Honest Review of Owning BACKYARD CHICKENS
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- čas přidán 12. 10. 2022
- Backyard chickens have pros and cons. I am here to tell you all of the good and the bad we have experienced in this honest first year review of owning backyard chickens.
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New Homesteaders
Family of 5
10 Chickens. 2 Dogs. 1 Cat
Building our Homestead Adventure
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We are Michigan also. Highly recommend heated dog dishes or a low stock tank with a tank heater for winter. I've had chickens for years and last winter was the first time I've used both. Total game changer! Also get a flex hose or other collapsible hose and a 5 gallon bucket to put it in for winter. Take it inside when not in use, no frozen hoses! Good luck this winter.
That sounds great!! But we have to electricity outputs in the backyard to outsource that :/ so I guess we just have to stick to the hard way, but those ideas do sound great!
@@AcresOfAdventure I get that totally! I run extension cords which helps.
I would imagine there’s solar panels you could set up and keep clear; or hook up to a battery pack; that would do the job
First, you have to decide if you're rooster is worth it. Then you need to learn to understand WHAT AND WHY he is doing what he does! This will help A LOT! Just like the rooster had to prove himself to the hens, to show that he is worth it and a valuable addition to the flock, the humans need to do the same with the rooster and help them understand that they are a valuable asset for the flock! Teach him that you are NOT trying to take HIS spot in the pecking order, but rather that you are helping and supporting his position. There are ways to do this, like for example, when you bring treats, give them to the roo to then announce and share with his hens! There is much more to it, but this strategy has worked best for me! Hope this helps someone out there!
I will try a lot of this out! We want to have a rooster for our flock bad and make sure he is a good one!
@@AcresOfAdventure I agree! The right rooster is definitely an asset to your flock! For a docile disposition and being big and strong, I suggest looking into the Bielefelder, if you ever need to get a new roo! They are gentle giants and gorgeous! You can see mine on my YT Channel. He did get an attitude for a min but working with him has been healing the trust issue we had. He is worth it! He is VERY gentle with the girls & ours karate chopped a hawk out of mid flight while he was trying to dive bomb one of our hens... He never got to her lol. His name is Teriyaki ! He launched himself from standing, I to the air, spurs first, and took that bird to the ground! Pecked and spurred him a few times and then let him go! I was standing there in shock because it all happened so fast! After, he immediately rounded up every hen, like he was doing a head count! (I forgot, he had sounded the alarm and was rushing the hens into the coop when the hawk attacked!! He was the last one going in!) The hawk was trying to take one of our bantam Cochin (who he refuses to mate with! (I think because he knows he is too big for them!) They are extra small and he is extra large. So he sticks with the larger hens for breeding, but still protects the small breeds and feeds them too lol. He's a good boy!
Hi am from Scotland and I have 7 chickens I think I only have 1 boy and 6 girls but that are a bit Young yet to tell I had ducks and chickens before but my dad passed away a few months ago I am 16 so I got some chickens to keep me happy in life and I am saving up money to buy more and different animals.Also I subbed and liked and cant wait for more vids
Thank you for following along!
It helps if they know you since babies, and acknowledge you as the top "rooster"
Thanks Darius! We are going to try that when we hatch out our own chicks next spring
What many people don't know is chicken math. Chickens live 5-9 years but only lay eggs for 2-3 years. Many towns and cities only allow 6 hens and no roosters. You never want to raise just one chicken because they are very social animals. Start with 3 and then the next year add 2-3 new babies if you live in a town with restrictions. Use a radiant heat brooder plate instead of a heat lamp. Heat lamps can cause fires waaaaaaaaay too easily. Build your coop big enough for 2-3x the number of chickens you are starting with or it'll be too small in a couple of years. Predator proof it. You want 2SF in the coop per bantam and 4SF per full-size chicken. Give at least 12" of roost space per chicken. Start with one roost but you can always add another if needed. They are very spendy, but you might want to get an automatic chicken door. You can easily make automatic feeders and waterers to make your chicken-keeping easy. Think about ease of cleaning and have a door big enough to clean the coop out with minimal effort. If your coop is raised off the ground, then make it so your wheelbarrow fits underneath and you can just rake the bedding into it. If you are making a chicken run, be able to stand up in it. Your back will thank you. Also, you won't want to be crawling on your hands and knees in there! Make the nesting box so you can collect eggs from the outside. Again, predator-proof it.
Thanks for the insight! Love all the information in this comment!
My 11 year old hen laid every year, before my goose killed her, Hen will lay for years, they only lay so many days in a year not 365, Clip there wings to keep them in there pen, you only need to do one side
Chicken parenting is a process. Mostly a process of getting more chickens. To me, having chickens one of the few great joys in life.
