Stop Believing These 7 Backyard Chicken Myths
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Date: 2026-04-12
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Comments and reviews: 20
SameDayDifferentSh
I built a massive run and coop for like 400 bucks, and make sure you follow the tip here about burrying hardware cloth around the walls and even under the fkoor because rats and raccoons will tunnel in and a large rat will kill a chicken in panic, they go for the throat. Grow fodder and let them roam a bit, saves a ton on feed. But you really cant avoid feed completely unless you're on a massive acherage because they are absolute LAWN MOWERS
Chickens are a lot of work though. The pooop SO GOD DAMN MUCH and you cant just leave it, and unless you own a tree grinding business you wont have the carbon to keep up with the nitrogen to make balanced compost.
You dont need bedding. They're going to move it out of the way and dust bathe anyway, and they keep cooler that way, and bedding houses fly larva. Its easier and cheaper to keep clean if you just keep the ground in the run as just dirt. Simply scrape the ground with a flathead shovel and gather the poop and other waste and do away with it. Odor contol is just routine maintenance.
Keep the coop simple. No two stories like what they sell premade. Just some roosting FLAT boards angled so you can easily clean them with, again, a flathead shovel, and the floor underneath the roosting bars easily because they even poop while they sleep. Venting is a must, and solar fans a must if you're in a hot region.
If you free range them, make sure they are only exposed to safe plants and plants you dont mine them eating and digging up because they will. They will. Also, they will poop everywhere, so be practice about that too.
Commercial scratch is just bird seed with dead mealworms. Get a colony of mealworms going which is easy, and then save hella money with just normal bird seed for scratch.
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I built a massive run and coop for like 400 bucks, and make sure you follow the tip here about burrying hardware cloth around the walls and even under the fkoor because rats and raccoons will tunnel in and a large rat will kill a chicken in panic, they go for the throat. Grow fodder and let them roam a bit, saves a ton on feed. But you really cant avoid feed completely unless you're on a massive acherage because they are absolute LAWN MOWERS
Chickens are a lot of work though. The pooop SO GOD DAMN MUCH and you cant just leave it, and unless you own a tree grinding business you wont have the carbon to keep up with the nitrogen to make balanced compost.
You dont need bedding. They're going to move it out of the way and dust bathe anyway, and they keep cooler that way, and bedding houses fly larva. Its easier and cheaper to keep clean if you just keep the ground in the run as just dirt. Simply scrape the ground with a flathead shovel and gather the poop and other waste and do away with it. Odor contol is just routine maintenance.
Keep the coop simple. No two stories like what they sell premade. Just some roosting FLAT boards angled so you can easily clean them with, again, a flathead shovel, and the floor underneath the roosting bars easily because they even poop while they sleep. Venting is a must, and solar fans a must if you're in a hot region.
If you free range them, make sure they are only exposed to safe plants and plants you dont mine them eating and digging up because they will. They will. Also, they will poop everywhere, so be practice about that too.
Commercial scratch is just bird seed with dead mealworms. Get a colony of mealworms going which is easy, and then save hella money with just normal bird seed for scratch.
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epic_gardening
Most people don't know, that no matter if you buy your chicks from the feedstore, or your local farmer, almost all roosters are simply culled because there is no demand for roosters and they aren't even legal to keep in many urban areas. Half of all chicks hatched are male, so that's a lot of birds sacrificed just to have eggs. Domestic breeds of chickens are super prone to a variety of health issues including osteoporosis, becoming egg-bond, reproductive cancer, etc. due to being bred to lay such an unnatural amount of eggs. I have seen over and over again people who think it's totally normal for their birds to drop dead at only 5 years old because they don't take their birds to the vet or properly suppliment their diet to make up for the damage laying so many eggs causes them. As someone who has rescue chickens, I highly recommend adopting chickens from your local shelter, you'd be surprised how many birds end up being found as strays by animal control. Chickens just like any other animal, are a huge responsibility if you truly care about not being neglectful or cruel. It definitely doesn't save any money to have backyard chickens if you actually care about their health and wellbeing.
