The skin had rotted in the sun and the people put it on craigslist "free stuff." I got that and skinned it with chicken wire and stuck bundles of 3 bamboo sticks thru the side bars, secured them with wire, and 💥waala💥 roosts. I put those in the back and covered that back side with a tarp for sun and rain protection (I live in a 9b climate so freezing and baking aren't problems here) I got 2 waxed banana boxes for nest boxes, so then I only paid for the wire (and a tarp once a year) It wouldn't work where there are bears. Or too many raccoons because the door is fffunky. I just left the chicken wire loose on one side and tie it closed each day. A cheap way to get extra protein for chickens: put a hay bale in the run. Everytime you water the birds, pour some water at the base of the bale. Once a week turn it over. Bugs and worms for free baby. Wash rinse repeat. I always put my lawn clippings in there. (Give extra grit if you do this) And weeds which give lots of greens and a few hitchhiking bugs. And I keep my yard compost in their "extra run" I let them out there a few times a week. They do make a mess, but there's a lot of food value in there for them. And now, in the late summer, I'm collecting mustard green seeds. They grow plentifully around me. I plant them in flats and let them grow a week or 2, and 💥waaala💥 more greens for free because the grass isnt growing as much.
If I lived in a colder climate, I'd make a night box from rigid insulation skinned inside and out with waxed cardboard. The insulation will keep their body heat in, but you gotta skin it or they'll eat that stuff. I'd use waxed boxes or use paraffin and wax refrigerator boxes for moisture control. Yes, I'm a born cheapskate
I have three neighbors who keep chickens like myself and all of us have different housing and ways of taking care of them. I agree there is no one exact way. All of our coops are different, etc. we probably Feed our chickens differently. Some of us free feed, some feed once a day. It’s all good.
I just got 4 chickens last weekend. I've never had chickens in my life. Didn't even live on farmland. But we happened to move to an area where we are blessed to have 1/4 of an acre, so I asked my husband to build me a coop, which is spectacular, and we were finally able to get chickens! I'm so excited. It's so relaxing to watch them.
Oh that’s so awesome! Congrats!
No info here just bla bla bla bla bla
@@tjpelfrey6939 Why...that lame remark totally describes your reply, Chuckles.
Isn't it the best feeling I love my birds I miss them when I'm at work or camping .
@@susangantzler7786 I used to go camping every year and visit friends overnight--but I can't do that anymore. I don't have anyone who'd care for my birds worth a flip, and I know I'd have a miserable time worrying about them.
Thank you for that. I have kept chickens my whole life. I’m 70. I learned from my grandmother who was a widow with 7 children. She raised her children all by herself. She had chickens, rabbits and a milk cow.
There are many successful ways to raise chickens. 😊
You so correctly mentioned that people consider keeping chicken low class. I have always been fond of chicken, and as I had time due to my maternity break, I started raising chicken. I got to hear the "you are an engineer, this is not meant for you" more than once🤦♀️ If only people realized how much love and peace those chicken give you 😊
I waited years for an ordinance in my city to be lifted, so that I could have them. I was getting ready to move. Thankfully no more ordinance, and now I have 20 chickens!!!
Yay!! 🎉
By happenstance, I have befriended several retirees who have bartered with me trading their amazing skills for eggs. I have bartered eggs with a retired carpenter who just built roofing trusses for my mobile duck coop. I also barter eggs with a retired plumber. I trade eggs for wine from a local vineyard.
I trade eggs for snowplowing. A small engine mechanic keeps things running for eggs.
It has worked out great and everyone is happy!
And all of the lovely fertilizer poop the chickens create helps the grow an abundance of vegetables that I give to these same people when I have extra.
That’s awesome!!
That is so sweet, we all need to be doing this ❤️
I’m new to chickens but it got cheaper to use feed to supplement kitchen scraps (it’s 50/50). My rule is if things are older than 2-3 days in the fridge it’s chicken food. That’s allowed me to spend less on feed.
Flies are attracted to the food and they eat those too. (Sounds gross but works).
After it rains I “hunt” earthworms to give them. That forces me outside for air and a little sunlight too.
Also I went for smaller chicken breeds for their smaller appetites.
So far my chickens are healthy and happy at a low price. So excited to get eggs soon!
Thanks for all the info! I’m still working my way through these helpful videos.😄
You’re so welcome!!
I foraged grub worms for my girls. Hundreds of them from beneath hay bales. They were gone in minutes. Such fun watching that!
My husband and I moved out of the suburbs because we couldn't have chickens and our yard was very limited in space to have a garden. Between hanging out with my flock and my faith in Jesus Christ I am able to find peace in all the craziness going on in the world. Romans 10:9-10❤
I’m so glad!