But yes, it’s something you learn over time- how to make things more efficient, what they like, what the different breeds features are, which suits your homestead best, etc.
For me, I’ve found Golden Comets to be my favorite. They’re super friendly and have good personalities, they put out pretty much an egg a day and they really don’t ever go broody if that’s something you don’t want.
This is our first year raising chickens. I appreciate your insight.
No problem glad that you watched the video!
I use First Saturday Lime every time I change out the bedding or run. I just sprinkle it on the ground and in the coop to help prevent insects.
Do you think it works really good? I have seen it and I’m thinking about buying it
Thank you for that...
If your chickens aren't laying eggs in the coop, they do not like the set up. As far as the Mites, it doesn't have to be. Set up a spot that they can dust bath. Dirt works fine, but I prefer wood ashes. Never had an issue with Mites yet.
Thank for the tips Matthew we Be trying these out!
Back when I had chickens here in northern Minnesota that’s what I used, I would use a wash basin or littler box type thing and put sand and wood ash in it for winter, they lived it a no mites ! Living alone now and my long work hours I haven’t had chickens but making changes and adding chickens in the spring ❤
Exactly, almost all birds love and need to have a proper, regular bath. The oil on their feathers collects dirt which they hate.
The rooster issue will be the same pretty much for every rooster. He is hitting puberty and needs to show who is boss. Watch how they attach. Usually come up along side you wings out and wack you and peck. Keep an eye on him. When he starts, stop the process. it is usually around the time they turn 1 year old. Sometimes its a war but you can win and he will be a great pet. After mine finally got through it. he became the best rooster for his girls, protected them with everything he had. when I fed him he would call out and the girls would come running. If there was danger he had another call and they would all go where he told them too. I could even call him and he knew I had something for him. This is not guaranteed for every Rooster, it worked on 2 of mine.
I’m getting 6 more chickens 🐓 I can’t wait! We have back yard ducks and allotment chickens!! I just love them. Forget iPads chickens are the best play thing for kids
Thank you for sharing. We got our first 6 chicks this month. Looking forward to the year ahead with them. I bet they will love Florida weather. Best wishes to you all.
You will love them! Hope you enjoy them for many years!
I now have 36 chickens.😉. We even have 1 special needs rooster who stays in house at night or bad weather (he only weighs about a pound). Love it and we both enjoy our chickens.
You do a wonderful job talking and explaining in your videos.
Chicken math ;)
is he a cross beak? if so i have one too
No, he has seizures. He is a bantam rooster and had been pushed from nest on first day of life. He is 5 now. Phoenix.
Thank you! I try my best and hope that some people can take something beneficial from it all!
Aw poor guy. I have a blind hen. She is starting to acclimate come inside so I don’t have to worry on super windy days when the coop is noisy. Oh yes she is the last one of the 3 so she is alone. But I am trying. ❤
It's not BIRTH day. It's BIRDDAY! LOL My great grandpa use to sing a song he made up, "Happy BIRDDAY" Anytime a chick would hatch. Lol I miss him so much
Aw, I feel like I want to start saying that. Love that
There’s a video (probably several) on youtube showing how to teach the rooster whose boss. I actually tried the same tactic with a severely bossy hen and it worked. Our rooster was great with me after I put him in his place and he was like a dog to my husband. He ran to my hubby when he got home from work and sat in his lap and nuzzled his neck. SO CUTE. We’re in town though and they changed the ordinance to not allow roosters so we had to re home him 😢😢😢
Great Job Pete!
Gather the eggs daily. We pot our water on a chimney with a light. Works great in western New York.💕NonaGrace 🐓
We had chickens when I was a child down in Kentucky years ago and some roosters are just mean!
But I love chickens and we enjoyed watching the hens sitting on their eggs and seeing the baby chicks.
They hatch in 21 days.
A mother hen can really peck you hard if you mess with the baby chicks.
We had Rhode Island reds and several others and some bantams that my grandmother called "banties".
The banty roosters were all really good natured but sometimes fought each other.
I live in the city and can't have them now.
I had the same problem with where they lay the eggs. most of the lay their egg in the morning. I left them in the coop til they mostly laid the egg. After a while they will get the hang of it and it becomes habit.
For the Mites. Put DE in their dirt. I also used flat underbed storage and filled with DE and let them dust bath there.
I thought they (chickens) would eat the mites... Thanks for doing this video...
Of course, thank you for watching!