The entire reason egg prices were so cheap in the first place, is because they come from factory farms, and the reason prices have risen so much, is due to mass culling because of bird-flu. It really saddens me to see so many people complaining about the price of eggs when the only reason they were ever even affordable is due to animal cruelty being totally normalized.
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Most people don't know, that no matter if you buy your chicks from the feedstore, or your local farmer, almost all roosters are simply culled because there is no demand for roosters and they aren't even legal to keep in many urban areas. Half of all chicks hatched are male, so that's a lot of birds sacrificed just to have eggs. Domestic breeds of chickens are super prone to a variety of health issues including osteoporosis, becoming egg-bond, reproductive cancer, etc. due to being bred to lay such an unnatural amount of eggs. I have seen over and over again people who think it's totally normal for their birds to drop dead at only 5 years old because they don't take their birds to the vet or properly suppliment their diet to make up for the damage laying so many eggs causes them. As someone who has rescue chickens, I highly recommend adopting chickens from your local shelter, you'd be surprised how many birds end up being found as strays by animal control. Chickens just like any other animal, are a huge responsibility if you truly care about not being neglectful or cruel. It definitely doesn't save any money to have backyard chickens if you actually care about their health and wellbeing.
The entire reason egg prices were so cheap in the first place, is because they come from factory farms, and the reason prices have risen so much, is due to mass culling because of bird-flu. It really saddens me to see so many people complaining about the price of eggs when the only reason they were ever even affordable is due to animal cruelty being totally normalized.
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epic_gardening
We have an earth floor on our Hilton Henhouse which has not been cleaned in 20 years other than the occasional chook poo gathering under the perches for the compost pile. We have meat rabbits which provide cold fertilizer and mulch for our veg garden plus the best healthiest white meat too. The chooks lay too many eggs in summer so that is when I make fresh pasta and dry it. Also muffins and freeze, loads of omelets and hardboiled eggs to add to salad and give them to family and friends. In winter they lay some eggs if you let them free range. We only feed our chooks garden and kitchen scraps and 2nds wheat straight from the farmer by the trailer load. Our pigs eat wheat, ducks too and rabbits. Then they get whatever they forage or I forage for them. We can't eat Jeruselum fArtichokes but the rabbits, ducks and chooks love the green leaves and branches. This patch gets bigger every year. We feed our rabbits and pigs carob pods. We have one female tree and 5 male trees. and get about 6 garbage bins of carob pods under her every year. The five male trees create amazing foraging areas fpr the chooks. leaf litter and bugs. Our chooks are Buff Orpingtons which are a dual purpose bird as they grow into large very beautiful birds that also taste very good too. Their fertile eggs sell per dozen for $50 and each chick for $35 Australian. Also we sell pairs of Meat Rabbits and Runner Ducks for $100 a pair. There are lots of ways of getting the cash you spend on the animals back if you just diversify your approach and take the time to make it work.
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We have an earth floor on our Hilton Henhouse which has not been cleaned in 20 years other than the occasional chook poo gathering under the perches for the compost pile. We have meat rabbits which provide cold fertilizer and mulch for our veg garden plus the best healthiest white meat too. The chooks lay too many eggs in summer so that is when I make fresh pasta and dry it. Also muffins and freeze, loads of omelets and hardboiled eggs to add to salad and give them to family and friends. In winter they lay some eggs if you let them free range. We only feed our chooks garden and kitchen scraps and 2nds wheat straight from the farmer by the trailer load. Our pigs eat wheat, ducks too and rabbits. Then they get whatever they forage or I forage for them. We can't eat Jeruselum fArtichokes but the rabbits, ducks and chooks love the green leaves and branches. This patch gets bigger every year. We feed our rabbits and pigs carob pods. We have one female tree and 5 male trees. and get about 6 garbage bins of carob pods under her every year. The five male trees create amazing foraging areas fpr the chooks. leaf litter and bugs. Our chooks are Buff Orpingtons which are a dual purpose bird as they grow into large very beautiful birds that also taste very good too. Their fertile eggs sell per dozen for $50 and each chick for $35 Australian. Also we sell pairs of Meat Rabbits and Runner Ducks for $100 a pair. There are lots of ways of getting the cash you spend on the animals back if you just diversify your approach and take the time to make it work.