Let me start off by saying my 5 chickens are like pets. They are pampered, protected, and treated very well. I'm very attached to them. I love the way they come running to see me! They're so friendly. I had a privacy fence built especially for them so they could have more room to roam without being an annoyance to my neighbors. My plans for supplementing their feed include not only table scraps, but growing a lot of my own. I planted sunflowers, kale, swiss chard, collards, beets (which I've never learned to like), blackberries, etc. I harvest the greens, dry them out, and am stockpiling them for winter feed. Instead of throwing the lamb's quarter on the compost pile, I now bundle it and hang it in my garage. It will also serve as winter feed. They seem to love it. Hopefully my pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and winter squash will produce great yields as well. The leaves of the sweet potato will make their way into my dried greens mix, too. I also am drying out mint and grass clippings to use as bedding. These last two things are free; they grow abundantly in my yard. For summer treats, I planted cantaloupe, zucchini, cucumbers and watermelon, not just for me but also for my hens. So, fingers crossed that my garden is productive. If so, I can provide a lot of chicken food which will reduce my feed costs substantially. Or at least, that's my plan. I'm looking forward not only to non-GMO organic eggs, but happy companionship with these bright, lovable little creatures. They bring me a lot of joy.
I use the lambs quarters leaves in cooking. Like you would use spinach. Yummy. And they have to be really good for you. My chickens love them, leaves and seeds! I plant a row of the seeds in my garden near their run. And pick them when I am feeding. I also footage for them in various places.
There is great savings in keeping hens. They still produce free unfertilized eggs and meat if needed. They provide fertilizer for your flowers, garden etc., they make great pets too. I started raising chickens in 2002. I haven't bought any store eggs since. If I want more chickens then I incubate them.
They are composting machines. Toss your kitchen scraps and lawn clipping to them, they eat what they want, mix their poop in the rest and create the best compost you could ever put on your garden. I have plans to have small beds all the way around my chicken run next year with greens and herbs planted just for the chickens. I want them right there with easy access to chop some and toss to them daily and every time I walk by. That will reduce your feed costs as well.
Also as a bonus chickens will eat fleas, ticks just about any bug (even scorpians & most snakes) that comes anywhere near them 😁
I agree that they make great pets.
They are comedians too!! Mine have done some funny things!!
And feathers 😀
Can you not eat a egg if you have a rooster with the hens?
Thank you for being a voice of reason in these times. We are growing corn and sunflowers this year for the first time to help offset the cost of feed. I waited 62 years to get chickens and I love them!!! Keep posting videos that encourage and teach. Thank you Madam President!
You’re so welcome!!
Good idea on the sunflowers. I'm 63 and thought seriously for 2 years, my ladies should be laying in August, although Georgette is George. Question: how long will sunflower seeds last before going rancid, and do I have to shell them?
Thanks so much🐤❣
I think it's good to mention proper attitude and maintenance if you have farm animals in a neighborhood. I have lived next to neighbors who did it all wrong and we all struggled with the smell and the huge rats! Growing up on a farm, i know this shouldn't be an issue if properly done.
We need a new Constitution. Right to food (& growing it) should be on it. Amongst other things.
Would be a nice amendment!
The government use to encourage people to keep chickens and grow food
Yes! Unfortunately after WW2 things changed drastically in that arena.
@@WelcometoChickenlandia BOO!!!
I absolutely love your channel! We've had a little flock of chickens for 12 days now...Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and Basil (the little rooster chick they snuck in!). Between the 2 hens and the 3 babies, we're looking at a bright future for eggs and entertainment because they've got the cutest - and sometimes the snarkiest - little personalities! Chicken-keeping is part of our journey to more intentional, slower, and more self-sustainable living and I couldn't be happier with our decision. Here's to hoping the rooster doesn't tick off our whole neighborhood...LOL!
Yay!! Congrats on your new flock. ❤️❤️❤️
I don't have chickens yet. But I will be getting my own flock in about a year, when I retire. My son is going to build a chicken coop for me from plans I recently obtained. I have been following your youtube channel for many months and I just need to tell you how grateful I am for all of the information you provide with every video and most of all for the aura of kindness and caring that your content has. I am so ready and excited to get my first batch of chicks and until and after I do, I will be visiting with you via your videos. Many many thanks!
You’re so welcome!!
this video is really heart warming... my chicken coop is made for recycled wood, and my neighbours were the biggest contribution. giving me their dried veggies and seeds. although I spent a bit of money just fencing its really not that hard. ive had chickens since I was 9 years old, and im 18 this and they've been quite a gem to keep especially when I got new battery hens( rescues). I spend my monthly allowance keeping them happy, cause It also puts a smile on my face.❤❤
That is so sweet. You are a blessing to each other.
I have enjoyed all of your chicken educational videos but I loved this one the best. I am Puerta Rican, grew up on a small farm and now live in a community with an HOA. It seems so purposeful in how large groups of people have been forcefully made dependent on large government and agriculture. Unless you work purposefully, access to our food sources, real hands-on work to care for our earth is not a reality but rather an imaginary ideal that only big companies and big government can “solve”. This could not be further from the truth. Encouraging food to be put back into the hands of the people and local farmers brings greater food responsibility, food availability and independence, empathy, joy, hard work, gratefulness and less waste and excess.
Have you heard of the lady that is a lawyer and a chicken lover who changed laws in her area?
Thank you for your colorful, fun and educational channel. We appreciate you!
You’re so welcome and thank you so much for the kind words! 100% agree.