I love raising animals. Now I try to do it at home
This is my first year with chickens and ducks. We didn’t get a rooster like we thought, they turned out to be all hens. We have adopted roosters who were free from people in our surrounding communities. One is a very tame bantam rooster named Nugget and a nearly all black rooster named Raven. Raven wasn’t very well accepted by the hens but our ducks think they are playground monitors and they break up fights before blood is involved. Our ducks are younger but are much bigger and the roosters are grateful for their protection. Nugget loves for me to personally take him off his perch and be held for a while.
Dust baths are extremely important. There are herbs from Amazon that you can add to the DE and ashes from the wood stove.
Thank you for this Anne!
I don't let my chickens out to free range until after noon because chickens usually lay in the morning. I sprinkle diatomaceous earth in there coop and add it into their food. I also have a coop that has a sliding glass window in it on the south side, so they get the winter sun. Then my chickens continue to lay all winter long.
I just bought post and did a high fenced gate and I bought wire mesh and spread it over top so thay way hawks dont get my chickens and instead of geese standard dog,I grow sun flower seeds, and I save up till I have 1.5k and i buy 1900lb of organic feed sell 50$ for 50lb make my Money back and I buy a pallet off profit etc so I feed my chickens for free basically I clean the coop every 3 days or week if I'm working all week
Maratonando todos os vídeos do canal
Thank you!😁
thank you for the knowledge ... friendly greetings from Indonesian breeders
Thank you! 😎👍🏻🐔🐓🎂
Any time!
Hungarian guy here. My family is old chicken keeper. One advice against the escaping girls: cut down the end of their wing feathers so they won't be able to fly. It's not hurts them in any way just like a nail cutting. For those which laying on the wrong spot, close down those parts. They wont lay to an open area. But if you lock down the wrong ones they will lay to the designated nesting place. For example it's good that the coop is elevated but don't need the chickens to be able to get under it. Just use some planks to shut it off. Chickens are almost as trainable and guidable as a dog.
If chickens are laying in the wrong place, it means there is something wrong with your chosen place, or it's not a good (not quiet enough, too draughty, too cold, too low, too damp, etc). Also wing clipping is like putting them in a wheelchair. If you want an animal without wings, get a hamster.
I would suggest keep cesar for now base on what you said his only doing normal rooster behavior and as you said last time he is a young rooster most of the time they grow out of the aggressive behavior another thing is maybe avoid your children going in there un supervise. And i think its best that you keep a rooster in your flock since your hens like to fly over the fence a rooster will surely lookout for them.
Wonderful video 😊
Thank you!
I am no expert so please do your own research. I’ve been giving my chickens 1ml injectable ivermectin topically in the middle of the neck quarterly. See self sufficient me CZcams channel regarding this. I also give my guinea pigs on their ears quarterly to prevent mites and other parasites. I’m a new chicken owner getting 3 hens in April of this year. I live in Hawai’i so much different weather here. My chickens seem very healthy. 2 EE’s laying almost daily each from 5 months. 1 barred rock laying from 6 months working her way up to almost daily too. Good luck!
I think that sounds like a great idea! I believe there are many ways to fix a problem as long as you do it smart and make sure your being safe
Mine are laying eggs outside coop too lol. IDK why 😕 even have fake eggs in boxes. To top it off, 2 of the RIR sing the egg song before, way before, (more noise then the rooster), they actually give up an egg lol
As long as I know where to find them I don’t mind I guess 🙈
Nice feeding strategy. You make your own feed or buy from commercial markets
Can I ask what you feed yours? Ours are about 11 weeks old. I am not a fan of just commercial food, and yours looks very good. Thank you for all the info. There is only two of us, so only 3 for now. I want to add 1 or 2 more. I want a silver lace orp and one that lays blue eggs. Not sure which one of yours lays blue eggs. They are so pretty.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
I follow your wonderful channel, your friend from Iraq. Greetings to you
I put diatomaceous in the nest boxes. 💕NonaGrace 🐓
I love your coop! My husband is going to build a coop this year and would like to build one like yours. Do you have plans for it’s design? 😊
Sorry we had some local build it for us, we don’t have the plans 😣
I thought you had Mr Roger’s singing the birthday song for a minute😂😂😂
Haha! That’s funny🤣
Did you solve the problem with your chickens laying their eggs elsewhere then the nesting boxes if so how did you correct that problem?
I look forward to the day when I can get my first chickens. Personally, I don't think I want to keep a rooster. They come with so many cons and limited pros. They are noisy and they can be aggressive. I don't want to hatch out my own chickens, so even that "pro" doesn't tempt me. But everyone has their own priorities, right? The one thing I do like is how gorgeous roosters of some breeds can grow to be. They can be really impressive beasties.