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FixinTwo
I absolutely save money on eggs, and I buy my girls really good food. I also mix it with hot pepper powder to keep the bears and rats out of it, plus the other benefits. I always have between 5 and 4 birds. The 1st 4 years egg production is off the charts. They get retired to a local school as pets, and new birds come in as 8 - 16 week pullets. I have done the math including the time where they haven't started laying and times during molting. Depending on egg prices I save btwn $2. 50 to $4. 00 a dozen over a year. Here, eggs I would buy that are from happy healthy and local birds cost anywhere between $8-$12. I am a carpenter and built everything with scraps and waste from my jobs. Also, in the video you are discussing brand store egg suppliers and I don't buy those. If I did, and I fed my girls the cheapest feed I would still save, but quality of eggs is very important to me so I don't buy those type of eggs. I also don't add in to my calculations the money saved on fertilizer for my gardens and flowers which is substantial. I have 150 gallons of capacity for composting which is always going full steam at my house. Edit to add I usually have Comets or other high production layers. 300 eggs a year each for 1st year, 250 the next two, and 200 in 4th. My girls right now are almost 4 and this group is actually laying more than my usual. I haven't done calculations since this particular group moved in. I used to journal and keep up daily, but not anymore. I'll also add feed protein in 18-20%
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I absolutely save money on eggs, and I buy my girls really good food. I also mix it with hot pepper powder to keep the bears and rats out of it, plus the other benefits. I always have between 5 and 4 birds. The 1st 4 years egg production is off the charts. They get retired to a local school as pets, and new birds come in as 8 - 16 week pullets. I have done the math including the time where they haven't started laying and times during molting. Depending on egg prices I save btwn $2. 50 to $4. 00 a dozen over a year. Here, eggs I would buy that are from happy healthy and local birds cost anywhere between $8-$12. I am a carpenter and built everything with scraps and waste from my jobs. Also, in the video you are discussing brand store egg suppliers and I don't buy those. If I did, and I fed my girls the cheapest feed I would still save, but quality of eggs is very important to me so I don't buy those type of eggs. I also don't add in to my calculations the money saved on fertilizer for my gardens and flowers which is substantial. I have 150 gallons of capacity for composting which is always going full steam at my house. Edit to add I usually have Comets or other high production layers. 300 eggs a year each for 1st year, 250 the next two, and 200 in 4th. My girls right now are almost 4 and this group is actually laying more than my usual. I haven't done calculations since this particular group moved in. I used to journal and keep up daily, but not anymore. I'll also add feed protein in 18-20%
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epic_gardening
$500-700 for coop setup Ok dont listen to this city boy y’all can do plenty with a LOT less. You do NOT need to even buy a coop at all hardware stores wildly overcharge for the ones they sell
What you need very much depends on where you live, and the conditions, weather etc but we just took an old used shed, cut some holes on the side for the chickens to enter and exit i splurged on some automatic doors we drilled some dead branches we had lying around inside for roosting and grabbed some scraps of wood to make a few boxes. And yes you need feeders and waterers. Thats not much.
We do have lots of birds of prey around us owls barn cats coyotes. But in the years we’ve lived here they have never attacked our chickens. I think there’s just plenty of mice and voles that a big fat chicken seems too much of a hassle. And as far as feed goes well if you give them plenty of grassy areas to scratch for bugs (and maybe even small animals like mice) they often get enough from all that and the plants around them that they dont hardly need any feed during the warmer months. But they still need it during the winter. And you shouldnt use heat lamps in the coop. Its a fire hazard. Most of the time you dont need to provide heat at all if you got the right breed for your climate. On in extreme weather should you maybe do that and use a temp controlled oil heater. And as far as bedding We buy some pine shavings once a year and its fine. Throw used stuff in the compost. They’re never sick.