THANK YOU FOR SHINING A LIGHT ON SUCH A RIDICULOUS, INTENTIONAL, SITUATION!!!!! BLESS YOUR SWEET SOUL!!!! My Great Grandpa was a poultry farmer. He was retired by the time I came along. But still owned like a hundred or so, chickens, his whole life. He would give away eggs to all those around him, who were poor. He passed away when I was like 7years old. But I learned so much from him. I can't thank you enough for your views, and your efforts to encourage others!!!!!!!!!
I'm a new chicken owner, but * have learned a lot from this channel. Thank you
You’re so welcome!
So agree with everything you're saying. I'm lucky to have my girls, and grow vegetables and berries to supplement their feed. Would rather do without eggs than buy anything from a factory farm. I share eggs with friends and family, and they notice the difference.
Agree. I will do without eggs if it came to buying them. I share with my neighbors and we do kind of a barter. One will share meals and being me a great homemade dinner. Another is going replace my deck steps for
me. I don’t ask for anything in return. I feel God has blessed me with healthy chickens and I can share healthy eggs with neighbors.
@@beverlymichael5830 I've shared with neighbors too but they're not as nice as yours! Hmmmm.
Two-legged predators are a real concern at any time, but especially when times are hard. Even without a rooster crowing, flocks are loud enough to be noticed by those searching them out.
To help deter the more casual predators, I suggest padlocks on gates and doors. If your coop is sturdy, that is at least enough to slow down any thievery, and disabling or circumventing your locks should make too much noise to go unnoticed. Motion-activated lighting helps as well.
Everyone will need to think about how much they are willing to do to protect their flock. If you rely on eggs from your birds to feed your family, now or in the future, you might need to evaluate how you plan to protect that family food resource.
I offer this comment to provoke thought now, before it becomes an issue. Hopefully it never does become an issue for anyone.
Two-legged predators are a real concern at any time, but especially when times are hard. You not kidding - my main expense was predator proofing for them. The rest was simple. I need to add fencing zones now. The lights maybe an idea, I having been thinking on them - and motion sensors too. I have cameras and will add additional security over time too.
Yes yes yes. I love the mention about building a community. A strong community and people working together is the BEST way to get through these times. Also 100% agree with trying to make it accessible to everyone to have chicken keeping. I am on the mission as well to make sure people are aware that having chickens is not only easy but is also fun! I think a way to help people who can’t have chickens is to help raise chickens for them and they can help pay for some of the cost. Thank you for what you do and always willing to help you spread the message. Everyone if you aren’t already help spread her videos and getting people to help watch and learn from Chickenlandia!
That's awesome you are spreading the word and helping others!
beautifull
Madam President thank you for all you do!
❤️❤️❤️
I wanted to share something that I do to save cost on my feed bill. I always ferment my feed, I use mash and crumble mixed together and my girls love it!! I give them it each morning with cut up greens and any fruit scraps ontop. I have been getting my dandelion greens from my yard and any stray ones that pop in my my garden beds. I never use any pesticide so I know they are safe, they love them and I know they are getting some fresh greens each day.
I’m not only concerned with expenses but shortages as well. I’ve been stocking up on sprouting seeds after watching your channel. My babies love to eat their sprouts from my hands every evening before turning in. I bought a dish drainer from The Dollar Tree that holds four jars at a time. They also love oats. Thankfully my three canine rescues are good with the chicks so they get their share of bugs throughout the day.
Nice!!
this is a good idea
I'm sorry, I got side tracked, BUT.... I love your Buddha decoration. 😍
Thank you!
My small contribution is sharing my eggs with my friends and neighbors. Any way I can help them to save money and eat better/fresher is a win. and then if they have an over abundance of fresh veggies, they share with me. It might sound archaic, but I love the barter system. I have people who buy me a bag of food every so often and they get free eggs whenever they need. Even if they have nothing to share, I share what I have to help. And it feels good!
That’s a wonderful thing you are doing!
We currently have 13 chickens. They have full access to our compost bin (which they LOVE and enjoy lots of high protein bugs and worms). We make our own chicken food, ferment it and give them scraps. We noticed that the food goes much much further and our costs are really low. With some creativity, composting and community food recycling, most of us could really cut down on most of our costs.
Awesome plan!
I'd love to know your chicken food recipe. The cost of feed is cray-cray right now. It just keeps going up. Your way seems the best!
I would recommend composting in your chicken run to give them more bugs and free food.
Yes!
@@WelcometoChickenlandia I would LOVE for you to do a video about composting in the run. I do deep litter and when I clean out the coop I just rake it directly back into the run (about 1000 sq ft) but would love to do better if I can
Keeping quails can be a solution if chickens are not permitted. They take very little space, they don't make a noise and can fit into a yard , side of house etc without looking obvious. You can eat the eggs and the fully grown birds are a delicacy.
I got my first chickens in April of 2022. It has been a learning curve but my husband and I have been enjoying our 3 girls. We made our coop out of a Little Tykes play house and have built a 8ft run. We are in the city and so far haven't had any issues with neighbors. Thank you for your channel which is very encouraging and informative.
You couldn't have said it better, Mrs "President". I'm so glad you could move to a bigger place. I'd love to see the development of Community Gardens, with the inclusion of all social levels of the community.- Councils, HOA 's, Schools - even and especially the homeless.