Some Roster breeds are more friendly Black Australorp , Orpingtons and Bresse.
Thanks for the tips! We have heard that about orpingtons and think we will try that breed
noticed you make your own feed mix. what do you use to make your mix? looks like happy chickens for sure👏
Hey Jason we have a video about our chicken feed if you haven’t seen it already!
@@AcresOfAdventure what feed mix do u use to feed
New subscriber Nurse Judi in AZ
How did it feel when you got the first egg?
Some roosters are just mean but everytime i had a rooster from a chick he was nice. I'm planning to have chickens again in my new home but i'm worried abour birds of prey. What are your experiences with having chickens in a open garden like this? Are you not worried a bird will kill your chickens? Or what about bird flu? I would like to keep my chickens like you do because it's cheaper than building an enclosure with mesh roof but i'm worried about these things.
I feel like I could make a great video on these questions you asked! But the only problem is chickens flying over but you could clip wings to keep them in (it’s safe and they don’t feel it) or we have a Great Pyrenees that helps keep predators away. Bird flu is probably only a problem for maybe a month out of the year where it is bad during migration but we just take the chance there. Hope this helps
I just want to know how you have so much grass?! Our grass was trampled by our chickens within a month or so and is just a muddy mess now.
I love that the ad that was before this video was KFC. 😂
They are like, "She likes chicken!"
What breeds of chickens do you have? Looks like you have a nice "old time" flock. Enjoy your videos and channel.
We have quite a bit, if you go to our top 3 chicken breed video I explain all of them, thank you for watching!
@@AcresOfAdventure OK. Thanks alot. Have a great day!
First time to get some baby chicks and I have no idea what I’m doing. I started with 12 chicks and now I have 9 left. My question is when do I change their chicken starter feed to the next level up???
16 weeks should work well
What is your recipe for their food?
no wayyyyy i got 10 chickens too, and one ended up being a rooster ( a gold wyandotte) just like urs
One rooster and 9 hens is a great ratio!
Great video, I am thinking about it. Can you say how many eggs per chicken and how often? Also the whole cost and maintance cost?
We have 14 hens, I’m spring and summer we get 12 eggs a day about. In winter you get about 6 eggs a day
Different types of chickens lay different amounts of chickens per year.
❤
👍🏻
Depending on the breed of the roosters there are breeds that are less aggressive then others but they typically will almost always try every once in awhile to mess with people just there behavior
I found that buff orpington roosters and a couple other breeds are definitely less aggressive and will get along better with the females
I'm in ohio on october 14th and have 3 week old hens...when can I put them outside in the coop? Wait till their feathers are fully developed?
Yes, typically about 2 months old, but it is getting colder now, you may need a coop heater for the winter.
As Gwen said. Usually 7-8 weeks they are ready. If you bring them out and they cheep a lot and curl up together then it’s too cold. If they just move around normal then they must be doing good
my silkie Rooster is wonderful
Ours seems like he might be, I think we are just in a rough patch right now
It's how roosters are. You might want to try getting a docile breed of chicken to get a roosters. Most roosters of any breed are dominant but some are just violent
Thanks Renee. We will keep trying til we can get it to work, we are not gonna give up
@@AcresOfAdventure buff Orpington are known to be mellower birds. Or a road island red.
DE CAN BE VERY DAMNGEROUS! IT SHOULD NEVER BE BREATHED BY THE CHICKENS! Also, DE is more of a preventative, NOT a treatment! Most of the time, a established infestation will not be killed by DE! But there are many other things that will work great, that are safe and natural. 😜 Hope this helps!
Thank you, I think as long as you apply a little and in open areas it’s not too bad, what would you suggest as an alternative?
@@AcresOfAdventure I forget the name of the product, but there is a great one who treats like all infestation issues of lice, mites and fleas. I will go into my chicken groups to look for the name of the product! Also, please keep in mind I'm not a vet or an expert (by far), so I always ask people to double check everything I say, Incase I got something wrong 😜
I do add DE to the floors of the coop and a thin layer sprinkled under anywhere I've put bedding. No issues yet, but I make sure the girls are not in the area I'm in while changing things out. I use it along the edges of the shed/coop and rake it gently into the dirt so the pests stay away in those areas. I'm quite enjoying taking care of them!