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$500-700 for coop setup Ok dont listen to this city boy y’all can do plenty with a LOT less. You do NOT need to even buy a coop at all hardware stores wildly overcharge for the ones they sell
What you need very much depends on where you live, and the conditions, weather etc but we just took an old used shed, cut some holes on the side for the chickens to enter and exit i splurged on some automatic doors we drilled some dead branches we had lying around inside for roosting and grabbed some scraps of wood to make a few boxes. And yes you need feeders and waterers. Thats not much.
We do have lots of birds of prey around us owls barn cats coyotes. But in the years we’ve lived here they have never attacked our chickens. I think there’s just plenty of mice and voles that a big fat chicken seems too much of a hassle. And as far as feed goes well if you give them plenty of grassy areas to scratch for bugs (and maybe even small animals like mice) they often get enough from all that and the plants around them that they dont hardly need any feed during the warmer months. But they still need it during the winter. And you shouldnt use heat lamps in the coop. Its a fire hazard. Most of the time you dont need to provide heat at all if you got the right breed for your climate. On in extreme weather should you maybe do that and use a temp controlled oil heater. And as far as bedding We buy some pine shavings once a year and its fine. Throw used stuff in the compost. They’re never sick.
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AlexBryantJOMTU
Nice video. I know I have hopes and plans of working my way up to having a small flock of chickens, ducks, and turkeys. The chickens and ducks would be for eggs and meat production and then the turkeys just for the meat. I do hope to have them breed as well and I would use a hatcher to incubate and keep the chicks warm enough until they can be put in with the rest of the flocks. My main concern it with inbreeding depression. I was originally thinking of having different roosters in with different groups of hens and do a rotation of the different hen chicks with a different rooster chick. Doing it that way would add to the complexity of it all but would better manage things so the inbreeding depression is less likely to happen. I was wondering if all that is really necessary though and just let them all be together free range for the most part but they would be cooped in the night. Do you have tips or recommendations for those ideas I do live on 1. 5 acres with the back yard being at an acre and currently covered in invasive trees that I hope to clear out so I can have plenty of space to garden, have my permaculture areas, fruit trees/bushes, grape vines, etc. as well as bees and a pond to hopefully also raise fish I can harvest as well and grow aquatic plants as well. I would love to hear what you think of this. Also, I do live in the midwest US I believe zone 6.
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Nice video. I know I have hopes and plans of working my way up to having a small flock of chickens, ducks, and turkeys. The chickens and ducks would be for eggs and meat production and then the turkeys just for the meat. I do hope to have them breed as well and I would use a hatcher to incubate and keep the chicks warm enough until they can be put in with the rest of the flocks. My main concern it with inbreeding depression. I was originally thinking of having different roosters in with different groups of hens and do a rotation of the different hen chicks with a different rooster chick. Doing it that way would add to the complexity of it all but would better manage things so the inbreeding depression is less likely to happen. I was wondering if all that is really necessary though and just let them all be together free range for the most part but they would be cooped in the night. Do you have tips or recommendations for those ideas I do live on 1. 5 acres with the back yard being at an acre and currently covered in invasive trees that I hope to clear out so I can have plenty of space to garden, have my permaculture areas, fruit trees/bushes, grape vines, etc. as well as bees and a pond to hopefully also raise fish I can harvest as well and grow aquatic plants as well. I would love to hear what you think of this. Also, I do live in the midwest US I believe zone 6.
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epic_gardening
Yes, predators are there all the time, but there is a huge difference when you have a fast food for them.
My parents went from 30 chickens to 5 chickens in one night because a fox managed to get in.
When there is a motivation, those predators will be extremely present and do their best to get your chickens.