You are such a gift! Your tender heart and compassion is very inspiring! Ty 🥰
You’re so welcome!
Liked and shared! Best video of the day!
Thank you!!
I would love a video on Kitchen/ garden scraps you can feed your chickens! I'm new to this 🐣♡
I hope this helps. They can eat almost any veggie scrap, but sometimes I google just to be sure. Grapes for instance are a once in a while treat... they looove tomatoes, bananas, peppers, carrot peels (mine havent mastered taking down a whole carrot)... but I hesitate giving too many treats bc I want them to eat their actual food. I use her sprouting technique and I love it so much bc they're getting some protein from the grains, and it's so cheap! Just google if you have a question. Lol. Google is always there for you.
Also, maybe tmi, but I save their shells, bake them just for a few min, and put them through my spice grinder to make a powder, and add the calcium back to their food...
President of Chickenlandia: We have a farm of rescued animals. I’m very alarmed by the prices rising weekly. We will not be able to take in more animals. It’s very stressful. Thank you for your tips about fermenting food and sprouting seeds for chickens. I’m vegan, but like to feed the eggs back to the chickens and also give the eggs to elderly or sick people. Im so grateful for my chicken companions!
It’s tough right now! Thank you for doing what you do. ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us! My husband and I are just starting this chicken journey....in the city. It was a lot easier than we thought to get permission. I think many people just think they can't without trying (like we did for years) but we were so surprised at how much support we got from our alderman and mayor. Even our neighbors were fine with it. As far as the feed price, we are just looking at this from the perspective of food security, and I'm already feeding them kale, purslane and beet greens from our garden. We're still building our coop and our baby chicks are still in the house with us and we're documenting our journey here on youtube. I am also listening to allllll of your content. I'm looking forward to your book too. Thank you for helping me do something I never thought I would ever do.... keeping backyard chickens. We're hoping we can help others in our area to keep chickens too.
Thank you so much for doing what you do. I’ve spent that last several weeks getting everything ready to be a new chicken mom! I’m getting my first chicks this weekend and cannot get enough of your videos. You’re getting me off to being the best chicken mom that I can be ❤️
I’m so glad!!!
My chickens eat layer pellets, scratch, and food scraps from the kitchen. 2 or three times a day I pick weeds, grass, and clover for them. They love their grass!
Sounds great!
Growing up in Ky my parents and grandparents just fed them scraps and we always had happy chickens!
I bet they were very happy!
Everyone talks about the practical side of raising chickens...but there is also the enjoyment and sense of fulfillment that happens...happy poultry parenting..
.
Your videos are great and I think that it is great that you encourage and educate people about raising backyard chickens. It's a great way to help make this world a better place. I want to do this and I want to teach our children to do this as well and hopefully they will teach their children and their children's children. Bring children into the world and teaching them how to make this world a better place creates a more beautiful future for us all. Not everyone is blessed to be able to have children but too many people who can let that opportunity go to waste or turn away from having children because they think bringing more children into the world is a bad thing or that this world is too messed up to bring more children into. If you are here to take, this is a horrible world. But if you are here to give and to try to make this world a better place, you could not ask for a better world to be born into. Looking forward to learning more about raising chickens from your videos. Thanks for posting them!
I had chickens for years but I moved. I now I have started a small flock here. I was so stoked about your fermented feed video & I am trying that now! We also feed the gals scraps & healthy “weeds” like dandelion greens from the yard. Canning season is about to kick off in my area, so they will have plenty more to snack on!
I am so glad to have a flock again!
Yes, that feeling never leaves you. My dad is from Dominican Republic. Even though he worked full time we were always broke. I have hens now and a rooster. Just had some chicks hatch in May. Trying to get my veggie gardening skills up.
I grow a bunch of sunflowers and kale just for the chickens; the kale over winters and then starts growing the 2nd spring, and produce seed pods, so unlimited kale plants forever! Also have a couple junk apple trees that are for the chickens. I put all yard, garden, and kitchen waste in a huge compost pile in the chicken yard. I get yard waste and food scraps from friends and relatives, and pick up buckets of food scraps for free at a local restaurant twice a week. All this goes in a compost pile. The chickens eat some, leave some, poop on all of it. I turn it occasionally, and there are tons of bugs and worms for them to eat. The next spring, I have beautiful compost for my garden and the process starts over. I supplement with a small snack at night of bulk whole grains, sunflower seeds and dried mealworms. But that’s the only thing I pay for. I also use a deep liter system in their coop with free wood chips from my town’s highway dept and layer plenty of wood chips in places within their large yard. The chips decompose and create soil as well as providing food the for chickens as they love to scratch through it for worms and bugs. When I can I expand their yard using temporary electric fencing to give them access to more grass and digging area. All the lawn clippings either mulch the garden or are given to the chickens for food and to add to the compost pile.