@@JennTN411 oh yes, I in no way mean to say that us chicken keepers shouldn't use DE! It can definitely be useful and beneficial to our chickens! I just use it more on the outside of the coop, like a perimeter .. and a tiny bit in nest boxes and such! What I like to do is actually put my hand in it, so I have a light coating on my hand but little to no excess . Then wipe it, on the bottom part, of the nest box. This is how I use it indoors to avoid excess powder that can be thrown up into the air when they jump, run or flap their wings (especially since I keep large geese with my chickens and those wings are like a leaf blower lol).I use it all the way around the outside of my coop (generously on the outside of the fence and lightly on the inside of the fence. Hope this gives a better picture! Lol. I just wanted people to know that DE is not really for treating mites, lice or fleas, it's mostly just a preventative! Apparently a lot of people have lost their chickens to DE because there is a lot of misinformation about it being 100% safe . It's not, it comes with its own risks. ❤️
@@prettybirdthepetgoosefrien8155 No, I didn't take it that way at all!! I was just sharing my way for my own comparison😉 My girls are no more than ten weeks, so prevention is paramount for peace of mind going into winter with them (assumably) spending more time indoors.
What keeps rodents from feeding on your chickens feed ?
If you can get a rooster as a chick and socialize with him, you have a real good chance he will be good for you. If you get a rooster from someone that is already older, but he is friendly, stay around him with the flock as much as possible for him to get used to you know you are friend & not foe.
We have 2 roosters, and they do great with our kids (18 months & 3 yrs old) and they chase the roosters around in the yard and they just trot away from the kids.
Egg laying - Chickens are creatures of habit and jealous. Once they start laying somewhere they will keep going there and if other chickens see the eggs they get jealous and want to lay there too.
My suggestion is build a smaller temporary run attached to the hen house to break the bad habit and make them lay in the nesting box. Get fake eggs and place them in the nesting box to let the chickens know that’s where they need to lay.
After a good few days or 1-2 weeks of that, their bad habits are broke and you can let them free range in the larger run again and they will go back to their nesting box.
Good luck!
How can i buy authentic good quality eggs from Bangladesh?
Where in Michigan are you? I'm in SE Mi, Monroe county.
West Michigan area
What do you do for hawks?
We haven’t had a bad hawk problem yet
Chicken math is another problem. They are addicting.
Obviously I commented before the end of the video
I love that every chicken person understands this… haha😂
How tall are your fences?
6ft
Birthdays? You mean happy hatch day and make sure your daughter doesn't kick the pigs🤣
That would be bad!
Breeders matter so much for roosters buy a rooster from a real breeder. That selects for behavior. Or hatch and cull until you start seeing nice roos
Roosters NOPE, you can't change their TERRIBLE behavior! Mine would attack my husband and daughter. I thought I could rehabilitate him NOPE! I tried for two years but, when he killed one of the hens and was mounting her dead, that was it. He was better in the pot than he ever was in the yard. I never thought I would say such a thing. FYI heated dog bowls are good for the Michigan winter. I have had chickens for 7 yrs now. My youngest are 5yrs old. 🐔❤
Thanks penny! We really want to be able to hatch out our own chickens so we really want a rooster to work! Guess we will keep trying
@@AcresOfAdventure The way I was able to hatch out chickens without owning a rooster was, after I noticed that one of my Buff Orpingtons went broody (they are good mothers to baby chicks) was I got some fertile eggs from a woman who had both hens and roosters. It was a great experience, except that I had to give back the 2 roosters (out of 7 eggs that hatched) to the woman I got the fertile eggs from. But what a wonderful experience- she knew how to keep her babies safe while teaching them to forage. The years that I kept backyard chickens was a happy experience, and we never lacked for great quality eggs!
Don't blame the rooster he was abused and got traumatized so he did what he had to to protect his girls from suffering the same fate he did
In general I like your video. I do not like that you "eliminate" I think great rooster for wrong reason . Rooster is to protect chickens not to play with children or adult in that matter. This is a nature and it is good to teach children how the nature work .It is not and should not be a play ground for children .
This is true but we try to have our kids be a part of the homestead and have jobs and that means they need to be able to take care of the animals so we just needed a better rooster then the first one that attacked us all the time
What feed?
What do you mean robin?
What do you feed? Looks quality!
🌈💚🍀
Do you worry about hawks?
Yes, but with the rooster to help alert them we have not had any problems yet for over a year
And watch out for chicken math. It's real. I went in for 6 and I have 18. Oops.
yes it is!
Americauna roosters are the best. They are as mild mannered as the polish breeds but much more intelligent
Roosters are for the frryer my boy☺️
We really want one GOOD rooster so we can hatch out our own chickens!
Daddy has money.
Chicken math six chickens + 1 year equals 40 chicken's.
wtf, get a heat pad
Bad roosters make good gumbo.
Yes🙈 we hope to keep trying til we get one that works better!
Don't run from him