Now I live in the mountains and here are tons of predators.
Brought 2 geese one time and placed a strong coop in front of the cabin for protection. In 15 minutes, I had a fox already trying her best to get in. In front of my cabin! :)
Depending where you live, predators can be a nightmare. In this remote mountain village, the only people that still have chickens, are the ones with strong coops and that are constantly protecting their flocks.
Foxes, martens, badgers and hawks managed to take out entire flocks from a few neighbors.
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Yes, predators are there all the time, but there is a huge difference when you have a fast food for them.
My parents went from 30 chickens to 5 chickens in one night because a fox managed to get in.
When there is a motivation, those predators will be extremely present and do their best to get your chickens.
Now I live in the mountains and here are tons of predators.
Brought 2 geese one time and placed a strong coop in front of the cabin for protection. In 15 minutes, I had a fox already trying her best to get in. In front of my cabin! :)
Depending where you live, predators can be a nightmare. In this remote mountain village, the only people that still have chickens, are the ones with strong coops and that are constantly protecting their flocks.
Foxes, martens, badgers and hawks managed to take out entire flocks from a few neighbors.
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saraloveland4001
Just wanted to share something I've learned studying chickens over the past 5 years. It's correct that if you choose appropriate breeds for your climate and have access to a well ventilated setup they do not need heat. It is also true that any electricity (heat source or not) in a coop poses some fire risk. However if people want to keep breeds that are not suited to their climate or they do not have access to a well ventilated setup they will need to supply heat. This can be done in a safer way by using heat plates directly over the roosting bars. The plates will need to be dusted regularly and the cords checked for cracks. The heat question is situational and not as cut and dry as many people think, but if you have the freedom to choose your setup and choose your breeds wisely heat sources are something people don't need to worry about.
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Just wanted to share something I've learned studying chickens over the past 5 years. It's correct that if you choose appropriate breeds for your climate and have access to a well ventilated setup they do not need heat. It is also true that any electricity (heat source or not) in a coop poses some fire risk. However if people want to keep breeds that are not suited to their climate or they do not have access to a well ventilated setup they will need to supply heat. This can be done in a safer way by using heat plates directly over the roosting bars. The plates will need to be dusted regularly and the cords checked for cracks. The heat question is situational and not as cut and dry as many people think, but if you have the freedom to choose your setup and choose your breeds wisely heat sources are something people don't need to worry about.
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AeroEngr69
My 2 cents here.
Just breed your own feed. Worms and other bugs are easy to breed and cost next to nothing compared to buying feed. Then just use any leftover produce from the house to add to their feed and supplement when necessary. This is how raising chickens keeps cost down.
For the coupe, just find some reclaimed (used wood) from wherever and get free building plans off the internet. Total cost, depending on what you find, could be a low as free.
Why would you need to have veterinarian visits Chickens are the easiest animal to take care of, no need for this. Just educate yourself on what to keep an eye out for and actually check in on them everyday.
But the real value here is knowing that your eggs and chicken that you eat have been raised to your standards.
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My 2 cents here.
Just breed your own feed. Worms and other bugs are easy to breed and cost next to nothing compared to buying feed. Then just use any leftover produce from the house to add to their feed and supplement when necessary. This is how raising chickens keeps cost down.
For the coupe, just find some reclaimed (used wood) from wherever and get free building plans off the internet. Total cost, depending on what you find, could be a low as free.
Why would you need to have veterinarian visits Chickens are the easiest animal to take care of, no need for this. Just educate yourself on what to keep an eye out for and actually check in on them everyday.
But the real value here is knowing that your eggs and chicken that you eat have been raised to your standards.
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abyssal_phoenix
From what i calculated the homegrown eggs, even with the investment of a big coop, will actually earn themselves back.