I am so glad I found your channel. You have answered so many questions for me and taken a lot of stress off my mind. I have 3 hens that are 4 months old and wondered many times in the last 4 months if I made the right decision but every morning when I go out to greet my girls I know I have.❤️
I started with my chickens in the city knowing we were moving to the country this spring. I love it! Now my roo is a stinker but he's worth my time and my girls are wonderful. We share what we can't eat with my neighbors and in return have started building solid relationships. I was raised just visiting my auntie and uncle's farm. So applying what they did and watching your vids has helped me with all questions that have arose thus far. She's right about there's no one way to raise chickens. Thanks so much for the time you put into you vids!
You’re so welcome!!
I'm getting my 3rd flock ever soon... It's been years since my 2nd flock (all banties) disaster. ;_; This time I'm getting Jersey Giants, six of them! & building my own coop from salvage.
Sounds like an awesome plan!
another conundrum is that people with limited resources also are not eating the most healthy diets therefore don’t have healthy food waste to feed chickens. I’m thankful that our finances allow us to have hens but it’s stupid expensive and we definitely aren’t keeping hens to save money because there is no saving money with hen keeping
In the UK, we are not allowed 🚫 to feed chickens stuff from our kitchens (unless the kitchen scraps come from a vegan household). We aren't allowed to let our chickens to go through our compost bins if it has kitchen scraps in it.
@@kathart8461 hopefully they won't find out, but we can get fined!!
@@ruthharris2697 There’s also alot of human food in America that Europe won’t feed their own citizens. So, be thankful you live in a place where there’s probably much better real food options for you. With that said, I’m thankful to be here where there were NO nationwide shot mandates - unfortunately, not everyone escaped it
I’m super nervous, but I just ordered chicks from a local hatchery for the first time ever. We pick them up in March but I feel like I’m nesting already. This video made me a little more excited and less scared about it. Thank you!
We live VERY urban on a postage stamp of land in Scotland. We have 7 girls and one blissfully quiet rooster. It has been the best thing we have ever done, and they have been more therapy for me than therapy has EVER done. We have more eggs than we can use ourselves and have donated some to the local food bank as we know the cost of living crisis is ridiculous, especially given my line of work.
It has been a challenege and a learning curve but we have taken it all in stride and the neighbors have been incredibly understanding, and we reached out to them beforehand and they were fine with the idea. There are so many ways to do it, and initially we individually will never see the cost benefit, but the culture change HAS to happen. Once this does our childrens children will :)
Awww, yes open our hearts 💕 I love that💞
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Gosh Dalia, what a BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE 🥰❣❣❣🐓🥚
I have 3 week old chicks. They have their starter feed. But daily I go dig up worms and grubs and they love the bugs grubs and worms! And its all free.
Nice!!!
Hmm. Maybe because I only have 6 hens and a roo I don’t feel my costs are much. We go through a big bag of feed about every 3-4 weeks (costs about 15.00) and a bag of scratch about once a month (similar cost). So about 30.00 a month. I feed them scraps (not nasty rotten stuff but extra berries and veg that we don’t eat but are still good). When the store has fruit and veg on clearance I will buy for the chickens.
I bought my chickens a cabbage head holder. Haha. I hung it in there w a head of lettuce in it and they are all terrified of it. They literally won’t even go by it. 🤦♀️
You should be thankful. A bag of feed here is $25-30.00.
Tear off a piece of cabbage and lay it on the ground nearby, they'll discover it's good. And if all else fails just remove the holder and just place the cabbage on the ground. Just my suggestion.
Fermenting feed keeps my cost down. I pay $22/50lb bag that lasts about a month, sometimes longer depending if they free range everyday. I also grow a bunch of veggies just for them. And I raise my own mealworms for them. I never feed scratch during the summer as any corn will increase their body heat.
Dang. Feed here in NC at tractor supply which is my only store option just went up to $26
@@ginagarvey6886 Fermenting can really make a difference. This channel had a video just a few days ago
Oh no! They should figure it out soon. Hopefully! 🤪
Chickens helped our country so much ,during our founding through both world wars.No better animal to get to feed yourself.Love my flock.Im also in the PNW.
I really enjoy your videos. I have always wanted my own farm as a little girl but, I always lived in the city. I just recently relocated but, where I live isn't closed off to raise "free range" chickens so I went back and forth with myself trying to figure out a way to start my small farmland living in my Garage and although it's not the ideal way, it's working for me and my family and I'm loving every moment of it. Your absolutely right in saying find what works best for you!! I too encourage everyone to start where you are with what you have I just posted my first video of my one month old chicks in my garage. I take them out daily so there still able to get natural nutrients from God's green earth. Be blessed everyone.
Brilliant video. As well as the physical benefits of keeping chickens, the food benefits and the benefits of reducing the need for factory farms, the mental aspect of chicken keeping can't be understated. They are a real positive package. Trying to have community flocks in community areas/gardens would be good. Chicken keeping in schools - not the dreaded hatching projects that we see here in the uk though. They end up with cockerels needing homes or being culled. Keeping chickens for eggs to be consumed in school or sold to fund the chickens. In the UK most new build homes have a clause in the title deeds stating that chickens must not be kept - this is so restrictive and such a shame. Lobbying councils and government needs to push for this sort of thing to be made illegal. Hope you and your flock are well. All the best. Mags
Ugh I hate to hear that about the restrictions. I also find it sad you cannot feed scraps in the UK. That's a real roadblock for many folks financially. All that being said, the UK has the best chicken products! Always a step ahead. ❤️
I love your videos! I’m a new chicken caregiver and your advice is so helpful and has been spot on to make my chickens lives to be healthy!