Over here a box of ten similar eggs are about 4. 50-5 euros
While a homegrown one, depending on how much my not the best layer chickens lay per day, would result in about 1. 5- 2 euros
I have had 2 chicks die on me so my original calculation will be slower unless i get a few extra. But i calculated the chickens will earn themselves and the whole coop and run back in about 8-10 years if i sell the excess eggs in summer for 2 euros roughly. Im anticipating it to be closer to 15 or 20 years because maybe they'll lay less than what's the average. And that's okay
They are still also a sort of outdoor pet and that's what matters the most
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From what i calculated the homegrown eggs, even with the investment of a big coop, will actually earn themselves back.
Over here a box of ten similar eggs are about 4. 50-5 euros
While a homegrown one, depending on how much my not the best layer chickens lay per day, would result in about 1. 5- 2 euros
I have had 2 chicks die on me so my original calculation will be slower unless i get a few extra. But i calculated the chickens will earn themselves and the whole coop and run back in about 8-10 years if i sell the excess eggs in summer for 2 euros roughly. Im anticipating it to be closer to 15 or 20 years because maybe they'll lay less than what's the average. And that's okay
They are still also a sort of outdoor pet and that's what matters the most
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ann7318
I am in the country, and I have a rooster. He was given to me by a friend. He is pretty. However, he is also MEAN and attacks me. I have some wounds on my legs from that bird. I have kicked him out of the coop a few times. I finally kicked him out of the coop a few days ago FOR GOOD after his last attack. I will not let him back in with the hens. He still tries to attack me. I often carry a large tool like a shovel with me for self defense. Yes, he ought to be fried or soup, but I cannot kill my PETS. My animals are all pets. Some breeds of roosters are nicer than other breeds. Rhode Island reds are notorious for meanness, but so are some other breeds. Buff Orpingtons are nice roosters. I am vegetarian and won't eat my pets; I do eat eggs.
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I am in the country, and I have a rooster. He was given to me by a friend. He is pretty. However, he is also MEAN and attacks me. I have some wounds on my legs from that bird. I have kicked him out of the coop a few times. I finally kicked him out of the coop a few days ago FOR GOOD after his last attack. I will not let him back in with the hens. He still tries to attack me. I often carry a large tool like a shovel with me for self defense. Yes, he ought to be fried or soup, but I cannot kill my PETS. My animals are all pets. Some breeds of roosters are nicer than other breeds. Rhode Island reds are notorious for meanness, but so are some other breeds. Buff Orpingtons are nice roosters. I am vegetarian and won't eat my pets; I do eat eggs.
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Raquelgrl3271
My one hen is going through an identity crisis and crowing at the moment. I also have a larger run for the number of birds I have (residential) and maybe add pine shavings to the sand one a year. I have a dog kennel water bowl that fills itself and a 30 Gallon drum that I've modified into a feeder. I rinse the bowl about once a week and as long as no moisture or pests make a problem I put a 50ld bag into the feeder and it lasts for a month. So very low maintenance if you set it up right. I'm in FL. Also my predator apron is pavers both inside and on the outer perimeter since the girls can make it easier to dig in by scratching out the inside edge. It also gives them something to sharpen their claws and beaks on.
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My one hen is going through an identity crisis and crowing at the moment. I also have a larger run for the number of birds I have (residential) and maybe add pine shavings to the sand one a year. I have a dog kennel water bowl that fills itself and a 30 Gallon drum that I've modified into a feeder. I rinse the bowl about once a week and as long as no moisture or pests make a problem I put a 50ld bag into the feeder and it lasts for a month. So very low maintenance if you set it up right. I'm in FL. Also my predator apron is pavers both inside and on the outer perimeter since the girls can make it easier to dig in by scratching out the inside edge. It also gives them something to sharpen their claws and beaks on.
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carolynwatson4301
I live in rural Arkansas. We don't do chickens the way city people do. So my whole chicken set up cost $60. If the chicken has something wrong that we can't fix we cull that chicken. No vet bills for chickens. Chickens are food for almost everything. The real challenge is keeping predators away. It is a predator rich environment. We keep them as livestock not pets. We also have geese, turkeys, ducks, and guineas. They all lay eggs and the eggs are good. Almost all are able to forage so they eat less commercial food. We live in a area that we can let them free range. Yes, I put feed and water out daily but considering how many I have I don't spend that much for feed.
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I live in rural Arkansas. We don't do chickens the way city people do. So my whole chicken set up cost $60. If the chicken has something wrong that we can't fix we cull that chicken. No vet bills for chickens. Chickens are food for almost everything. The real challenge is keeping predators away. It is a predator rich environment. We keep them as livestock not pets. We also have geese, turkeys, ducks, and guineas. They all lay eggs and the eggs are good. Almost all are able to forage so they eat less commercial food. We live in a area that we can let them free range. Yes, I put feed and water out daily but considering how many I have I don't spend that much for feed.
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Joy_Z_73
Chicken wire keeps the chickens in more than predators out. Hardware cloth, which is not cloth for those that didn't know (I've helped customers at the farm store I used to work at that thought it was a mesh cloth) is best for keeping predators out. Interesting/confusing terminology for sure.
I was taught numbers for the predator prevention around the coop. So when we finally built a coop after years of not having chickens, I may have gone a little overboard. LOL. My hardware cloth goes down 6 inches into the ground and then 12 inches out.
My back and arms were pretty mad at me for a few days because most of the ground around here is rocks or clay
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Chicken wire keeps the chickens in more than predators out. Hardware cloth, which is not cloth for those that didn't know (I've helped customers at the farm store I used to work at that thought it was a mesh cloth) is best for keeping predators out. Interesting/confusing terminology for sure.
I was taught numbers for the predator prevention around the coop. So when we finally built a coop after years of not having chickens, I may have gone a little overboard. LOL. My hardware cloth goes down 6 inches into the ground and then 12 inches out.
My back and arms were pretty mad at me for a few days because most of the ground around here is rocks or clay
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Cattensuplays
I have a rooster that is not a ride or die for his hens. I have had to go reascue them twice from the neighbors roosters who are mean as a snake while their rooster is using the hens as a shield or is nowhere in sight.
He has lost his hen and coop privileges. I gave his two hens to our other rooster, who would try to protect them whenever they would fuss because I had to grab them, or they would sing about laying an egg, and he would go to try to collect that hen to lead her back to the safety of the flock.
The two are much happier now.
And that useless rooster is just free roaming the outside of our fenced backyard.
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I have a rooster that is not a ride or die for his hens. I have had to go reascue them twice from the neighbors roosters who are mean as a snake while their rooster is using the hens as a shield or is nowhere in sight.
He has lost his hen and coop privileges. I gave his two hens to our other rooster, who would try to protect them whenever they would fuss because I had to grab them, or they would sing about laying an egg, and he would go to try to collect that hen to lead her back to the safety of the flock.
The two are much happier now.
And that useless rooster is just free roaming the outside of our fenced backyard.
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ASMODAY1K
We keep ours in a coop at night and free roam the yard in the day. 7x7x 15 coop $200 home built using a greenhouse frame wrapped in coop wire before the cover goes on. bag of feed $40 a month. $25 pine shavings roughly every 2 months. We grow worms and pond plants plants to supplement feed as well. 7 chickens. get roughly 7-8 dozen give or take a month. At the average $8/dozen I'm saving 45% compared to going to the store. You don't need a bouji $$$$ coop. You can build one on the cheap using recycled materials to get started. And like these guys said. Better egg quality and you know where your food comes from.
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We keep ours in a coop at night and free roam the yard in the day. 7x7x 15 coop $200 home built using a greenhouse frame wrapped in coop wire before the cover goes on. bag of feed $40 a month. $25 pine shavings roughly every 2 months. We grow worms and pond plants plants to supplement feed as well. 7 chickens. get roughly 7-8 dozen give or take a month. At the average $8/dozen I'm saving 45% compared to going to the store. You don't need a bouji $$$$ coop. You can build one on the cheap using recycled materials to get started. And like these guys said. Better egg quality and you know where your food comes from.