Thank you!!
When I got chickens last year I started following and learning from you. Thank you so much for all your info ❤
You’re so welcome!
I find so many options with raising my chickens. I really enjoy having them and the work they do. They are usually pretty darn ease, overall!
i think the people who do no not or cannot have chickens should partner with those who can. The people who have a yard should grow the grains that chicken eat. They can trade grain with the people who have chickens for eggs or meat.
I like the way you think!!
I've been going back and watching your videos since I'm new to Chickenlandia. We raised chickens when I was a teenager living in Kentucky. I didn't do much with them except pla with the babies, lol. I just got 8 pullets this March. They will be 18 weeks old in a couple of weeks and hopefully start getting eggs. I don't have a coop, they are living in a 12ft x 12ft dog kennel. I put roots up for them and they sleep in the doghouse, it's a large one. They seem content. I also put up a 4ft tall fence in front so they can get out and eat grass and scratch around. It's only 3ft tall and they fly right out when they want. When I'm outside I let them outside the fence, but only if I'm out there with them. I live in town so I don't want them getting hurt or killed. I've got 2 Sapphire Gems, Betty and Karen, Betty for my grandma because she was hateful and Karen for, well all the Karen's who popped out of the woodwork in the last few years. I have 2 Isa browns, Carol for Carol Burnett and Scully from the X-Files because they are redheads. I New Hampshire I think, I named her after my niece because she's blond and bossy. My mom called my niece Flossy, her nickname when my niece was little. And 2 Black Sex links, they are both Black with like iridescence green tones in their feathers, so pretty. Ruby because she has a dark red in the feathers around her neck and head. And Raven because of the irreverence of her feathers. She has a crooked neck, bent to the neck. I'm not sure what happened but when she started getting older I noticed it. It doesn't seem to bother her, and I'm so glad. They got out of their fenced area and went into my garden but they didn't pick on my plants, although I had to watch them because while they were in there scratching around they got a little carried away around some the smaller plants. I do have a question though, any idea why my girls are such picky eaters? They have turned up their beaks
at watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cheese, lettuce, cabbage and most kitchen scraps unless it's meat. I planted collard greens and mustard greens for them and they like them ok. They love plain noodles, and oatmeal but I read oatmeal is not good for them so I don't make it often for them. I have yarrow growing in my flower bed and in the lawn and they really like that. They are not too fond of the grains in scratch grains, and they will eat the grub Terra worms but they don't go crazy for them like I've seen them do on other TH-cam videos. Are my Chickens defective, lol. I do enjoy them so much. I go out and sit and talk to them, but they aren't to fond of being held or petted. I do get hold of them from time to time to check for parasites and check their butts. If you have any suggestions or answers i would truly appreciate it. Thank you
I love your sweet soul. What a wonderful gift you are to humanity. Love your channel. And your chicks!! ❤️
People think I'm just a chicken "nut"...we take care of our chickens with natural ways--they provide us with so many eggs, we just love them! :) And, have learned so much from you, dear! :) Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
This was a beautiful post. Encouraging each other, it will change the world
I always grow a little "chicken garden" I love to grow things...they love to eat..tada we are both happy lol
Jokes aside the chicken garden saves me a ton on feed, Last year was my first year growing year round and I think I will expand that this year!
What do you grow for them?
After months trying to reach out to our HOA, and schedule meeting about having chickens... they completely ignored our messages or our calls. I live on very edge of country area. We pretty much just screw it and went ahead. Bought ourselves a small coop that holds three chickens, and prepared some small part of our yard for our chickens, and ordered four of them that will arrive on 18th of July. Honestly I'm nervous, but been watching all of your videos to get plenty of information to get us started. If HOA end up do send us a letter warning us that we must get rid of our chickens or we get fined, we do have a back up place to bring them to, so we're not too worried!
I haven't had my chickens for 2 weeks quite yet. But, I'm fermenting the starter feed, and my chicks love it! I will be sprouting too. We're growing worms and throw them in a bucket every time we find worms when we're digging the trenches to bury the hardware cloth. We'll be feeding out chickens the worms too. I talked to the manager of a local coop for produce and grain that isn't spoiled but they can't sell, we'll be saving our food scraps too. We've been collecting our pallets from a business that are giving them away for the taking, and have kept the best boards for the coop, and salvaging what we can. We bought vinyl for the floor as a second. I will use the chicken poop and the wood shaving for our garden. We don't spray, fertilize, our lawn. And some wild edible are growing in the yard, chickweed, dandelions, lambs quarters, Dames Rockets, a wild mint, and I'm growing sage, oregano, thyme, etc, and will feed the chickens this. These are all very nutritious for the chickens. Frontier Herbs sell these herbs in bulk. Since the weather became warm enough, our chickens were outside twice with some covering, and in their circle in the lawn, they ate ants, found a tiny earthworm, and ate some grass clippings. That's good nutrition too. What's so funny, is our chickens have turned up their noses at scrambled eggs! We are immensely enjoying our chickens, and find them very therapeutic for all of us in our family.