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telmosilva9161
Damn! 700$ for a chicken coop I made mine, thus the surprise.
Vet visit never needed tbh, and feed only need some late winter and early spring.
My ground beds are all the same size, so built my coop is at the center of the farming plot, with 4 exits.
Have made a folding netting tunnel and a playground enclosure. Whenever one my beds is harvested, they have a few days of field day on it, cleaning unwanted seeds, left behind greens, bugs, worms.
Tip if you want to build your own, consider building sliding trays as floors for their inside living areas. Makes cleaning a breeze.
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Damn! 700$ for a chicken coop I made mine, thus the surprise.
Vet visit never needed tbh, and feed only need some late winter and early spring.
My ground beds are all the same size, so built my coop is at the center of the farming plot, with 4 exits.
Have made a folding netting tunnel and a playground enclosure. Whenever one my beds is harvested, they have a few days of field day on it, cleaning unwanted seeds, left behind greens, bugs, worms.
Tip if you want to build your own, consider building sliding trays as floors for their inside living areas. Makes cleaning a breeze.
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epic_gardening
Anyone paying 500$ or more for a small coop has more money than is required to have chickens. You can get free pallets from feed and farm stores as well as any other place that gets products on pallets. The most costly part is the fencing and the chickens themselves. Our chickens are free range and we spend maybe 20. 00$ a month on feeding the chickens, and the hens also set and raise chickes, we are about 6-9 eggs a day, even with some of the hens setting, we have 11, 5 of the thens are just stated laying this spring, thens pallets was hatched by one our hens late last summer.
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Anyone paying 500$ or more for a small coop has more money than is required to have chickens. You can get free pallets from feed and farm stores as well as any other place that gets products on pallets. The most costly part is the fencing and the chickens themselves. Our chickens are free range and we spend maybe 20. 00$ a month on feeding the chickens, and the hens also set and raise chickes, we are about 6-9 eggs a day, even with some of the hens setting, we have 11, 5 of the thens are just stated laying this spring, thens pallets was hatched by one our hens late last summer.
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epic_gardening
Not trying to contradict but honest opinion about insulation for chickens.
In Idaho my relative has chickens. It gets down to -20 Fahrenheit and so insulation is a must. I'm sure it could be a problem in humid places but it works for them. They simply keep an area of the run that has no insulation. They keep half of the run area insulated with plastic and window shades. They also feed them hot food to keep them warm and get the eggs as soon as possible because they freeze in a few minutes. Insulation is not as terrible as you say.
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Not trying to contradict but honest opinion about insulation for chickens.
In Idaho my relative has chickens. It gets down to -20 Fahrenheit and so insulation is a must. I'm sure it could be a problem in humid places but it works for them. They simply keep an area of the run that has no insulation. They keep half of the run area insulated with plastic and window shades. They also feed them hot food to keep them warm and get the eggs as soon as possible because they freeze in a few minutes. Insulation is not as terrible as you say.
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cs4849
The problem with layer feed is that it has too much calcium for young pullets and roosters. I keep mine on starter/grower with 20% protein and feed them oyster shell/crushed eggs shells on the side. I have one coop flock and their rooster keeps a watch for hawks when the free range during the day, and another flock in the woods with a couple of roos to protect them. Are they noisy Sure. The roosters like to have crow-offs, which I find hysterical, and the egg songs get pretty raucous. To me, that’s just part of the fun of having chickens.
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The problem with layer feed is that it has too much calcium for young pullets and roosters. I keep mine on starter/grower with 20% protein and feed them oyster shell/crushed eggs shells on the side. I have one coop flock and their rooster keeps a watch for hawks when the free range during the day, and another flock in the woods with a couple of roos to protect them. Are they noisy Sure. The roosters like to have crow-offs, which I find hysterical, and the egg songs get pretty raucous. To me, that’s just part of the fun of having chickens.
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