I just heard on a gardening podcast to not use wood shavings as compost? Unless it's actually composted. She has a video out about composting the poop and the pine shavings... for like a year... what the gardening guy said is the 'new' pine shavings will just suck up all the nutrients in your soil... I had been doing it wrong apparently. Live and learn! Lol.
I agree with you regarding the feeling of poverty never leaving one. I grew up with money always being tight - and now, 50 years later - I still have what I call my "poor mentality." I don't think that will ever leave me - regardless of how much money I might have. It's funny that.
Yes. My feelings exactly!
we still have it from the great recession of 2008. now i hoard rice and beans
Just got my chicks recently and loving it!
Very inspiring! I like your thought about broadening our perspectives on how chickens can be kept. I also was just thinking today that my 7 hens are over-producing what my family can use and I feel like there's room to give some of our eggs away, if I can find the right venue to do that.
That’s a great idea. ❤️
I wish we'd built our coop before the costs skyrocketed. Now it's on hold indefinitely, so I'm trying to use this time to increase my knowledge. Your channel helps a LOT!
Yes lumber is crazy expensive right now. Maybe look for something you can repurpose? Thank you for the kind words!
It's possible to have off cast lumber from building sites. Then, you'd have to get creative.
You would be surprised what you can conjure up with a few free pallets and some tarps.
@@msmasonry74 Because of our location the entire coop and run has to be completely predator-proof. It's a tough build!
@@WelcometoChickenlandia I have collected some 2x4s for free by checking the free section of Craigslist rather compulsively, lol. It's a slow process but we'll get there!
Tell the code inspector that your coop is an 'aviary'.. 😉
Smart! 🤓
When we retired we decided to raise chickens for eggs. They are so funny and relaxing. My wife does a lot of their care and cleaning. She is really particular about their feed being no soy. Because of the cost, she takes the dregs of the bag and saves it until she has enough to make a ‘flock block’. She mixes in dried grubs and extra seeds to make it special.
Now I do like that small grass container thing you have. I do have chickens, and got some new babies getting their feathers now. I can use some instruction how to build one of those, can you make one, or show me a video that makes one? I think if they have a community garden, and talk to the city council about having just 4 hens no roosters on that spot for community gardens, and talk to those who actually want to help out with the care of them, it would help produce eggs for the community who actually grow in that garden area. Egg shells for calcium for plants, as well as food. It can also develop into a very nice Farmer market which benefit those not living near stores, or have to drive out of like 10 miles or 20 to do the shopping to aid in revenue for the city. It would be a win win idea anyway.
Hello madam Chickenlandia President. My family and I are new to backyard chicken raising and we love it. Your channel has taught us so much and we thank you! I know your channel is about chickens but will you or have you done a video featuring your ducks? We want to add ducks next year but need to learn about them first. We do know one thing about them, they are cute! Thanks again for the informative videos and making your videos fun!❤️
Very good discussion. Your chicken's are very healthy. Thanks. Indian from UK.
I grew up in the bronx below poverty so I really feel your pain.
Eggs help extras do sell.
Thank you thank you!!! 😊
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I have chickens and I know your show is about chickens, but if people want to have eggs to eat and they live in an HOA or an apartment they can have quail. 99% of the time HOA & apartments consider quail to be equivalent to a pet like a parakeet. Even though quail eggs are small, they lay one egg a day and three eggs equals one chicken egg. Just a suggestion. Also I do feed my hens layer feed, but they love when I cut a branch off of my avocado tree because they like the leaves. They also like when I trim my succulent plants or anything else from the garden. I do give them leftover healthy food scraps, but as I use their eggs I let the shells dry out on a paper plate and when they’re dry I use my mini food processor to pulverize almost into a dust from their shells. Then I add that back into the food scraps so they continually get calcium. They also love meat. I find all my hens lay eggs perfectly clean nice eggs after I have given them a little bit of meat or fish.
Quail is a great suggestion! All good ideas. :)
@@WelcometoChickenlandia Thank you. I love your channel and I have learned so much from you. Hopefully, as a community, we can help anyone who may be struggling with food insecurity and give them confidence to keep chickens, ducks, quail or whatever their hearts desire. 🥰
Love your message! Thank you for sharing and including all kinds of chicken keepers, present and future.
I agree more people need chickens! Chickens for everyone!
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I live in one of those “No chicken” HOA’s but I found out a neighbor 3 doors down is doing it, and that’s all the permission I needed. The other neighbors really don’t even hear them. I never knew they were there and they are only 3 doors down. So, chicks are here, coop on the way, learning curve…..also on the way. Thanks for your channel. Do your neighbors love you or hate you? Just curious.
Thank you for this❤
You’re so welcome!!
I have to live cheaply. Find a store that sells older produce at reduced prices. Some lower-end supermarkets have a rack in the produce aisle with repackaged fruits & veggies, where I snag corn, grapes, and lettuce for my brood, all staples of their summer diet. They also love spaghetti noodles, and stores often mark down ripped or opened packages.
Grow a small garden and feed them the left overs..also ours will follow us around the yard so we turn over rocks and boards etc. And they love the bugs we find..also a bale of alfalfa is a good addition feeding a little at a time along with everything else..
We buy food for chickens and ducks by the ton, but we have the store room and drive to go get it. If you live in wyoming NE Order from "our wyoming life" meats and you can get veggies.
Good tip!
Thanks Chicken Landia
I've had chickens for about 2.5 years. They are awesome! Learned a hell of a lot, but I learn more and more from your channel. Thank you sooooooo much for the clay in the nesting house thing! Making it into compost. Just started that. Chickens aren't easy, but they are super easy? Does that make sense? I'm also sprouting grains for them thanks to you... they loooove the sprouts! Anyhoo. Thank you for what you do, and please keep doing it!
What a beautiful explanation and mindset! THANK YOU for sharing ❤❤❤
Your spirit is beautiful!. If I could only recommend one chicken channel it would be yours.
Wow! Thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️
I inadvertantly grew fodder for my girls this year, lol. I planted lots of broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage, but the weather was all wrong. So I have a TON of leaves, and no broccoloi, cauliflower and cabbage. So, the chickens get some choice fresh greens every day for awhile while I clear them out of the garden to grow something else! In the fall, I plan to fill every empty garden bed with cold hardy greens, like kale, so that I can keep feeding them fresh greens through most of the winter.
Also, I underestimated how many eggs chickens would lay in season. I share my extras with everyone. My hairdresser, my husbands boss and coworkers, friends from the yarn shop, and my young adult kids, etc. People are so pleased to have fresh eggs in pretty colors! Its so much fun to see how excited they get when I hand them a free carton, or more, of farm fresh eggs. Its a way for me to say thank you, or to barter, or to bless someone who really needs the food.
What a great thing to do!
my issue has been getting my chickens to eat garden scraps, like brassica leaves etc, they just turn their noses up to it, but some useless white rice from a Chinese meal they love! I rarely even attempt to feed garden scraps to my chickens, but leftovers food from our meals they love. why is this happening?
I need to add something to this. About backyard chickens in neighborhoods and it. It being allowed. You always have to keep in mind your neighbors that live close. If you want them to accept backyard chickens, you have to be diligent about cleanliness and aesthetics. Don’t throw to together a bunch of pallets and tarps and call it a coop when you live in a neighborhood that does not appreciate the property near them looking like a junk yard. That is fine if the neighborhood, as whole is lax on aesthetics. But not if you live amongst people that like things neat and tidy. Offering eggs to your neighbors doesn’t hurt either.😊 We used to trip ride our horses. The rule of trail riding horses on property that is not our own is to leave nothing behind but hoof prints, (well and a little manure that will be broke down to dirt in no time). We wanted the property owners to not even notice we had passed through. Always keep your neighbors in mind and even invite them over to see your chickens and how you care for them. Especially the children. If you include them, you are less likely to have problems with them either. 😊
Good video. I ferment my chicken feed and that stretches the feed. Plus it’s so beneficial to their diet. Do you ferment their feed???
Best video yet
Thank you!!
I live in a town setting so I don't have much predator pressure, so I got a second hand greenhouse frame. You know the ones that come with the plastic skin from box stores? The skin had rotted in the sun and the people put it on craigslist "free stuff." I got that and skinned it with chicken wire and stuck bundles of 3 bamboo sticks thru the side bars, secured them with wire, and 💥waala💥 roosts. I put those in the back and covered that back side with a tarp for sun and rain protection (I live in a 9b climate so freezing and baking aren't problems here)
I got 2 waxed banana boxes for nest boxes, so then I only paid for the wire (and a tarp once a year)
It wouldn't work where there are bears.
Or too many raccoons because the door is fffunky. I just left the chicken wire loose on one side and tie it closed each day.
A cheap way to get extra protein for chickens: put a hay bale in the run. Everytime you water the birds, pour some water at the base of the bale. Once a week turn it over. Bugs and worms for free baby. Wash rinse repeat.
I always put my lawn clippings in there. (Give extra grit if you do this) And weeds which give lots of greens and a few hitchhiking bugs. And I keep my yard compost in their "extra run" I let them out there a few times a week. They do make a mess, but there's a lot of food value in there for them. And now, in the late summer, I'm collecting mustard green seeds. They grow plentifully around me. I plant them in flats and let them grow a week or 2, and 💥waaala💥 more greens for free because the grass isnt growing as much.
If I lived in a colder climate, I'd make a night box from rigid insulation skinned inside and out with waxed cardboard. The insulation will keep their body heat in, but you gotta skin it or they'll eat that stuff. I'd use waxed boxes or use paraffin and wax refrigerator boxes for moisture control.
Yes, I'm a born cheapskate
“The more of us who have backyard chickens, the fewer chickens have to endure factory farms”. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I have three neighbors who keep chickens like myself and all of us have different housing and ways of taking care of them. I agree there is no one exact way. All of our coops are different, etc. we probably Feed our chickens differently. Some of us free feed, some feed once a day. It’s all good.
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